Bulldog Weekly Reading Article

Transcription

1 Instructions: COMPLETE ALL QUESTIONS AND MARGIN NOTES using the CLOSE reading strategies practiced in class. This requires reading of the article three times. Step 1: Skim the article using these symbols as you read: (+) agree, (-) disagree, (*) important, (!) surprising, (?) wondering Step 2: Number the paragraphs. Read the article carefully and make notes in the margin. Notes should include: o Comments that show that you understand the article. (A summary or statement of the main idea of important sections may serve this purpose.) o Questions you have that show what you are wondering about as you read. o Notes that identify facts and opinions. o Observations about how the writer s techniques (organization, word choice, perspective, support) and choices affect the article. o Text structure (For example, is it compare/contrast, main ideas and details, chronological order, cause/effect, or problem solution, etc.) Step 3: A final quick read noting anything you may have missed during the first two reads. Your margin notes are part of your score for this assessment. Answer the questions carefully in complete sentences unless otherwise instructed. Student Class Period Sixteen-year-old Audrey Dimitrew recently won a spot on a club volleyball team in Chantilly, Virginia. She hoped to impress top high school coaches and possibly catch the eye of college coaches. Notes on my thoughts, reactions and questions as I read: But after many practices, her coach did not give her playing time and the league told her she could not switch to another team. So she and her family filed a lawsuit. Audrey said she could miss an important season this spring. She thinks that the league has lost sight of its primary mission: encouraging kids to play sports. The league has said that Audrey is just upset about not getting playing time, and if it allows her to switch teams then many other players will want to as well. The structure of this text is: (pick from the choices listed) What Happened To Playing For Fun? In recent years, families have increasingly turned to the courts to resolve youth sports conflicts. Parents upset that their children have been cut, benched, yelled at by coaches or even fouled too hard are asking judges to referee. Some experts see such lawsuits as part of a movement in youth sports toward professionalized leagues and tryout teams. These organizations aim to give players a better chance at getting college scholarships. There is a lot of money in sports scholarships, which have grown from nearly $600 million a year in the early 1990s to more than $2 billion today. Some facts and opinions from this story are (label facts with F and opinions with O ):

2 Although most kids join just for fun, for some families the competition is more serious. Parents are spending thousands of dollars and giving up countless weekends for kids to participate on travel teams and prestigious high school programs. Sports Are Not Cheap Susan Dimitrew estimates the family will spend $6,000 on her daughter's volleyball this year. They are hardly alone. Club teams are expensive. Project Play, a group that is trying to get more kids involved in sports, estimates the average travel team parent is spending about $2,300 a year. Parents of the most elite players might spend $20,000 a year or more. Experts say parents want proof that the money they spend is paying off. Some are willing to sue if they do not get it. Audrey said she is not sure whether she will play in college. Her family believes the spring season of 10th grade is an important one for Audrey to work with coaches who can elevate her game. Notes on my thoughts, reactions and questions as I read: What is the author s purpose in writing this text? (Persuade, Inform, or Entertain) A summary of this article is: Audrey cannot understand why her league, the Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association (CHRVA), will not let her join another team. Huge Disappointment The dispute began after Audrey and about 75 other girls competed for spots on the under-16 Chantilly Juniors in November. The coach told Audrey she was the best setter at the tryout and would get playing time, according to court documents. Audrey signed a contract with the team. This is common among youth travel teams today. When the season began, Audrey got practice play with her own team, but was on the bench for the first two competitive tournaments in mid- January. The coach told Audrey she was not ready to be a setter on the team and would not play much for the rest of the season, even though she had "college level" skills, the court documents said. The family was disappointed, perplexed and felt they had not been given what they were promised after a significant This article relates to me, someone I know, or the world I live in BECAUSE:

3 Transfer Option Seemed Fair The coach gave Audrey two options: She could be a practice player for the Juniors or transfer to another team in the league. She decided to transfer and her parents found a team willing to take her. But the league has to approve such changes and would not approve this move for Audrey. It said allowing Audrey to make the switch would set a bad example. According to league rules, players can switch teams only if they demonstrate a "verifiable hardship," proving that they have a difficult situation making it necessary to change. Vocabulary: Injunction Verifiable Hardship The Dimitrews argue that Audrey's case applies as a hardship, but league officials disagree. They said that if play time was enough of a reason to switch teams, there would be too many similar requests. When the league did not allow the change, the Dimitrews filed a lawsuit. Season Is Almost Over They are not the only parents complaining. A 2014 Project Play poll found around 70 percent of parents thought youth sports were too expensive and time-consuming and placed too much emphasis on winning over having fun. With the season quickly slipping away, the family asked the court for an injunction, which is a pause in the legal process so Audrey could play the rest of the season with a new team. Fairfax County Judge John Tran said he was "unhappy... that a child is not given an opportunity to play." But he declined to issue an injunction because he said the law did not allow him to participate in the decision-making process of a private organization. The ruling means that Audrey will likely not play this season, but Susan Dimitrew said the fight will continue. "I never imagined in my wildest dreams there would be a lawsuit over this," she said. "But I think it's the right thing to do."

4 Comprehension questions answers may be in phrases. 1. Why are parents turning to courts to resolve disputes with teams/coaches? 2. How much money does it cost annually on average to participate on an AVERAGE travel team? 3. What were the two options that were given to Audrey? 4. What did a 2014 Project Play poll reveal? 5. What is going to happen to Audrey this season? 2. Answer each question in one or more complete sentences. CITE FROM THE TEXT WHERE APPROPRIATE. According to the text, what is the purpose of joining a professionalized league [or] tryout team? Why did the family pursue a lawsuit? Use textual evidence to support your answer. What was the judge s ruling in this case?

5 3. In the text it states that the league would not approve Audrey moving to another team because it would set a bad example. Do you believe that the decision was fair? Explain in a well-written paragraph. Five sentence minimum. 4. In the article, the writer cites from a poll that indicates that many parents believe that youth sports placed emphasis on winning instead of fun. Do you agree or disagree? Respond in a well-written paragraph.

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