some kids would be happy to wear that outfit ( A DRESS with PURSE UGH!), go out of town to visit their family (the cousin with no cable in the country!), family time this friday (gonna miss terry's party), eat vegetables in a restaurant (spinach), be home by mid-night (gonna miss the party after the game). you can't go over there, i don't know her mother (u make me sick) call me when you get there (dang, nobody else has to call.) her favorite line, there's nothing out there open but legs and bars. you can't get into a bar and you better not be...
i had a chance to think about it. last week was one of the most disappointing times of my life with young people.
i will not nor will i encourage any of my friends to donate ANY MORE time or money to the CURRENT 2008 U21 team. i watched my money and time, as well as a close friend's money go to waste on disrespectful, ungrateful children with a poor sense of entitlement. to think they squandered an opportunity to truly represent the the city of Austin, themselves, their parents, The Organization, Shannon's name and memory.
it's not so much about the time penalty or the scores... i was okay with not going to semis and finals. (i mean from every one's mouth it was about the love.) ironic, there was no love or consideration given to the people who worked their ass off to get them there. the people who worked their ass off to keep them safe. or the sacrifices made to get them there. DESPITE our own level of discomfort, grief and pain, we sucked it up and said the show must go on. i did not want to go (nor did a few others), but i had to step out of myself to allow the kids this opportunity.
there will be some who believe it wasn't that bad. people over reacted. guess what, you can say that, it's your value system. but in mine, in my little world. Adults don't curse kids. Kids don't curse adults. Kids don't disrespect adults. Kids follow the rules of the ORGANIZATION THAT PAID FOR THE TRIP! No f'ing one way tickets so we can send you HOME WHEN YOU ARE DISRESPECTFUL... See in my world YOUR PARENTS HAVE TO NOT ONLY PAY YOUR WAY IN LIFE, BUT LIVE AND DEAL WITH YOU. I DON'T. i should have never, (nor should anyone else) have to plea with anyone to follow the f'ing rules and stay with the group. i mean you read the lines in the first paragraph, my grand wasn't playing.
so when i promised four parents I would take care of their children as i would take care of my own. i wasn't playing. not on my watch. no weed smoking. no drinking.. no screwing. do that when you get back home. and sorry, call me old fashioned, i always want to know where children under my supervision are, especially in a city i know nothing about, even if they are 18 or 19.
in retrospect the idea of not sending a team, was hella better than what happened in DC. for real. AGAIN this in my opinion. i operate under a totally different system. i don't know anyone else's system and if it works for you work it. just not on my watch. i pray that the revamping of U21 organizational rules and the Board will quickly put this incident behind us and set a stage for next year's team to flourish...
Thank G.O.D. WE are NOT GOING TO QUIT because we know there are some kids out there who are willing to eat the FCKING VEGETABLES!
