The final game in a driving rain that decided the Girls Soccer IAAM A Conference was a treat to watch ("No. 1 McDonogh girls soccer beats No. 4 Spalding for IAAM A Conference title," Nov. 2).
Both teams and their fans were well behaved and well represented. However, the quote from Spalding's Coach Ashly Kennedy was shocking: "To be honest, McDonogh brings talent, we have blue-collar kids, etc."
What was he saying? The implication is that Spalding students can't compete because their families aren't rich and they live on the wrong side of the tracks.
I wonder what Spalding parents think of that generalization. Does "bringing talent" to schools like McDonough mean having the money to stack its team with athletic, semi-pro scholarship kids?
Maybe Coach Kennedy should also ask the McDonough parents and grandparents about the sacrifices they made to send their children to that school.
And need I mention that Spalding won the soccer championship in 2012 and are champs in field hockey this year? I guess they compete pretty well for "blue-collar kids"
It seems to me that Coach Kennedy owes a public apology to both schools and their families for his foolish remark.
J. Clark