Published the week of 10/10/04

They're everywhere in Minnesota - small towns and suburbs. You'll find them in restaurants, gas stations, banks, main street and malls. They - in this case - are signs promoting high school sports. I think they're great. I just wish we could find ways to promote and honor academic and artistic accomplishment as much, and as well, as we promote athletics.

Young people watch what we do. They ponder what we promote. They are clear about what we celebrate.

I love sports. I was on high school and college teams, including a couple that won championships. For more than 15 years I coached youth baseball, softball and basketball teams. Each of our three children has lettered on a high school team, and two of our children were all conference.

And I love some professional sports. One of my outstanding memories is attending a Minnesota Twins World Series game. That was the time when Kirby Puckett leaped up to prevent a home run, and then later won the game with his own home run. Incredible. Wonderful.

So this is NOT an anti-sports diatribe. But this is a quiet plea to business people, parents, and everyone else who cares about young people.

How about signs throughout the community honoring math, future problem solving, or chess teams? How about displays in local businesses of outstanding student paintings, sculptures or poems?

To some, this seems silly or far-fetched. But I've eaten in restaurants that hung wonderful art produced by local students. I've been in banks where pictures were posted of local National Merit Scholars. I've been in service stations that had posters about the local math team. I've been in coffee shops where students were invited to read their poems.

And I have visited schools that had booster clubs for sports, AND theater, AND the debate team. I've been in schools where local business or community people donated subscriptions to The Concord Review. This is a marvelous magazine that publishes outstanding essays on history by high school students. (For a free sample copy, write This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 781 828-8450, or see www.tcr.org)

Promoting and honoring artistic and academic accomplishment need not detract from athletics. Honoring each sends valuable messages to young people.

What does it say? We notice what you are doing. We are delighted that you have worked hard, and accomplished so much. We support your efforts. And perhaps most important, what you have accomplished is important to us.