High School Coach Suspends Himself

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Check out the story of Jenks (Oklahoma) High School coach, Allan Trimble, who allegedly suspended himself for the remainder of the season after he was ruled to have facilitated the use of an ineligible player in 2008 and was forced to forfeit 9 wins from that season. He was found guilty of, among other things, arranging for a transfer student from Virginia (who was academically ineligible at his previous high school) to live with a Jenks booster in Oklahoma and play football for Jenks. The student has committed to the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship.

On the surface, it seems like a noble gesture by the coach, demonstrating to the kids that he coaches that he is taking responsibility for violations committed by the program. My suspicion is that Coach Trimble, having been directly implicated in the violations, is trying to save himself from further investigations and sanctions by preempting any disciplinary actions by the state athletic association or school. The coach has suspended himself for the remainder of the regular season. As of now, Jenks is only on probation, meaning that they're still eligible for post-season playoffs, and the self-imposed suspension will be over by then. The question will be whether the school or state athletic association sees through the charade, and/or has the courage to take the appropriate action. More interesting will be the reaction by the Jenks community should further sanctions be imposed.

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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A Lesson in Sportsmanship

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Here's a letter from the father of Boston College football player Mark Herzlich to the fans of the Clemson Tigers football team, posted on the Clemson University Athletics web site. Mark is a linebacker for the Eagles, and was the ACC Defensive Player of the year in the 2008 season. He skipped the NFL draft to return to BC, only to be diagnosed with cancer in the spring of this year.

Check out what Sandy Herzlich wrote, but if you don't read the whole letter, consider this part of it, where Sandy talks about how supportive the Clemson fans are of his son's situation:

"There was absolutely no lack of support or fanatacism for Clemson football but it was all wrapped up in an understanding that competing doesn't mean hating, that you need an opponent to play a game and that there's a difference between an opponent and an enemy."

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Michael Vick, Role Models, and Redemption

I happened to be sitting in the stands of the Eagles/Patriots preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field when, midway through the 2nd quarter, cell phones everywhere started beeping and buzzing. "The Eagles signed Michael Vick? No way! The Eagles?!?!? The "we are only interested in character guys" Eagles? Are you serious?"

It's not yet two weeks since that announcement, and there have been volumes written and heated discussions held around the signing among sports and political pundits, animal rights groups, die-hard Eagles fans, and those who don't know a Philadelphia Eagle from a Philadelphia soft pretzel.

There is no doubt that what Vick did was horrific and inexcusable, and it would be difficult to argue otherwise. But let's put aside our reprehension for a minute and stop to consider the influences that shaped Vick's early days. He grew up in a rough area of Newport News, Va., where he was exposed to bad characters and illegal activities that were a regular and recurring part of his childhood. While many of us have never, nor will ever, witness a dog fight, Vick likely encountered several a week among the other regularly occurring illegal activities. What seems abhorrent to you and me was Vick's daily existence.

Even with his NFL stardom, he continued to remain loyal to the friends he had made in the Newport News projects. The same friends with whom he shared his childhood and who played with him on his youth teams. The same friends that continued to be involved in the same illegal activities even after Vick's success, and who saw Vick's success as an opportunity for themselves. The same friends who later got involved in the dogfighting ring and used Vick to fund their illegal activity. The same friends who ultimately were his downfall.

We often hear about the stories of the inner city athletes who go on to become successful professional athletes who find a mentor, a coach or other adult who is able to connect with that person and guide them toward a better path. From all accounts, it appears Michael Vick never found that person, and while he alone is responsible for his actions, the absence of that guiding hand probably had much to do with his self-destructive decisions and associations. Those coaches and influential adults who go beyond their responsibilities as just coach or advisor, the unsung community leaders and heroes who guide young people in formulating strong moral character and help them weed out the bad influences and the true friends, did not reach Vick in Newport News.

There have been many who have studied the forces to which inner city athletes are subjected, the codes of loyalties and indebtedness that exist in the inner-city environments, and the ways in which the "entourages" hang on to and eventually drag down their so-called friends. There are countless stories of the instantaneous fortunes that they receive upon signing their lucrative playing and endorsement contracts after having lived in poverty for their entire lives without any knowledge of, experience with, or guidance in how to handle the sudden fame and fortune. Far be it from me to profess any expertise or knowledge of these subjects. But there are plenty of stories where a person of Vick's circumstances has been guided away from those same influences by a strong parent, coach, or influential adult in their life.

