lockdown at ES track meet; students all okay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Color me shocked. DCPS always holds its citywide athletic events at the least safe, least central locations. Our ES basketball team needed a police escort to walk from the school to the bus after a recent playoff game. It's a recipe for a lawsuit.

That's where the DC State golf Championship match was held too.

All the swim meets, all of the track meets, many of the baseball and softball games are in the far eastern corner or Anacostia. I think it's a combo of where they build the nice facilities, what's convenient to DCIAA staff, and some weird desire to "stick it" to the west side of town.

MS basketball playoffs were at Ballou, which is more accessible to PG County but requires a lengthy bus trip for just about everyone else who lives in DC. Nice gym, tho.

[Anonymous]

DCIAA is just the worst. I have been to track meets, cross country meets, swim meets, basketball games... DCIAA has always been disorganized. Has always held sports competitions in the most inconvenient and unsafe locations. I dread going to sports events for DCPS.

This track is in an awful area. Not surprised that there was a shooting just outside. Hopefully DCIAA will not insist of rescheduling the track meet at the same location because I know my kid will not want to return. There are other tracks in DC, in a more safe and central area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Color me shocked. DCPS always holds its citywide athletic events at the least safe, least central locations. Our ES basketball team needed a police escort to walk from the school to the bus after a recent playoff game. It's a recipe for a lawsuit.

That's where the DC State golf Championship match was held too.

All the swim meets, all of the track meets, many of the baseball and softball games are in the far eastern corner or Anacostia. I think it's a combo of where they build the nice facilities, what's convenient to DCIAA staff, and some weird desire to "stick it" to the west side of town.

They also want to keep a lot of the bad stuff that happens on the margins of a lot of high school sports- by which I mean gambling and the kind of people who show up to gamble, or find the people that are gambling- away from the west side of town. I think there’s a slight smidgen of wanting to stick it to west of 16th, but a whole lot of “we can’t let those people that far across the river.” Maybe I’m just jaded by years of coaching youth football, but stuff gets really, really sketchy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Color me shocked. DCPS always holds its citywide athletic events at the least safe, least central locations. Our ES basketball team needed a police escort to walk from the school to the bus after a recent playoff game. It's a recipe for a lawsuit.

That's where the DC State golf Championship match was held too.

All the swim meets, all of the track meets, many of the baseball and softball games are in the far eastern corner or Anacostia. I think it's a combo of where they build the nice facilities, what's convenient to DCIAA staff, and some weird desire to "stick it" to the west side of town.

They also want to keep a lot of the bad stuff that happens on the margins of a lot of high school sports- by which I mean gambling and the kind of people who show up to gamble, or find the people that are gambling- away from the west side of town. I think there’s a slight smidgen of wanting to stick it to west of 16th, but a whole lot of “we can’t let those people that far across the river.” Maybe I’m just jaded by years of coaching youth football, but stuff gets really, really sketchy.

Interesting. I was not aware of meaningful gambling on HS sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Color me shocked. DCPS always holds its citywide athletic events at the least safe, least central locations. Our ES basketball team needed a police escort to walk from the school to the bus after a recent playoff game. It's a recipe for a lawsuit.

That's where the DC State golf Championship match was held too.

All the swim meets, all of the track meets, many of the baseball and softball games are in the far eastern corner or Anacostia. I think it's a combo of where they build the nice facilities, what's convenient to DCIAA staff, and some weird desire to "stick it" to the west side of town.

They also want to keep a lot of the bad stuff that happens on the margins of a lot of high school sports- by which I mean gambling and the kind of people who show up to gamble, or find the people that are gambling- away from the west side of town. I think there’s a slight smidgen of wanting to stick it to west of 16th, but a whole lot of “we can’t let those people that far across the river.” Maybe I’m just jaded by years of coaching youth football, but stuff gets really, really sketchy.

Interesting. I was not aware of meaningful gambling on HS sports.

