I am writing in response to an article penned by Tom Goetzconcerning the football program at Enterprise School.

You’re correct, Mr. Goetz, in a few points in your article. RoeBurns is a fine Christian man and will be welcomed by many as thenew football coach. You’re also correct that today’s athleticprograms require the dedication of young people beyond what wasonce an accepted level of participation.

Coaches today have a difficult task of motivating athletes tounderstand the cost of success. Young people do not always have thesupport of parents, guardians, etc. to encourage them in positiveactivities, while others have the support and choose not to applythemselves.

However, I would be remiss in support of my school if I did nottake offense to your statement that “losing is an acceptable way oflife at Enterprise.” Many young people work hard to excel in theirgame, but all cannot be accomplished by the athletes.

For many years, an unsuccessful football coach was allowed toremain at Enterprise despite his record. Why year after year thiscoach was allowed to continue, we as parents could not understand.This coach’s attitude has been hard to overcome, but the recentcoaches and young people of Enterprise have worked hard tore-establish a winning attitude.

Enterprise is not a school who chases off a coach after one badseason. We may tolerate losing, especially when we know the coachis a good teacher, a good role model and one that has ourchildren’s well-being at heart.

You stated in your article that “losing is an acceptable way oflife at Enterprise.” Do you have any idea of the impact yourstatements made to the young girl that attends every practice forsoftball or the young man that lifts weights all summer inpreparation of football season?

If your intent was to light a fire under young people concerningthe commitment it takes to participate in today’s sports, that’sfine. But Mr. Goetz, you should have chosen your words carefully.Those words hit to the core of my heart, and I’m not playing thesport nor have a young child playing. However, I have experiencedthe frustration of seeing a child play a sport, be committed to thesport and see your coverage of our school athletics fallsignificantly short of fairness.

I have noted over the years that the limited amount of coveragegiven to Enterprise sports. I have tried to show some degree ofunderstanding when you described activities as the toilet bowl. Doyou have any idea of what your insults mean to a young athlete?Would you say that losing is an acceptable was of life at WestLincoln? Loyd Star? Bogue Chitto? No, certainly not! Have any oftheir athletic programs had problems? Absolutely!

I have noticed a recent coverage of other schools for theircompletion of new facilities. I applaud you for that Mr. Goetz,but, give us a break. The Enterprise folks are tired of your biasedwriting. If you cannot help bring our sports and our school to ahigher level, please do not take us to a lower level. Just say youdon’t like Enterprise, and all of us will drop our subscription toThe DAILY LEADER.

However, I invite you to write a second article about Enterprisesports. Please interview our parents, our young people and even ouralumni. Ask how the facilities have been improved through countlessfund-raisers. Ask how many fans support our teams on the road orhome games. Ask about the generations that have continued to attendEnterprise because all the right reason. And yes, even ask us aboutthose not-so-good seasons. Ask some of our current athletes howthey feel when they hear that Enterprise “majority have learned toaccept mediocrity.”

Losing can add character. Berating and belittling cannot.

Debbie Burns Thompson is a graduate of Enterprise AttendanceCenter.