Drama at the Concession Stand
Today we had our last home swim meet. Now, for those of you not familiar with competitive swimming, it is a long season in which interminable meets happen every Saturday to eat up an afternoon. One must volunteer at these meets and your kid may swim a total of two minutes spread out over several hours.
Our rec center just purchased new rocking chairs, I think they must have been from Cracker Barrel, and I was just settling in pretending that I was in South Carolina. It was certainly hot and humid enough to make that part of the fantasy a reality. I hadn't rocked more than a couple of times when one of the other parents who has been a frequent volunteer at the concession stand came back (his wife was in one of the other rocking chairs) and commented that he quit, he wasn't even supposed to be in the concession stand, and well, she (the self appointed leader of the concession stand) was just plain rude.
I wasn't there to witness what had happened in round one, but it went something like this:
Our warm ups start at noon, the meet at one. At 12:15 when the leader still wasn't there, the volunteers who had signed up to serve started to set up tables, plug in crock pots and generally get things out. When she did arrive, instead of being thankful that folks had started to set up without her, she became critical that they didn't know what they were doing, there was a certain way to do things (Does it really matter which table the pizza is on?) and had they ever done this before? Instead of being appreciated, the volunteers felt attacked, and a bru ha ha ensued. And the leader left. But then she came back.
By that time, I had gotten up out of my rocker because I figured they might need some help (not sure I should have done that, you know, I wasn't signed up...) and she came back and round two started. It was ugly. And she left, stating that she would not be back until the boys meet started.
It was a real shame. Instead of team work and a group of swimming parents serving together, a ruckus broke out, with pointed blame and high drama being directed at the coach as well. I just didn't get it. I would have been grateful that the set up had happened, sorry I was late, and relieved that I could count on fellow adults to pitch in and help. I do hope it doesn't become a long drawn out argumentative topic for days to come.
By the way, the fruit salad was delicious!
Our rec center just purchased new rocking chairs, I think they must have been from Cracker Barrel, and I was just settling in pretending that I was in South Carolina. It was certainly hot and humid enough to make that part of the fantasy a reality. I hadn't rocked more than a couple of times when one of the other parents who has been a frequent volunteer at the concession stand came back (his wife was in one of the other rocking chairs) and commented that he quit, he wasn't even supposed to be in the concession stand, and well, she (the self appointed leader of the concession stand) was just plain rude.
I wasn't there to witness what had happened in round one, but it went something like this:
Our warm ups start at noon, the meet at one. At 12:15 when the leader still wasn't there, the volunteers who had signed up to serve started to set up tables, plug in crock pots and generally get things out. When she did arrive, instead of being thankful that folks had started to set up without her, she became critical that they didn't know what they were doing, there was a certain way to do things (Does it really matter which table the pizza is on?) and had they ever done this before? Instead of being appreciated, the volunteers felt attacked, and a bru ha ha ensued. And the leader left. But then she came back.
By that time, I had gotten up out of my rocker because I figured they might need some help (not sure I should have done that, you know, I wasn't signed up...) and she came back and round two started. It was ugly. And she left, stating that she would not be back until the boys meet started.
It was a real shame. Instead of team work and a group of swimming parents serving together, a ruckus broke out, with pointed blame and high drama being directed at the coach as well. I just didn't get it. I would have been grateful that the set up had happened, sorry I was late, and relieved that I could count on fellow adults to pitch in and help. I do hope it doesn't become a long drawn out argumentative topic for days to come.
By the way, the fruit salad was delicious!
Labels: drama at the concession stand, service, swim meet, volunteering
posted by www.kathypride.com at
8:21 PM
1 Comments:
If you wear oversize tee-shirts, I am going to give you mine from my swim meet days. It says on the front: "A Parent's Creed" and then on the back: If I only have one day to live, let it be at a swim meet --- they last forever!"
I have met many of the type of volunteers you describe. We had quite a few in our elementary school PTA and there's a bunch at Simone's dance studio too. I do my schtick quietly on the sidelines and need no recognition what so ever, except from the teacher. I think you were very brave to enter the fray of the concession stand (strikes me as another good book or chapter title -- "The Fray of the Concession Stand").
It is GORGEOUS today -- in the 60's. Jeff and I were out weeding the garden in our shirtsleeves!
love ya lots!
Katy
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