That's because it does not exist on a meaningful level, and it has exactly zero bearing on where DCPS holds its sporting events. Do people really think people are betting on elementary school track meets or high school baseball games that J-R always wins by mercy rule? Good lord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Color me shocked. DCPS always holds its citywide athletic events at the least safe, least central locations. Our ES basketball team needed a police escort to walk from the school to the bus after a recent playoff game. It's a recipe for a lawsuit.

That's where the DC State golf Championship match was held too.

All the swim meets, all of the track meets, many of the baseball and softball games are in the far eastern corner or Anacostia. I think it's a combo of where they build the nice facilities, what's convenient to DCIAA staff, and some weird desire to "stick it" to the west side of town.

They also want to keep a lot of the bad stuff that happens on the margins of a lot of high school sports- by which I mean gambling and the kind of people who show up to gamble, or find the people that are gambling- away from the west side of town. I think there’s a slight smidgen of wanting to stick it to west of 16th, but a whole lot of “we can’t let those people that far across the river.” Maybe I’m just jaded by years of coaching youth football, but stuff gets really, really sketchy.

Interesting. I was not aware of meaningful gambling on HS sports.

That's because it does not exist on a meaningful level, and it has exactly zero bearing on where DCPS holds its sporting events. Do people really think people are betting on elementary school track meets or high school baseball games that J-R always wins by mercy rule? Good lord.

There are far fewer students attending DC public schools in Wards 1-3 (and 6) compared to Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8. https://edscape.dc.gov/page/pop-and-students-where-public-school-students-live?
Also, fewer actual schools https://edscape.dc.gov/node/1729531 . Not sure if that factors into it, but it makes sense to schedule the events closer to where more families live.

Yesterday's shooting is horrifying, and no child or family should ever have to go through that traumatic event. But the tone of this thread is getting a little off track. I have been to dozens of sports indoors and outside of middle schools, elementary schools and high schools in all wards, and while there may have been police or security at some games, I have never seen or needed teams getting escorts, or in any type of danger.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP that the tone of the thread is getting ridiculous.

This shooting is horrifying. But we shouldn't respond by criticizing DCPS for holding citywide events in various parts of the city. Our kids should experience going around the city to various areas, though without there being shootings.

Many years ago there was too much of an attitude by some people WOTP that anywhere else was a no go zone. Fortunately that faded for a while. I understand why it's resurging a bit with the rise in violence we had post pandemic (which has generally abated, but clearly not entirely). There are other kids in those neighborhoods too and we should teach our kids not to be completely provincial in their outlook while also working very hard to keep all kids safe and have no shootings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP that the tone of the thread is getting ridiculous.

This shooting is horrifying. But we shouldn't respond by criticizing DCPS for holding citywide events in various parts of the city. Our kids should experience going around the city to various areas, though without there being shootings.

Many years ago there was too much of an attitude by some people WOTP that anywhere else was a no go zone. Fortunately that faded for a while. I understand why it's resurging a bit with the rise in violence we had post pandemic (which has generally abated, but clearly not entirely). There are other kids in those neighborhoods too and we should teach our kids not to be completely provincial in their outlook while also working very hard to keep all kids safe and have no shootings.

My kids are not provincial in the least but they’re never going back to a sport meet in that part of town if I can help it. Yesterday was deeply traumatic. They are 10/11. I feel awful that some kids don’t have a choice but to live there. DC Police and DC Government are completely failing their most vulnerable. But I will protect my kids to the best of my abilities as every decent family in that part of town would too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP that the tone of the thread is getting ridiculous.

This shooting is horrifying. But we shouldn't respond by criticizing DCPS for holding citywide events in various parts of the city. Our kids should experience going around the city to various areas, though without there being shootings.

