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 Dancing in my Mind
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Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | Just wondering if any BB have ever went before their school boards in attempt to get high school rodeo recognized as a sport in their individual school? Of course, the state of OH recognizes rodeo as a sport but my daughter's school does not. Myself and another family are going before the school board the end of July in attempts to get them to recognize it as a lettering sport. Just wondering what to expect and the best way to be prepared? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| No idea on the question, but good for you! Athletes around here can get their gym credit excused, and rodeo should count for that. It's more of a sport than GOLF will ever be. haha |
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 Winner winner chicken dinner
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Location: California | As a teacher, I have gone before the school board on many occasions. Some tips: have a clearly written statement backed by evidence not emotion (ie. "It's more of a sport than golf" is an emotion based comment). It might be helpful to create a handout for them in case you get nervous while speaking. That way they can refer back to it. On that handout make sure you source your evidence. I imagine that NHSRA could help you out here. I would contact them in advance and see what support they can offer. I would also suggest approaching them as "this is what I want, how can I help make it happen?" There is a lot of complaining at these types of meetings, but little collective effort and they cannot do it all. If you can get your Ag teachers on board that might help too. Finally, keep your address short and stay on point. Those meetings typically go long and all those minutes add up! Good luck!!
Edited to add the Athletic Director at your site might be another ally to seek out.
Edited by phillyincal 2015-07-01 7:07 PM
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Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | phillyincal - 2015-07-01 7:04 PM
As a teacher, I have gone before the school board on many occasions. Some tips: have a clearly written statement backed by evidence not emotion (ie. "It's more of a sport than golf" is an emotion based comment). It might be helpful to create a handout for them in case you get nervous while speaking. That way they can refer back to it. On that handout make sure you source your evidence. I imagine that NHSRA could help you out here. I would contact them in advance and see what support they can offer. I would also suggest approaching them as "this is what I want, how can I help make it happen?" There is a lot of complaining at these types of meetings, but little collective effort and they cannot do it all. If you can get your Ag teachers on board that might help too. Finally, keep your address short and stay on point. Those meetings typically go long and all those minutes add up! Good luck!!
Edited to add the Athletic Director at your site might be another ally to seek out.
Thanks some really good advice!
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| I didn't realize competing in NHSRA was recognized anywhere as a sport. I figured while your competing at that, you are competing as an individual, not representing your home school as such. Learn something new everyday. |
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Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | Bigfoot - 2015-07-01 8:33 PM
I didn't realize competing in NHSRA was recognized anywhere as a sport. I figured while your competing at that, you are competing as an individual, not representing your home school as such. Learn something new everyday.
I don't remember the specific name of the school district here in Ohio but at a rodeo in May we were talking to their Ag. teacher. He drives the students to each rodeo and the school pays for their gas, entry fees and lodging. Now that is one sweet deal! |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
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Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Good Luck to you  |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Rolling J - 2015-07-01 9:03 PM
Bigfoot - 2015-07-01 8:33 PM
I didn't realize competing in NHSRA was recognized anywhere as a sport. I figured while your competing at that, you are competing as an individual, not representing your home school as such. Learn something new everyday.
I don't remember the specific name of the school district here in Ohio but at a rodeo in May we were talking to their Ag. teacher. He drives the students to each rodeo and the school pays for their gas, entry fees and lodging. Now that is one sweet deal!
I teach in Marshall TEXAS. The high school here has about 2000 students. The Ag Dept here has major fund raisers to get the money to fund the school farm and various projects. Very little money comes from the school district for those Ag projects. I would bet that the kids have fund raisers to get the money for the rodeo team at the s hool district in Ohio. In Marshall there may be a few kids that do actually rodeo but not many. Here in Texas if you miss a certain number of days each semester you loose credit for the entire semester. Students can only miss a certain number of days for school related activities. The kids that I know who really rodeoed regularly went to private schools so that they could miss school and still get credit. To be honest, I seriously doubt that a school district has the funding for the small number of students that would benefit from this. As far as lettering in a sport, the kids that I know who barrel race participate in more than one high school sport and don't care if they letter in rodeo.
