Hey Wakeup - "Socialist" is exactly how PTC LL operates. They take from others (taxpayers and paying members) and give to those they deem fit (LL teams and the hand-picked All Star teams). The authorized user of BSC fields is Little League. The main qualification of a PTCLL All Star is your dad is a coach or league official. How is that fair to amyine inside or outside of PTCLL?

Beginning to sound to me as though someone's little boy didn't make the cut.

But seriously, keep in mind that this is sponsored by the "Recreation" department. If your child is serious about the sport, then by all means they should persue travel teams and school sports. That would then leave the recreation league for all who just want to play and have a good time.

Dana Kinser

You'd better check your facts. PTC Little League funds the field maintenance of those fields, NOT the taxpayers. That is why they have priority.

Mom to 3, plus a few strays

I just checked the "FACTS" and you're wrong! Yes, PTCLL does add money to the field improvement fund but so does the travel league in town. Both programs do so via their "fenced" accounts. These are the accounts set up by the Rec Dept by which $10 of each participants registration fee goes to the account. With this fact uncovered, now tell us why LL has sole priority?

Wrong, mama. The Rec Dept pays for field maintenance using taxes and players fees. Yes, PTC LL provides some funds to the rec dept (they should since they use the fields). But where does LL get their money? They charge each player fees to participate and a SMALL portion of that goes to maintenance. By the way, the fields are not maintained well at all by LL teams and the playing surfaces suffer from neglect. The vast majority of LL funds go to running the league (umps, uniforms, and exhorbitant All-Star expenses). So the users of the fields pay a small portion of the upkeep - what's the problem? And why are other kids in PTC not allowed to use them? Also, LL doesn't get priority, they get exclusivity. There's a big difference.

I have to take Baseball Fan's side. Munford's response was a bit emotional. Good programs only come about if people can openly critique them. People don't want to offer suggestions because they get trashed like John did, suggesting that Baseball Fan has bad motives. That's why people don't voice their opinions. The fact is that PTC LL lags behind. It is not well organized. Compare the alternatives--- Fayette County, travel teams and the for-profit facilities. PTC LL is not up to either level. I have coached and been involved in all three. I say that Fayette County is the best--- volunteer work ethic, well organized and all kids are welcome.

And this is not a cheap shot at PTC, either. Their soccer is outstanding and Basketball is pretty good. Nor is it an indictment on the Little League program. Any program that can produce a Derek Jeter ain't all bad. It's just that PTC needs to get it together on this one and welcome some constructive criticism.

Whoa - your victim mentality is showing. Why is pointing out the shortcomings of the local Little League program a cheap shot? I simply stated it does not allow high-performing players a viable option to play at the level they want to. Little League and other local leagues require no qualifications other than sitting through one training class. Why not attract knowledgeable coaches? Because PTC Little League offers a one-size-fits-all low quality product that suits the needs of some but falls woefully short for the desires of many others.

As for your misguided assumption of my child and my dedication, he and I have spent many quality baseball hours one-on-one and with his teams. From the time he could walk, it has been a passion for both us. He and I wouldn't trade it for anything. We learned the game together by reading baseball books, watching other coaches, and playing high quality opponents while learning how to win and lose gracefully. By the way, he's going to college on baseball scholarship and PTC Little League had nothing to do with it. The dedication to high performance on the diamond spilled over to other aspects of his life and kept him out of trouble, respecting his body, hitting the books and becoming admired by peers and adults. I credit some of this to the lessons he learned in youth baseball and the time we spent with him during those years.

I'm not a paid coach, but I invested my time to learn something my boy loved. I now can teach and coach young players - my own and others. I've spent a few bucks on lessons at the local training centers and listen to what they teach so I can become wiser and share the knowledge.

Too many parents in this town drop their kids at practice and games, then go about their own selfish business like playing golf or tennis or yakking on the cellphone. But that's life in PTC isn't it?! - me first.

