The Yellow Board: Re: Area Every Year Plan

The "You guys don't have the money to go, so sit this one out." is an incorrect statement. It is the "The school doesn't want to put up the money to go" or the "I don't want to give up another weekend" - that 0-10 football team goes to the playoffs because schools will happily pay for it. Most coaches don't complain either. My argument if for the grumpy directors who don't want to give up another weekend for their students, well then they do not have to . . .

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Stop using "You don't have to go" as a solution. The simple fact that 0-10 football teams (and their bands, cheer squads, drill teams, and everyone else) GO to playoff games that they realistically haven't earned and have no chance of winning means that bands that advance will get to advance.

It's not equitable to simply say "You guys don't have the money to go, so sit this one out." It's not fair to those kids who worked and advanced to just say "Oh, well, we can't afford to go to the next round."

"You don't have to go" is NOT a solution. It is NOT an option. Find a cost-neutral way to make it so EVERYONE can have every-year all-State. Till then, the argument is moot.

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I know I am not going to convince you of this but I will plead my case anyway.

Also, I have worked at 3 schools in my career all title 1 and went to a title 1 school personally. UIL sends sports teams in all sports all over this state with buses and trailers and students. Then they continue to do it through the playoffs (made even more ridiculous with several 0-10 teams traveling hours and hours for playoff games.) School districts don't seem to have a problem with that, which is even worse in non-football sports with even more travel and games (just without the band following). When school districts decide to start prioritizing more in the classroom then I am on your side of the argument but they are not going to any time soon. This is great for our students and our programs, if you don't like it then don't go.

1. Hardly anyone gets hotels for Area so let's calm down on that one.

2. The few that make it to state (and only about 1/2ish will NEED hotel rooms) should be proud of their bands, if the football team is going deep into the playoffs are they not sending them along with bands, cheer, etc for many more weeks of travel? That's a lot of buses and trailers also?

3. We need to stop shooting ourselves in the foot on this, kids want to compete (most adults too).

4. We spend so much time and money on this why not one more run?

5. Above All - You do not have to do it! If you don't want to then don't.

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Name a sport or ag team that sends six or seven buses, one or even two semi trucks, and two hundred students to every event, unfundraised, paid 100% out of district funds, with hotel rooms booked two days in advance - annually.

I'll wait for your answer.

That's nearly every 5A band at state. Multiply that by 1.5 for the 6A bands, .75 for 4A, and so on.

It's not a ridiculous argument, you're just coming from the perspective of a wealthy school district (which is likely what you were in in high school as well). Come see how the rest of us live in Title 1 land.

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Most communities will, this is a ridiculous argument. They sent the sports and Ag teams all over the place for much less challenging competitions, what is one more Marching Contest? In the grand Scheme of Marching Band it is just not that big price to pay for a state level contest. Stop with this grandstanding, districts will cover a UIL State Contest.

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Fine.

Who's going to pay for it? My community won't. Most communities won't. SMC is expensive.

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I really do not like it. I wish we could have the state marching contest every year with it!!!!! that's the elaphant in the room

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Just curious about directors' initial plans for the Area marching contest each year. Assuming the band makes a 1 at UIL, will you go to Area contest in a non-state year?