COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR

 

In reply to Mr. Polski’s comments I would like to offer the following comments.

 

Mr. Polski’s comments are directed to the Clubs and/or the tournament directors but I think they should be directed to the Junior Scholarship Committee.  The Clubs and members of the FSHPA Inc. donates the funds for the continuation of the Junior program and it should be the responsibility of the Junior Scholarship Committee to make recommendations as to how a junior pitcher should be treated in tournaments.  If the Committee decides that a junior pitcher should receive prize money from a fund that they have not paid into then the Committee should provide the entry funds for the junior players.  In this way all members that have paid into the prize fund are playing on an equal basis.  It makes no sense to say that a junior pitcher that has not paid into the prize fund should be treated as an equal to those that have paid into the prize fund.  The NHPA has stated that a junior, in most states, can pay an entry fee and receive monetary prize awards with out damage to their amateur standing.

 

The above comments relate to prize money distribution when a junior pitches in an adult class.  Other comments relate to a junior pitcher not receiving recognition for having placed in an adult class.  One can also state that a junior pitching in an all junior class receives nothing unless he/she wins first place; this is true.  Again, I would refer to the Junior Committee for awarding junior’s an award of recognition when they place first, second or third in a junior class.  Perhaps, the Junior Committee should provide arm patches, trophies or a certificate of recognition to those tournaments that have an all junior class; the state association does this for those juniors that pitch in the junior class in the state tournament.  After all, the purpose of the Junior Committee is not only to provide scholarships to junior pitchers but should be promoting the game for junior pitchers.  In my opinion providing only scholarships is not promoting the game.  Perhaps the junior committee should consider spending some of the donated funds in ways that will promote junior pitcher to enter the game.  I don’t think that diverting some of the funds for promotion would seriously impact the scholarship program.

 

It has been my experience that most adult pitchers are encouraging to junior pitchers even though some of the junior pitchers have not learned or been instructed in the proper conduct on the courts.  It is distracting to an adult pitcher when a junior opponent does not stand behind them when they are pitching or when the junior is talking with a classmate while the adult is pitching.  Many times I have seen when a junior pitcher is keeping score he/she has a buddy sitting next to him/her and they are carrying on a conversation while the game is in progress.  This is not to say that I have not seen the same thing happen when an adult is keeping score. 

 

A person reading this might think that I am against encouraging junior pitchers but this is not so.  I try to encourage young pitchers and even try to instruct them occasionally in their proper conduct of the game.  However, to say “They are the life blood of our game” is a bit over statement.  When you consider that we contribute and the committee spends over $1,000.00 per year on the junior scholarship program but we allocate only $500.00 to promotion of the game to adults seems some what misguided to me.  And, by the way most if any of the allocated promotional funds are never spent.

 

In reading this article you must understand that I have played horseshoes over 50 years and have been a member of the FSHPA Inc. over 30 years and I have seen junior programs tried and fail to produce a great number of junior players.  When you consider that money spent on junior players is in excess of $100.00 per new member and that money spent on promoting adult members is virtually zero and yet we continue to get new adult members then one has to look at the effectiveness of the program.

 

                                                                                                                        Marvin Grubb

                                                                                                                        Editor