Few things in life are all black or white –all good or all bad.
Most events have some redeeming factor or lesson to apply. Grace weasels its way in and finds the light in the darkest of nights.
But occasionally, evil rears its ugly head and I am left scratching my noggin in befuddlement.
Where is the good in this? What positive can I squeeze out of a rotten maggot infested dead rabbit?
(ahhh…but that’s another story about a rancid trashcan and a rabbit that croaked in my yard and an angry ex-husband who found the dead rabbit in the rancid trashcan because his wife didn’t know that dead rabbits need to go in other people’s trashcans)
Anyway, sometimes I ask myself, God, what the (insert an appropiately lame Christian bad word) was that sucker punch all about?
This was the question I asked myself as I left a youth football and cheer board meeting last night weeping.
Yes, weeping.
I walked through a senior center parking lot that lasted for miles and miles gulping and sobbing from a public beratement worthy of Paul and the Sanhedrin (before he turned good…when he still worked for the Dark Side).
And I asked myself once again, “What the hell is wrong with people?”
Years ago I was warned (by a wise mommy mentor) there are a few areas in life where people use unbridled power to manipulate and throw their weight around like the Patriots offensive line.
“Is it Washington politics?” I naively inquired.
“No Sam, its YOUTH SPORTS. Take heed to my words young lass and beware!”
I nodded at the wise sage and never forgot her words. And for years, playing for the Irvine Chargers and for Santa Margarita Pop Warner I had nothing but INCREDIBLE coaches, teams and experiences in football and cheerleading.
I thought I was one of the lucky ones. Sure there were the occasional squabbles and snarky remarks among parents, but overall we were tremendously blessed.
But last night those words came back to haunt me.
This year my daughter Faith was signed up for her second year to cheer for the Cowboys. Last year, her team competed in Nationals and she had a mostly positive experience. I had some concerns with extremely poor orginization within the league (not knowing the time of games until the day before…which will drive a mother of three CRAZY), but I tried to let the bad stuff go and focus on the fun. I helped out as team mom, hosted parties and provided a practice spot for the team (at no cost) at our church as a community outreach to save the league money. My husband and I went out of our way at every turn to support our girl and her team at every endeavor.
We were invested in the team like all parents who think their kids are AWESOME!
But this year things started off a little shakier.
The two oldest football teams –frustrated with the league took their ENTIRE groups of boys to another league. This left a gaping spot for the older girls.
There were no boys to cheer for in their age group.
My almost teen daughter would have to cheer for eight-year old boys.
And for a twelve-year-old girl this =MORTIFICATION.
Faith spent an entire night crying her eyes out. We asked her to pray and consider.
Then we got an e-mail saying her coach quit.
The game had changed. Faith tearfully asked if she could not cheer with this team.
She signed up to cheer for a MIDGET team but was faced with cheering for the MUNCHKINS.
I asked for a refund. Simple enough, right? I paid almost $400 and asked for my money back.
I was sent an e-mail saying I had to appear before the board.
Huh?
(Actually, I was sent five e mails with different times and dates and enough confusion to drive me crazy just regarding the board meeting)
So, I showed up at the firing squad (whoops –board meeting) where a group of YOUTH FOOTBALL Nazi’s terrorized me.
I was questioned, berated, interrogated and verbally beaten down to tears because I asked for a refund.
And then the questions arose as licked my wounded pride back at home?
Are the Cowboys in so much debt and disarray they can’t provide a refund for a kid who requested their money back over a month before practice started?
I was told “this is a business and we counted on your money.” “Even if kids get hurt we don’t provide a refund.” “Has your daughter been publicly shamed?”
My favorite was “How about a credit for next year?” –after I was already choking up. (like I wanted to come back and join this party again?)
And then like robots they repeated over and over a pre-planned message (clearly previously discussed) about what an honor it is to cheer for little boys almost half the age of my daughter.
And I understood why the two older teams picked up and left and took their boys with them. And why the Cowboys were allegedly kicked out of their previous league two years ago after a board member added seconds on the clock to overturn a game and let the Cowboys win.
Will somebody stop this reign of terror and stand up to these bullies?
I might have cried last night –but like little David facing Goliath, I’m just warming up my slingshot.
Have you had experience with youth sports?
