Mrs. Hillbilly Mom Oversteps The Bounds Of Hospitality

Thank the Gummi Mary, The Pony has no home academic meets left. I'm not sure I could survive the stress. The shenanigans of the opponents are wearing on me. Does nobody teach kids manners anymore? Proper decorum in public places? Parents? Teachers? YouTube?

The most recent opponents tromped into the cramped library in the midst of a match in session. The Pony's team was participating, and was scheduled to play Trompers next. Because Trompers were apparently a troupe of ADHD youngsters foregoing meds to stay sharp for competition, they needed adult guidance. From their coach, perhaps. Or the gaggle of guardians that brought up the rear of their ragtag parade.

I don't blame the kids. I am not insulting any ADHD folks. It's just that they lacked focus. Middle school kids will be middle school kids. They need a support battalion of knot-yankers to catch them by their collective tails. This could have been a magnificent learning experience.

The small audience went all E. F. Hutton commercial on the Trompers. At least they could judge the climate of the room by the daggers stared their way. They made a grandiose exit. Perhaps to search for restrooms. Perhaps to reconnoiter and pillage the countryside.

After half time, they returned. We knew that, because of the heavy tread on the carpeted wooden ramp leading to the sixth-grade hall. Then the murmuring began. Like a mob with flaming torches, ready to storm the castle gate, or in this instance, the library door. An audience parent got up and pointedly pushed shut the portal. The aggressive nature of the act was lost on the Trompers.

Our scorekeeper stopped time and hollered that they needed to simmer down. It worked for two minutes. The next time, she went out into the hall and explained that the walls were bookshelves, not three-foot-thick lead all the way to the ceiling, and that we could not hear to conduct the meet. The Trompers tromped off.

When they returned to start their match, the Trompers split. The four starters, a spare, and a plethora of parents moved up front to the competition area. The rest of the team went to our bank of computers and logged on!!! Never had I ever seen such audacity. Our own team had been computing until time for the first match. And when the coach said we were getting ready to start, they logged off. It's only common sense. And common courtesy. You support your teammates. You move up front to watch, even if you don't get to compete.

Is it just me? Should I take a chill pill? Like a fellow faculty member at Newmentia tells me, "It's not your stuff. It's the school's. Get over it already." I disagree. That's our bandwidth being abused. Our own kids have to have passwords so their every page can be tracked. What's with the Trompers logging on with a guest log-in and monopolizing our system? While their teammates are competing!

By half time of that match, I'd had enough. I'd stewed in my own juices until I was fork-tender. The Pony came by our table for a snack, and I told him to go ask his coach if that other team should be surfing on our computers. He did. She announced that ALL students should turn off the computers. Whew! Justice was served.

What do you think? Should I have ratted them out like that? They were in plain sight, but the folks in charge were preoccupied with timing, scoring, and question-reading. I just did them a little favor, right?

Right?