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I 1 THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C„ May 14, 1970—7-A BILL CURRIE Mouth of the South mm SB >:«k 1 Little League Parents A few nights ago on my Charlotte television program, I figured it was time, now at the beginning of the silly season, to issue a shrill cry against the more obnoxious Little League parents who have turned what seemed to be a very good idea to begin with in many cases into a ridiculous experience in vicarious living off the doings of very small children. There were a couple of indig nant phone calls which insinuat'd that to criticize Little League activities at all is tantamount to an attack on Motherhood. But there was an avalance of letters from Mamas and Daddies who agreed that too many Little League parents, are indeed, sick! When one is forced because of the drab unproductivity of his own life to find whatever thrills he can from the lives of his child ren, he has a serious problem. And when parents attempt to force little boys to play and win beyond their physical and emotional capabilities, then the resulting trauma is little short of criminal. The country over, antics of many Little League parents have been the subject of severe criticism of child psychologists, coaches and the few sportswriters with courage enough to speak out about it. Kids ought to have fun playing. Of course, they will play to win, but if they lose or strike out with the bases loaded it ought not to be viewed with seriousness like a professional manager might see the same incident involving one of his play for pay adults. To be brutally brutal, when we were kids all adults were considered natural enemies, and we would not have welcomed anybody’s Dad onto our ball field, nor for that matter, in our tree house or our swimmin’ hole or anywhere else. Kids were kids, and we wanted the older folks to keep their distance and they did. In recent years it has been argued that Pops ought to be pals and buddies with their sons. I cannot imagine my father as a pal. He was a figure of benevolent despotism. To argue that Daddy-buddies can know more about their kids anddomore with them is answer ed by the me on trover tible fact that my Daddy could control me completely, and I had an awesome and affectionate respect for him until the day he died. Familiarity breeds contempt In my boyhood there was a stern line between kids and adults which neither crossed, and we didn’t have much trouble with each other. But times do change, and if now it is a good thing to take the play away from kids and dress them in uniforms and have some adult Supervise their every move from the time they pick up their first ball. . .okay' But let all the little boys play. We used to choose up sides and each team had to have its share of th4 little ones and the poor players. Sometimes when a boy was really small someone else was allowed to take his last strike, but in the event of a hit the little one would do the base running. It was fun, and it really didn’t matter who won. We all tried to win, but the next day the teams would all be different anyhow. Believe me, I have nothing against Junior baseball. I know that many sincere and well meaning people devote untold hours of time and effort and considerable money to i^ hoping they are helping boys. I hope they are accomplishing just that But on the old neigh borhood pickup teams there were no broken hearts because every one played, and there were no recriminations if someone failed in the clutch. It was, after all, just for fun. So, hoping the parents will behave with restraint, hooray for the Little League season which begins soon. And, incidentally, hooray for the millions which have been made selling equipment and national certification for all these good-time, little boy fun teams. PC Hosts Dist. 6 Net Play Presbyterian College’s ten nis team will be heavily favored in the District 6 NAIA tennis tournament which opens Friday on the PC courts. The Blue Hose will go a- gainst Appalachian and Ersldne, and possibly Wofford, Benedict and Western Carolina in the two-day tournament Tournament action will start at 9 a.m. Friday and the finals will be held on Saturday. PC won the district tourna ment last year and went on to place third in the national fi nals. Jim and George Amaya of PC won the national doubles championship and were named to the NAIA All-American team. In the nationals, which will be held in Kansas City, Mo., Redlands, Calif., College is the defending champion. Lott Is Named Bowler Of Month Sunday, May 3, at Palmetto Lanes the roll off for the bowl er of the month for April was held. Kathlyoe Lott was the winner and was named bowler of the month of April. She had a series of 517 with games of 179,183 and 132. Kathlyne also rolled the high game a 183. The roll-off is handicap. IBrock Named CHS Basketball Coach PORTER WINS TROPHY — Tom Porter, left, receives the Richard Reed Memorial Trophy which is pre sented to the high point man on the Presbyterian College track team. Making the presentation is D. S. Templeton who, along with Mrs. Templeton, sponsor the trophy. Por ter, despite being injured during the first part of the season, scored 60 ,points during the season. The Thom- asville, Ga., native also scored 16 points in the Carolinas Conference meet and was the high point man in that meet.