As parents, coaches, and people involved with youth sports, we can have a profound impact on the lives of the young people with whom we interact. We can never know which of our words or actions may resonate with a young person, either positively or negatively. Even the smallest and shortest interactions may have a lasting effect on a person. We can, however, be diligent in the way we conduct ourselves and in the lessons we teach through sports. We may never coach a Michael Vick, but our responsibility is no less than for anyone with whose time and talent we are entrusted.

If we take the Michael Vick situation and frame it in the proper context, there are many powerful lessons that can be not only taught to our youth, but learned by us. Michael Vick has an opportunity to redeem himself not by his play on the field, but by the changes he makes to his life. In Tony Dungy, the spiritually strong former NFL coach, he may have finally found that strong, moral, guiding hand with whom he can connect and whose counsel he will accept. We may be able to judge Vick's character in the next weeks or months if he shows himself to be insincere. Or we may have to wait many years, maybe long after his playing days are over and we can measure the sum total of his changes and works and not just those that enabled him to return to the NFL.

In the movie "The American President," which stars Michael J. Fox as presidential aide Lewis Rothschild and Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd, there is a scene where the two are arguing about America's desire for leadership. Rothschild implores the President to take on his political adversary. "People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone." he says. "They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand." To which the President responds, "...People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty. They drink the sand because they don't know the difference." Maybe a young Michael Vick didn't have anyone to tell him the difference between the sand and the water.

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Enhancements and Updates to Wagdogs!

Last night we released fixes and enhancements for Wagdogs. We added some optional fields to the registration form to capture more information (shirt size, pant size, comments) and we've made some changes to the administrator functions that make it easier to manage information. Administrators can now sort on column headings, drag and drop columns to (temporarily) rearrange them, and the export data now includes the new fields plus the date a registration was created. We've also cleaned up some of the issues that have been reported.

We're still working on the league commissioner/scheduling functions, and we're hoping to have them ready mid-summer, in time for the fall season. We've also got a couple of other features on the list that we're working on. We'll keep you up-to-date on our progress as they get closer to completion.

If you find any problems with any of the new functionality, please let us now by e-mailing us at info@wagdogs.com. Also, please continue to send us your suggestions for new features and improvements for current features.

Thanks for using Wagdogs to help manage your youth sports activities. We sincerely appreciate your support! We're committed to providing you with useful functionality and responsive support. Please feel free to contact us at any time with feedback, complaints, critiques, or compliments!

The Wagdogs Team

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Poor Attendance at Practice Cancels Season

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As coaches, we often lament the demands on our players' time that interfere with their ability to regularly attend practices and games. It's the rare youth coach who has the luxury of having full attendance at events. We're often left to juggle schedules to make sure we can get most of our players to attend, knowing that it's next to impossible to get them all there consistently.

Here's an example of a coach who had canceled his school team's participation in the playoffs due to a perceived lack of commitment by some of his players because they missed a practice. By all accounts, the coach (who is also a teacher at the school) is a strict disciplinarian.

Reading some of the explanations from the students/players about their schedules (school practice, followed by club team practice, followed by games that got them home at 1:30 AM and too tired to wake up for 7:00 AM practices (the coach's normal practice time)), it's not hard to see the coach's frustration. Not knowing the history of the team, whether his actions were too harsh is open to debate. What we also need to consider where our kids are concerned is "How much participation is enough?" Is playing on a school team and two club teams in the same season too much? What is the proper balance among social, sports, and academic pursuits? It's certainly a personal decision, and is largely dependent on each individual child's ability and desire to keep such a hectic schedule.

However, there's also the issue of commitment to a team, to a coach, and to a school or organization. When a player tries out for and makes a team, there's an inherent expectation by the coaching staff that the player will be available for most practices and games. If that's not the case, and that's not communicated before the tryout, then issues will most certainly arise. Coaches today expect that they will not get 100% participation because of all the demands on players. But they should expect a reasonable participation (75%? Games before other teams' practices?). If a coach expects 100% commitment and a player is unwilling or unable to give it, then it's in the best interests of both parties that the player not participate on that team. In this case, it appears that the coach's expectations were widely known.

Were the coach's actions appropriate? Is there any blame for the parents and players? What would you have done if you were the coach? Parent? Player?

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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New Functionality Coming This Week!

