Is it worth it to complain/point out?

[Dmmetler]

DD12 has done competitive rec cheer for years, and it's been really good for her to challenge her sensory issues (it was something she wanted to do enough to make it worth putting in the work). She had a competition yesterday, and for the first time, they had a "real" DJ doing the announcing/music. Who had the volume at club levels. DD was visibly pained when she came out on the mat, actually had trouble finding her place at first, and while she pushed through and did well, it was obvious she was struggling. I think her coach knew (or maybe it's just that her head coach is 6 months pregnant and might have found it hard as well) because I noticed she kept the team out of the gym except for when they were competing (that used to be required for DD when she was younger, and the coach is one who knew her at age 4-6, so is very aware of the situation).

 

I'm wondering if it's worth it to contact the organization and ask them to please turn the music down a bit? I doubt DD is the only child affected-because this particular organization is very inclusive, it tends to be a good choice for kids with special needs who struggle in other sports, and there are two teams comprised just of older kids who have developmental delays.

 

I hate to be "that mom", but it's taken years for DD to be able to enjoy the competitions vs enduring them because she wants to be part of the team. For her to not be able to stay in the gym and watch the other teams (even though at least this time her team was with her, so it wasn't just her and an assistant coach) and to not be able to enjoy some of the traditions because she is in physical pain due to the music volume is hard to see. And a cheer competition is one place she can't easily pull out her pink ear protectors.

[maize]

Yes, I think it is OK to ask.

 

If that doesn't work, my kids wear earplugs when the music is loud--the clear silicone ones designed for swimming.

[Crimson Wife]

Yes, it's a safety risk to have excessive noise exposure. The prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss among teens has dramatically increased in recent years and damage to the cochlea is cumulative.

 

I wouldn't put the complaint in such a way to make my child look like some fussbudget but rather as "this is a safety issue for all our kids".

[kbutton]

I would approach it as safety.

 

Noise levels are a pet peeve of mine. My ears do not make wax correctly, so I can very easily get infections in my outer ears. This makes using earplugs a mixed proposition--if they are reusable, I have to take the time to clean them over and over, and disposable ones irritate my ears, which makes the problem worse. 

 

Earplugs are awesome only when it works out. People who do not have any inconvenient issues be it food allergies, hearing issues, or a physical limitation are often clueless, and even those of us with issues ourselves don't always think all of the potential problems through ahead of time. Or we just quit, which makes people think there is less of a need to consider these things.

[Storygirl]

I think I would talk to the coach about it first. The organization may respond more quickly to a request from a coach instead of a parent.

 

Will all of the competitions be at the same venue with the same DJ?

 

I do think it is an issue to address, but it may be tricky to figure out who to approach, and the coach might be able to help with that.

[Dmmetler]

They have been at the same venue for several years, so unless something else is available cheaper, probably. As far as the DJ, I don't know-Since it's a low cost rec program, my gut feeling is that the DJ was probably donating his time, so maybe he won't be back, although I'm sure it seemed "cooler" to the girls who weren't gritting their teeth and trying to keep from curling into a ball to have him there.

[Arcadia]

We were guests at a FLL event where the announcers had to be loud because it was a big high school gym. However the background music doesn't need to be that loud and some parents went to let the organizers know. The organizers were all too willing to adjust it lower. Makes it easier for all of us to have a quiet discussion and to eat lunch without having to step out of the gym.

 

I'll ask the coach about who to feedback to. I'm sure the organizers rather know. There was recreational cheer at the outdoor sports stadium when I was in 6th-10th grade. That was loud but expected to be. The indoor ones were always softer.