Complexity of High School Athletics

12 year old daughter T trying out for school basketball team.

Also on overnight field trip with school.

Coming back at 3:30pm, tryouts at 5pm, perfect.

T arranges lift home with Friend. Enough time to change and have quick snack and run back to school.

T leaves for field trip.

New information: Friend is only picking up at 4:15pm. Will not be able to get T home in time to change and turn back around and get to school for 5pm.

But T doesn't have stuff with her because was planning to come home in between field trip and tryouts.

Change in plan.

Tryouts changed to 4pm.

Need to meet her at school w her stuff at 3:30pm.

Impossible.

I have work meeting that can't be changed.

Husband has physio appointment that can't be changed.

Solution: Pack her bag and drop it at school so that she can pick it up at 3:30pm and get ready for tryouts at 4pm.

Done.

Not so fast.

Change in plan.

Tryouts changed back to 5pm, they are doing work on gym floor.

T calls from field trip and is devastated by turn of events.

Can  not be expected to entertain self (what if battery runs out) for 45 minutes in between bus arrival and tryouts.

Change work meeting to pick up T at 3:30pm and provide entertainment and snacks (in addition to the three I packed in her gym back and dropped at school at 8am so that it would be waiting for her when she got off the bus).

Not so fast.

Change in plan.

Field trip running late and T will not be back till 4:15pm or 4:30pm.

But basketball stuff now in school office which closes at 4pm.

Need to leave work to be at school to pick stuff back up from office where I left it this morning so that it would be ready for her when she finished field trip which is now late and while I was at work meeting which is now cancelled.

Complaint Lessons Learned:

1. Flexibility in athletes more important than ever
2. Changing direction on the court means being able to change direction so you actually get to the court
3. Next time you are watching athletes on TV think about all the office doors that almost locked with their gym stuff in it, and all the parents that cancelled work meetings to get them there