The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, May 14, 1970, Image 7
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 *