The rec league is paid for by all of the taxpayers of this community (aside from the entrance fee of the participant) and should be a program that is open to a wide range of skill levels. It IS NOT a major league development program. If you have a son that has exceptional skills and you want him to develop them at a highly competitive level, then rec league is probably not for you. The city's recreation program should be about offering RECREATIONAL opportunities to as many residents as possible, not taking our tax dollars and spending it on a very few in order to develop college level or professional grade talent.

No the taxpayers DO NOT PAY FOR RECREATIONAL BASEBALL!!!! The park is owned by ALL of the taxpayers. There is a participation fee charged for each player to sign up. $10.00 of that fee goes into a fund for any maintaince/minor repairs. There is a more competative league in Peachtree City, it is called Peachtree City Travel Baseball. They too have to apply the $10.00 fee for each child into the fund. HOWEVER, for the most part, these coaches and teams are treated as outcasts by PTC LL and many in the rec department. PTC LL actions and words are that of the owners. Shoot, just a few years ago, the president of PTC LL was a leagal resident of Coweta County!!! Everyone should have cried foul. Yes, PTC LL is a great oppertunity for every child on every level to play the sport! Even those with awsome talent, who just doesn't plan to carry that on into high school and beyond. It should be sold as that and nothing more. I hope false hope is not given to the children and parents of a 4 year high school future in baseball by playing recreation LL. Those who want more should check out PTC travel baseball or talk with some of the professionals at the Dugout Club in Tyrone or Home Plate in PTC. REMEMBER, THE PARK IS FOR ALL TAXPAYERS AND NOT OWNED BY A GROUP OR A PERSON!!!!

All Smiles - I like your spunk! I've heard about the local travel league and that they only get to use the S. 74 fields when Little League says they can. It's perplexing how the local Little League program gets full use of the fields but everyone's tax dollars pay for the complex. Sounds pretty one-sided. Many PTC residents probably don't care about the youth baseball situation and who plays where, just like I couldn't care less about the dog park my tax dollars paid for. I'll never set foot in it, but I'm sure there are people who made it their passion to get it done. As for youth baseball, PTC LL changes their tune to suit their needs - sometimes it's competitive and sometimes it's purely recreational. So what is it, folks? Don't sell your program for anything more than it really is - an opportunity to play baseball but not necessarily learn much about the game or get any better. There's nothing wrong with that, but quit denying opportunities to others with more desire and dedication. Just because you don't like experienced players doesn't mean you should try to limit their opportunities.

Not too long ago a noted college football coach said that from then on he was only going to recruit orphans. It is time to get supposed adults out of kid’s games. These active parents might better work at establishing and protecting neighborhoods where it is safe for kids to play together.

Sandlot ball, jacks, skip rope, rover-red-rover-let-Johnny-come-over, and other activities that down through time have let kids learn how to get things done and get along. As a child, if you didn’t do these things someone would take their ball and go home. The next time you worked things out, and were the first one to say you had stepped out of bounds in a game of tag football. If bully Joe wanted to argue, there would just be no game—and something else to do.

But better never say, “Mom, I am bored.” That would get you a nice house dusting task, or you could mow the lawn again—even though you had just mowed it the day before. Or you might get off easy and read some book she had for you, or listen to one of her own stories from way back went.

This organized crap teaches kids how to be like a bunch of adults that ought to have better things to do. Kids need to be kids and not serve the vicarious needs of over-the-hill wanna-be dreaming adults who never were all that great in the first place. Parents, grow up.

Of course, I know that times have changed. But it is a sad generation of new parents, the most inept generation of parent yet, that are changing them. These parents are not going to get what they expect—their parents certainly did not expect to raise so many inadequate adults.

But, pay no mind to old me and just have some “quality” time with the precious ones. And, complain about some “role model” that is letting them down and how the brat down the street needs some “thought love.” And did I mention “quality time,” and make sure your young one has his or her cell phone on when they are playing first base—you can better tell them what to do.

By the way, do you remember that college football coach I was telling you about? He got fired; they said he was a poor role model.