Murf - I know what you mean, I was trying to make a post last night but it wouldn't let me.
On Tues. I went to pick up the kids from school and the principal was standing outside and she said that she wanted to talk with me for a moment, so I told the kids to wait in the car. She said that it recently came to her attention that Phoebe had severely hurt another girl in a fight, and that she was concerned about the behavior she heard about ... I stopped her before she could say anything else and I said ... That fight was in a sanctioned environment at a tournament, and it wasn't on school grounds. Has Phoebe ever once hit another kid, or had a fight in school? Has she ever been sent to your office, or swear, or been rude in school? The principal answered ... No. I said ... Then there's nothing to discuss. Then I got in the car. Stupid b*tch. I'm glad that we won't be sending our kids back to that pathetic school after the summer anyway.
I went to the tournament committee board meeting today, and WOW! What a joke. They treated it like it was a f***ing murder trial.
It's a good thing that the competitors have to sign a waiver before competing stating that they understand the risks associated with competing, and the tournament board, or any of the competitors participating can't be held legally liable for any physical injuries that happen at the tournament. Otherwise they would be able to charge Phoebe with assault.
They appointed a representative from the board to argue against us, and that woman was trying to get Phoebe permanently banned from competing, they presented video evidence, and the referee and the girl's parents were also there. Apparently, the girl was injured worse than we thought, she had 2 teeth knocked out, and another tooth is loose, she also has a concussion, and she's been disoriented since the tournament.
They went on and on for over 30 minutes, trying to say that Phoebe was a bad person that had exhibited brutality and extreme violence that she was remorseless for, and a lack of respect for the referee and the regulations of the tournament. I wanted to tell them to go f**k themselves, but I know how important the tournament and competing is to Phoebe, so I went into full lawyer mode.
I pointed out that the referee gave the girl the choice to stop after the kicks to her ribs, and if she was smart enough to recognize the pain she was in and stop then she would still have her teeth, but her stubbornness caused her further injury. To my surprise, some of the committee members actually agreed with me. I said to her parents that maybe the reason that they wanted to get Phoebe banned is because their 11 year old was beaten and humiliated by a 8 year old that is vastly superior, and that if their girl was half as good as people say that she is then she would have found a way to counter the attack, and maybe they should reconsider if this is the right sport for their girl. They were p*ssed when I said that to them, but a dose of the truth will do that. Again, to my surprise, some of the members agreed with me.
I also mentioned that the referees have always been lenient with violence at the tournaments, and the referee in this match should have used his discretion and stopped the girl from continuing when he knew that she was already injured, but his incompetence directly resulted in the further injuries that she received. So how is he qualified to be a referee if he can't even determine where to draw the line when it comes to the safety of competitors? Another agreement from the committee members. As for the middle fingers from Phoebe and her trainers, I told them to wake up, this is the real world, and if they allow people to yell and swear, and hold signs that say ... f**k the refs ... in the crowd, then they shouldn't have any issue with her behavior. Then I pulled out my phone and showed them a picture of the sign, and some of them acted like they haven't seen signs like that at the tournaments before.
Anyway, long story short, the committee voted 8-2 in our favor, and they said that Phoebe can compete in the tournament on Sat. but I have to pay a $500 fine for her previous behavior, and the DQ still stands, and she's going into the tournament with a 5 point deduction. I also offered to pay for the girl's dental bill because it's probably the right thing to do, and her parents were at least happy about it. After the meeting, Phoebe's trainers thanked me and said that they probably wouldn't have got the decision if I wasn't there. I've said this before, but the only thing that the people that run the tournaments care about is lining their pockets, and they will always look the other way for the right price. Isn't capitalism great?
When I got home and told Phoebe that she is allowed to compete on Sat. she ran up and gave me the biggest hug that she's ever given me. She was excited and jumping around, but I told her that we had to have a serious talk. I told her that she has to remain focused, and that even with a 5 point deficit she can still win first place in the tournament and rub it in their faces. She just has to do what she always does, outmaneuver and outtthink her opponents, she just has to score a point on them. I told her that there are ways to psychologically f**k with their mind, without physically hurting them, and that I would teach her how to. When I said that she smiled, then we went to work on her training.
Oh yeah, one of the employees at the restaurant that's cheering Phoebe on to win sent this picture to me. I like it.
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