superfan

Last night Eddie played in a varsity water polo game against our cross town rival.  I was sitting next to another player's mom, Betsy, when we stumbled across a Bossy Superfan.

The district we live in is split into two schools.  While our cross town rival boasts an overall incredibly wealthy student body, diversity is much more widespread at our high school.  Students at 'Diverse High' range across the board.  There are those who are very wealthy, those who are comfortable, those who get by, and those who live in government subsidized housing.  

Needless to say sparks fly when boundary change discussions crop up.  These proposed plans threaten to impact real estate prices and dictate what high school kids will attend.  Most people at 'Entitled High' fear losing their firm grip on their perfect-world school where their children are sheltered from 'undesirable' peers.  

 

In general, I dislike the Entitled crowd, but I do have a few friends whose kids go to school there.  Proof that there are exceptions to every rule. 

Another parent, whose kids live in our neck of the woods, jokes that the only difference between Entitled High and Diverse High is that Entitled High has more expensive drugs.  Couple that theory with the fact that most of those kids drive high end vehicles and you have an idea of what their school is like.

Sporting events when the two schools face off are typically intense.  Currently Entitled High is pushing full capacity, while Diverse High's enrollment reflects the downward demographic trend that our area is experiencing.  Their superior sports teams typically earn more accolades thanks in large part to the school's size.  

A few years ago when Laddie was a sophomore, our varsity water polo team was winning at half time - in their pool.  Coach and I were sitting in the first row of the balcony - in close proximity to the opposing team's bench.  Coach overhead the EHS  Coach tell his team, 'Come on, this is just Diverse High.'  He and I both groaned.  Needless to say I was extremely disappointed when we ended up losing that game. 

Last year our amazing water polo team beat EHS more than once.  The games were very exciting.  The last time we met, EHS fans reacted to their loss by screaming at our coach and the refs.  They struggled to accept their loss.  

Last night during the second half of the game, a woman came and sat on the other side of Betsy.  I assumed that she knew Betsy because she started talking to her.  I realized something was amiss when Betsy waved her hand and said, 'I'm just going to ignore you.'  All I caught was that the woman wrapped up her comment with 'it's not that big a deal.'  

I asked Betsy what the woman had said.  'Something about the fact that we were cheering too loudly.'  I was dumbfounded by this dummy.  Superfan Bossy Pants didn't let up.  She continued to correct us on our cheering approach siting us for taking it too seriously and forgetting that this was just sports.  

What?  I guess I missed the memo that stated cheering loudly for your team was an unwelcome concept at a sporting event.  Reminder:  this isn't chess.  

She went on to inform us that this was 'her school.'  I shared with her that I was cheering for my school.  Newsflash:  I cheer this energetically and enthusiastically regardless of what building is hosting the sporting event.  Duh.

Curly cheering at one of Eddie's games.  Too bad I don't have a sound byte so you can hear how loud we cheer. Maybe I'll add one later.

Last week our district voted on a proposed tax hike to support $76 million dollar addition and improvents at EHS.  It failed.  A new pool was included in the plans.  In addition to the new pool, this proposal was necessary to try to accommodate space concerns at EHS due to the growing population.  Of course it makes more sense to adjust the boundaries, but that would send the community into a tailspin.  

I have no idea whether or not Bossy Pants supported the tax increase, but when she told us that 'the game was no big deal' I leaned across Betsy and quipped, 'Neither is getting a new pool, thank God.'  

A Diverse High mom with a daughter on the women's team spun around and got in Bossy's face.  'Were you at the first game?'  (our varsity women played the EHS women's team before the men hopped in the pool for their game).  She went on to bark at Bossy that this match up was a big deal because her school (aka EHS) ran up the score during the first game 19-3.  We get it, your women's team dominated ours - but don't sit here and tell us not to cheer loudly when our boys' team ends the third quarter with two more goals than your men's team.  Too bad we couldn't hold onto the lead.  

I guess if you're affiliated with EHS, then you are entitled to also decide how loudly opposing fans can cheer.