In the next day or two, we'll post a message that Wagdogs will be down for a short period of time while we update the site with some new functionality. We're working on implementing many of the suggestions that you've provided to us, and when the updates are released, we'll provide you with a list of the new and/or changed functions. Over the next several weeks, we'll continue to make improvements and enhancements to the site, many of them from suggestions you've made. Please continue to let us know how the site can better serve your needs.

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Just when you think things are looking up...

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...you see a story like this one. A Minneapolis Junior College women's softball team lost a game against the top-rated JC team in the country because, in the bottom of the 7th inning of a 0-0 game (and while their pitcher was no-hitting the top-ranked team), their number 3 batter hit what appeared to be a game-winning home run. While rounding third on her way to home, she high-fived several teammates before reaching the plate. A normal reaction, you might say? Well the coach of the opposing team, rulebook in hand, stormed the field and demanded the batter be called out for a rules violation. Long story short, NCAA rules (which also govern JC sports) state that you're not allowed to touch a teammate (other than a baserunner) before reaching home plate. However, what I'm sure the opposing coach also knew, but did not address with the umpire, was that for a first infraction the rules clearly state that only a warning shall be issued. Game over, right? Not so fast. After a long discussion with the umpiring crew and officials at the game, the batter was declared out. The opposing team ended up winning the game in 9 innings.

Surely, the opposing coach knew the rule. If she knew enough to find the rule in the rulebook, she knew that the penalty was to issue a warning, not rule the batter out. More distressing, however, is the fact that the opposing team lost the game on a cut-and-dried play; no controversy, no "called safe when she should have been out", no "it was foul." The ball cleared the centerfield fence by more than 20 feet. The coach clearly could not accept the fact that her team lost. Rather than congratulate the opposing team on a great game and terrific win, the coach cited a "rule," talked the umpires into incorrectly applying it, and won a game that she should have by all rights lost.

Sometimes as coaches, parents, or players, our teams suffer heartbreaking or disappointing defeats. But at those times, it's important to put aside the disappointment for just a bit, congratulate the winners, and accept the outcome. Among the most important things we can teach the kids that we coach is that as long as they give their best effort, they can live with the result. I wonder how many of the girls on the eventual winning team feel good about their victory?

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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We've been away coaching and planning...

Like many of you, we've been busy over the last several weeks coaching spring sports teams. It's been a busy spring season with all the weather changes, and I can sympathize with you over the administrative problems that a little (a lot of?) rain can cause! But the spring seasons are starting to wind down, and with that comes some free time!

In and around the practices, games, tournaments, and other commitments, we've been doing some planning about the next phase of Wagdogs. We've been keeping a list of suggestions from all of you on things you'd like to see, and we are incorporating them into our plans. We have some exciting things lined up for the next phase, and we think you'll like them. Once we have them finalized, we'll publish a "road map" that will let you know about our new functionality and the timing of the releases.

One of our major efforts will be around the ability for you to better communicate with each other. With the next phase, we're also planning to publish some informative articles and information in the Zones. We'll be introducing some great content, and will also be soliciting ideas and stories from our members.

Stay tuned for more information! And feel free to contact us at any time. The best way to reach us is through e-mail at info@wagdogs.com

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Another "Feel Good" Story

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If you've checked in to the Blog somewhat regularly, you can probably tell that we have a fondness for this type of story. When we run across these situations, we like to highlight them because they don't get nearly the level of exposure they should when compared to stories like this one.

Most youth sports events happen without much incident. There are very few that have either the gravity of the first story or the ominous overtones of the second (Could you imagine the number and types of complaints that a state government sponsored youth council would have to hear?). But in most youth sports events, there are moments when the sportsmanship displayed by the high school free throw shooter and his teammates can be seen in smaller, less serious interactions. If the children involved in youth sports accumulate enough of these smaller moments, then we could expect them to show the respect and compassion that those basketball players showed to an opponent who had suffered a tragic loss.

As parents, coaches, officials, and administrators, we have many opportunities to teach sportsmanship and respect in practices, games, and other situations in which we interact with players and participants. We need to make sure that we recognize not only those moments, but the impact we have on the children we coach when those moments arise. How we handle those moments will go a long way to ensuring that, if we are ever faced with a situation like that high school basketball team, our team will respond with the same sensitivity and respect.

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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New "Family Member" Functionality

The new "family members" functionality is now available. After you log in, click on the Profile link on the top menu. First, you'll see a field where you can add an alternate e-mail address. You can enter an e-mail address other than your Wagdogs member ID, and you can receive e-mails to both addresses. You must still use your Wagdogs User ID to log in to the site.

