Band Parent Pet Peeves - #1 = Football Games

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

I hope no one minds a little venting here. It's been a weird season so far. Tonight tops it all with the stupid weirdness.

 

Football games...what can I say? They are a necessary evil, and I like football! I know that most people are there to see the game and not the band, but can no one be quiet and watch?! How about the laughing at the band(and not during the parts that one should laugh)? What's up with that? Rude, rude, and RUDE. It's bad enough to practically scream during the entire show, but laughing? ugh

 

So far this season, we have seen/heard: 1) A band director make his band go to the buses at the end of our homecoming game, just as we were about to perform our show. The director stayed at watched after sending his band away. Wha?! 2)The laughter I spoke of that my son and his section heard coming from the opposing team's stands. And this one takes the cake: 3)Our band is performing. There are over 2 minutes left in halftime and we are near the end of our show. Both football teams come out and begin warming up in one end zone. Now, if they just did that, not that big of a deal. However, they went past the goal line and on to the field, nearly running into our colorguard! The quarterback for the opposing team was tossing a ball back and forth and in front of one of our nurses, he throws the ball and it hits the stand where one of our drum majors is standing and directing. Does he apologize? NOPE. He gets the person on the other side to toss it back and then slyly turns to opposing team band members and says, "How much do I get if I throw this and knock him off?" <<<WHAT?! The band members for the other team were embarrassed and apologized for his comment. Our nurse made sure he understood she was not happy with his comment or behavior. This is all while our band is still performing! It was terrible to see and hear about this taking place. I've not seen such unabashed rudeness since I was in band and the opposing side tossed food at us.

 

Football games remind me just how much I LOVE contests. There is nothing better than seeing large crowds of people there to see the bands. I've even encountered extreme rudeness at a contest this year, too, though. I won't go into that. I have to choose to enjoy the contests and the fans of bands. I'm really looking forward to DMI and BOA SA this year. It will be so wonderful to watch the band without worrying about football players running into them!

[Xenon]

You should experience an LD Bell home game. It's like being at a marching band competition book ended by a football exhibition.The home stands are packed with people to see the bands and then are empty after halftime.

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

  On 10/26/2013 at 12:05 PM, Xenon said:

You should experience an LD Bell home game. It's like being at a marching band competition book ended by a football exhibition.The home stands are packed with people to see the bands and then are empty after halftime.

Lots of people left our side after our band performed. It happens a lot. It's the other side that boggles the mind. Rude on top of rude and the football coaches have no excuse for their behavior last night.

[bandie]

On the flip side?  Kudos to whoever brought a busload of Hutto football players, in jerseys, to the Area D Prelims today to cheer on their band!  The parents in the stands were amazed and impressed!

[idesofmarch]

I understand your frustration with neanderthal behavior at games.  If it gives you more cheerful dreams at night, visualize my experience watching the football team from my daughter's  school doing a similar encroachment on the field during a performance.  We tried to warn the young man that he was standing way too close to the colorguard.  She did her job, spun her flag, and he went down...he missed the second half.      Don't mess with the band...they carry weapons!

 

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

  On 10/29/2013 at 12:00 AM, idesofmarch said:

 

I understand your frustration with neanderthal behavior at games.  If it gives you more cheerful dreams at night, visualize my experience watching the football team from my daughter's  school doing a similar encroachment on the field during a performance.  We tried to warn the young man that he was standing way too close to the colorguard.  She did her job, spun her flag, and he went down...he missed the second half.      Don't mess with the band...they carry weapons!

 

hahaha! I found out later that one or more of our "creatures" basically walked through and pushed out of the way some of the football players. I love that the colorguard did her job. It's 8 minutes per band, people. Not too much to ask, imo.

On a side note: There is a vid on youtube of a cameraman who got in the way of a sousaphone player who ended up belting the guy with the bell at one point. The cameraman apparently admitted he was in the wrong and should've stayed out of the way. Don't suppose there are any football players who would admit as much? Coaches perhaps? No? ha Well, it all works out in the end. I still say that band kids are the toughest and smartest athletes on the field!

[Parkwoodmom]

What gets me is when you are at a competition and other band parents chat through all the performances!!!!  A few nasty glances their way didn't help, either......thought everyone knew better!!!  

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

  On 10/30/2013 at 4:04 PM, Alvin said:

What gets me is when you are at a competition and other band parents chat through all the performances!!!!  A few nasty glances their way didn't help, either......thought everyone knew better!!!  

