Brickbat: Gimme a B, Gimme a U…

A cheerleading coach at Evans Middle School in Lubbock, Texas, has been placed on administrative leave while the school system investigates an incident that left 13 cheerleaders with first- and second-degree burns on their hands. The coach made them perform "bear crawls" and "crab walks" on a hot outdoor track as punishment for performing a cheer that they said the coach found "disrespectful." One parent said the temperature was well over 100 degrees when the incident happened.

Comments

[Rick James]

“We told her our hands are burning, and she said she didn’t care, and she made us go back down on the track,” one of the cheerleaders, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

Women... amirite?

Also, this cheer coach, 176% protected by qualified immunity. And you notice she hasn't been named?

[Chumby]

Per the school website, there is a head coach and an assistant head coach for this school’s cheerleading program. Both coaches listed have female names.

[mad.casual]

If it were a man and, rather than forcing them to crawl on their hands and knees on hot pavement/asphalt, he prayed quietly in the middle of the field, there would be considerably more hand-wringing.

[Rick James]

And it wouldn't be just a brickbat.

[AT]

Well, they didn’t just “perform a cheer.” They were explicitly told NOT to do it, and then did it anyway.

Now, I’m in no way advocating for painful and retributive reprisal against teenagers for defying authority, especially to one that has been consented to as a condition of, in this case, being on the team/squad. However, there is a certain breakdown that has occurred at the most basic of social levels in this regard; a failure to appreciate the supervisor/subordinate relationship and ones role in it. The latter thinking they can act with impunity without consequence, and that the former should be helpless (if not punished for objecting) to do anything about it.

Karl Marx would wet his pants. I’m guessing that’s why Charlie is too.

Without knowing all the facts, what ostensibly should have happened as best as I can tell, is that the cheerleading coach should have kicked every single one of those pissant cheerleaders off the squad and barred them from further tryouts/acceptance at that school. Said coach went with something a little more punitive, likely in hopes of having her cake (keeping the squad) and eating it too – and that likely won’t end well for the coach.

And, as a result, that pissant squad will receive the bad lesson that they can do whatever they want without consequence.

This story is L’s all around. Not sure why Charlie wrote it up as a brickbat, but then he’s probably just grinding that Marxist axe as usual.

[Idaho-Bob]

They were explicitly told NOT to do it, and then did it anyway.

Yeah, let's use the force of gov't to crush any harmless rebellion from anyone that dares question (arbitrary) authority, especially middle school girls.

[AT]

use the force of gov’t

Um... what are you talking about.

any harmless rebellion

Was it harmless though? They did something "disrespectful." Charlie-boy doesn't tell us what that was, but I'm willing to bet it lands somewhere near the category of "overly sexualized dance routine." Shouldn't a coach discourage such a thing?

And if you say no, then let's kick it up a notch. Suppose the squad had a cheer: "Who are we? W I N N E R S! Who are they? N I G G E R S!" Super disrespectful, right? Then the coach said no, and they did it anyway.

Seems like that's a "harmless rebellion" that should be crushed among teenage girls, no? Not with corporal punishment, mind you - but punished some other way, to be sure. Were I a coach, I sure as heck wouldn't tolerate that from my squad - in no small part because the responsibility for their actions would fall on ME.

Seems you didn't take that part into consideration.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

Bow to authority, eh? Maybe the coach is the damned fool when his entire squad thinks his commands are stupid.

[AT]

See? You support it. You’re part of the problem.

I repeat: However, there is a certain breakdown that has occurred at the most basic of social levels in this regard; a failure to appreciate the supervisor/subordinate relationship and ones role in it. The latter thinking they can act with impunity without consequence, and that the former should be helpless (if not punished for objecting) to do anything about it.

Yes, bow to authority. If your boss tells you that you have to wear slacks instead of jeans to work - see what happens when you defy him. If your wife tells you that she's going to divorce you unless you stop getting high - see what happens when you defy her. If your parents tell you to be home by midnight or lose the car - you don't get to cry foul when your keys are taken away at 1am. If your teacher tells you there's a test on Friday and you ditch - you don't get to cry foul when there's an F on your report card.

Or perhaps you think teenagers are little gods that should answer to no one?

his entire squad thinks his commands are stupid.

They’re not obligated to stay on the squad. But if they choose to, they choose to accept the coach’s authority on the subject.

Y’know, the article right before this is about hanging parents on the hook for their kid’s actions. Over there they – including you – are all squealing that this is something that should happen (because it’s a lateral attack on gun ownership and a socialist/fascist argument that villages instead of parents should be raising children). Here it’s the opposite.

The cognitive dissonance is amazing.

[Incunabulum]

Here's the problem - reflexive anti-authoritarianism is as bad as reflexive obedience.

These kids *chose to join a hierarchy*. It wasn't forced on them. They could have left at any time. The 'force' here was all voluntary.

Stupid, but voluntary.

[Commenter_XY]

Spare the rod, spoil the child. 😉

[Chumby]

Middle schools have cheerleading squads?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Texas high school athletics adjacent programs are not for the faint of heart.

[Dillinger]

U!G!L!Y! You ain't got no alibi you ugly!

[Chumby]

You wildcat!

[SRG2]

FWIW I can testify to how hot a track can get - at USATF Masters national championships in Sacramento this year, track temperatures went well over 120F and they poured water onto the track at the start line so you wouldn't burn your hands on a long hold.

The coach knew what he was doing and deserves to get canned and if there's an appropriate charge, prosecuted.

[Incunabulum]

I am going to call bullshit on the 'second degree burns' stuff.

Everyone always ends up with first *and* second degree burns because everyone always exaggerates.

And the asphalt was 'over 100F' - is something that only people who live in temperate climates would not immediately consider ridiculous as an assertion of 'danger'.

Call me when its over 125F.

[Dillinger]

seriously this is Texas. they got the mail barefoot.

[mad.casual]

Right, weather aside, all of them getting frostbite at 31F seems more plausible.

[SRG2]

If the air temperature is over 100F the track can get over 125F.