What’s All the Yapping About? Look Inside the Mailbox

Just think: If I wrote this column from the Pacific island of Yap, it would take five months for your letters to reach me by steamship. As it stands, they only have to go as far as my Costa Mesa mailbox.

Just something to ponder while you’re getting through today’s reader mail . . .

Dear Editor:

In the column written by Barbie Ludovise on Jan. 10 (“El Toro Basketball Fans Quickly Learn to Enjoy the Dei,”), she was correct about three things: 1) El Toro fans, players and coaches have “quality control,” 2) parochial and public schools should not be in the same league, and 3) private schools do not have attendance boundaries as do public schools.

However, Ms. Ludovise did make one glaring mistake: El Toro fans would never cheer nor support an opponent. She has confused class and good sportsmanship with disloyalty.

By the way, was it not Ms. Ludovise who, for a New Year’s resolution, asked people to put an end to the parochial vs. public schools athletic feud? Why then was she the first to break this resolution? And after only one week?

Sincerely,

Dovey Travers

El Toro

Thanks, Dovey, for setting me straight. I will never, ever confuse good sportsmanship with disloyalty again. At least not this week. As you know, my resolutions only have a seven-day shelf life.

Ms. Ludovise:

Let it be known that not once did this El Toro fan cheer for Mater Dei. Well, maybe once when Coach (Gary) McKnight was awarded a technical foul by the officials. Nor did I hear “whoa, yikes, cripes or ohmigods” after any Mater Dei play.

Judging from the quotes you used in your column, you must have been sitting among our students. No adult I sat with would be concerned with (matching) the moves of Miles Simon. By the way, where does Miles live? Or Marmet, Kamran, Olujimi and teammates?

As for the century mark (Mater Dei beat El Toro, 101-43), one would have thought a 54-point lead would have been enough, even for McKnight. But that third (string) team wasn’t good enough, was it? When it appeared El Toro was closing the gap, back in went a starter. Too bad guys, I know you did your best, but it wasn’t good enough for your coach.

El Toro, you’ve got class. I’ll cheer for you any time. Ms. Ludovise, get a clue. Not everyone in Orange County is a Monarch-maniac. Too bad you are not objective.

Sincerely,

DeIna Senik

El Toro

Whoa, yikes, cripes, DeIna. What a letter. As for your wanting to know the addresses of those Mater Dei players, sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I’m guessing you wanted to send them all valentines.

Dear Ms. Ludovise,

I am a part-time substitute teacher in the Corona-Norco school district, and as a substitute, I need to be strict. But I am not strict when it comes to students’ opinions when they are thinking for themselves. You captured that aspect brilliantly in your article “Prep Sports Are Not Their Cup of Coffee,” (Feb. 10).

I appreciate it because it is difficult for students to articulate (their preference to not play sports) when they are amid pressure from their peers and coaches. Admiration is deserved for the student who will do what he wants despite those who would have him do otherwise.

Sincerely,

Simon Melendez

Costa Mesa

Thanks, Simon. Glad you got the point--not everyone did. Read on.

Dear Barbie,

In response to the article on athletes choosing surfing as an alternate sport (Feb. 10), surfing is not the bad guy both articles make it out to be. Surfing has been put down many times in the news because of ignorant people (coaches) wanting to blame something for their own faults.

We coaches in the California Interscholastic Surfing Federation have given high school students something to call their own. We don’t put down jock-types because a lot of surfers are excellent athletes in their own right. The image that the high school surfing programs portray is not one of a bunch of dope-headed dummies, but one of academics first, athletics second.

We aren’t a farm team for professional sports, but we are here to let the student-athlete enjoy school participation and get a little kick out of life. In the process, we hope these teen-agers will grow up not ignorant, prejudiced or violent, but as outstanding students of our society.

Sincerely yours,

Junji Nakamura

Dana Hills surf team coach

Chill, Junji. I’m on your side. Surfing shreds, most definitely. But why go out of your way to convince others of that? The waves are already overcrowded as it is.

Dear Barbie,

I just couldn’t resist letting you know I am still out here watching the games and reading your articles. I decided to wait until the (football) season was over to compile and send all my comments at once. So here goes:

You still love to rag on Esperanza.

You still love Mater Dei.

You are learning to love Los Al.

You are a good writer, but reporters need to be objective. My suggestion is that, in the future, you stick to fiction.

Sincerely,

Jerry Beitel

Yorba Linda

My apologies, Jerry, for only having enough space to print a small sampling of your comments. As for your suggestion that I stick to fiction, great idea. I can write that first novel on the way to Yap.

Barbie Ludovise’s column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Until she moves to Yap, readers may reach Ludovise by writing her at The Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, 92626 or by calling (714) 966-5847.