I've seen that, too, and you're right. You would think they'd know better. I actually had a parent get in my face and raise his voice at me because I asked him to be quiet. There are definitely some people who should know better but, I guess, just don't care. It's a shame because I knew which school he's from and if his child knew he was behaving that way, he or she would be terribly embarrassed...as well as the other members of that band.

[Xenon]

I'm a big fan of another LD Bell parent tradition. They pass out really big carmel apple suckers to all their parents and the tradition is to put it in their mouths when the band enters the field and to not take it out of their mouths until it is gone. I think it is a brilliant way to guarantee that they aren't talking during the performance (nor through the performances of several bands after).

[Danpod]

I've been to one L.D. Bell football game.  Trust me when I say that the crowd absolutely shuts up and pays attention when the band is doing their thing at Halftime.  It's hard to earn that kind of respect at your own school.  

[Musicninja23]

How does a band even get that kind of respect ?! That is mind boggling to me. Our school isn't really disrespectful but let's just say don't go to lake Travis's homecoming game unless you want ice thrown at your pit

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

  On 10/31/2013 at 7:58 AM, Musicninja23 said:

How does a band even get that kind of respect ?! That is mind boggling to me. Our school isn't really disrespectful but let's just say don't go to lake Travis's homecoming game unless you want ice thrown at your pit

It's mind-boggling to me, too. I mean, for the most part, the student body is very supportive of the kids in our band. When I was in school, there were definite lines drawn that people did not cross. At Haltom, the baseball team wants to sit by the band at the games because "they're the most fun." One year, some of the football players wore the band's show shirt in support. Still. At the games, there are people who watch the band and there are people who talk loudly throughout the entire show. I'd be curious to know how people respond at a Marcus game. Maybe winning State and BOA brings that kind of respect. Not sure. I don't remember noticing the people being extra quiet when we played LD Bell a few years back, but I wasn't looking for it. Anyway, for most of us, the antics of some at the football games is a major pet peeve.

[FloMoParent]

A peeve of mine is the organized parent/fan chants prior to performance.  

 

This is my opinion but those chants sound like "Look at me!  Pay attention to the fans in the stands!"

 

Are we not there to support and encourage the performers on the field?  I saw a few directors cringe during some of the chants.

 

When at a performance, cheer your head off when they take the field and whenever you are moved during the show as that sends energy to the band, it lets them know that you appreciate what they are doing and brings everyone in the stands along.  A chant creates division and promotes an us vs them atmosphere.

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

  On 11/5/2013 at 5:50 PM, FloMoParent said:

A peeve of mine is the organized parent/fan chants prior to performance.  

 

This is my opinion but those chants sound like "Look at me!  Pay attention to the fans in the stands!"

 

Are we not there to support and encourage the performers on the field?  I saw a few directors cringe during some of the chants.

 

When at a performance, cheer your head off when they take the field and whenever you are moved during the show as that sends energy to the band, it lets them know that you appreciate what they are doing and brings everyone in the stands along.  A chant creates division and promotes an us vs them atmosphere.

I 100% agree. It's an eye-rolling experience for the rest of us. We cheer, yell, clap, hollar, etc. for our kids. Shouting chants that, frankly, go on and on and on, just screams "we think we're better parents than you because we've got this little chant going." ugh I also think something's been lost in the etiquette of contests. Yes, you're proud of your child and some contests even have "shout outs" for the purpose of naming your child(which is fine to me), but unless there's a scheduled "shout out," I wish people would stop with the "Go, Sarah!!!!! We love youuuuuu!!!!!" business at the contests. That group of kids on the field is a TEAM. No one should be singled out by the fans in the stands, with the exception of the aforementioned "shout outs," which are done by staff at the contests. I wish there was some training on contest etiquette. Like I mentioned before, I was verbally accosted by a parent at a contest that I was volunteering at because he and his wife chose to stand at a gate and try to talk over the band that was performing on the field. Contest etiquette...just sayin'. Once the band is on the field, there should be ONLY clapping at "high points" in the show. Let the bands get the attention...not you...because of your incessant screaming during the performance or talking over the band. ugh

 

Would love to know how the kids feel on the field when some of this happens. I know the chants that occur are most likely a tradition and maybe the kids like it. However, just so ya know, the rest of us loathe it. lol Anyway, let's get the focus back on those amazing, hard-working kids!

[ssreedtx]

"I'd be curious to know how people respond at a Marcus game. Maybe winning State and BOA brings that kind of respect. Not sure."

 

I've only been to a couple of Marcus games, but people talked right through the halftime performance.  I couldn't even hear the softer parts. 

