As I walked into Sam's Club yesterday I was bombarded with 2 young men trying to ask me for donations for the Shorebirds Baseball Team. He didn't look hungry so I told him, no.After I dropped off my $3,000.00 check to Sam's Club, (I had fun there last month) I walked out the exit door and not only were these pain in the ass kids now blocking everyone's way coming out of the store, they were asking people for money in front of yet ANOTHER group of people selling baked goods out there to boot.
Back in the day in NYC, when someone had their hand out they were entertaining you!!!! Guitar, trumpet, violin, acting, mime, singing, card tricks, magic!!!!!!!! Here you get some kid in a Polo Shirt who doesn't look hungry at all asking for money so he can play baseball, UP YOURS!
Back when I was a kid we used to have to work at the Bowie Race Track at night just to raise enough money to pay for Boys Club Sports. WE had PRIDE! WE EARNED IT! This bullshit has got to stop around here. The hundreds of dollar bills these kids were carrying was just unbelievable. Stupid people paying them a buck just to get out of the way.
NOT ME! Go get a job, I said. I'd rather take care of some guy down on his luck then to pay for some kid/kids to play baseball. We played with a tennis ball in the street and let me tell you, we were better than the Pro's! I even broke Babe Ruth's home run record. ;-)
When I go back and see the yards we used to play in I think to myself, how could that have been fair to claim that as a home run when you only hit it over the fence into the next yard? We must have been real small but one thing you can't do it take away my breaking the World Record.
Get A Job Kid!
Absolutely right. Most of these polo-sporting athletes have parents that can afford to pay their way. If they need to panhandle to do it, maybe it's not really all that necessary. Are they really too good for good old fashioned Little League Baseball? Do we as citizens need to feel pressured to give money this way in order for little Billy to have the opportunity to play a travel sport that he can play right in his neighborhood for about $30? Your post only scratches the surface of the larger issue IMO. The issue being that youth sports are totally out of control is one that needs to be addressed. From overworked kids playing on 6 different teams, to cheating coaches, to parents that assault coaches, youth sports in general are failing our young athletes.
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