— (Yarborough Photo) PC Track Team 3rd In League Presbyterian College’s track team finished third last week in the CarolinasCmference Track Meet and had the high point man of the meet. PC's Tom Porter scored 16 points to lead all individuals. He won first places in the high hurdles and the triple jump, was third in the high jump and placed fifth in the the 440-yard in termediate hurdles. Porter bettered his triple jump school record with a dis tance of 43 feet, six inches. His previous record was42 feet, 10 inches. His winning time in the high hurdles was 15:01, only one- tenth of a second off the school record. Bob Cosby was first in the javelin with a throw of 191 feet, eight inches, and Bobby White- side was first in the 880 with a time of one minute, 57.6 se conds. Morris Signing Boosts PC Gagers Presbyterian College bas ketball took a giant step for ward recently when Coach Herb Robinson announced the sign ing of 6-9 Rick Morris to an athletic grant-in-aid. After the season, Coach Robinson stated that he was going to try and re cruit a good, big man for Pres byterian. Morris, a native of James Island, South Carolina, was just what Coach Robinson was looking for. After two years as head coach, Robinson finally found the center for whom he has been searching. Coached byDougEmery,Rick was a stand-out for James Is land HighSchool. Duringhis sen ior year he averaged 15 points and 17.5 rebounds per game. Among his post season honors R ick was selected for the "News and Courrier” All Area Team, the Lower Atlantic All Confer ence Team, and the South Team in the Coaches All-Star game. Contacted by well over 30 col leges, Rick had narrowed his choices down between Davidson and Presbyterian, before cast ing his lot with the Fighting Blue Hose. Rick was as outstanding off the court as he was on it. He was the President of his stu dent body at Fort Johnson High School and Vice President for the South Carolina Association of Student Councils. Rick was a member of the Civic Club and as a final salute to an outstand ing young man he was selected by the Optimistic Club as the outstanding student. Presbyterian College has been fortunate in getting not on ly a fine athlete but an out standing student as well. It is felt that Rick will carry on the Fighting Blue Hose spirit in the best tradition. With last year’s freshmen coming back, plus RickMorris, Coach Robinson feels the Blue Hose basketball program has turned the corner. It is hoped around Clinton that with the addition of Rick Morris a new era will dawn in Presbyterian basketball. Bobby Edward Brock, a na tive of Due West, has been named head basketball coach at Clinton High School for 1970- 71, according to CHS Athletic Director Keith Richardson. Brock currently is principal at an elementary school and is teacher-coach at Swansea Schools. He has posted an out standing record as a basket ball coach. His teams have won 113 games and lost only 23. He also has coached five con ference championship teams Thomwell Places Third In State 1-A Thornwell High School’s track representatives placed third last week in the state 1-A Championship meet in Co lumbia. Thornwell’s Maynard Pierce captured three first places, in the pole vault, 440-yard dash and 220-yard dash, Larry Weaver, Mike Briggs and Kanada Roach won fourth places in their respective events for Thornwell and Ronnie Joe Allen placed fifth in the mile. Weaver was fourth in the 880, and Briggs was fourth in the 180-yard low hurdles while Roach was fourth in the discus. The state championship was won by St. John’s which scored 43 points. Chapin followed with 30 points and Thornwell was third with 18. Lockhart placed fourth with 12 points. Y Softball Action Start* Action got under way Tuesday night in the YMCA Men’s Soft- ball League. There are six teams in the league which will have games each Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The first game will start at 6:30 on game nights with the second scheduled for 7:30 and the third at 8:30. The schedule will run through July 23 with a double elimina tion playoff starting July 28. There are no league games scheduled for the week of July 4th. League members are Jewel Box, Sander’s Spur, Rhode’s Runners, Joanna, Big O’s and Bailey’s Bombers. City Tmmls Tourney Deadline Slated Friday Friday is the deadline for en tries in the Clinton City-Wide Tournament The tournament will be held May 18-23 on the Presbyterian College tennis courts. Trophies will be awarded to winners in each event There must be at least six competitors in a flight in order to hold competition in that flight Contestants will furnish their own tennis balls. Sponsored by the YMCA, events are planned in the follow ing age brackets, singles and doubles: 