If you want to voice your concerns about the recent Maine Principals' Association proposal on athletic program changes, you have an option:
Contact your school principals and share with them your ideas, suggestions and feeling regarding these changes. Let's be clear on this: You have to be involved and have an active voice, or else this plan will be implemented as proposed.
After 20 years of non-participation, Maine re-entered the high school wrestling New England Tournament a few years ago after much hard and dedicated work by parents and supporters of our sport. Here are some questions to ponder:
1. Has projected dollar savings been documented by dropping out of the NET?
2. Have other options to cover these costs been explored?
3. When the economic situation changes, will these restrictions be removed?
4. What statistics demonstrate support for these changes and who supporters it?
5. Have concerned parties had an opportunity to offer input to the MPA committee?
6. What options have been defined to encourage college recruiters to view competitors for college placement if Maine drops from the NET?
If balanced options can be defined that are fair for all, let's factor those into the decisions and pursue an implementation that will benefit all concerned: students, parents, schools, administrators and the MPA.
More heads thinking outside the box may offer some very creative and workable solutions. We need to have our school administrators listen, and we have to know we've been listened to. Be part of the solution, get involved.
John D. Cole
Scarborough