[Dadof3]

Our HS had a spirit push last year and the kids in the stands have become extremely supportive of our band.  They cheer loudly and enthusiastically at just about the right times.

 

As for non-band folks, they just don't know the protocol.  Plus, they are there for the game and the band is really just half time filler to them  I don't expect them to watch and or care.  Once a band has a stellar rep, then things will naturally change.  

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

Very disappointed that the student section of Richland booed quite loudly during Haltom's performance tonight. So much so that our principal came over and apologized that it happened and said that Richland's principal is very upset. 

 

I understand rivalries...I really do...but that was entirely ridiculous and immature...disrespectful also comes to mind. What a shame.

[BlackJesus]

Had a similar thing happen to us last year. We faced Wakeland and the student section including other people were yelling "Our band's better!". I'm sure the band had nothing to do with it, just immature kids acting up. Luckily for us we had the last laugh after winning the game

[Jellyfishes]

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[azn]

I think it gets worse during a rivalry game for obvious reasons :3

[TXMarchingMadness87654]

  On 9/27/2014 at 6:02 PM, MusicalClarinet said:

I don't know why Richland would do that. It's not like Haltom spray painted "BURN DIXIE BURN" on Richland's baseball fences or anything, right?

Haltom BAND spray painted it? Is that what you're saying? I don't think so.

 

So because of some vandalism that was most likely done by a very few rogue people, Haltom's band deserved to be booed during their performance? Come on, now. Haltom's band has shown nothing but love for Richland's band, especially since we all traveled together to the Rose Parade back in 2010. Booing ANY band during their performance is completely uncalled for...and by the way, we've read the tweets that were sent out on the day of the game. Please...PLEASE don't act like Richland is full of perfect angels and Haltom is full of devils....k? Regardless, the booing was unnecessary and rude.

 

On a side note: I should point out that when we traveled to Midlothian a couple of weeks ago and performed at their Homecoming game, not only were the spectators wonderful, but we received a letter thanking us for making their Homecoming even more special with our performance. That is truly a LOVELY thing to do! 

 

I would also like to say that my fondest memory from last year was traveling to Southlake Carroll. Not only were the spectators there respectful and generous with their applause, the band kids were outstanding, kind, and had a great time visiting with Haltom's band...the ones who came over. The band parents for Southlake were also SO nice! What a fantastic experience.

 

I want to make sure that I point out the times when we encounter not only respectful fans but also awesome band members and their folks. There are truly some wonderful people in the band world!

[Jellyfishes]

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[TXMarchingMadness87654]

  On 9/28/2014 at 2:04 PM, MusicalClarinet said:

Ok. Same to you. You're saying Richland BAND booed Haltom's performance? lol

Anyway, just because you saw tweets from Richland kids doesn't mean there wasn't any bashing going on from Haltom. Well, I know(i have one ).Don't act like Haltom has perfect angels and Richland is full of devils... k?

(;

You need to re-read my first comment. I did not say that Richland Band booed Haltom's performance. I said the student section did. I also said that, while I have no evidence otherwise, there could be some rogue students at Haltom who vandalized Richland's property. That is absolutely wrong and stupid. I never claimed Haltom to be "all angels," or Richland to be "all devils." In fact, I stated quite the opposite in that Haltom and Richland bands have shown a lot of love for each other(at least most of them) over the past four years, since they traveled together to the Rose Parade. There are good kids and bad kids at BOTH campuses. I also never said there wasn't any bashing from Haltom kids, but was there loud booing coming from Haltom's side during Richland band's performance? No? Okay, then. That's my point. Just because there is a rivalry or because there are a few stupid actions by both sides, doesn't mean it's suddenly okay for Haltom BAND to be booed quite loudly during their performance. To suggest that it's okay because of vandalism, imo, is wrong. In fact, if anything, you should want to represent Richland's band as a band who expects everyone to respect the other bands. Football games are hard enough to perform at, as is these days.

 

If the sides had been turned, I and the Haltom band would be deeply embarrassed. The band does their best to show respect to other bands when they're performing their shows...and are very upset when fans or football team members don't do the same. In fact, there have been times when two or three people are behind me at games and I've told them to be quiet while the band is performing. 

 

Bands should stick together, when it comes to performances. It's good for the district as a whole, when Birdville, Richland, and Haltom support one another...and stand up for one another. I can't be certain, but I believe at yesterday's contest, it was Birdville who cheered loudly for Haltom and we certainly returned the cheering for them. It was a proud moment for both BISD bands to make it to finals.

[Jellyfishes]

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[Jellyfishes]

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