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-I -, 6 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, October 2, 1998 + OPINION THE CANADIAN CHAMPION Box 248, 191 Main St EUTe Canadian Champion. puisiL d every fuesday and Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 Saturday at 191 Main St. t., Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9 (Box 248), is one ni The Metroiund Printing, Publishing & Distributing Lld. Q~O-~,A1 grnup ni suburban compenies wiich indes: Ajax / Pickering (905) 87 -2341 News Adveriser; Alliston erad/Courier; Barrie Advance; Brampton Guardian; Buriigono Post; City Parent; CniingwnodI Editorial Fax: 878-4943 Wasaga Cooneclin; East York Mirror; Elobicoke Guardian; Georgetown Independenti Aclon Free Press; Kingston This Week; Advertising Fax: 876-2364 Lindsay Tiis Week; Marktam Economist & Sun; Midland / Pene- Classified: 875-3300 tanguishene Mirror; Mississaaga Newn; NewmaritI Aurora Era Banner; Nortitumberland News; North York Mirror; Oakville Ian Oliver Publisher Beaver; Orillia Today; Osiawa I Whitby I Clarington I Port Perry Tihis Week; Peerbtorough Tiis Week; Richmond Hili I Titomhili Neil Oliver Associate Publisher Vaugtan Literai: Scarborougi Mirror; Uxbridge I Stoufoilie Bill Begin General Manager Tribune; Today's Seniors. Advertising is accepted on thte condition tatinl thtenent nf a Rob Kelly Editor typngraphical errnr, Ihal portinofte adnertising space ncco- Karen Cross Circulation Manager pied by the erroneous item, together wit a reasonabie aiiowance TeriCasa Qffor signature, wiii nont e citarged for, but the balance ni tite Teri Canas Ofice Manager adverisemenl wili be paid for ai lie appicable rte. The publisher Tim Collea Production Manager reserves the rigiia 1categorize adertisements or decline. Getting down to nitty-gritty A group of politicians, police and private citizens are currently working to reduce Milton's high accident rate - one that tops Halton Region per capita. Members are in the early stages of their honourable fight against injuries and deaths on the town's municipal and regional roads. We believe a key ingredient for solutions can be found through examin- ing the causes. Determnining the average age of the drivers and the time and place of the crashes is important information, as aIready determined by HaGton. But other vital factors so far haven't been addressed. Here's something to think about. Were most of the accidents caused by drunk drivers or by motorists speeding and not being able to react in time to an unforeseen obstacle or situation? Many people take back roads to try to avoid police when they're impaired and the rural atmosphere is inviting to speeders. Did the drivers make foolish judgment calîs in taking unsafe risks like passing other vehicles at the wrong time or place? Did the drivers drift off, were they just not paying attention, and going through red lighls or stop signs? Were the drivers confused at a busy intersection or trying to beat the light? What were the charges laid in the collisions - following too closely, careless driving or making an unsafe turn or lane change? We suspect a variety of these scenarios represent the causes and that should be the base for finding solutions, if there are any. Ways of tackling the problem should directly reflect the drivers' stale of mid when com- mitting the human errors that resulted in disaster. Gathering the data would take a lot of work but much of this informa- tion is public and should be readily available through police reports. We agree with Staff Sergeant Roy Smith that you can'tjust sit back and do nothing. Let's see if the community can indeed make a difference, but let's determine the causes so we can accurately come up with solutions. Karen Smith Put yourself in his ph OùUR READERS WRITE TlHE, CANADIAN CHAMPION It's a mixed-up water plan Dear Editor: Be aware! The debate on chlorine in the town's water supply pales beside growth plans. Many present residents seem to believe they will be retaining their current water supply from wells, while new subdivisions will be getting their supply piped from Lake Ontario. Planners, at a meeting held at Bishop Reding Secondary School, proposed both supplies mix in a reservoir prior to distribution to all residents, present and future. This is supposed to save $14 million. But we will have a dramatic increase in population and industry as well. Where do these planners live who are trying to con- trol our peaceful Milton? Is there a bigger controller at Queen's Park? H. Shauer Milton Royal Bank comes through for rape crisis centre Dear Editor: The women at the Halton Rape Crisis Centre would like to express their sincere thanks to the Royal Bank in Halton. The bank has generously donated $10,000. As a result of the donation, the rape crisis centre will be able to expand its education on the date rape drug, and anti-harassment and discrimination in the work- place. These are serious problems existing today and the Royal Bank realizes the necessity of enlightening the community on these issues. Special thanks to Marjorie Dawson at the Royal Bank, who was instrumental in making this donation possible. Louise Carlin, financial co-ordinator Halton Rape Crisis Centre The first exhibition hockey game had barely ended and outside the arena the parents had already started in on the new coach. By the sec- ond game, the angry mob was organizing a lynching. He hadn't been a head coach at the rep level before, and he was making mistakes. Worse than that, he had committed the cardinal sin. Everyone who coaches knows, or should know, that you can't give the appearance of favouring your own kid. Now, it's not unusual for parents to overesti- mate the talent of their own child. In fact, I think the majority of parents do that. Often, the coach's kid is one of the better players, but when he's not, the coach better recognize it. It's what parents notice first, and beyond that very little gets by them anyway. Before and after every game, the parents have at least an hour of nothing to do but talk to each other and analyze the team and coaches. Very few coaches are beyond reproach, and almost none are liked by everyone. Depending on how good at sales the unhappy parents are, they can poison everyone. I've seen it happen. I'm not saying there aren't lousy coaches, because I've seen a ton of them, but parents should at least have some understanding of the coaching process. I had a chance at coaching a minor peewee A team (not in Milton) this year, and was given a good indication before the interviews that I would get the job. I did a lot of work to prepare, practically mapping out the entire season, from practices to the different systems we'd be -using, to the people I would get to help. I was leaving nothing to chance because I know how critical hockey parents can become. But, mostly because I wanted to do a good job, which I think is the aim of every coach. When it appeared the ladyfriend's son was going to make the AA team, however, I withdrew the applica- O I've coached rep softball for a nur and while that's not on the same lev I can give you an idea of what go coach's mind. Never mind that all coaches are And never mind that most of the apply to coach the team themsel considers that in their evaluation. Coaches do a lot of thinking. Th sible for the team, and you better be pies their minds away from the arena. Whai can Inda about this? How con I give this ptayer mare Confidence? Why aren't we very gaad ai thal? Onebe my coaching philsphiesisahaso en the team is nly as god as ils weakesiplayer. Another philosophy is thah the more you expec loose from a player, the mare lhey will îry ta meet those expeclalians. Yet another philosophy is chat kids need ta be confident la perform tadthe besi of their abilities. Okay, one mare philoso- phynidhat kids shaud feel good about them- aber af years selves as people as wel as piayers. Ael as hockey, Beyond thai, a coach has ta wony about disci- )es lhraug f a prine, team cohesivenes, diruptive parents, gaining respectfrom the players, individuas evolunteers. impravement, game slrategy, correcting mis- criiics didn'i takes, evaluating perfarmances, and the hought ven. Nobody processes ai 15 or 16 kids. it's much easier for us las iupinvlIe stands ey're respan- and evaluate than it is to do the coach's job lieve it occu- • see SLACK on page 7 before you complain