Gary's Gameplan

Let me first say there have not been more than a handful of days since my son was five years-old, that he has not kicked a soccer ball around outside or inside sometime during the day. As each monumental decision had to be made to eliminate "something" to better budget his time, soccer always was the winner. He was good at most anything he tried... baseball, basketball, golf... even sailing!. Eventually scouts lost out to soccer, like everything else.

Ben played soccer on a couple of traveling squads before and during high school. These are teams that scout out the best players and travel sometimes out-of-state to allow the team to play the best competition possible. The goal, of course, is hopefully to allow each team member to become a better individual payer. You get better by playing the best.

One year before we went the traveling route, a coach approached me about having Ben be included on a traveling roster. I was mostly opposed based on what I had seen of various traveling teams. Too many I thought were "status-minded", "nose-in-the-air" types, if you know what I mean. There seemed to be an excessive amount of pressure put on the players, from highly paid coaches ... and even the parents. Some even had trainers! These were for 10-12 year-old players, boys and girls teams. My son played for the fun of the sport.

The same person came back the next year and explained he wanted to create a unique kind of soccer team, made from friends who enjoyed playing soccer together and basically coached by dads. Well, long story, short... he convinced me. Part of the requirements for a player to be included on the team was for the parents to be more laid-back. We didn't want to pressure the kids. When we yelled it was mostly positive... "great pass, better luck next time", instead of "run harder" or instruct them how to play.

Instead of doing much traveling we placed the team in a division usually stronger than what they appeared to be capable of competing. They kids wanted to win, but the joy of playing the match was their first priority. As the seasons went along, they grew as a team and played better. By season's end, many years they finished first or second and were awarded trophies...or "hardware" as they called them. The team would then travel, most times bringing home more hardware.

This took place every year. I was very sad when Ben's last soccer game was played in the Ohio high school soccer tournament. I thought it would be over. But he went to Ohio State in Columbus, tried out for the OSU Club Soccer team and the team made it to the NCAA Club Soccer National Tournament his last two years, finishing 8th and then 4th respectively.

But along the way, there came this variation on traditional soccer with 11 players playing 11 players. The new version is 3 v 3. There are six players on a team, but only 3 players on the field from any team at one time. The fields are much smaller, the goals much smaller and no goalkeeper allowed. It is a much, much faster game and very enjoyable to play and watch. At first he played on an all-men's team and a co-ed team, both successful, both making it to the National 3 v 3 Tournament at Walt Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando.

Six year's ago he opted to play only for the co-ed team (there has to be one female on the field at any time). I know of no other way to describe the action on the field than to simply say it is like watching art in motion. You see, Ben and the other starting male on the team were teammates on one of those earlier traveling teams. And the female... his sister. Their dad coaches... it's like a family outing whenever the team plays.

Six years ago the team won their division and became National Champions. In fact, from that time, they won the National Championship three out of four years. The last time without playing together since the previous year. They did not go last year...took a year off... then decided to go back this year without playing 3 v 3 soccer as a team in two years. They won again! This time on penalty kicks after ending regulation in a tie in the championship game.

What makes this team special, other than they are so fun to watch, they get complimented on their sportsmanship and their mentoring of younger players at the tournament who come to watch the "big kids" play. They play the game the way it was meant to be played... for fun. While some teams want only a win at any cost, this team can lose and know it's only a game, there are more important things in life.

One other intangible follows this team wherever it goes... faith in a Higher Being, God. I thank the coach for instilling his faith on the team. It is not "this is the only way to believe" kind of faith... more like..."here I am, I am like this because of my belief in Christ. I will discuss it with you if you like... if not, God bless you and have a nice day." To me, this makes those broken vases and picture frames along the way, well worth learning the game of soccer, to better learn the game of life!

There are times that I forget the values my parents and church instilled within me years ago. It usually happens when I get busy or fail to take the time to use the patience I usually use in trying situations. God and family come first in my life. Friends are important. So too are things this land has to offer...liberty and freedom, chief among them.

I love my country... I really do. I consider myself patriotic and would fight to defend her. My dad was in World War II. His generation didn't talk too much about their war itself. However, I will never forget the conversation when I was younger, albeit one sided, when he saw I had drawn on our sidewalk what I perceived to be a cute symbol I had seen somewhere. I will never forget the significance of a German swastika because of the importance his voice placed on his every word.

My grandmother lived with us for awhile in my early years. She had been a teacher in a one or two-room schoolhouse. A little pot-bellied stove kept her and the students warm in winter. I always liked history and she spoke of things that solidified what I learned in school. A lot of the early years of this country are no longer found in our school books. Did you know that Valley Forge spanned six harsh winters? That the soldiers did not get paid, even at the end of the war? And that it took a stoic George Washington telling them not to attack congress, that possibly saved the lives of some of our early founders? The Thomas Jeffersons and Ben Franklins are the ones remembered by name. The Revolution's foot soldiers were just as much heroes.