Across the top you'll see the new Family Members tab. Click on the tab to access the new features. You can link other Wagdogs members to your account and elect to have them receive e-mails that are directed to you. For example, a Mom registering a child for a sport can now link Dad's Wagdogs account to hers, enabling Dad to see the same My Wagdogs information for each child on her account. Dad can also receive the same e-mails from teams, organizations, and other groups that Mom receives if she chooses to elects this option. So now, you can add Grandmom, Aunt Betty, and anyone else to your account so they can keep up-to-date on your children's schedules and results.

We'll be adding more functionality in the near future, so keep an eye out!

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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New Functionality To Be Released Soon

We're putting the finishing touches on some new functionality that will let users link accounts. You'll be able to access it under the Profile link on the top menu.

Wagdogs members will be able to add parents, grandparents, and other family and friends to the new Family Members tab and let them have access to the My Wagdogs registration information for their child(ren) under their own My Wagdogs page. There's even a function which allows members the option to let linked accounts receive their e-mails from teams and organizations. We're also adding a place for an alternate e-mail address on the Account Information tab for your account, so you can get your Wagdogs information in more than one place.

We'll be shutting the site down for a short time in the near future to enable that functionality. We'll let you know ahead of time when, and for how long, the site will be unavailable. We'll do it later in the evening when there are fewer people using the site.

Stay tuned for more upcoming enhancements!

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Games Scores and Life Lesson

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By now you've all probably heard about the Texas high school girls basketball game that ended in a score of 100-0. (story here) Maybe you missed this other local story, which shows the better side of high school basketball. (click here) And hopefully you saw this one last year, maybe among the most selfless and sportsmanlike acts ever. (here)

If you've been around youth sports long enough, you've most likely been on both sides of the issue. You've seen games where scoring 100 and holding your opponent to next-to-nothing would have been easy. You've also been on the other end of the score, where your team looks like nothing more than safety cones set up so your opponent can run layup drills.

Some would argue that it's the opposing coach's responsibility to have his or her team ready to compete. But we all know that there are just some matchups that, no matter how much coaching has gone into the team, will result in a lopsided score. It's up to coaches at all levels, but especially at the youth levels, to teach young players how to compete with graciousness, win with class, and lose with dignity. How often have you seen a player walk past an opponent they've knocked down in the course of play rather than help that player up? How many times have you seen a player refuse a helping hand from an opponent? Tune into any televised game and you're likely to see it. They're learning that an an early age from coaches who are also influenced by what they see, and by the false sense of "toughness" and "competition" they learn. What's wrong with giving your best effort, displaying sportsmanship, respecting your opponent, and congratulating the other team, win or lose?

The coach of the winning team in the Texas story was eventually fired not for the result of the game, but for defending his actions in an e-mail to a newspaper a few days after the story made national headlines. He wrote, in part, "My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity."

I would argue that the Texas coach's values and beliefs were plainly evident in the final score. And I would further argue that the 100 is not nearly as damning as the 0. But the most troublesome part of the entire story is that he taught a group of high school girls that humiliating an opponent was playing "with honor and integrity."

What do you think?

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Wagdogs! Thank you for your support in 2008. We appreciate your use of the site, your feedback, and your patience as we continue to expand the site's capabilities.

We also wanted to let you know that we're hoping to finish up the new functionality we mentioned earlier within the next couple of weeks. As soon as we have it tested and ready to go, we'll let you know. We'll also provide more information about how to use it and how it works at that time.

Baseball season is right around the corner. For site administrators, it's a good time to double check your activity settings and your registration dates to make sure the online registrations are available. Let us know if you have any questions.

We're adding spring sports equipment and supplies to the store every day, so please check the site frequently (www.wagdogssports.com). We have some great products and prices. If you don't see something you need and would like us to provide a price quote, let us know and we'll get right back to you.

As always, please feel free to use the Feedback button on the left side of your screen, drop us an e-mail, or use the comment feature of the Blog to let us know what we can do for you. We're always anxious to hear from you with suggestions and feedback.

We're looking forward to 2009, and to expanding the capabilities of Wagdogs to meet your needs. We've got some big things planned for the site that will encompass players, parents, coaches, administrators, and officials. We'll be sure to keep you up-to-date.

The Wagdogs Team

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Coming Soon...

