a colourful issue

So racism at high school level is still alive and well and functioning at a local school in Pretoria ... perhaps at more than one still (sad) but we don't always play hockey against them. 

Last year we visited this school as we played against them in an Away game for our u17 team of girls.  From the moment our girls set foot out the bus the racial slurs against certain members of our team started..... okay let us not fiddle about ...... against black players in our team .... really?  .... seriously?  We are guests at your College and this is how you behave.  Not surprising though as the parents (classy, real classy pfft) were there and they were at the forefront of the loud racial slurs.  During the game the opposition seemed to misunderstand the concept of hitting the ball and not the player, resulting in several girls getting injured and one of the opposition girls shouting to her mom next to the field *translated* "Mom this ***** keeps hitting me" ..... she wasn't, but retaliation ....... well one can only take so much.  It was upsetting and then they started (the parents) on what the letters of the acronym for our school stood for .... It was around here that I marched up to them and asked them what example they were setting and that we were guests at their school ..... The answer from the parents was not pretty at all. 

So they come and play at a Home game for us not long after. .... they no sooner off the bus then one chick is having a hissy fit because we have integrated bathrooms ... and I don't mean boys and girls together.  Hello .... 2013 ........ where have you been little girl?  

I really thought that in the 365 days since then they had grown up.  No such luck .... in the week we met them again ... this time in an u18 match on their grounds.  Now they had boys from the school sitting on the sidelines shouting out the slurs.  My daughter, despite being the captain, has a badly injured leg from hockey, and is not playing at the moment so she had the delightful honour of sitting next to the "we call people despicable names" gang. 

It is so sad.  If you have racial issues, that is your thing then.  To each his own.  But when you host a school or visit another school you can at least act as if you have some breeding.  

Or maybe they just don't ....

till next time, 
c'est la vie xxxx