Pembo, congrats on the big band win!! That's awesome!
So, we had an interesting weekend, band-wise. The game was on Saturday this week, an away game. In the second quarter, the game was delayed for a little over an hour because of lightning and rain. I had to miss this game in order to have the $$ for the BOA competition this coming weekend, but I was following it via live blog by a local sportscaster. I could see on the radar that it was a pretty narrow line of showers they were dealing with (and it had just passed over me shortly before that) and it was clear behind that. He announced when the officials came back out on the field, and then the teams. A few minutes later, my son texts me and tells me they're on their way back because of the weather. WTH??
The band, color guard, and drill team never left the buses after the rain stopped -- the band directors and ultimately the principal made the call that it was "too dangerous." So come half-time, it was only the other team's band and such out there, and nothing but the loyal fans to welcome the team back to the field.
It didn't take long for the negative press to hit social media, and the fact that we won 63-6 was completely overshadowed by the disrespect of our band bailing when no one else did. How was it safe for everyone else, except for the band?? And the principal who made this call is, of course, the principal for the football team as well -- so it was safe for them but not for the band??
If the band had left the instruments on the bus, sat in the stands in rain ponchos, and HUMMED the fight song, it would have been a better decision than leaving.
And what info was the principal basing his decision on?? My 72-year old, legally blind father has a smartphone -- any band director, chaperone, student, even a passerby could have pulled up the radar and seen that it was a passing thing and all would be fine soon, and then they could have made an educated decision based on facts and not guessing.
This morning I sent emails expressing (very politely!) my feelings on the matter to the band director, the principal, and the district superintendent. The principal replied right away, stating he had based the decision on the safety of the students and the "importance of the event." That right there tells me a lot -- "Well, we were steamrolling the other team and it was pointless to go back, so why bother." I replied to him and (again, politely) expressed that the entire wrong message was sent to the kids, and that that was what needed to be remedied more than anything. Either the game was safe for everyone to continue, or safe for no one, and it was extremely poor sportsmanship for our band to leave like that, and a really bad lesson to teach our kids.
I'm still really mad... we'll see if they issue some sort of public statement.
And that was our weekend, lol! Homecoming is Friday night, and the BOA competition is Saturday, can't wait!!
)
We were 3A in this one, I have no idea what that means, and at some contests we are some other class 
No, our girls have been out there from the beginning. Who's fault is it that they aren't good enough...HMMMMM???? Then the director should require more practice then!
For the first several games the girls didn't know all the movements so they just did some of the body work 'cause they didn't know the flag work yet. 
But she hasn't been to a varsity game yet. I was picturing her in the stands cheering with the band, etc. She has never asked to go to a home game. Oh well, I guess I get my Friday nights free. B.O.R.I.N.G. 
{My family doesn't understand it either, but, they will come for competitions}
