Missing Information
Sometimes I’ve just got to wonder about why things show up in newspaper stories. You’re reading along, going with the flow of the story and then something pops up that really doesn’t make sense. Take the story “PONY League to take the field” in today’s paper.
Sandy Laskowski, president of the Cibolo PONY baseball and softball league, said rapid growth and a demand from residents prompted the initiative. Children from the Cibolo area have played sports with the Buffalo Valley Youth Association PONY League in Schertz since 1974. Last year, more than 300 children from Cibolo played baseball and softball in Schertz.
“The money they pay to register to play in Cibolo will stay in Cibolo,” Laskowski said. “Right now, they pay a registration fee in Schertz that goes to Schertz to buy new equipment and maintain fields. Now we’ll be able to buy new bases and maintain fields (in Cibolo.)”
Gosh, doesn’t that sound like a heart-warming, community building kind of story? Those poor little kids now get to play close to home and the community is going to benefit. But then the story reports:
Prior to this year, the Tri-County Church League used the field at Niemietz Park for the past 25 years. The new agreement gives the PONY League priority at the field from Monday through Saturdays.
So? Why include this fact? All it does is raise unanswered questions. Why is the Tri-County Church League no longer using the field? Did they not provide youth baseball? Did they not pay Cibolo for the use of the field so that it could “buy new bases and maintain fields?” See, it’s just such an odd sentence. Why even include it if you aren’t going to say why the city has decided to go with the PONY league? Was the Tri-County Church League unable to pay the city what it wanted? Did the league dissolve or was unable to provide the same quality and opportunity that the PONY League can?
There may be nothing more to this than that the PONY League could offer more money and the Tri-County Church League couldn’t compete. But then why even bother to include the sentence?
Technorati Tags: Cibolo, Youth baseball, PONY League, Niemietz Park, San Antonio Express News
Filed under: Cibolo, Niemietz Park, PONY League, San Antonio Express News, Youth Baseball
The Tri-County Church League will now be playing on a field provided by the Buffalo Valley Youth Association!