Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/689931
GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIALBOARD How to have your say: Letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 Mail to: P.O. Box 220, 728Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS Today I would like to talk about coaches. I was raised in a single-parent home. While my mother was the best mother in the world, I admittedly missed having a father who might do things that fa- thers were supposed to do, whatever that might be. InmylonglifeIhaveproba- bly been a member of 40 or 50 teams. Because I had no father, it was often my practice to imag- ine my coach as my father. Sort o f creepy, I know. Looking back, I now realize that, like fathers, coaches come in all shapes and sizes. For much if not most of my athletic involvement, I found myself barely making the team; and for the most part sitting at the far end of the bench in a faded and tattered uniform. Some of my coaches were nurturing. Others simply rolled out a ball and let you figure things out on your own. In my mind, however, my best coaches were the ones who were dedi- cated to teaching. Teaching the fundamentals attached to the sport but more importantly, the value of hard work and how to deal with failure as well as suc- cess. I mostly sat at the end of the bench because, simply put, I was not as good as my team- mates. When I did move up in the lineup, it was because I wanted to play so badly that I worked harder than the kid I replaced. Perhaps more important than anything is that no matter where I sat on the bench, my mother never ever hinted that I was getting a raw deal. Her un- wavering support for those who taught me, coached me or pun- ished me was consistently con- sistent. Have I told you that I had the best mother ever? I coached my own son in lit- tle league in the early 1980s, and I am sure that some of my players spent more time on the end of the bench than was probably deserved. But you know what? I cannot remember a parent complaining, or sug- gesting that their child was get- ting a raw deal. For the past decade or so I have been watching my grand- children play soccer, base- ball, and basketball, and boy, have things changed. I am not sure whom I should blame, but someone somewhere convinced the powers that be that keeping score in farm and grasshopper leagues could cause irreversible damage to a child if he or she had to deal with the reality of actually losing a game. Worse yet is the notion that rather than recognizing win- ning teams or outstanding play with trophies for winning championships, it is more ap- propriate to award every mem- ber of a team a trophy for sim- ply participating. Give me a break. There is not a grandparent alive who will not proudly tell you how many goals their little Sally scored in a soccer game, along with the final score they are told does not exist. I would also submit that very few children decide to work harder because he or she re- ceives a trophy for participat- ing without ever getting into a game. Rewards should be given for hard work and achievement, and not as a result of simply wanting to play. My son was born in 1970. He has played sports from the time he could walk, and he contin- ues to participate in sports well into his 40s. I remember coach- ing his soccer team when he about 10 years old, and the best player on the field was a class- mate who just happened to be a girl by the name of Kathy Long. Kathy excelled in volleyball, track and basketball, and in the classroom as well. She set re- cords in track that still stand today, and in 1988 she led the Red Bluff High basketball team to the only State Championship in the history of the school. After receiving a full-ride scholarship to play basketball at Pepperdine University, Kathy obtained her Masters Degree in Physical Education and began her impressive basketball-coach- ing career that took her to Cal State Fullerton, San Jose State, Chico State, Butte College, and for the past several years, Red Bluff High School. In 2013 Kathy was the second female to be in- ducted in to the Red Bluff High Athletic Hall of Fame. In what was a surprise to many, Kathy, now married with a growing family of her own, was recently informed that her contract to coach Red Bluff High girls basketball would not be renewed, as the school "had decided to go in another direc- tion." I am frankly conflicted. In my past life I occasionally felt com- pelled to terminate folks for var- ious reasons. It was never easy, and in most cases the general public would never know the de- tails involved in making my de- cision. Criticizing tough deci- sions made by those charged with making tough decisions is easy to do when one is not re- sponsible for making those deci- sions. That said I am saddened by the decision the school made to end its relationship with Coach Kathy Long Brandt. I have known Kathy's fam- ily since before she was born; a better family you will not find. Kathy Long, the athlete, was a fierce competitor and a tire- less worker who refused to lose. I suspect Kathy Brandt, the coach, is that very same person. I suspect that Coach Kathy asks that her athletes be fierce com- petitors, and that they be tireless workers, and that they refuse to lose. Frankly, in today's world that may be too much to ask. Are we reaching the point where keeping score or win- ning games in high school will no longer be important? Have we reached the point where ev- ery player receives a participa- tion trophy just for making the team? If that's the "another di- rection," then count me out. I kind of like it when we try to beat the heck out of someone. ••• Coming State Theatre attrac- tions: June 10 and 11, 6:30-8 p.m. Selah Dance Recital BillCorneliusisalifelong resident of Red Bluff, a retired Chief Probation Officer, a champion of the State Theatre and an exceptional athlete. He can be reached at bill. cornelius@sbcglobal.net. William Tells What ever happened to competition? Cartoonist's take "Why did we just file for a permit to carry a concealed firearm in Washington, D.C.?" said my friend as I walked with him and his wife to their posh Cap- itol Hill condo. "Because we got tired of get- ting mugged," said his wife. "We had to de- velop a protocol on how to act in the event of a mugging," said