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 Perky Gal
Location: On a paint horse... | Yes, my daughter did the same thing when she was competing. Its been a few years as she graduated in 2007. The school board was receptive and for the one year they allowed her to letter and have the same early release conditions the other sports allowed. She was also able to get PE credit. It only lasted the one year and once we realized it was going to be a fight every year, she just decided to continue to rodeo but not have her school on board. phillyincal had some great tips! Those are all things we did. Best of luck to you! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118
Location: The South | Rolling J - 2015-07-01 9:03 PM Bigfoot - 2015-07-01 8:33 PM I didn't realize competing in NHSRA was recognized anywhere as a sport. I figured while your competing at that, you are competing as an individual, not representing your home school as such. Learn something new everyday. I don't remember the specific name of the school district here in Ohio but at a rodeo in May we were talking to their Ag. teacher. He drives the students to each rodeo and the school pays for their gas, entry fees and lodging. Now that is one sweet deal!
MAN that would be sweet!!! That's the only way I would've been able to try high school rodeo, my parents couldn't afford it. |
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  Fact Checker
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Location: Displaced Iowegian | Bigfoot - 2015-07-01 8:33 PM I didn't realize competing in NHSRA was recognized anywhere as a sport. I figured while your competing at that, you are competing as an individual, not representing your home school as such. Learn something new everyday.
When my boys were in high school rodeo, there were several schools in Iowa who treated it as a school sport. The one school even had a "Rodeo Club". Unfortunately, my boy's school was not one of them but they did "allow" the days out of school to participate without penalty. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| It's an interesting topic, and I'm all for you getting it approved. What will the benefits be to you, and what will the benefits be to the school? |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
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Location: Texas | Rodeo was my athletic credit for 5 years in middle school and high school. My last class of the day was an off period to go to my barn where I fed horses for my trainer then we did lessons everyday. It was great! My trainer was really helpful and as long as we commited to helping her for the hours required by the school she signed off on a sheet that we turned into the counselor every report card. We had a log where we signed in and out at the barn everyday.
We got to take a field trip to the ft worth stockshow & rodeo one year, and if I had a 3 day barrel race she would sign off so I could be excused early from school that friday.
It was considered an olympic level sport since we completed about 45 hours every week. Treated the same as swimmers since they were off campus too. I belive we also had one hockey player. We still got a spot in the year book that listed our sports. |
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Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | Thanks everyone for your replies. I am new to the whole rodeo scene but the other family that is behind getting this push started has been part of the rodeo scene for years. They said that many schools have rodeo as an acknowledged sport. We are in the process of gathering information to present before the school board. We are not asking for finical backing from the school just recognition of the girl's hard work and a chance to letter. From what I have been "told" in other school they set forth the guidelines that a student must be in the top 10 of an event to letter. I hope to find out more about this. It might be a hard sell though because right now there is only 2 students who rodeo. It is worth trying. |
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Perky Gal
Location: On a paint horse... | Rolling J - 2015-07-04 7:30 AM Thanks everyone for your replies. I am new to the whole rodeo scene but the other family that is behind getting this push started has been part of the rodeo scene for years. They said that many schools have rodeo as an acknowledged sport. We are in the process of gathering information to present before the school board. We are not asking for finical backing from the school just recognition of the girl's hard work and a chance to letter. From what I have been "told" in other school they set forth the guidelines that a student must be in the top 10 of an event to letter. I hope to find out more about this. It might be a hard sell though because right now there is only 2 students who rodeo. It is worth trying.
The year they allowed my daughter to letter, there were only 2 from her school participating. In addition to the recognition (that they deserve), she did it so she could have her early dismissals recognized like the other sports. Otherwise, we had to lie so they wouldnt be unexcused. How sad is that and what is that teaching our kids! |
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Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | skeeter 777 - 2015-07-03 11:14 AM
Rolling J - 2015-07-04 7:30 AM Thanks everyone for your replies. I am new to the whole rodeo scene but the other family that is behind getting this push started has been part of the rodeo scene for years. They said that many schools have rodeo as an acknowledged sport. We are in the process of gathering information to present before the school board. We are not asking for finical backing from the school just recognition of the girl's hard work and a chance to letter. From what I have been "told" in other school they set forth the guidelines that a student must be in the top 10 of an event to letter. I hope to find out more about this. It might be a hard sell though because right now there is only 2 students who rodeo. It is worth trying.
The year they allowed my daughter to letter, there were only 2 from her school participating. In addition to the recognition (that they deserve), she did it so she could have her early dismissals recognized like the other sports. Otherwise, we had to lie so they wouldnt be unexcused. How sad is that and what is that teaching our kids!
I am glad you and few others have brought up the "early dismissals recognition." I did not think about that aspect but it is an important one. Both girls are straight A's students but they had to miss a few Fridays for travel. |
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