It is a great day to be a Dillo! Last Friday’s game was incredible against Eldorado, and it was incredible for several reasons. It was a big, definitive win to kickstart the season. Great job to Coach Aguirre and his team of athletes and coaches. It was great to be with other people enjoying the Friday night lights. It almost seemed normal except for the masks. Keep wearing them. Everyone who wanted to attend the game in person was able too. We had tickets left over. We also had over 1,000 people access the live streaming, and by all reports, it looked good. Thanks to Skeebo and his crew for making that happen. What a great time to be a Dillo!
In our attempts as a district to comply with UIL regulations and TEA regulations, we often must make some difficult decisions. Interpretations of all those regulations can be up for discussion, and ultimately the interpretation rests with me. “No” may be one of the smallest words in the English language, but can evoke great emotional responses that are not always pleasant.
Our youngest daughter turned 29 last week, and it made me feel a little old. I was reminded about parenting decisions we had to make with our two daughters many years ago. I got really good at saying “no,” but I also enjoyed it when I could say yes to any of their requests. I have been responsible for people as a boss or supervisor for over 30 years. During those times, “no” was an often-used word. I have come to understand that it is easy to say “no” when the answer is obvious, the motives are dubious, and the requests are outrageous. It is not easy when the motives are good and the request seems reasonable.
The Coronavirus has put me in the situation of having to say “no” to good people with good reasons. I have had to say no to senior citizen passes this year. Why? We must monitor attendance, and if we give tickets to some, we might not have enough for every senior citizen to have a ticket. Purchasing a ticket ensures your entry into the game and helps us monitor occupancy. Basketball is just around the corner and there are still problems to solve for attendance at Armadillo Arena. I hope with all my heart that this is only for this year, and we can revert to some of our previous policies.
Last weeks’ pep rally was a sore spot for several folks and embarrassing for us as well. There was some confusion on interpretation of the guidelines, and we ended up with some frustrated Dillo fans. Some people were turned away that should not have been. The motives on either side were not malicious. Trying to follow the guidelines, provide for safety and doing what is right is a blurry, fuzzy line during these times. We are blessed that so many outside folks want to be a part of our pep rallies, and that is why we limited attendance so that we would not overpopulate our building’s COVID occupancy guidelines. We feel we can accommodate a few more. As of now, what we mean by “immediate ADULT family members” will include parent/guardians, grandparents, and any non-school age siblings (i.e. recent graduates). We are still limiting students to only high school students and middle school students in the band.
Wrangling face to face and remote learners has stretched our teachers and resources thin. Sometimes it is all hands-on deck. I have had to say “no” to coach’s wives if they do not have a child participating because we do not have enough people to cover all our classes when others leave for the pep rally. Saying no to people whose husbands often spend more time with your kids than their own is terrible. Every “no” and every “yes” can have a domino effect. The results are that people will be offended, disappointed and frustrated. Let all of those feelings come to me. Our staff has enough to deal with. I will return your phone call, but the answer may still be “no.” I ask that the Dillo Nation reflect on all the things we can do and participate in and not focus on the few temporary restrictions we currently have. We are going to have a great year. Go Dillos!