We've been a little remiss in keeping you up to date on our plans for the site. We've been getting your e-mails and suggestions, and are hard at work implementing the many suggestions and requests you've made. We'll do a better job of communicating as we move forward.

In the near future, we'll be taking the site down for a short period of time to do some system upgrades and to introduce new features and functions. We'll give you plenty of notice before we do, and we'll try to schedule it at a time when there won't be much demand.

We're working on several things that we'll be introducing over the next several weeks/months:

Commissioner functionality will let sports commissioners set up leagues and divisions, assign teams to leagues/divisions, view team rosters, and keep scores and standings

Score reporting and standings will allow coaches and/or commissioners to report game scores and automatically update standings

Additional contact information for members so that coaches and administrators can communicate more effectively

Many fixes and enhancements to current features

As we continue to develop and implement more functionality, we'll use this area and the "What's New?" section to keep you posted. Keep the suggestions coming!

You've probably already noticed the announcement of Wagdogs Sports. We're excited about the opportunity to bring you great products at great prices. We're working with many of our members in identifying products that bring you value for the money you're spending. We'll have some name brands as well as some new brands, but all of the products we offer in our store are recommended to us by people like you. If there's a product that you'd like us to carry, please let us know and we'll work to include it in the store.

We'll be posting again shortly, so check back regularly.

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Olympics a Grand Stage for What Sports Can Do

Athletic involvement can be transformational.

By Edward T. Hastings

(Philadelphia Inquirer, August 13, 2008)

NOTE: Ed Hastings has presented at several CYO functions, including many Athletic Ministry days. What do you think of his perspective on Olympic Sports?

With more than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries competing in the Olympics in China - and millions more watching on television around the world - the Games are a universal showcase for all the good that sports can impart in our daily lives.

Sport brings players and fans together to compete, watch and root for their team. In fact, the word compete derives from the Latin word competere, which means "to seek together."

Modern usage has popularized the negative message that competition means to strive against one's opponent. Rather, competition is meant to bring out the best in one another.

However, the inherent goodness of sport has been overshadowed by one highly publicized scandal after another - from doping, gambling and violence on and off the field.

But sport can be a positive force for individuals and societies by improving lives, reinforcing behavior and instilling values that stress the common good. One key is well-trained leadership and guidance in our athletic programs, and a commitment to positive moral principles that develop the whole person.

Sport can enrich us physically, mentally and spiritually, and be a platform for personal improvement. It can teach us much about life and how to live it fully and with meaning.

It is very true that while the outcome (winning or losing) might be important, the effort made and the way one plays the game is critical. In that sense, sport is a metaphor for life.

Two recent studies, one by Neumann College's Institute for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development and another by UCLA, discovered that the vast majority of college students are searching for greater meaning and purpose in life, but many college sport programs hinder that search by student athletes.

UCLA's study found that 53 percent of students said the classroom had no impact on their spiritual development, while 30 percent reported having a spiritual experience while involved in athletic endeavors.

The Neumann study highlights the role coaches play in character development and spirituality.

Among Catholic colleges and universities polled, 8 of 10 institutions involved coaches in the school's mission activities and 4 of 10 perceived coaches as having responsibility for implementing the school's mission, vision and values. In fact, 20 percent said the coach is the key agent of spiritual development among student athletes.

Along with a school's administration and professors, the role of coaches can't be overstated. But to be effective in that role, coaches need the training and tools to help them succeed in the area of character development.

Understanding and helping athletes with conflict management, listening skills and development issues is very important.

In the Neumann study, more than 9 of 10 respondents reported that student athletes were involved in service projects, and that community service was an important way to help them develop meaning and purpose in their lives.

Community service for student athletes can be very effective in helping athletes connect with something beyond their often highly insulated sports environments.

Sports and society face significant challenges. But if we can build our sports programs on strong moral foundations, we will help the participants become better people.

The Olympics provide a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the goodness of sport.

As Vince Lombardi once said, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence."

Edward T. Hastings (hastinge@neumann.edu) is the director of the Institute for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development at Neumann College. He played basketball at Monsignor Bonner High and the Villanova team that went to the 1971 NCAA finals.

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Ads on Wagdogs (revisited)

We have re-introduced advertising onto the web site using a new service that provides direct control over the ads that get placed on the site. We'll review each of the ads and approve only the ones that are suitable for our members. If one slips through that you think is objectionable, please let us know and we'll remove it.

