
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 25, 1994                    TAG: 9406210023 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A10    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Short 
DATELINE: 940625                                 LENGTH:

SUNDAY SOCCER GAMES WEAKEN U.S. MORALS?

{LEAD} A recent letter (June 7) admonished the Norfolk Youth Soccer League for conducting a youth soccer tournament during Sunday school hours and even went as far as to connect the holding of this tournament to the reason why our country is in such bad moral shape.

Hogwash! It must be known that this tournament is held only once a year and that the majority of teams participating are from out of town.

{REST} Furthermore, no teams or players were forced to participate and therefore miss Sunday school. The teams and individuals who did participate were doing so by choice.

And I simply can't understand how a bunch of kids playing soccer on a beautiful spring morning is warping the morals of our country.

Participation in soccer teaches many important values, such as sportsmanship, getting along with others, teamwork and creative thinking.

I will readily agree that the spiritual growth and development of our children is indeed important, but I have to add that the development of social skills and interpersonal relationships carries equal weight.

I congratulate and thank the Norfolk Youth Soccer League for helping to foster these developments.

MICHAEL C. KENNEDY

Virginia Beach, June 8, 1994 by CNB