Time for a reality check

The last time I checked the calendar it told me we were in October of 2008. Sadly, it seems that some folks are caught living in the past. Living with old, out-dated thinking, ideas, and vision.

And no, I am not talking about Laurens County Council! Not this time at least.

I am talking about the people who think that cheerleading is not a sport, think there’s not enough interest, think there are not enough resources, and think the kids in small town South Carolina can’t keep up with the larger schools in bigger cities.

For years, I have heard weak arguments such as the ones I just mentioned. I’ve heard them from principals, athletic directors, district office personnel from both Laurens School Districts 55 and 56.

With a new man in charge of Laurens 56 as well as Clinton High School, and the vision in place in Laurens 55, the time is now, not later, to change the way some things are done.

Let’s review. A story printed this summer in the Clinton Chronicle detailed the situation at Clinton High School. Dale Roth the “sponsor” of the cheerleading squad was quoted as saying it was appropriate that her “program” wasn’t funded and stated there wasn’t an “interest” in letting the cheerleading squads compete.

At the same time, these “cheerleaders” are required to raise money to attend summer camp, learn routines, all the things that kids who “compete” do as well.

If you’re not going to compete, why make the kids spend the money?

I’ve heard the argument from people at Laurens High School over the years that there isn’t a facility in Laurens County for kids to learn tumbling and some of the other skills necessary to realistically compete at the level expected of a competition squad.

Well, now there is. Michelle Spires has assembled quite a facility and staff at the Laurens COUNTY Gymnastics Center. The facility is located at 970 Old Airport Road, which according to Mapquest.com is 8.43 miles from Clinton High School and 5.79 miles from Laurens High School.

That’s about as close to in the middle as you could expect distance wise.

This facility offers gymnastics classes, from beginner to advanced, and will begin offering a competition gymnastics AND cheerleading opportunity after Christmas.

They have a staff that offers the experience to teach tumbling.

Second, I have had some in administration tell me that schools in their regions don’t compete either. In Region 1-AAAA Wren and Easley not only compete, but HOST cheerleading competitions. Wren co-hosted a competition October 11th while Easley will be hosting one on October 18th. Both schools have made it to the upper state finals of their respective divisions in the last few years.

In Clinton’s region, Union, Blue Ridge and Riverside compete. Riverside placed in the top 5 in the state in recent years.

Third, Whitmire, Ware Shoals, Woodruff, Liberty, Pendleton, Walhalla, Aynor, and Belton-Honea Path, all schools in rural towns, field competitive cheerleading squads.

When I heard the issue of funding this summer I surveyed several schools. Woodruff, B-HP, Ware Shoals and Union ALL fund these squads at some level.

Wayne Green, the Athletic Director at B-HP who is as old school as you can get, funds one hundred percent of the expenses of the schools program, save the cost of a bus driver. Granted, B-HP does their share of fundraisers, including hosting a competition. This should illustrate that rural town South Carolina can, if done properly, give an opportunity to kids that are available in larger communities.

So, now that every single argument that has been raised over the years has been addressed, a sane, rational, adult would believe that the powers that be in both Laurens 55 as well as Laurens 56 would wake up and realize the opportunity they have.

Not to beat a dead horse, but some pretty sharp people in economic development told me that one of the first things that corporations look at are facilities and recreational opportunities for their employees.

While I am not saying having or not having competitive cheerleading squads at Laurens and Clinton would be the deal breaker, I have to believe that the more opportunities available the better.

Why stop there? The YMCA’S of Clinton and Laurens recently announced a cooprtative effort in fielding a Laurens COUNTY swim team.

Each YMCA has a heated indoor swimming facility. It would seem to me, that Clinton and Laurens High School could easily strike an agreement with these YMCA’S to help in establishing a swim team at each school.

The moral to this rant is this… it’s time to embrace change. Time to embrace advancement of opportunities. It is NOT the time to stone wall. It is NOT time to say “we’ve never done that before.”

You have every opportunity to be a part of the ever-expanding job of economic development. The recent developments in the short falls of public school funding due to the switch from property taxes to sales taxes should make all of us understand the need to expand and grow business in Laurens County.

Instead of sticking your heads in the sand, swallow hard, and take the opportunity to offer some new things. Football, baseball and basketball and tennis are great.

At the same time, I’m willing to bet that if offered, and promoted, PROPERLY, that these new programs would attract a significant number of new athletes to the schools.

That’s my rant, what’s yours?