DATE: Friday, October 24, 1997              TAG: 9710230312

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letters 

                                            LENGTH:  103 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - PORTSMOUTH

I am the mother of two Indian River High School field hockey players. I was quite upset with Paul White's article about our team (The Currents, Oct. 12).

You have no idea of all the troubles our team has endured. For Mr. White to compare us to a seven-year state title finalist team really was unfair.

We might not win, but we do play hard. Many parents of our opponents have made comments about how well our defense plays and also about our good sportsmanship.

Just recently we have gotten a new coach who knows the game. She played field hockey herself, and she has really helped our girls learn a lot that they did not know. I have seen so much improvement in the last couple of weeks. Our team understands so much more and is working more like a team. Give us a chance!

To say that we should not play is so unfair because the more we play the more we learn and the better we can get. We have to play against the better teams so that we can learn from them. We might not win, but we keep trying. We try not to get discouraged, but it would be nice for some positive articles about our team.

We are a new team and many of our players had never even heard of field hockey before this year, but they are willing to give it their all.

We might not be as good as other varsity teams, but we do put up a good fight. You made it sound like the other teams just walk all over us. It really is not like an elementary school team playing a high school team or anything like that.

Our girls work hard and deserve their letters. Actually they probably work harder since they don't know everything already and can't play just on the experience they have learned. I haven't read such slanderous articles about male-dominated sports. Many male sport teams go years without even a score, but they are not singled out, as you did us.

We don't get much support from our own school as the precious football team gets. Our girls have to mow and mark their playing field and even put up their game nets.

Their playing field doesn't even belong to them. They have to use an elementary school's field so that our football team can practice on our school's open area. The football team can't dare to practice in the stadium because they might mess up their precious field during the season.

Every other team comes before the field hockey team. It is new, so I guess it is unimportant. If the school took some pride in the team, we might just surprise them.

I am sure Coach Wendi Belmont will whip them into a challenging team for next year - with or without the school's support.

In our school's past, our football team has been champion, but does that make it any more important than the other teams? They may have been the state champions in 1995, but where are they now? But the school and the critics haven't turned on them as you did us.

I always believed in the saying, ``It doesn't matter if you win or lose; it's how you play the game.'' Our girls might not win, but I am proud of them anyway. Everyone should be given a chance.

Jeanne Yenni

Tanglewood Trail Winning isn't everything

I am writing in response to the article written by Paul White entitled ``YES: There's no challenge for opponents; there's only humiliation for the hapless'' (The Currents, Oct. 12).

I understand that this was a debate between two grown men. What I do not understand are some of the comments made by Mr. White that really hurt our girls' field hockey team.

Did he ever think to call Indian River High School to find out if there were certain events that might necessitate a winless season? Our field hockey coach had to take a leave of absence. Another coach filled in who has training in soccer, not field hockey. A couple of weeks later a wonderful young lady who teaches at Indian River took the job. She played field hockey in college. What you do not realize is how hard it is to take another coach's place in the latter part of the season. She has taken over a spirited young team who has plenty of heart.

I did not realize that playing sports meant you had to win. I thought it was to teach certain elements, such as sportsmanship, leadership, companionship, etc.

Wendi Belmont, our new coach, has been delighted to see them grow during her first few weeks of coaching. During our morning announcements she always has something positive to say, such as how the team kept the opposing team from scoring, how the girls made a good block, etc. She doesn't downgrade the athletes. She always makes something positive from something that could be negative.

You stated that ``nobody feels good about these games.'' Our girls do. Ms. Belmont has taught them to feel good about a certain play they executed, about saving a score, etc.

I cannot believe you would make a statement that circulation is up because our field hockey team lost and readers can't wait to see it in the paper. Was your circulation up when Hickory lost all but one game last season or Nansemond River?

You stated that if we haven't acquired the necessary skills, then issue the sticks and pads and let 'em have at it. Our girls have lost all the matches with integrity, not humiliation. They now have a wonderful coach who is enthusiastic and will give her players 100 percent.

Did you even think to ask if our girls were cajoled into joining the team? No, our girls came to our principal and athletic director asking to start a field hockey team last year. No, we did not just fill the roster. They came willing and wanting to play. Yes, our girls wanted to play last year, and they came back this year. They are a team.

Cathy Ives Lewallen

Indian River High School

Braves Trail

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu