Westbrook Little Leaguers deserve better from adults League politics shouldn't block improvements for girls. Things came to a head this season when softball coaches pulled their teams off the field during the league's Opening Day ceremonies to protest the disparities. League officials were so outraged by the protest that they held a closed meeting and decided to place the offending coaches under a season's probation and ban them from coaching teams in the state playoffs. It's a shame that league officials, coaches and parents have such communication problems that they have to settle their differences through public protests involving children, executive session meetings and probations. Instead, they ought to take a lesson from the players.
Kids playing ball on the sandlot often have disagreements.
They know, however, that if they don't settle their differences amicably and fairly, the game's over. The fundamental issue in Westbrook ought to be fairness to the girls who play softball. Girls ought to be able to play on the same fields as boys, use equipment of the same quality, and wear uniforms that shine just as brightly under a summer sky. They should be thinking about playing second base, not second fiddle. To top of page Get an e-mail with the day's headlines each morning.