Dear judges at Saturday’s Irish Dance competition:

Quit screwing with my kid. This isn’t sour grapes; it’s a sincere appeal for you to earn what you’re paid and give these kids at least a little tiny bit of feedback in exchange for their performance.

Saturday’s competition results were disappointing, but not because of the place you gave her. They were disappointing because you couldn’t be bothered to give her one single word of feedback. Not one. As a result, she had no idea what she did or did not do. Her teacher wasn’t there to critique her either, so she came away feeling like crap with no idea of what she should do to improve.

Her words, not mine: “If they’re going to place me there, they could at least tell me why.”

The only sport that seems to ignore the fact that there is a recession is Irish Dance. With the ridiculously expensive dresses, the expectation that at the Open level, international travel is a requirement for local success, and the insane fashion trends that no one gives a rip about but the little darlings whose parents have unlimited funds, the very least you can do is acknowledge their effort with something more than a number.

One word, assholes. That’s all she wanted. One small anything that she could focus on improving. Screw you and your laziness for not giving it to her.

I had nothing to offer her in the way of encouragement, because I agreed with her. If she wanted to quit tomorrow, that would be okay with me, but she doesn’t. She has goals, hopes, dreams, and at her core, she loves to dance. What she doesn’t love is the repetitive kicks in the teeth she gets with no explanation and I don’t either. Unlike other parents, I don’t blame politics, I don’t blame her teacher, and I don’t blame you for placements. I do blame you for writing her off because you haven’t seen her in an international competition like many of those she competes against. I especially blame you for leaving her in the same place she was before this competition and the one before and the one before that, because you can’t be bothered to write one single thing in the comments area. Screw you for that.

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