|
Dayton Diary 2009 - Saturday 4/18 (Day #4 - Finals)
Following a productive practice at the tennis club, we had fast food and headed back to the hotel to relax and prepare for finals.
It is difficult to convey in words the respect these kids have in the drumming world. We saw the wonderful note yesterday and it seems that whenever someone finds out which group we're with, their reaction is immediate and positive. One lady told us that her son took up the drums after seeing one of our shows... "he suddenly knew what he wanted to do"... and now he is at Dayton performing with a PIW line.
At this point, the scores and positions are irrelevant. Most of these kids picked up their instrument for the first time less than a year ago. Here they are now at the center of the percussion world, about to throw it down in front of thousands of fans both inside the arena and watching on the internet. We are proud of each and every one of them and can't wait to see their final performance.
Today's warm-up at the arena attracted a much bigger crowd than yesterday. There seemed to be kids and cameras everywhere and the excitement level was much higher than prelims. As we walked across the lot towards the tunnel, we heard Ayala take a break from warm-up and cheer on our kids as they passed by. Our kids reciprocated when it was Ayala's time to perform - sportsmanship at its best.
Our wonderful seniors were
all presented with a red corsage and, as expected, there were plenty of
tears from the graduating moms.
Due to the wonders on modern technology, you probably already know that our final score of 92.725 moved us up from 8th place to 5th. Needless to say, everyone was delighted at this result and it was a great way to finish the season. It is 1:15 am and I'm still fighting (and losing to) the hotel's network and we plan to leave for the airport at 3:30. So this will be the last entry for today and I'll try to wrap up the Diary on the plane going home. It's been a great trip, and once again the kids from Mission Viejo have made us all proud.
Goodnight from Dayton.
GO MISSION !
|
Middletown, OH is a
fascinating place to visit. Take a quick look at some of the pictures and
you'll see why - old factories, churches, colorful houses, tree lined
streets, the river, 'the castle' etc etc. All within easy walking distance
of the practice site.
Our run sounded & looked
great to me and, once again, I don't believe that there were any penalties.
Since the groups perform in preliminary score order, the judges now get the opportunity
to compare each group back to back so there's a real chance that we could
move up.
Before
loading the truck, the kids headed back into the arena to watch the top
scholastic world lines perform. 