my friend. "A protocol on how to act?" I asked. "Sure," said his wife. "We learned that the victim should never be rude during the mug- ging transaction." "How can you be rude to a mugger?" I asked. "Ignoring the mugger is rude," said my friend. "This will give him license to shoot you or strike you with a blunt object." "Why not just run?" I sug- gested. "Running will affect the mugger's self-esteem, which is already low because he mugs people for a living," said my friend. "You'll give him little re- course but to shoot you or club you with a blunt object." "So what do you suggest a mugging victim should do?" "We found it best to make an offering of some kind," said his wife. "Give up your watch?" I said. My friends laughed. "You don't wear a watch in this city," said his wife. "You give up your wallet." "But my wallet contains my license, credit cards and other vital information." "You don't hand over your real wallet," said my friend, look- ing at his wife like I was an id- iot. "You give up a dummy wal- let. You carry your real wallet in your sock or your underwear." "I keep my credit cards in my bra," said his wife. "Look, I understand the de- sire to protect yourselves against muggers, but carry- ing a concealed weapon is a big step," I said. "Why don't you get yourself a dog?" "We tried a big German shepherd," said my friend, "but a mugger took his collar." "Can't you call the police?" "Ha," said his wife. "Maybe to file a theft report." "How about Mace?" I said. "If a mugger catches you reaching for Mace," said my friend, "that gives him license to ... " "Shoot me or strike me with a blunt object?" "Now you're getting it," said his wife. "We've been trying get a per- mit to carry a concealed fire- arm since 2008, when the Su- preme Court held that D.C.'s handgun ban violated indi- viduals' Second Amendment right. The court affirmed that 'the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be in- fringed' in federal enclaves." "So the ruling allowed you to purchase handguns?" "That's right," said his wife, "but we weren't allowed to carry and conceal them as we walk to and from our condo. To be granted a conceal permit, we had to prove that we had a 'good reason' to do so." "Washington has some of the highest crime statistics in the country," said my friend. "Isn't that reason enough?" "Because of all the muggers?" I said. "And the Congress," said his wife. "That's why we cheered when U.S. District Judge Rich- ard Leon issued a preliminary injunction banning the 'good reason' clause last month. He argued that it was unconstitu- tional." "So we both applied for per- mits again and are hoping for the best," said my friend, "but the city is fighting to over- turn the judge's order. The city says its ability to determine who can and cannot conceal handguns is 'necessary to pre- vent crime and promote public safety.'" "That's a laugh," said his wife. "I prefer to promote my own public safety by conceal- ing and carrying my own pro- tection." Tom Purcell, author of "Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood" and "Comical Sense: A Lone Humorist Takes on a World Gone Nutty!" is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist. Send comments to Tom at Tom@ TomPurcell.com. Tom Purcell The right to conceal and carry in Washington DC There is not a grandparent alive who will not proudly tell you how many goals their little Sally scored in a soccer game, along with the final score they are told does not exist. Tom Purcell Late last week the mar- kets were shocked by a surpris- ingly bad May jobs report — the worst monthly report in nearly six years. The experts expected the U.S. economy to add 160,000 jobs in May, but it turns out only 38,000 jobs were added. And to make matters worse, 13,000 of those 38,000 were govern- ment jobs. Adding more govern- ment employees is a drain on the economy, not a measure of eco- nomic growth. Incredibly, there are more than 102 million people who are either unemployed or are no longer looking for work. Gold reacted to the report quickly and decisively, gaining 2.5 percent to $1,243 per ounce on Friday. Gold mining stocks also saw significant gains on the day. As recently as late May, there was confident talk about a rate increase when the Federal Re- serve meets in June. Transcripts of the Federal Reserve's April meeting showed that the cen- tral bank was seriously consid- ering a June rate hike. With last week's jobs report and other bad news, that is increasingly unlikely. In fact, citing the weak May employment numbers, Goldman-Sachs is now predict- ing that there is a zero percent chance of a rate hike in June. Of course they also see this as a temporary blip in an otherwise robust economy, predicting a 40 percent chance of a rate hike in July. I don't mean to rain on Gold- man's parade, but there are no miracles between now and July that will propel the economy to where according to their terms a rate hike would be appropri- ate. Many will point to the May employment numbers and the weak economy in general and pin all the blame on President Obama. However, Obama is only part of the problem. The real culprit is an economic phi- losophy shared by both Repub- licans and Democrats for many decades. It is a belief in the fan- tasy of effective central eco- nomic planning by the Federal Reserve. It is a belief that a cen- tral bank can determine better than the free market what inter- est rates should be. This belief results in mal-investment, spi- raling debt, distorted markets, inflation, bubbles, and finally economic depression. I was not surprised by the lousy May employment num- bers. Actually, I am surprised that so many others were sur- prised. While the "experts" have talked about our "economic re- covery" since the crash of 2008, I happen to believe we have been in a recession or even a de- pression for the past eight years. The government manipulates the statistics to hide how bad the economy really is, until fi- nally a bit of the truth leaks out and everyone seems surprised. Ron Paul is a former Congressman and Presidential candidate. He can be reached at the RonPaulInstitute.org. Ron Paul The Keynesians stole the jobs Bill Cornelius OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, June 8, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6