Attention Weedsport parents: Do you have a child that participates in a varsity sport? Did you know that you are required to notify the coach in the first two days of practice “if they have a commitment that will affect their attendance at practices or contests during that season?” Did you know that Weedsport's policy is that if your child misses one day of practice due to a family vacation, your child is dismissed from the team? Did you know that if you notify the coach that your child would be missing the first day of practice, the last day of practice, or any day in between, your child is immediately dismissed from the team?

We all understand that when one joins a team, he/she makes a commitment to that team. Missing a single practice should have consequences, however dismissal from the team seems unusually harsh. Aren't there lesser degrees of punishment that could be imposed, i.e. suspension from the next game/meet? Can't we foster a commitment to the team but at the same time promote family unity? Can't they coexist, thereby making it beneficial for the school, the family, and the most important, the athlete?

Call Helen White, high school principal; Calvin Mosher, athletic director at 834-6652, or any school board member (as they have made this policy), to voice your opinion. Don't let the school hinder your child's athletic dreams because they simply want to spend a day with their family.

John Bohall Jr.

Weedsport