Although I do have a weekly Sports Column in our weekly print edition, I was asked to do a blog for our new website, so here we go. While I have you here, since we are in the first quarter of high school basketball in South Texas, I have one question for you: Why does Pleasanton not have a Youth Basketball program?

O.k., I have to be the first to reiterate my question, why does a town with the population of over 10,000 not have a youth basketball program? I have gotten a few answers here and there and plenty of excuses, but no one has ever really answered my question. You have baseball, soccer and football, but why not basketball?

When you watch some of the lower grade levels and even some of the high school programs in Pleasanton, they do pretty well considering the obvious. When you look at Pleasanton Jr. High, some of these 7^th graders are picking up basketballs for the first time in their life. Some on the other hand, have had the “shoot around” on the front driveway, but how does that pare them to other area towns who have youth sports.

When you ask the everyday Texas High School Coach their opinion on youth sports, you will get various answers with both positive and negative outlooks. In the end, wouldn’t some sort of activity with their sport and some type of coaching be better than none? I would have to answer yes to this question.

With over six gymnasiums at Pleasanton I.S.D., you would like to think that the school would advocate to help the future of their athletes. After all, school districts are supported financially by tax payers in the district.

One’s success, failures or struggles will not always lie on the fact that a town has or lacks a youth program in any sport, but you would think it would be a positive to say the least. So once again, if someone could inform me on the true answer on why a city of this magnitude does not have one I would appreciate it.

“Jourdanton Hoops”, “DYSA-Devine”, “NYO-Natalia”, “LYP-Lytle” and various other youth basketball leagues have worked out well for these towns, what do you say we give this another go around Pleasanton?

Please e-mail me your thoughts on the issue: esmith@pleasantonexpress.com