Recreational youth sports leagues are an essential part of any town, no matter the population. They are not only the feeder programs for junior high and high school teams, but also play a key role in the healthiness of the town’s youngest generation.

I attended last night’s Merrimack town council meeting with Merrimack Youth Association members, held at the Mastricola Elementary School. The multi-purpose room was packed with supporters of the MYA, many stepping up to the microphone to voice their opinions to councilors about the town’s funding of the programs, which they propose to eliminate.

Photo by Bob Hammerstrom

According to one councilor, it costs each homeowner about $9 on their tax bill to help fund the MYA programs, for a total of about $110,000.

Nine bucks will not be enough to get those opposed to voice their opinions in public. Thus, mostly supporters of the funding showed up for the meeting. But, removing the MYA funding from the town’s expense budget will make a big impact on the MYA programs.

Several of the public speakers were single parents, some with more than one child in MYA leagues. Times are tough right now for all families. Of course there are the AAU leagues for those who want to take sports up to a higher level of play, and can afford it. But, a couple hundred extra dollars to pay for youth sports will be a lot to cough up for some families if the town no longer help out with funding.

Photo by Bob Hammerstrom

On the flip side, should townspeople have to give up a Friday night pizza or a couple packs of cigarettes for their neighbor’s child to play recreational sports? Is that $9 per household an expense or an investment? Are Merrimack taxpayers getting a better bang for their buck, funding MYA programs for all youth in town, or the athletics programs for the better athletes at the schools?

It would seem to me the decision to help fund the MYA programs is a no-brainer for the town of Merrimack. Investing tax monies into youth sports pays off in the long run for the whole town. Sports teaches kids teamwork, ethics, healthiness, and how to follow rules. Let me repeat that last part - how to follow rules.

Sports build character and work ethics in youth, and prepares them in how to win and lose. It gives them something to look forward to through high school. These values will hopefully stay with them as they mature into adults. This investment in the youth is just a bean in the pot, compared to the entire town budget.

-Bob Hammerstrom

Tags: association, athletes, Baseball, Basketball, blog, bob hammerstrom, Children, coach, coaches, council, councilors, elementary, hot, kids, leagues, Mastricola, Merrimack, MYA, players, programs, recreational, School, Soccer, Softball, sports, teams, topic, town, volunteering, volunteers, youth