Dear PNM's and their moms

[KSUViolet06]

I had a friend who coached cheer who quit when her director wanted her to get rid of tryouts for the 4th/5th grade team. He had gotten some parental complaints from those girls who hadn't made it last year, and he wanted to make it more "fair."

[greekmomjo]

We do this generation NO FAVORS by not teaching them earlier that you don't always get what you want. This is a generation in which every kid got a soccer trophy, participation medal or ribbon for even showing up!

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by greekmomjo

We do this generation NO FAVORS by not teaching them earlier that you don't always get what you want. This is a generation in which every kid got a soccer trophy, participation medal or ribbon for even showing up!

The solution is to encourage them to try out for competitive teams, too. It's IMO not a good solution for some children to constantly face rejection, whether that's the reality of their adult future or not. Having them enter school art competitions, or trying out for school plays is good. Signing them up for a soccer team where everyone gets a trophy at the same time is good, too.

[Amicus]

Last year, the daughter of a very old friend of mine was released from recruitment early at a competitive rush.

The young woman might have taken the cut too well. There were no tears, no anger, not even a loud silence. Her feeling was "hey, if no chapter wants me, that's their loss, not mine."

My friend was a bit surprised by her attitude. He and his ex-wife was expecting tears and/or rage. Now, he is not sure if his daughter is wise way beyond her years or has an ego the size of Brazil.

Tears, he said, he could deal with. A mature teenager isn't discussed in the daddy handbook.

[gold and pearls]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I had a friend who coached cheer who quit when her director wanted her to get rid of tryouts for the 4th/5th grade team. He had gotten some parental complaints from those girls who hadn't made it last year, and he wanted to make it more "fair."

He probably didn't force the choir to accept a tone deaf kid with no rhythm (that would have been me as a child) or the academic team to take any dumb kids in his quest for fairness.

Originally Posted by ASUADPi

Now everything is about placating them. When I coached freshmen cheer in 08. I could take 12-15 girls (I say that number because it was "up in the air" of whether I would get a new uniform or not, if not only 12 girls, if so 15). Well I was essentially "forced" by the head coach to take 12 girls and 2 alternates and 1 manager. Only like 2 girls were cut. I was like really this is stupid. I only had like 17 girls trying out in the first place.

Also, doesn't this make it even worse for the only 2 who are rejected. If you'd taken 12, there would at least have been 5 that didn't make the cut. Now you've really singled out the extra pathetic. (Not you personally, but you know...)