Sensing the excitement of a five-year old as she runs to first base after getting a hit in a T-Ball game; seeing the happiness on the faces of physically or mentally challenged teenagers as they cross the finish line in a relay race; wiping away the tears of a young, determined soccer player who just fell and skinned his knee; observing the kindness of a parent-coach while he consoles his team after losing a well-played football game; or sharing the jubilation of a game winning shot at the buzzer. It just doesn’t get any better than this – quite simply, it’s a matter of being young at heart! As the Director of the County’s Department of Recreation & Parks and grandfather of four participants in recreational athletics, I am privileged to be a spectator at many events that can only be described as Norman Rockwell paintings come to life. With over 85,000 annual participants in County-sponsored recreational activities, these scenes play out virtually everyday in communities throughout our County. Along with a record number of participants, I am pleased to report that we have experienced a noteworthy decline in unsportsmanlike behavior in both youth and adult athletics. Hopefully, this trend validates our Department’s efforts in broadcasting a consistent message that organizations and their players, coaches and spectators will be held accountable to a code of conduct that promotes sportsmanship and keeps recreational competitive sporting activities in proper perspective. So, like an official on the playing field, I must occasionally throw the proverbial penalty flag when certain circumstances prevail. In my judgment, two recent occurrences warrant the “throwing of the flag.” The first situation was brought to my attention via a letter from a concerned parent. This parent reported seeing the following message on the back of a vehicle: “My cheerleader may not be on the honor roll, but she can fly, so my cheerleader/student can kick yours in the head.” This same vehicle proudly displayed the name of its youth athletic organization. The parent writing to me was “horrified” by “such violence and ugliness.” The next situation is actually two – in both cases, two different local high school girls basketball teams recently defeated their opponents by the unusually lopsided scores of 105 to 11 and 76 to 4. A Letter to the Editor regarding one of these games started by asking, “Where is the Sportsmanship?” The writer went on to say he was “shocked and disgusted” and questioned what he called the “selfish pride” of the head coach. These situations are in direct contrast to our Department’s mission as it relates to sportsmanship. The adults involved with the “kick yours in the head” cheerleading message failed to rise to their level of responsibility by promoting a culture of violence and negative behavior. The coaches of the winning basketball teams have completely lost their perspective regarding the value of sports by showing a total disrespect for their opponents. In both cases, the adults demonstrated an inexcusable lapse in good judgment that translates as being mean-spirited. I am not discouraged by these incidents, as I believe the culture is changing for the better in recreational athletics in our County. People of goodwill – community leaders, parents, concerned citizens, and recreation officials – are working together like never before to shun those who do not put the kids first. The win-at-all-cost coaches and over-aggressive parents are a dieing breed. They are being replaced by individuals with a willingness to perpetuate the positive attributes associated with youth sports – fun, fitness, skill development, teamwork, winning and losing graciously, respect for authority, and more. Overall, I believe our Department’s efforts to elevate sportsmanship have led to improvements in the quality of recreational sporting activities throughout the County. These efforts include the following: | 