The results of the Revolution were very much in doubt. The vast majority of our Founding Fathers were of the Christian faith and knew that "All things work for good to those who know the Lord". No one knew what the results might be eventually, but they knew that the Lord was in control. He is today too.

I learned from my teachings that God has a plan. Again, I forget this when life becomes hectic or challenges arise. We have heard the saying, "what doesn't kill you, will make you stronger." For iron to become steel, it has to go through fire. It seems that today we as a country are being forged into steel...at least it feels that we are going through the fire.

Remember this time of the year as we celebrate Christmas. God's plan was and is simple, and it exists to this very day. He is in our midst always. Sometimes he might initiate conversation, but oftentimes we must start. The important thing is, he is always there to comfort us and guide us.

In this blessed holiday season I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and remind all of you who worry about this country, "All things work for good to those who trust the Lord". It might be your turn to initiate that conversation.

Understand that I am not a scientist or a climatologist. Keep in mind though, that I do have opinions on the global warming issue, based on what I have read for the past thirty years. Recently though, I have started to read both sides of the issue with a closer look at the words in the sentence structures. Seems I can't find anything close to the meanings of the words "prove", or "unquestioningly accurate". Most articles say things like "believe" or "in his opinion".

In science there are undeniable truths, such as: for every action there is a reaction, one and one equals two and the square root of 25 is five. To prove a theory, scientists use these undeniable truths and raw data they have gathered and investigated to jointly create new truths. Science requires, however, that the raw data used to prove theories, be included in any discoveries, to be checked by other scientists who will prove or disprove their peer's work. Otherwise, how can you separate the truly learned scholars from the kooks who only want to ... oh, let's say... want to keep on getting government grant money to keep working a theory that hasn't been proven?

Now, as more and more questions arise about the early research of global warming, it seems much of the raw data for the early findings....is missing. That is conveniently suspect. After all, various persons around the earth have been petitioning for the raw data through various countries" freedom of information acts. Most attempts have been put off, or only partial information has been given.

I had an uncle who,if alive today, would be saying..."Who's running this dog and pony show?" Of course, one person who has been saying the sky is falling and (oh by the way) also stands to earn billions of dollars if cap and trade goes through, is Al Gore. He is the one crying that the polar bear was being driven to extinction because of the melting arctic icecaps, which he says are still melting. Today, the polar bear population is five times what it was when the original warning went out.

I heard the former vice president on the radio this morning, say in a recent interview the polar icecaps have lost 40 percent of their mass in a recent time frame. Forty percent!!! I'm not sure, but I think we have pictures from space that would prove or disprove that statement. I know too that I have heard that the polar icecaps have been thickening in recent years. There must be proof of some kind...WHO IS RIGHT??

I have found online that since the time we first started recording this kind of data that the earth has had various cycles of warming and cooling, each lasting thirty years on average. This last period did not last a full thirty years of warming. The year 1999 was said to be the warmest, with each of the years thereafter being cooler. That is what I have been reading for the past three or four years. That is, until the last week to ten days. Now there are reports that this decade will go down as the fifth warmest on record. WHICH IS IT??

When I took calculus, trigonometry and the geometries in school, I remember we always had to prove our answers. It wasn't good to just have the answer. "How did you arrive at that conclusion?" That was what I remember having to be able to answer.

Likewise, can't we have our learned Global Climate Change scientists, both those in favor and those against the concept, show the data used in their findings? Might this go a long way in removing doubt? One side is most likely right. Based on how our government will push us the argument and conclusions drawn along the way may prove a tremendous hardship to various sectors in our global community. Shouldn't we demand any decisions be based on sound science? Shouldn't we demand honesty? And shouldn't we demand anyone who stands to profit from clear conflicts of interest to disengage himself from the political process?

What is it they say about the fox and the hen house?

A careless reporter quickly writes a phrase that wasn't checked thoroughly, or the word "allegedly" was left out of the final draft... and the story is printed, oftentimes portraying an inaccurate accounting of the truth. This scenario happens from time to time. Usually the person or persons to whom the story is about demand their version of the story be told, which should have been in the story if balanced journalism was indeed being followed.

As we oftentimes see, however, fair and balanced journalism takes a back seat to an agenda with which a media outlet might align itself. If a retraction is forced, oftentimes it may be found in section J, page 47, sandwiched between an ad for a sale on decaffeinated coffee and a futon company going out of business sale. The process leaves a bad taste in your mouth, if you are a defender of the truth.

It is sort of how I feel right now. Thirty years ago we first began hearing about how the earth would begin to warm unless mankind began to change its ways, less use of carbon based fuels... in fact, less use of energy altogether. Then the earth's temperatures did begin to rise and the people telling us these things felt justified and vindicated, urging all the more for mankind to grasp the seriousness of their poor decisions.

