Many good role models aren’t on TV

It can be frustrating, at times, to turn on the TV to watch a ballgame and see the latest version of today’s top college and professional athletes. They seem to be a little lacking in fundamentals and sportsmanship whether it’s an NBA player taking a dribble and three steps, a baseball player catching a fly ball with one hand, or a hockey player taking an uppercut instead of a slap shot.

It can be even more disconcerting to have middle school and high school athletes watch these athletes and model their style of play after them.

For those looking for an alternative, the solution may be turning off the TV and attending a local high school or college game.

The next step, one advocated by Merrill “Red” Wilson, a member of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, is to be a thief.

It sounds like a brazen strategy to advocate thievery for today’s youth, but then consider that Wilson’s philosophy is one perfected after many years of coaching young athletes, including 14 seasons in the prestigious Cape Cod Collegiate Baseball League.

His philosophy was reinforced again after he watched Husson College standout Jason Harvey play a basketball game in late February.

“As I watched him play against Castleton State, I was reminded of what a very fine baseball player of mine told me many years ago,” said Wilson, a member of the Husson College Sports Hall of Fame.

“He attributed much of his skill development to the fact that at an early age, his dad encouraged him to be a thief – to steal with his eyes. I could not select a more talented basketball player for a younger player to steal from than Jason,” Wilson added. “Important here to note is that Jason has innate talent, but for the discerning viewer, the developed talent is what really needed to be appreciated.”

For those who haven’t had a chance to see Harvey play, there are probably other fine athletes on their local high school or college teams who can pass on some valuable lessons. A look back at the recent high school basketball tourney offers some fine examples such as Bangor’s Alex Gallant, Deer Isle-Stonington’s Collin Ciomei, Lee Academy’s Aarika Ritchie and Cony of Augusta’s Cassie Cooper.

Some of these players benefited from playing games against older siblings or from growing up in communities with strong neighborhoods in which kids actually got together to play games without the formality of league play. League play can be beneficial, also, but great lessons can be learned from pickup games when the kids are in charge and it’s another opportunity to practice Wilson’s philosophy of thievery.

The Millinocket community in which I grew up offered such an atmosphere. Some of the best baseball lessons came from my oldest brother, Don, who hit countless baseballs at me in our backyard until I became a decent fielder. My other older brother, John, provided tough basketball lessons through example as he allowed me no mercy despite being three years older, taller and heavier. He always played hard, emphasizing defense and rebounding, and I attempted to do the same.

Hopefully, there are older siblings out there today or friends in neighborhoods who can pass along lessons to our middle school or high school athletes. Without that, then they may adopt other unenviable lessons learned from the drone of a TV set.

Sports editor Joe McLaughlin can be reached at 990-8229, 1-800-310-8600 or jmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net