Search
Recommended Products
Related Links


 

 

Informative Articles

Decline of the American Black Athlete in Sports
It has been almost 60 years since Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, and now blacks dominate Major League Baseball. Even so, blacks were kept out of the more “intellectual” positions or sports. In the NFL, Quarterback was a tough...

Golf Swing Instruction - The Athletic Motion
There is one basic athletic motion which is used in all of athletics. The golf swing is golf's version of this athletic motion. It is the same basic motion that is used to hit a tennis ball, throw a football, kick a soccer ball, or break a rack in...

Meeting Mickey Mantle - His Idol
Meeting Mickey Mantle Meeting Mickey Mantle would be a dream comes true. A dream realized for Dan on his 38th birthday, when his wife honored him with a week long stay at the Yankee Fantasy Camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dan played with some of...

Oakland NJ - A Great Town for Kids
Oakland NJ - A Great Town for Kids My children, my wife and I have been fortunate to have lived in the town of Oakland NJ, for the past 18 years. The commitment to kids sports programs, especially girls softball, I think would be hard to surpass...

Sports View for February
As the NBA reaches the midseason point most of the talk is of the MVP race, with many tabbing Steve Nash as the early favorite. My question is can a guy who is not even the best player on his team win the MVP? (Shawn Marion is the best player on the...

 
Oakland NJ - A Great Town for Kids

Oakland NJ - A Great Town for Kids

My children, my wife and I have been fortunate to have lived in the town of Oakland NJ, for the past 18 years. The commitment to kids sports programs, especially girls softball, I think would be hard to surpass by any other town this size. ( 14,000 - 15,000).

I have seen many girls flourish in the Softball program, playing on traveling teams, and at the varsity level at our High School. Part of the success the girls have is due to the efforts of a handful of men and women who are the commissioners, coaches and administrators of these programs I would hate to think what my daughter’s life would be like if she was not playing softball. She loves that softball.

In the spirit of keeping the game going; I have seen them organize teams, balance schedules, and choose coaches. I have watched them scramble to find an umpire so the game could be played. I have seen them on the golf cart riding around - trying to


locate the key that opens the shed, so the lights could be turned on for a night game. They are always around to make sure that things worked. I wonder how they are able to calm parents, satisfy their critics, and keep a cool head in so many volatile situations. I guess the answer is they love the game more than it’s headaches.

My thanks to the tireless people that run the sports programs in the town of Oakland.

Neil Malmud, from Oakland NJ, was an inspiration in the writing of this story. For his efforts as an administrator, commissioner and especially as a coach, I am extremely grateful..

About the Author

Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 45 years. His passions have included; playing, watching, reading , evaluating, and coaching the game he adores. Check out his baseball ezine. For inspiring quotes, unusual statistics and most of all heartwarming stories go here.

http://www.baseballsprideandjoy.com/index.php?tag=goart