Letter to Editor: Safety Before Rivalry in Sports

South San Francisco, CA  August 30, 2021 by Alvaro Bettucchi, SSF Resident

Last week, on “Everything South City”, you had an article that South San Francisco High School did not have enough players for the Varsity Football Team. Parents wrote in how sorry and disturbed they were because the rivalry between the two high Schools was no longer available.

 

In the 40s and 50s, there were only a few sports that we could participate in, with even less for the girls. I went out for football because it was the thing to do. After viewing the first game, my father was the first, to pull me from the sport. He did not wish to see me injured. After all these years, and seeing the results of youngsters (and old men like myself) occurred from playing football, I’m so glad that he made that decision.

 

Today, in the schools (at all levels), with Recreation and Private programs, parents have become much more aware, and seek to find a sport that the child can enjoy with the possibility of less injury. Soccer is making tremendous inroads in our country, including a boom in many of the Olympic sports. Our society, our education, and our parents are changing, and yes so will the sports. The majority of parents are looking at safety first for their children, and not a rivalry between two schools.

 

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NOTE: Alvaro Bettucchi has an incredible history in South San Francisco Soccer going back to early days in 1939-1945 at Martin Elementary School and in 1953 Alvaro formed a group of South San Francisco “All Stars”.

His contribution to our City deserves a wider audience and we invite you to read this historical account of how soccer came to our City, thanks to the efforts of Alvaro.

To read this account PLEASE CLICK HERE.

SSFAC 1954

 

 

 

 

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