Editor,

Best wishes to all. Academics and athletics teach our children valuable lessons about discipline, competition, and community. As the state basketball tournament proceeds, I wish you all good luck and good sportsmanship.

Every year I see our communities come to the games to support their boys and girls. The outpouring of community support shows that parents, friends, brothers, and sisters recognize the hard work that the coaches and players invest into sports. I applaud you all.

When the season ends, our students return to the classrooms. Discipline, competition, and community are important to the success of our students there too. Our students need a good learning environment, good educational tools, supportive teachers, and caring administrators to succeed in the classroom. And they need the support of the community. My congratulations to every athlete, every student, and every community that strives to improve.

Homework is just like practice (though sometimes not as much fun). It is important to success. Success on the court takes practice, skill, equipment, and coaching. In the classroom, we also need practice, skills, equipment, and teaching. We can provide better schools, better equipment, and better support for our teachers to be effective. We must reduce class sizes. And as communities concerned about the success of our students, we must be active participants in their education.

If we show our youth that we care and applaud their academic successes as we applaud their court successes, our communities will benefit.

Sincerely,

Roger Hartstone

U.S. Congressional Candidate

District One