My new boss

[crusoes]

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

The best way is "No." Then hang up.

 

[Stitch]

Dance team doesn't belong on the sports page. Even though there are state tournaments, many teams have their own nicknames instead of going by the school mascot, which IMHO makes it silly to be put in sports.

 

[Pencil Dick]

Ask yourself this: Does the state high school athletic association conduct a dance team (or cheerleading) championship?

I'm not talking about a competition involving a few state schools - is there a state dance team (or cheerleading) champion crowned by the high school association every year?

If the answer is no, it's not a sport and should be relegated to the Features section.

 

[Greg Pickel]

Ask yourself this: Does the state high school athletic association conduct a dance team (or cheerleading) championship?

I'm not talking about a competition involving a few state schools - is there a state dance team (or cheerleading) champion crowned by the high school association every year?

If the answer is no, it's not a sport and should be relegated to the Features section.

While I agree with where you're going with this, there is a small issue.

In states such as PA, the PIAA, the state high school athletic association, does not include hockey or lacrosse as state sanctioned sports, and therefore they conduct their own local and states championships. I know what your point was, just pointing out little things like that pop up from time to time.

 

[Ace]

Ask yourself this: Does the state high school athletic association conduct a dance team (or cheerleading) championship?

I'm not talking about a competition involving a few state schools - is there a state dance team (or cheerleading) champion crowned by the high school association every year?

If the answer is no, it's not a sport and should be relegated to the Features section.

While I agree with where you're going with this, there is a small issue.

In states such as PA, the PIAA, the state high school athletic association, does not include hockey or lacrosse as state sanctioned sports, and therefore they conduct their own local and states championships. I know what your point was, just pointing out little things like that pop up from time to time.

Very true. And if you use that as your out, be prepared to hear about it if you DO cover hockey or lacrosse or cornhole or whatever.

 

[HanSenSE]

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

Or they may start an orgy. Think very carefully about what may result.

 

[bigblueman]

OK, I'll fall on the grenade.

They work just as hard as the football kids do.

 

[jlee]

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

Or they may start an orgy. Think very carefully about what may result.

In either case, they won't call you any more. But in the latter scenario, you might want them to.

 

[flexmaster33]

Our basic policy is that dance team and cheerleading are considered "activities." We'll put in results on rare occasions, but leave the feature-type stories to our schools/feature reporters.

The next level is club sports such as water polo and bowling in our area, which get middling coverage, while we concentrate our efforts, like most, on the main school/state-sanctioned sports.

This time dance ended up with a two-paragraph brief, and I squeezed in a nice photo that one of the parents (a professional photographer) took. It will be enough to appease most, but I doubt it's the grandiose coverage that this lady I've been dealing with is expecting.

 

[flexmaster33]

should also mention it's tucked inside in a corner on our Scoreboard page.

 

[schiezainc]

So, got a message today on our phone system.

"Um, hi. My name is "Idiot Parent" and I just wanted to complain about something. In this week's paper, there's a small article on the Podunk High Cheerleading team winning at states and a much larger article on the Bum**** girls basketball team making it to the semifinals. I don't know why this is. The Bum****s always go to states and the Podunk Cheerleading team did really well. I think they should have had a huger (sic) article and wonder what you're going to do. Also, I've noticed you guys don't acknowledge middle school sports and I wonder if you know that middle schoolers are the high schoolers of tomorrow."

First off, huger? Really?

Second, **** you.

Third, cheerleading is not a sport. That we even acknowledged the cheerleading team's performance at states (They won the 'Small School' title and finished eighth overall, not first overall you stupid c**t) is a miracle in and of itself and if you don't like it, feel free to turn to the other weekly newspaper in town, which by the way hasn't covered any kind of cheerleading in at least five years, and or the state's daily newspaper, which didn't even mention your local school.

Lastly, no, we don't cover middle school sports. Want to know why? Because no one gives a ****.

-SchiezaInc

P.S. Next time leave some contact info so I can call you and let you know just how dumber you really are.

 

[Ace]

I love the middle schoolers are the high schoolers of tomorrow line.

If he has said that over the phone, I would have replied:

"You are absolutely right. And we'll cover them tomorrow."

 

[rpmmutant]

I had an AYSO coach tell me the same thing about the players of tomorrow. I told them we barely have enough space to cover the players of today, meaning kids in high school and college. When the AYSO players of tomorrow start playing in high school and college, then they will get their coverage.

 

[flexmaster33]

Good stuff guys...our new phone system allows us to "reply" to those anonymous complainers by dialing the number the call came in on...you can't imagine the shocked people I've called back saying "Yes, I heard you had a complaint about coverage...", followed on the other end by either a click or more often "Uh, um, yes, uh..."

love it.

 

[MonsterLobster]

One thing with cheerleading that's especially a pain, is that they must have dozens of national championships every year. We have a handful of local colleges and high schools that win national championships every year and want coverage.

I love the moment when you ask a question that makes people realize how trifle their things like dance championships are. Like when some dance mom calls and pitches a story about how the local team won a national championship. And then you ask through what organization. Oh, The Southeastern Dance League? Ok. How many teams were at the national competition? Oh, nine? OK. Oh, and did you have to win regional tournaments to get there, or how did you get a berth there? Oh, you did car washes? To raise money to pay to have the chance to win a national championship? Between eight other teams that were good... at washing cars? And all from three different states? Oh, OK. Yes, I understand they still had to work hard.

I used to work at a small-town daily where every three months, like clockwork, a local dance and gymnastics studio would buy a national championship.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I'll trade your dance team mom for the homeschool basketball parent wanting coverage for the national* championship her kid's team won#.

* - If by "national" you mean "teams from 11 states competed."
# - If by "won" you mean "the local team was one of 15 boys teams named national champions in the same age group, since each age group had three divisions which were then subdivided into five classifications."

 

[Ace]

One thing with cheerleading that's especially a pain, is that they must have dozens of national championships every year. We have a handful of local colleges and high schools that win national championships every year and want coverage.

I love the moment when you ask a question that makes people realize how trifle their things like dance championships are. Like when some dance mom calls and pitches a story about how the local team won a national championship. And then you ask through what organization. Oh, The Southeastern Dance League? Ok. How many teams were at the national competition? Oh, nine? OK. Oh, and did you have to win regional tournaments to get there, or how did you get a berth there? Oh, you did car washes? To raise money to pay to have the chance to win a national championship? Between eight other teams that were good... at washing cars? And all from three different states? Oh, OK. Yes, I understand they still had to work hard.

I used to work at a small-town daily where every three months, like clockwork, a local dance and gymnastics studio would buy a national championship.

Cool Hand Luke would argue that dance team girls washing cars is worth a trophy.

 

[Starman]

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

Yes, the next fraud pseudo-sport through the door kicked open by "competitive cheerleading."

Many schools have:

1. Competitive cheer teams (who do not actually cheer during any varsity contests of any other varsity teams, but only perform semi-gymnastics routines on the sideline). This is actually sanctioned as a varsity sport by the state high school association.

2. "Sideline cheer" teams (which do actually cheer for other varsity teams, but also engage in competitions and want those reported too)

3. Dance teams (which perform musical dance numbers, sometimes at varsity sports contests, and want their competititons reported too). Usually wear outfits much tighter than the cheerleading uniforms and are apparently selected in large part on physical attributes.


In the meantime, high school gymnastics, which is in fact a fully legitimate established sport, has pretty much competely dwindled away.

 

[pride of pleasantville]

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.

My school does not even have cheerleaders (expect for football) dance team covers the rest. It is 15 people who cant dance a lick and 5 who can some what dance