Teaching children respect comes from showing them respect and being supported by the community.
As a parent, I have always attempted to teach my children respect, respect for themselves, adults, other children, and even materialistic items. Respect can mean different things to different people; but basically, respect means to show regard or consideration for someone or something. Parents teach their children respect in many different ways; however, the best way to teach a child about respect is for children to see adults respecting themselves, their children and others.
Children in general are greatly influenced throughout their day by adults, whether it be a parent, teacher or coach and observing respectful adult behavior helps children learn the value of respect and how to use it to their advantage. Unfortunately, each and every one of us has probably witnessed a coach, parent or another adult be disrespectful to a child in one way or another.
As adults, we should hold these people, people of authority, accountable for this behavior.
At a recent Central Blair Recreation Commission elementary basketball game, I witnessed a coach call a timeout and then proceed to grab a child by his shirt. I was told the player was the coach's son. I don't think that should matter. Grabbing the child by his shirt was inappropriate.
As a community member and parent, I wonder if we don't take a stance and stick up for children, who should we blame when the children in our community are engaging in negative behaviors?
Society always wants to point fingers and blame parents when children get into trouble and display disrespect; however, today's children are being influenced by more than their parents.
As a society, if we do not hold adults, our coaches and their supervisors or program administrators alike accountable for inappropriate behaviors then why should we blame the children when they engage in inappropriate behaviors in the community?
As the saying goes "It takes a village to raise a child."
Parents, teachers, coaches, and other community adults need to be part of that village.
Autumn Temple
Altoona
Ohlendorf victory $ign of times
With March Madness just around the corner and the NFL possibly gearing up for a lock down for the 2011 season, my mind turns to spring training and the "Boys of Summer."
I have been a longtime baseball fan and still find it in my heart to pull for the LA Dodgers, even though they haven't won a World Series since 1988. Yeah, I know how those Pirate loyalists are feeling and wonder if 2011 will be another lost year.
Not long ago, I found a small article on Pirate pitcher Ross Ohlendorf, who won an arbitration hearing against his employer. Let's take a look at how he won his arbitration award of $2,025,000.
In 2009, he went 11-10 in 21 starts with the Pirates. In 2010, he compiled a 1-11 record with an ERA of 4.07 in 21 starts. Now keep in mind that his employer went a major league-worst 57-105 record.
The Pirates have gone through a miserable drought with how many losing seasons so far? And the Pirate organization is in a small market with one of the lowest payrolls in major league baseball.
But here is the 28-year-old Ohlendorf being awarded a raise from $439,000 to $2,025,000 per year. Let me tell you that $439,000 is not bad money for a mediocre baseball pitcher. The Pirates, as poor as they are, felt Ohlendorf was worth a raise to $l,400,000.
I would call that a great employer and feel very lucky to get that. Now, these three arbitrators who heard the case don't have a vested interest. They are appointed by MLB. It sure was no heartburn on their conscience what their decision was. They didn't have to take the money out of their pockets.
Professional sports have changed since I first got interested with the New York Giants, the Dodgers, New York Knicks and Rangers. In short, professional baseball players are spoiled, greedy people playing a kid's game for money.
Loyalty? What loyalty? The players' agents and union are all greedy and only care about what they get in support of the player. Professional sports are the only business where a player signs a longterm contract and never has to take a pay cut if he produces negative numbers during any one year of the given contract.
What a life!
Les Hart
Duncansville
Slam or sham??Griffin title predictable
Blake Griffin won the NBA's Slam Dunk contest. Surprise, surprise.
I think we all know that, unless he fell flat on his face, this contest was settled in the months leading up to the event. Night-in and night-out, sports fans flip on ESPN to find Griffin wowing fans with freakishly athletic dunks.
He wasn't the only star showing off his dunking ability in this year's contest. Each athlete had some pretty amazing dunks such as JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards dunking two balls simultaneously.
However, that contest was over before it started. While the fans had the final say, it became extremely obvious that the NBA wanted Blake Griffin to be the poster boy of the Dunk Contest.
By allowing him to use a car as a prop, David Stern was already allowing Griffin a huge advantage over his competitors. As a rising star in the NBA, Griffin winning this contest means much more than if a 7-foot backup center on a last-place team (McGee) won it.
It also helped that the festivities were held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. That combined with the fact that Blake cleared a car didn't help McGee's chances one bit.
While I enjoyed watching the contest, it just didn't seem fair this year, and that is a real shame.
Shawn Hallahan
Altoona
(The writer is a student at Penn State Altoona).
