To the Editor:

Shame on the Ogdensburg City School District Board!

I read the Aug. 27-Sept. 2 article “OFA’s Board Shoots Down Sports Merger:” and wants to reference “mergers have been an ongoing topic of discussion for the board, particularly when concerning team sports with high participation levels, such as lacrosse and hockey." Ogdensburg’s program (currently at 32) is too large in numbers to include three more to try out? Really?

A quote from the article said they want “only local kids to play”…so if a smaller school has interested athletes with no program of their own, you shut them out? Wow.

Having grown up in Potsdam (before HS lacrosse was even played at most Section X schools) and having played varsity lacrosse at Clarkson, I am currently coaching high school lacrosse now in Colorado... I’m perplexed to hear that a 32 member team program doesn’t want more numbers, more open competition! How about passing it just to allow these three kids to try out anyway? Perhaps they won’t even make the team but the idea the program is getting too big or is already too big is humorous to me.

I coach at a small mountain league team where we want the numbers to increase for both competitiveness and exposure to a new sport. You really need large numbers to effectively practice day in and day out and to fill out a varsity and JV roster. Not having enough open competition severely weakens the entire program—coaching, players and ultimately, the skill level.

The way I read this decision by the board is that they are homers and don’t want their local athletes to have to compete with any outsiders. Numbers mean fierce competition--which is obviously needed in today’s world where “everyone makes the team, everyone plays and everyone gets a ribbon.

Allowing 120 kids or 123 to try out and cutting the team back to the still manageable number of 32, is still the same—32.

The question you parents/administrators should have asked is not why, but why not? So now these young men will probably not be able to play HS lacrosse?

What a shame! I was awarded an academic/athletic scholarship while playing lacrosse at Clarkson and it changed my life—now I believe I’m giving back by volunteering on the HS lacrosse field, hoping to make small, positive changes in these young men’s lives…perhaps this HS lacrosse experience would also change their lives in some positive way.

Selfishly saying no to these young men is sending a shameful message and dangerous precedent. As my past coaching experience has shown, the parents are almost always the problem and the worst offenders…this selfish vote typifies that sentiment!

In my humble opinion, you should reconsider the matter, for the young men’s sake…at least allow them to compete!

Bob Benson

Ogdensburg