It is time to issue the yearly reminder of what has been going on for 20-plus years. The teams that Washington sends are not your all-star teams. They are merely the coaches' picks or the coaches' kids, for a lack of a better term. If we sent the children who truly deserved to be there and honestly earned a spot, then we might become competitive. But until then, more of our two-and-out seasons.
I sit here feeling bad for my own child and his friends. Then again, I'm unsure whether I should feel bad for him or the children and parents running around proclaiming to the world that their child is an all-star. I would find it really hard to be proud when I see at least seven kids who are better than mine on the team.
This is minor and not important to the big picture of life, but it's just disturbing how we teach our kids that earning something isn't as important as your father's image at work or on the ballfield. I wish you all luck, and your coats shouldn't read "all-stars" but "boys club," for this year anyway. Or until they find a more powerful friend and your child gets replaced, too.
Barbara Simpson
Washington