Time to get ready

As a wondered what to talk about this week, a number of topics came to mind.
The end of the Olympics, the Phillies, the Eagles and of course the start of the 2008 high school sports’ season.
So like any good weatherman forecasting a foot of snow and we get less than an inch, I pulled out my trusty dart board.
My topic this week -- the start of the high school sports season for 2008.
One of the things I hear most from coaches, is a lack of numbers.
I feel for the coaches and often wonder why students don’t come out for sports, or get involved in school activities such as band, chorus or cheerleading.
I’ve been out of high school 32 years. I will tell anyone that asks, there are some things I would have gotten involved with in high school and didn’t. With that in mind, sports or school activities aren’t for some.
While I understand that, I will also make the comment for those who aren’t getting involved in their schools, they don’t know what they are missing.
I know there are athletes walking the hallways of our schools. I’m not the type of person anymore, maybe 10 years ago, who would make an issue out of it. When I was coaching early on, I thought it was important to get as many players on a team as possible. I was using the logic that there was nothing bad about getting involved.
The older I got, the more I understood. While I don’t agree with it, our kids today are spoiled. When as I kid, I spent the day at the local playground, going to the pool, playing whiffle ball or a pick up game, today, most, not all of our young people wouldn’t know a pick up game from a pee-gee ball. It’s more about IPods, text messaging, staying in the air conditioning and wanting to be talked into doing something.
That’s sad, but that’s the way I see things today. Again, most of our young people don’t know what they are missing.

Odds and ends...

• I am 2-0 wearing my Charlie Manuel t-shirt.
• I thought wearing a Manuel t-shirt or anything was odd. Sunday night at the Bank, there was a fan wearing a Steve Smith jersey.
He’s the Phillies’ third base coach. Don’t know if I’d be caught dead in that one.
• Larry Bowa doesn’t look right in Dodger Blue. Didn’t see it, but was told he received a long ovation on Friday night.
• Typical Charlie on Sunday.
He had a chance to make a double switch by taking starter Joe Blanton out of the game in the sixth and replacing Gregg Dobbs at third.
Instead, he left Blanton come out and warm up for the seventh, then removed him. He later made the double switch.
• My question is why go to a game, at any level, and not watch it. Sunday night, I think we were up and down 12 times just for two people.
• Looking forward to the fall sports’ season, on the field and food-wise. I’ll try to report each week on on the field actions as well as the Friday night food of choice.