LONG ISLAND BULLETIN BOARD

When is the athletic department going to do right by east arrowettes? Last year there was a choreographer who played such favorites she purchased gifts for some teammembers and took an elite few on social events and NYC trips. This year they hire a jv members nanny! All her friends arrived at try outs knowing the choreography that is supposed to be new in order to judge how well they pick up choreography . Next move will be making the captain one of the red solo cups frequenters from facebook like they did last year- would this ever happen to the football team- hire a nanny of a player?!

Who in Sachem has enough money to hire a nanny? Was she at least hot?

The athletic department will take it seriously when they take dancing seriously as a sport; when HE double hockey sticks freezes over. The girls are extremely physically fit ( gee, doesn't that mean athletes?) Dancing is tough, the powers that be just don't see it as a sport; it is the same for a lot of girl's activities, gymnastics, diving, cheer leading, etc. As long as there is no objective victor, just a judge's decision, to most, it's not a sport, so the athletic department doesn't seem to care. Title 9 has done a lot for our girls though, so if you love it, hang in there. There is plenty of scholarship money out there. Best of luck. PS, no sour grapes on my part, my daughter just graduated suma cum laude from a D1 University, had a full ride for a "competitive sport"; she would tell you that her time as a MS cheerleader was the most physically grueling "activity" she ever participated in.

I understand your frustrations with arrowette tryouts as my daughter was an arrowette in junior high and high school. Every year there is an issue with the fairness of tryouts. We had an issue one year and they had made an error in the scoring. If you think your daughter was not judged properly, contact the high school varsity coach. She might not even be aware of the situation. If certain girls had the opportunity to learn a tryout routine before the other girls, their inability to perform in true "arrowette" style will come out during the year. In any event, the coach should be made aware of what is going on. Wish you luck!

If some girls had the benefit of knowing the choreography before the other girls, coach needs to be told immediately. There is always a make up tryout and if you feel some girls were
not given a fair deal, ask for one!!!

You can be an athletic person (physically fit) and still not compete in a sport. They are two separate definitions. Swimming, Diving, and gymnastics are all seen as sports from the athletic department. Cheerleading is a whole other entity since the STATE of New York does not yet consider it a sport.....or at least NYSPHSAA doesn't consider it a sport yet. That may change in the next year or so though.

Be careful what you wish for...............

You really want Section XI ruining this as they have done with so many other sports?
They will have modified cheerleading in the middle schools! then you will have a set season. ONly allowed to practice within that time frame. Can only cheer so many times a week. Can not travel to certain places, Be careful with the fundraising rules. They you will have to get a cheerleading booster club, then the parental, political BS starts. Your board members will be a bunch of drunks who's kids get the leg up on everyone else.

Sachem and Section XI sports at its finest.
All that but you will be considered a sport. Welcome!

This is positively disgraceful. New team members should be embraced, mentored and loved … the lengths that miserable people go through to spew hatred and jealousy is relentless.

The ‘gifts’ in reference were bought for ALL the girls by the moms who attended Nationals … moms not in attendance wouldn’t know any different as they weren’t in attendance for their own child. WE watched you child, we looked out for your child, we made sure your child was safe and we applauded your child as she performed and beamed with proudness. All children were embraced and loved, and LAVISHED with gifts (as you say) on OUR money.

Be happy for your children and their accomplishments - at the same token, be happy for OTHER people’s children and their accomplishments. Welcome them into your heart as your children have been welcomed into others. Shame shame shame on you … same could have been said about new team members last year.

If the team, parents, coaches and choreographers are so incredibly offensive, you have the choice.
We should opt for a wonderful new season with a team of beautiful talented dancers ... GO SEVA !!!!!

After being part of Sachem for so long, I would like to consider myself to be someone who could relate to these types of situations. Bad Mama has stated the way that she feels about the Sachem East Arrowettes and the way that a certain coach treated the 'elite members' of the team. It comes off as if this mother has a child who is or was already a member of this team considering she knows the background information of this situation. With that being said, whether it is Arrowettes, Football, Basketball or any other competitive team from the Sachem district, it is a privilege to be a part of a varsity team. If a 'gift' or a 'city trip' is something to sweat about, there are bigger problems with other teams and it seems a little out of line to be insulted about such a thing. Yet then again if the coach pursued such actions during the Arrowette season I would understand how it could be seen as out of line. The second point I would like to make is that the Arrowettes, Cheerleaders and Gymnastics should realize that they may just be luckier to not be considered a sport. As someone has stated before, practice times, locations and fundraisers would be limited and as we know these are teams that do value all the practice and fundraisers that they get each and every year. Although all these teams have high levels of talent and have been nationally ranked, all factors must be considered before going to the athletic director to become a sport. I would also like to address the issue with the new coach as the 'Nanny'. It seems as though the coaching staff is a new one. The issue of the other coach with the 'gifts' and 'city trips' should no longer be a problem. All coaches of Arrowettes, along with the other talented clubs, are supposed to create a tryout routine the day before or day of the tryout. Therefore, no child should be entitled with the routine before tryouts. Whether or not this happened, I am unaware of. The athletic director has enough problems with each team, that a 'Nanny' is probably not the top priority, especially if she is qualified to be the coach and Bad Mama's child has already been a member of the team. All scores were most likely recorded by those who judged the tryouts. Technically, these scores should not be shared with the general public, yet the teams officials are supposed to go over each child's score in order for the team to be legitimate. If the team was announced, the scores were carefully looked over and everyone who made the team was scored high enough to do so. Instead of stressing about small issues and situations, each child should be congratulated and thankful for their spot of the team. This goes for both new members and previous members. Finally, the statement of 'Red Solo Cup Captains' made me laugh. As I have said before, Facebook is the root to all evil. No adult should be worried about any child beside their own. A red solo cup does not define a child's leadership skills nor does it imply the fact that there may be alcohol in the cup itself. Facebook was invented to connect people, not to start issues between team mates, or even worse, a team mate and a team mate's parent. Bad Mama, If you believe that every statement you have made is true, do not be mistaken for the only team going through issues like these. Favoritism is an issue in most sports, has been around for years and doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. There is no such thing as perfect, and a perfect team will probably never exist. Yet if a child is devoted and determined to be the best they possibly could, that is what makes a team player. If situations like these stated by Bad Mama are truly such an issue, maybe the Arrowette program is not meant for your child.

CORRECTED ******* With that being said, whether it is Arrowettes, Football, Basketball or any other competitive team from the Sachem district, it is a privilege to be a part of a varsity team. If a 'gift' or a 'city trip' is NOT something to sweat about, there are bigger problems with other teams and it seems a little out of line to be insulted about such a thing.

I agree

I just heard about this topic and read all the responses to bad mamma, my daughter is currently on the JV arrowettes, if there is a problem and you feel that your daughter has been overlooked than you should contact the coach. I am happy that my daughter is on this team, she herself questioned why she wasnt moved up to the varsity level and reached out to the varsity coach and was she was told of the things that needed improvement. The coach answered my daughter's questions and she was grateful for the response, and with that said, she is proud to be a returning member of the JV squad. These coaches do this job for the love of dance, it is a thankless position and without them, there wouldn't be a team. The amount of time and effort and their own money that is layed out during the course of the season is often not even realized by the parents. I myself questioned the coach last year about the cost of certain things and it didnt even dawn on me until after the first competition what she had done for the team. You can not just assume things, communicate with your daughter's coach. I for one am grateful for all they do.

Not enough parents go to the coach. They continue to gossip.

There's nothing that screams 'advancement for women' then a 'sport' where they root for the boys to do well. Ah, feminism - women so dumb that they don't even realize they run the world.