Never mind that, as we began a new century we would be leaving the warmest years behind us, and actually start cooling as a planet. This must have caused a brief moment of consternation among proponents of global warming, until one or a group of them decided global climate CHANGE would be a term on which the movement could hang their hat. If that didn't cause some scientists to begin taking a harder look at the issue and begin carefully rechecking data, what would it take? The government grants were going to scientists to discover and project the terrible consequences of global climate change for the survival of civilization.

Data and records, computer models, et al were telling us we might have passed the point of no return on the global climate change issue. BUT... STOP THE PRESSES!! It might be time for another retraction... this one so big that the first section major headline (above the fold) may have to be used for an entire month, with a little bleed over to the sports pages as well.

Yes, the story is about climate change. Heard about the controversy? If not, it's understandable. After all, in this country and countries around the world, cap and trade legislation is waiting to be passed that would require less energy usage and higher prices for the energy we use.

It seems some hackers were able to breech the computers of noted climatologists and scientists recently and ... guess what? Seems a lot of data used to conclude that we do have global climate change...is MISSING. In fact, data determining the past 150 years' temperatures is missing. That in large part is what most all the research into global warming and climate change has been based.

Are you sure you haven't read anything about this controversy?

We were told these past many years by scientists that the habitat for polar bears was shrinking. We were shown polar bears adrift on chunks of ice in ocean waters and were told the ice was melting due to man kinds selfish use of natural resources. I can put a single ice cube in a glass of juice and also show you that the ice will melt. It has nothing to do with me starting my car and letting it run... or turning on my air conditioning. These polar bears were placed on the endangered species list and more importantly were stars in Al Gore's movie on global warming. It seems that today, there is a lawsuit to take polar bears off the endangered species list because THERE ARE TOO MANY OF THEM... their species is no longer endangered, if they ever were.

These leading climatologists and scientists at various locations around the world have had their emails hacked as well. It would appear that some have conspired to hide or destroy evidence that would indicate that global warming and climate change is a fraud. All the while, taking millions of dolars in grants to try to prove what they have been telling the world's public for a few decades now.

Sure you haven't heard about the "alleged" fraud? It is now making the papers in Europe. Next week President Obama travels to the global conference on warming in Copenhagen. I believe that is in Europe. I wonder if the people close to Copenhagen know how to read?

By the way, cap and trade legislation is treading water in the US House as the US Senate ponders what they might do with it after the new year. Guess what though... it has never worked. No country that has ever had a cap and trade policy has ever said it was successful. Don't ask the leaders, ask the citizens... the people that have had to "foot the bill". It has not worked, and it has destroyed jobs. And within a few days of the Copenhagen Global Warming Conference, Austrailia's government has actually defeated a cap and trade bill of their own. It seems that parts of the world do not want to make the mistakes that other countries have made.

So keep looking in your papers...back towards page 47...to see if there might be a retraction on the validity of global warming and cap and trade. My paper doesn't have that many pages anymore. Might be about looking and not finding the truth anymore. And then begins that vicious cycle of lost readership... and lost advertising because of smaller circulation.... BUT WAIT. Didn't I hear that there is a movement to bail out the nation's failing newspapers? I wonder which will last longer, my search for the truth ...or my last few tax dollars.

The mornings and the afternoons ran together. Which fair were we driving toward today? In fact, what day was today? Indeed, the busy part of summer and the ABN's coverage of county fairs and festivals were doing double time to an increasingly heavy beating of the never tiring drummer.

Then, on the road, beside the empty and sometimes passenger-laden seats of road repairing and construction equipment...another sign. Was that the same sign as the other two or three I had passed in the past mile or two? I was sure to watch more closely on the return part of the trip.

Homeward bound, now. The fair that day was full of fun. The junior fair exhibitors were full of energy and we had excellent interviews for our coverage. Driving back...here comes the construction sight. The huge sign reads that the work here is being made possible by dollars from the stimulus package passed by the US House and US Senate. But no one is working. It's a bright sunny day. Down the road a half-mile there are a couple of workers and another huge sign. Then another mile down the road another huge sign and... no workers.

My first thought... let's have fewer signs (if we needed the signs at all) and hire more workers. After all, I thought the intent of the stimulus monies was to create JOBS. Fast forward to October. The majority of the stimulus dollars have not yet been spent. Say that five times while thinking 10% unemployment. The monies have been allocated... just not spent. And the timetable for the rest of the spending? There are those in the know that say 2010. Can anyone say "just before the election", possibly? Just in time to show a decline in unemployment! Hooray for the government. The government is really on their toes to help us weather our current economic storm! Mmm mmm mmm!!