By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
It seems like good ole Mother Nature never tires of taking another bite out of the Forrest City youth schedules.
When she does, you can bet it's either Monday or Thursday. At least that has been the case this season.
The program has been hit with six rain out dates so far this season -- two more than the program faced all of last year.
One of those affected a Friday night schedule (May 11) while the remaining five rain outs have been on either Monday (3 times) or Thursday, twice.
The Minor, Bambino (9-10), Junior Babe Ruth and men's and women's softball leagues have been the hardest hit while the T-Ball, Bambino (11-12) and all three girls' softball leagues, have only one rain date to make up.
Yesterday, Kenneth Taylor, who heads up the city's youth program's didn't even flinch when he decided at noon to call off the games.
The skies were already turning dark and the long-range weather forecast didn't look promising with the radar highlighted in that familiar green representing rain.
As we know this morning, by mid-afternoon, the skies had started to clear and by what would have been game time at the park (6 p.m.) it was a partly sunny evening with a cool breeze blowing.
Many will say Taylor acted in haste by cancelling the games so early. I say, while it meant another lost night for the program, it was the right call to make. It could have just as easily been raining at game time.
In short, it was a judgement call and sometimes you have to make those. I can relate.
I have served as vice president of a very large youth baseball program, been a league representative and have coordinated several large tournaments. There are those times when future sight, rather than hind sight, is the best avenue to take.
Still, parents and players grumbled.
I remember when I used to coach, I hated being rained out as much as the next guy but you always have to think about, first of all, the safety of the kids, the safety of the parents and then the conditions of the fields.
No use in getting a player hurt unnecessarily and no use in ruining a baseball field, especially the ones as nice as Forrest City has.
The rain outs can be made up -- always.
And speaking of make up games, the latest schedule is out and includes a "play day" on Saturday, June 16 as well as other assorted dates during the next two weeks.
With district tournaments scheduled to begin the last week of this month and with the American Legion team coming off the road and staying on its home fields for a while, Taylor is having to squeeze the games in at every available spot.
Remember, he's doing his best to make sure all the teams get their games in.
Former West Memphis High School football coach Grafton Moore will be on the hot seat at a special "Roast Dinner" set for June 30.
The event is open to anyone who played for or who has coached with Moore at Earle, Marianna and West Memphis.
The event will be held at the West Memphis High School cafeteria and will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Moore stepped down from his coaching duties following last year's high school football season.
All checks can be made payable to West Memphis Athletic Booster Club, c/o Shelia Jarman, 1107 Rich Road, West Memphis, Ark.
The deadline for making reservations for the dinner is June 23.
For more information call Jarman at (870) 735-2864.
The first of the Taco Bell sponsored youth basketball and football camps will begin Monday, June 11, in Forrest City. The Lady Mustang/Mustang elementary basketball camp, for youths entering the fourth, fifth and sixth grades, will be held Monday through Thursday at Mustang Arena. The elementary girls will attend from 8 until 11 a.m. and the elementary boys will attend from 12 noon until 3 p.m. All campers will be given a free Taco Bell t-shirt. A junior high basketball camp will be held from July 9-12 and an elementary football camp will be held June 18-20 at Mustang Field House.
Marion and Jonesboro are both hosting girls' softball tournaments this weekend.
Marion is showcasing 12-under, 14-under and 16-under teams in the one-day Softball Showdown Tournament at the Marion Complex.
The action starts Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
Five 12-under teams will play a round-robin bracket while the 14-under and 16-under teams will play from a double-elimination bracket.
Jonesboro counters with the ProCap and More Softball Classic at the Southside Complex this weekend.
Jonesboro will host the Mountain Dew Grand Slam Youth Softball Classic for eight-under through 18-under slow pitch teams and 12-under through 16-under fast pitch teams June 15-17.
Entry fees are $100 per team and the deadline to enter is Monday, June 11.
For information contact Sharron Turman at (870) 972-0566 or Ken Douglas at (870) 802-2772.