12 and under; M and under; 16 and under; 18 and un der; 30 and under; 30 and over. CAROLINAS GOLF WINNERS— Terry Clyburn, left of Preabyterian College, receives the Carolinas Con ference championship golf award from Catawba College’s Harvey Strat ton after the Blue Hose swept the team crown at the Salisbury, N. C., Country Club last week. Atlantic Christian’s Tommy Smith, second from right, won the indiviudal title and John Ayhvorth of Catawba took second. Clyburn placed third in the individual competition. — (Salisbury Evening Post Photo) Carolinas’ Golf Title 2nd Straight For PC History repeated itself atSal- isbury Country Club, Salisbury, North Carolina cm May 4 and 5 when Presbyterian College cap tured its second straight golf championship. Although not predicted to do well in the conference tourna ment, the Blue Hose played the role of giant killer in knock ing off favorite High Point and Catawba. Presbyterian’s record of 12 11 was not outstanding but, according to Coach Herman Jackson, this year’s schedule was one of the toughest in Blue Hose history. The Presbyterian golfers played Clemson Uni versity and the University of South Carolina as well as nat ionally prominent Wake Forest University. Also included dur ing the season were a number of top invitational tournaments. Eight Presbyterian students played a major role in the for tunes of the golf team. They are Terry Clyburn, John Winn, Bruce Lindstrom, Bill Robin son, Jimmy Peterson, Bill Clayton, Lyman Hamrick, and John Jackson. Coach Jackson praised the play of No. 1 Terry Clyburn for his fine play in the tour nament all year. The surprise of the tournament was the fine BOBBY BROCK and two teams which won invi tational tournaments. He is a graduate of Dixie High School in Due West and received the B.S. degree from Erskine College in 1964. He re ceived the Master of Education degree in 1968 from West ern Carolina University. He served as teacher-coach for five years at McCormick High School prior to going to Swansea. He and his wife, Pat, have a daughter, Allison, four years old. They are Baptists. Coach Richardson said that in addition to coaching basketball, Coach Brock also will assist with football and probably will coach the tennis team next spring. Red Devil Footballers Open With Woodruff Little League Coaches Meet There will be a meeting of coaches of Little League, Small Fry and Pony League next Mon day night, starting at 7 o’clock at the Clinton YMCA. Anyone interested in coaching a team this season is requested to attend the meeting. Clinton High School’s football team will open next season at Woodruff, according to Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Keith Richardson. Clinton will be playing in 3-A Region 3 next season, following a complete realignment of all conferences in South Carolina. The old Eastern Conference in which Clinton has participated in recent years has been disband ed. C linton will play at least three of its old Eastern Conference rivals although they will be non conference games. After the opener at Woodruff, Clinton will play at Chester and then will be host to Union in non-conference games before getting down to the Region three games. Following Union, Clinton will have six straight Region 3 games as follows: Belton-Honea Path here; at Abbeville; at Pal metto; Westside of Anderson here; at Laurens; Woodmont here; and at Newberry if nei ther team makes the playoffs. There is an open date between the Abbeville and Palmetto games and Coach Richardson hopes to fill it with a home game. NOW OPEN MtCHTMO GDiih DRIVIN UJ.LMi 7 Days A Week Rolling S Golf Club Rf. 1 CHARLIE WESSON ... A Man of Service n*' play of Bill Clayton and Jimmy Peterson. It was the play of Peterson and Clayton whichen- abled PC to take the Conference Title. On May 18 and 19 Coach Jack- son will take his team into Greenville for the District 6 NAIA cahmpionship. The win ner of the District championship goes to Kansas City, Missouri for the National NAIA tourna ment. Coach Jackson feels that the two teams which will give the Hose the most trouble are Appalachian and Wofford. The possibility of going to the Nat ional finals is not farfetched if the Blue Hose can overcome the odds again to win. Charles Wesson was born and reared in Newberry, S. C., and graduated from Newberry High School. He waa mar ried in 1966 to the former Myrtle Strickland, and the Wes sons have two children, Pam 11, and Tim 10. The Wassons live on Fair Drive. Charles joined the national guard on finishing high school and served 13 years. Charles is a member of the Brood Street United Methodist Church, and is a member of the church choir. Also Charlie sings with The Laurens County Chorus oftheSPEBSQSA (Barbershopers). He is an avid sports fan and a bowler in the Palmetto Lanes Bowl ing League. Charlie Wesson joined HOWARD’S PHARMACY In 1966 and is now assistant manager. Charlie la dedicated to serving you day and night. Just call on Charlie Wesson at Howard’s Pharmacy because your HEALTH SERVICE la his most important concern. t *