..........again, I do battle with sports!!!

Yeah, and once again, I won't stand a chance. Let me give you some background. Several years ago, the NCHSAA expanded the NC state athletics playoffs to include more teams in the first round. We have seven teams in our conference. There will be four teams from this conference going to a state playoff game! That is ridiculous! The decision to expand was only for more revenue. When a major change like that occurs, you have a ripple effect of different things occur. It changes schedules and abilities to participate in things for a great number of other high school events. In my case, the ability to participate in Saturday band events. Is it not enough that the high school sports world takes every afternoon and evening Monday - Friday? Do they have to take Saturday's too? It would seem so. By adding the additional teams, the seasons are also lengthened if you are one of the good teams that will go on to higher playoff rounds. The first round always pits some 4 wins, 6 losses team against another team who is 8 and 2 in their conference. The result - a real pounding for someone, and a bunch of kids who are down on themselves; not to mention the additional injuries caused by a poor team being beat to death by a good one. Now back to the band. I still believe that we should not make our high school kids choose to take either the athletic trac or the music trac specifically in the middle school/high school years. With cooperation and a little thinking outside of the traditional box, a kid could do both and be a more well-rounded individual. The sports world doesn't think that way. We have organized leagues for every sport beginning with 4 yr. olds! What a ridiculous state of affairs! Four year olds need to be in the backyard learning how to play with their peers on their own terms; and not with a sports obsessed adult barking out orders for the correct way to play a game. At any rate, I'll never win my battle with sports. I will; however, be a thorn in their side until I retire from my position as band director. My kids like to do both, and I'll continue to allow it in our program. I'll have to continue to make modifications in our group for those who are in athletics, but it won't be without providing some wear and tear on some narrow minded sports types. One of my kids got a real "tongue lashing" from her volleyball coach yesterday after practice. The volleyball team has the first round of state playoffs on Saturday (the same day as our scheduled contest). The kid was informing the Reich Minister of Volleyball that she chose to go to the band contest (I did not influence that decision at all - the kid did all of this on her own - I never gave her any type of ultimatum). The usual coach "guilt trip" strategy was used with failure. Score one for the band!!!!