Many years ago there was too much of an attitude by some people WOTP that anywhere else was a no go zone. Fortunately that faded for a while. I understand why it's resurging a bit with the rise in violence we had post pandemic (which has generally abated, but clearly not entirely). There are other kids in those neighborhoods too and we should teach our kids not to be completely provincial in their outlook while also working very hard to keep all kids safe and have no shootings.

Provincial? Then why don't you go hang out in Kingman Park and its surrounds? There are reports of violent crime everyday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP that the tone of the thread is getting ridiculous.

This shooting is horrifying. But we shouldn't respond by criticizing DCPS for holding citywide events in various parts of the city. Our kids should experience going around the city to various areas, though without there being shootings.

Many years ago there was too much of an attitude by some people WOTP that anywhere else was a no go zone. Fortunately that faded for a while. I understand why it's resurging a bit with the rise in violence we had post pandemic (which has generally abated, but clearly not entirely). There are other kids in those neighborhoods too and we should teach our kids not to be completely provincial in their outlook while also working very hard to keep all kids safe and have no shootings.

Provincial? Then why don't you go hang out in Kingman Park and its surrounds? There are reports of violent crime everyday.

Just a geography note - the shooting was not in Kingman Park, which is entirely south of Benning Rd.

[Anonymous]

How did the kids shelter in place on the field? Thinking of the kids, but also the poor teachers. (My kid’s teacher was there.) Like how do you keep kids safe on an open field? Hope everyone is doing ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did the kids shelter in place on the field? Thinking of the kids, but also the poor teachers. (My kid’s teacher was there.) Like how do you keep kids safe on an open field? Hope everyone is doing ok.

Yes, id love to know more about what happened.

And I think outrage is appropriate. This kind of thing shouldn't be happening in any neighborhood, and the DCPS event makes us realize we are all in it together.

[Anonymous]

When gunshots were first heard, the kids either took cover under the bleachers, ran into the lock room or bathroom, or took cover by a wall along the track. The track meet had not started yet. It was about to start in the next 15 minutes or so.

After the gunfire subsided, the kids were all brought out to the field to line up and get accounted for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When gunshots were first heard, the kids either took cover under the bleachers, ran into the lock room or bathroom, or took cover by a wall along the track. The track meet had not started yet. It was about to start in the next 15 minutes or so.

After the gunfire subsided, the kids were all brought out to the field to line up and get accounted for.

The West track meet had not started yet - the East track meet was on its last few events. The kids who were on the far side of the track lining up for the races were told by adults to run into the nearby trees. The adults present did as well as possible under the circumstances, but it was awful. The locker rooms and bathrooms were packed and many team members were separated from one another. It was an experience no kid or adult should have to live through.

What I don’t understand is why, with teams from 28 elementary schools present, the city couldn’t assign one or two police cars to sit at the end of the block or in front of the entrance for the duration of the event. “Security” was doing bag checks but I don’t even know if they were equipped to handle a weapon if they found one. (No blame to the security officers who were just doing their jobs but there should have been police on site.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When gunshots were first heard, the kids either took cover under the bleachers, ran into the lock room or bathroom, or took cover by a wall along the track. The track meet had not started yet. It was about to start in the next 15 minutes or so.

After the gunfire subsided, the kids were all brought out to the field to line up and get accounted for.

The West track meet had not started yet - the East track meet was on its last few events. The kids who were on the far side of the track lining up for the races were told by adults to run into the nearby trees. The adults present did as well as possible under the circumstances, but it was awful. The locker rooms and bathrooms were packed and many team members were separated from one another. It was an experience no kid or adult should have to live through.

What I don’t understand is why, with teams from 28 elementary schools present, the city couldn’t assign one or two police cars to sit at the end of the block or in front of the entrance for the duration of the event. “Security” was doing bag checks but I don’t even know if they were equipped to handle a weapon if they found one. (No blame to the security officers who were just doing their jobs but there should have been police on site.)

This is so awful. I'm so sorry to the kids and adults who experienced this. Truly a traumatic event.