What was Greensboro Parks and Recreation thinking when they discontinued their All-Star programs?????

Hello Andy.

I wanted to know if you could post something on greensborosports.com to receive feedback about the current situation with Greensboro Parks and Rec. My problem is that after the week of June 23rd, 2008 the city PONY league will not have any more baseball to play. With the emergence of gang activity and the high crime rate what other opportunities do our kids have this summer. I know with a struggling economy most cannot afford to play on traveling teams. My question is what was Greensboro Parks and Recreation thinking was when they discontinued their All-Star programs? Being a player who participated in the All-Star program for PONY, I can tell you that it was something that we all looked forward to back then.

Ray Crawford formed the AGGIES traveling team years ago for this exact reason. He did not want to see kids not have the opportunity to play baseball late in the summer. Mr. Crawford has done more behind the scenes to make this happen than most people know. He does not ask for the recognition that others would but rather he ask the kids to show their appreciation by doing well in school and being respectable young men in the community.

Mr. Durham, this issue really has me upset because I look at the news daily and it continues to show Gang prevention and Gang prevention meetings. They should really start with our Parks and Recreation and ask, “What are you doing to help”? I understand that we cannot save all the kids but I can give you my word that I along with others in the Dudley Community will do our best to try and save them all. Thanks again.

Larry Farrer,
Head Baseball Coach
Dudley High School

*****Those were great days when teams from Hagerstown, Maryland; Falls Church, Virginia; and places like Virginia Beach, Virginia would come to Greensboro for those PONY baseball tournaments. It is very hard to uderstand how the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department could discontinue these programs. Don Tilley or Bonnie Kuester or someone else shoud contact us and let us know the reasoning behind these decisions. I thought people like Don, Bonnie, and Jean Jackson were standing behind and supporting our community, I guess I was wrong!!!!! Andy Durham*****

5 thoughts on “What was Greensboro Parks and Recreation thinking when they discontinued their All-Star programs?????

  1. Yes Andy you are wrong this is typical Greensboro Park and Rec.
    I often think of how growing up baseball was the best thing in my life ,and how important it was in our community . Because of baseball I was able to attend NC A&T and Earn a degree
    in Health Physical Education & Recreation ,and also own my own businesses.
    When I played Little League and Pony there was a gentlemen incharge name Bill Britt
    as a kid I thought alot of the man now the kids dont know who is in charge they dont know
    because nobody cared like Bill Britt . Once Bill was no longer over Baseball the program has been going down hill. Bonnie is the head so she is ultimatley responsible for hiring people that
    know what they are doing she has not done a good job of that so the KIDS are suffering.
    AT LEAST GIVE US SOMEONE THAT REALLY CARE ABOUT KIDS

  2. I feel that Don Tilley has been backed into a corner and he needs to react.

    You’re like a cat at times Don and we need to hear from you.

    Don Tilley are you out there?

    Looking for answers and calling out Don Tilley or Tom at the GPR.

  3. The Tom we are looking to hear from is Tom Shalley. He ought to be able to help us if Don won’t.

  4. Up through the 1980’s in this area there were community baseball teams along with school baseball teams. This was how a player could participate in baseball. The community baseball teams had specific areas from which they could pull players. At the end of the season, the All-Star teams were selected and they followed a particular section and region to compete. The community teams and the All-Star teams had sponsors so the families had to pay very little.

    In the 1990’s up to the present, the USSSA and AAU teams started forming. The better athletes were selected from their neighborhood teams . These teams played in tournaments where the parents had to pay to watch their children play. Some teams cost quite a bit to play on. There was recruiting even at the 7-8 year old levels. There were no boundaries so players could join a team from anywhere. The play in neighborhood Rec leagues was compromised a bit.

    There now comes into play a school called Veritas where student life surrounds a specific sport. (Do students have to try out for a sport in order to be accepted into the school?) How will public school and private school athletics be affected by this school that does not charge fees? Will a “super-athletic” team emerge that travels across the state or the nation, backed by the Bill Gates foundation? How will Greensboro Day school or High Point private schools be effected? No charge at the new school? What will academics be like? Who is on this Board and where will the games and practices take place?

    A parent has a right to do what they think is best for their child. We will continue to watch how the sports programs continue to change in the area. Interesting events. Maybe the “neighborhood” teams will survive so the kids can play and not worry about how much money their parents have to pay to watch them play ball. Maybe. Maybe the public high school athletic programs will not diminish. Maybe.

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