Schools more than sports

Dear editor:

So, as a child, I grew up pretty much a jock, playing whatever sport was in season.

You could always find me on a basketball or tennis court, or baseball field, whenever I wasn't pulling weeds or a myriad of other chores my dad had for me to accomplish to pay for my sports equipment.

I lettered in high school every year and enjoyed the accolades of friends, parents, teachers and coaches for my skills in the athletic world.

Throughout that time, and apparently, throughout my life, there were, and are, other things going on in school -- like debate, speech, band, chorus, drama, and other academic extra-curricular activities I could have been a part of. Things I really didn't figure out until my kids were going to Mountain Home High School.

My wife and I retired from the Air Force a few years ago and since that time we have tried to attend all the school plays, even though we didn't know any of the participants. It was fun to watch the kids displaying their talents, whether they were the lead actors, a simple townsperson, or one the talented kids like Dakota Patterson, who worked on the props, lighting, and stage.

I have attended speech and debate tournaments and band events in the past few years as well and have been amazed at the academic achievements and talents that the youngsters in our community display.

This past couple weeks we had the high school play "Cyrano" and the junior high kids presented "Shakespeare Comes to Calamity Creek." While I was a might partial to the duchess in the junior high play (my step-daughter, Mackenzie Sloan), all the kids in both plays, whether actors, stage, light, sound, music, teacher or advisor, did an awesome job, and more people should come out to enjoy these events that the kids have worked very hard for several months to master.

You don't need to have a child in the event to enjoy some culture and see some of the events our schools are involved in besides sports.

While in small voting numbers, the majority of us grudgingly voted for the continued school tax levy. None of us are happy to give up our hard-earned pay, especially when we are being choked by the government and school district to "do the right thing." We voted that way because we care about the kids and their/our future and the great jobs our teachers do to develop our students into productive and successful adults.

So pick a Friday or Saturday night when one of the plays, debates, speech, chorus or band events is happening and come fill the gym, just as you would fill the bleachers for a sporting activity. See some of the things (while maybe not directly) that your tax dollars pay for.

You'll see the kids in our schools are doing some great things -- both on the fields, on the courts, and in drama, debate, band, chorus and speech!

I know there are other activities as well, sorry if I missed yours. Unfortunately, sometimes I am still just a dumb jock, but I am working on it! Go Tigers!

-- Allen Niksich