Dear Editor,
On a day in which the boys varsity volleyball team wins a huge
game over Mt. Madonna, the headline should never have read
”
Softball team enjoys 26-0 laugher.
”
The volleyball team deserves the headline when their
accomplishments are newsworthy not a non-league victory for the
softball team.
Dear Editor,
On a day in which the boys varsity volleyball team wins a huge game over Mt. Madonna, the headline should never have read “Softball team enjoys 26-0 laugher.” The volleyball team deserves the headline when their accomplishments are newsworthy not a non-league victory for the softball team.
It is not my job to tell you how to write the stories, but I am embarrassed by your paper’s lack of sportsmanship in regards to high school sports. I am grateful that the members of Pinewood High School do not live in Gilroy so they do not have to be subjected to such inconsiderate sports writing. I appreciate the coverage that we are given, but if stories about the softball team need to be sacrificed to maintain some sort of class then keep the story/headline out of the paper.
Gilroy High School along with the other members of the CIF and the CCS has adopted a policy of “Pursuing Victory with Honor.” I encourage you to visit www.cifccs.org/sportsmanship.htm to learn more about ethics and high school sports.
The members of the softball program should not have to be embarrassed by the local newspaper. They pride themselves on winning with class and respect for the game, the officials, the opponents and the fans. Please remember next time that you are writing about amateur athletics, not pro athletes who get paid millions to ignore what is written about them.
Julie Berggren, Gilroy High School Softball
Editor’s note: First, we apologize for two sloppy, unprofessional errors – misspelling Ms. Berggren’s last name and the first name of one of the players. The headline read “Softball team enjoys 26-0 laugher.” That’s a standard sports expression. Rather than “killing the messenger,” we would suggest Ms. Berggren not schedule such overmatched opponents – or hold down the score – if she is so feverishly concerned about embarrassing our community. Furthermore, staff members at the Dispatch rarely write about “pro athletes who get paid millions.” Our focus, which we take pride in, is local, local, local.
