The Big Race

The easiest way to destroy something is to throw money at it to make it even better!

The politics you describe have always been there, the only difference is that they have filtered down to the very lowest levels to a far greater degree than it used to be.

I know you weren't kidding about the lights! I saw a fellow pay to have a two year old pool put in by the school district ripped out and replaced because it was built in yards instead of meters and couldn't be used for official meets. Of course his son was a swimmer, but the point's still the same!

We have a fellow here who's son is on the baseball team. He runs a landscape maintenance business and ever since his son was a freshman, he's taken care of the field his son played on, doing a far better job than the school ever could. When his boy was relegated to the bench, for good reason I might add, he went ballistic. No more taking care of the field for him, no siree! 3 games later, guess who was the starting right fielder?

The only hope is, there are a heck of a lot more folks like you than folks who can do the things you describe, and if your kid has any kind of skills and is willing to figure out how to "play the game", he will get his chance. Hopefully he'll use it to good advantage and have those memories.