My new boss

Don't you just love it when a unrelenting parent thinks that paying 50 cents for the paper makes him/her your Managing Editor. Ughh.

Dealing with one of the worst I've encountered in nearly 15 years of this job...and get this, it's dance team. Whoopee. Everything from daily checks to see if I've called the coach, to constant reminders about upcoming practices and wanting to know when I would be there to do interviews, to now suggesting she throw the idea to other staffers.

I've been cordial in replies, and assured her the story would get what coverage it merited once we saw how they finished at the state competition. They ended up 11th out of 13 teams. Hello, sports briefs...looking forward to that phone call in the morning

 

Give her the number of a swim mom, a cross-country dad and the cheerleading coach. Maybe they can start a support group.

 

Dance team ... now that's a new one.

 

At least when I'm asked to cover a dance team, they actually win something.

 

It's an activity. An athletic activity, but not a sport. Lady, try the features section.

 

There has to be some way to politely explain to parents what constitutes as news.

 

"Hi, Ms. Dance Parent, it's LOCALREPORTER from the Podunk Press,

I just wanted to let you know that we will be unable to cover this weekend's spirit fest/camp out smore fest/dance jubilation party. Unfortunately, we no longer have the staff to send to as many events as we would like. If you'd like to, please feel free to submit photos, results and a recap and, space permitting, we'll publish it as soon as we can. Thank you and have a nice day."

 

Tell the caller that you are very sorry but that your religious principles dictate that you don't give coverage to young ladies gyrating in a sexually suggestive way to hip-hop music, while wearing hair extensions, glittery makeup and little else.

 

The ongoing feud between the dance team and cheerleading squad at my high school was always good for a few laughs.

 

It seems that the dance team has relegated the cheerleading team to second-class status in many schools.

 

Well, it was quite the opposite at my high school. This was ten years ago, so I don't know how things have changed.

The dance team was made up of two parts. The first was African-American girls that actually wanted to be on the dance team. The other part was made up of the white girls that didn't make the cheerleading squad. The white girls were routinely whining about a lack of recognition.

 

At my son's school, the dance team is front and center at football games cheering on the crowd. The cheerleaders are off to the side.

I think it may stem from cheerleading being more competitive so that looks aren't as big a factor as they maybe used to be and gymnastics experience and size are huge factors.

Whereas, the dance team seems to attract the popular hotties and wannabes.