We've also introduced full page ads on the site. You should only see these ads no more than once or twice per day during your visits to Wagdogs. These ads help us offset the cost of running the site and will provide us with an additional revenue source that we can use as part of our goal to share the revenue we produce through your use of the site (we'll have an announcement on that in the near future). You can click the "Skip this Ad" link on the top right of the ad if it does not interest you and return to your original destination.

We invite your feedback and input on the ads, their placement on the site, and their acceptability. Please let us know what you think.

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Playing Time

Should there be mandatory playing time for all levels of CYO Athletics?

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Region 17 Board of Directors in West Chester. They are a dedicated, energetic, and passionate group of people who do great things for the kids in that region.

After the meeting ended, I stayed around for a few minutes to see if anyone had any questions about Wagdogs. The conversation turned, as it invariably does in these settings, to the issues we face in running youth sports organizations. And in this particular case, we ended up discussing whether there are valid reasons to have a child spend an entire game on the bench, regardless of the level of competitive play.

By virtue of our volunteering in a CYO organization, we agree to support and promote the Athletic Ministry mission of managing "a sports program that allows youth to grow in their relationship with God and come to better understand themselves and the Catholic Faith." The first objective of that mission is to have a program that "employs healthy and enjoyable competition to promote the sharing of gospel values among athletes, parents and coaches."

There is great debate among administrators, coaches, and parents about whether every child that regularly attends practices and games, works hard, is respectful and cooperative, and is a good teammate should be given the opportunity to play at least a few minutes in every game. Many organizations and some regions mandate playing time for both Region and Parish teams, but give the coaches the flexibility to adjust playing time guidelines for playoffs and tournaments, as well as for rules violations or disciplinary reasons. That seems like a fair balance between our responsibility to develop each child's spiritual, emotional, and physical growth and the lesson that sometimes the needs of the team supersede those of the individual.

However, there are arguments to be made on both sides. One father with whom I spoke, whose daughter sat out an entire game early in a season, said that the situation motivated her to work harder to become a better player. In a short period of time, she raised her motivation and skills and became a regular in the coach's substitution rotation. I don't know whether that was the coach's intent in bypassing her originally, but it worked out for the best in that case.

What are your thoughts about playing time, coaches' responsibilities, and how to manage what is arguably the most important issue we face each season?

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Ads on Wagdogs

You'll notice that the Google ads are currently not showing on the site. As more people use the site, the number of ads that are served to the site continues to increase. With that increase comes additional risk that objectionable ads are shown. We had an instance recently where an inappropriate ad was brought to our attention. Until we can investigate the reasons why this ad appeared and take steps to block it and all material that is inappropriate to our community, we have removed the ads entirely from the site. We apologize to anyone who has encountered such an ad, and want you to know that we are committed to the online safety and enjoyment of our Wagdogs community.

We'd like to thank you again for your support of Wagdogs. The site continues to evolve, and we are seeing more and more traffic. We have more enhancements and additions in the works, and will be providing you with more information as we get closer to the update.

Jim

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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Welcome to Wagdogs!

My name is Jim Roynan and together with my partner, Dan Worth, we are creating Wagdogs as the premier destination for everyone involved in youth sports. Between us, we have more than 25 years of experience and have filled almost every role in youth sports organizations, from Board member to working in the snack stand. This weblog, or "blog," will be where we keep you informed of our plans for Wagdogs, highlight some of the features of the site, and also where we share with you our thoughts and perspectives on youth sports.

Our goal is to create a community of youth sports players and advocates that provides real value to everyone involved in running, managing, coaching, officiating, or playing in youth sports organizations. We welcome your comments and feedback on any aspect of our site, including our blog posts. We encourage lively, insightful, cooperative, and respectful exchanges of ideas. Future enhancements to Wagdogs will continue to offer tools and opportunities that further the "social community" interactions among Wagdogs' community members.

Wagdogs will help organizations and their members communicate better, faster, and more efficiently than traditional methods have allowed. Through the integration of our administrative tools and personalized web pages, we hope to eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) questions like "What time is Billy's baseball game on Thursday?" or "Did Ashley's soccer game get rained out today?" or "Who won the volleyball game on Tuesday night?" We hope that Wagdogs becomes an integral, valuable part of your participation in youth sports. If we're not fulfilling that mission, then please let us know.

We'll regularly post to this area of the site, and over time you'll learn more about Wagdogs, our team, and our plans for the site. Thanks for being a member, and we look forward to working with and hearing from you.

Jim

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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