As Sam Sees It

The baseball and softball seasons have begun, just days after the final basketball game for Winslow High School. Winslow High School softball teams hosted Show Low and Camp Verde in non-conference games on Monday and Tuesday and will play at Fountain Hills on Saturday. The baseball team won't be in action until Friday when it will participate in the Thunderbird Invitational Tournament at Mohave High School.

The Winslow Little League is gearing up for another season and it won't be long now until many parents and grandparents will be spending their evenings watching our youngest athletes compete. This program provides a worthwhile activity for many Winslow children and it is probably impossible to know how effective it is at keeping the juvenile crime rate down. We do know that while a young person is playing sports he or she isn't doing damage to property or getting into trouble in any other way.

The army had it right (in my case it was the air force) when it always found something for a soldier to do that kept him occupied and out of trouble. Policing the area, doing KP or just practicing your marching were not our idea of fun, but they were effective ways of keeping you busy and out of mischief.

Winslow has historically done a pretty good job of offering something for its youth to do. Little League, the youth soccer, basketball and football programs all do their share. Our community deserves a pat on the back. Now, before we get to smug about it, let's realize that there is plenty of room for improvement.

Schools are not often thought of as weapons in the fight against crime. They are, though, and they may be among the most important weapon in our arsenal. There is very little crime during school hours. Once again, having something to do is a very important deterrent to juvenile crime. School definitely provides something to do and when it shuts down for the summer there will be a void to be filled.

This should be seen as an opportunity and a challenge for service clubs and churches. Unlike school, the activities they offer will have to be voluntary. (School really is, too, though few students will admit it.) Many churches offer things like "Vacation Bible School" to fill part of that gap.

Providing worthwhile activities for our youth is a huge challenge for our community. Fortunately, many citizens and many organizations have answered the challenge in the past and will do so again. It is an area, though, where we can never have too much help or offer too much. It could be your chance to be part of the solution.