Dear editor:

Recently, I had the honor of attending a state baseball playoff game in Mobile. The young men of Jemison High School had done what no other team in school history had done before.

The first game was played on a muddy field in the rain. We lost. The next day, another game was played. Our team did not look its best against a superior opponent.

More than that, when a clearly shaken young pitcher was pulled from the mound, a woman stood up and yelled: “That’s right. You take a walk in shame. Get off the field; you are an embarrassment.”

What shocked me was that it was his mother throwing hurtful words. She was the one who should have been embarrassed. Wait until you get home to pound the dignity out of your child.

It was a game that history should remember not for the loss but for the effort. The shame she dealt to her own child will not be forgotten by bystanders—and most importantly the teenage boy who gave it all he could.

We wonder what is happening to our youth? He knew his failures and didn’t need mommy dearest to remind him.

Donna Smith, Jemison