
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 30, 1994                   TAG: 9402010237
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

GIVE OUR GYMS BACK TO PEOPLE

The principals of the Blacksburg schools and the Montgomery School Board have decided that there is no room on the newly done floors of the school gyms for young people to participate in the Virginia Amateur Athletic Union programs because the facilities had been abused.

This means the AAU teams have nowhere to practice for regional competitions.

I am bewildered by the decision.

What happened to using guidelines instead of cutting off people?

Are gym floors more important than people?

We need to be more cautious of shutting doors in the faces of our youths.

What are we are teaching our young people when we continue to tell them there is no room for their dreams, their challenges, the opportunity to grow strong?

Practices need to begin in February and coaches are feeling real low because of this setback.

What will you do today to give our gyms back to the people?

Dawn Metzler

Christiansburg

by CNB