Youth Sports Suck!

This morning on The John DiTullio Show, John had a legendary round table with local writers and sports anchors. The point of the visit was to talk about free agent picks for the Buffalo Bills. Somehow the conversation was sidetracked by callers complaining about their kids not getting enough coverage in town.

"Youth sports are not getting represented!"

"No one covers my kids games!"

"How come no one talks about youth hockey in Rochester!"

"GARBLE GARBLE GARBLE!"

Can I get a HAR-UMPH!

WHAM-TV sports anchor Mike Catalana neutralized the blaze of annoying calls by mentioning that local media only have enough time and resources to cover games. In fact due to our lack of top-tier major league team, we have a lot of high school and youth sports coverage.

Then like a wise sports writer he is, Scott Pitoniak laid out the wisdom. He pointed out that the problem lies in the parents. It could not have been spoken any better.

See the parents are the one's pushing for coverage. They push for the exclusives and the footage and the interviews. The athletes are out to play, especially in this market.

Let's be honest in Rochester, New York, there are very few, if any blue chip recruits who know the game of media and are playing it. That happens in LA, New York City or Chicago... not in market listed in the low 80's of over 180 markets.

The Roundtable of Flower City Journalism discussed the impact coaches have on young athletes and the parents damaging those coaches. Both writers of Sal's 401K have seen in our own lives.

I hate parents. I said it. I don't want to say it. At a high school level, especially in some communities, they use their kids athletic ability as currency to buy attention and admiration for their household. That kind of attitude cheapens kids and athletes out to play a simple game for fun. Sports are important to us... but they are not the end of the world.

Growing up, baseball was my sport. Basketball was okay, I could not play hockey, so nothing came close to baseball. My father loved baseball too and he was always supportive of things I participated in. Baseball was that great connector between my father and I where he would practice hours with me. He didn't do it out of hopes of getting a kid signed by a Major League team, but because I loved to play the game.

When I was in Little League, my team needed a coach. Parents noticed how my father always attended my games and was always there giving tips to kids on their mechanics (which they actually listened to). My father refused to be a head coach but rather an assistant coach. He did not want to deal with the responsibility of dealing with irate parents or playing politics. He coached because he loved me and the game.

I always remember what my dad did for my games. Playing at a private high school 45 minutes away from my home, my dad would drive an hour or more to catch my game. Then on the drive back we would talk. Not about what I did wrong and how I needed to make adjustments. No, never, it was always about what happened in the game and why did I do that. My father wanted to have me understand and strategize about the game, rather than tear down my playing. He knew that by high school, baseball was a sport I played in my spare time, to have fun.

When I was covering the Geneva Red Wings or covering the college teams, you see these kids who do love baseball. Though in reality they are working, its a job. Then they go out and play hard, pour their hearts into it. If they fail (something they cannot stand) they get a verbal lashing from parents. That's one thing I never saw or could imagine from my father.

It is clearly evident that I look up to my father. He taught me a lot of things; how to pitch, how to skate, change oil, roofing but most importantly how to be a real man and a real parent.

Sports are important... but they are not that important.

Scott Pitoniak - "Why do the great ones get let go!"

So last week, people thought I was writing that D&C lay-off post about Scott Pitoniak. I wasn't. In fact it was really for one of my friends who works in lay out. I thought Scott was untouchable. Turns out he wasn't. I want to take the time to talk about how sad this is. Granted Scott wrote on his facebook status that seeing the support he recieved from his friends over the social network was like attending your own funeral. In some perspective it is.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to be a journalist... a sports journalist. I was never going to play for the Cleveland Indians or skate on Mario's line with Sid the Kid at wing. I was never going to grow taller than six foot to play for the Cavs. I watched 10NBC sports with Rich Funke and later Mark Gruba who I grew up and wanted to be like. I read the occassion D&C (we subscribed to the Daily Messenger at home) to read Bob Matthews column but most importantly for Scott Pitoniak.

Scott was what I wanted to be in a journalist. His writing style and tone for most articles was what I wanted readers to understand. The overall message from his articles that sports were fun. You played sports to escape the harsh realities of life, like kids do. The excitement of the game, the comraderie of team work was what I felt sports were like. Reading his article about a local high school athlete or a reflection on a great game twenty years ago focused on the pure essence of what sports are.

One column I saved, especially since I wanted to do this, was when Scott took over the role of Spikes at a Red Wings game. At the time I was reading too much George Plimpton (read Open Net, great reference to Don Cherry's Rochester days) and was jealous Scott beat me to the punch, filling in for a mascot. I was going to ask the athletics department at Fisher to let me play the Cardinal (unofficial dubbed Carl by Founders Hall).

Junior year at Fisher, I enrolled into the sports writing class, taught by Scott. Not to sound like a preteen girl at an 'NSYNC concert, I was overjoyed. Every class was like learning from the master of sports journalism. I never wanted to let him down. Yes I do understand that it sounds like I had the biggest man crush on him, but let me finish the story. I was so thrilled that by the end of the class, he thought so much of me, he would let me use him as a reference. Granted my dream is to go into television broadcasting, but it was like getting the blessing from God himself.

I have nothing but admiration for the man, the D&C will miss him. Hopefully, more books penned by Scott will come out. Pick up his recent book about Yankee Stadium, it's a great read. I also recommend it if you are like the rest of us at Sal's 401K and abhor that damn team.

Sal Sez: "Scott, you've come a long way babe!"