Concert conflict
High school is filled with drama.
The latest crisis is pulling the hearts of One Direction fans in two directions.
The boy group’s El Paso performance falls on a Friday — the same night that student athletes are themselves supposed to perform.
But for the Chapin High School tennis team, it’s business as usual.
“We have a very big match against Burges,” Chapin head tennis coach Nicholle Johnson told ABC-7. “But my girls are committed and they want to play the match — and then they’re going to the One Direction concert,” she added, laughing.
Johnson said she’s heard the conflict between athletics and the concert have created turmoil on other teams and in other schools, but said that hasn’t been the case on her team.
“I think it was an assumption that they were Chapin Huskies first and they were going to the concert when the were done with their commitment here,” said Johnson.
Johnson said this is the third time in 15 years of coaching high school tennis that a match has conflicted with a concert. But she said the team is not forfeitting any matches this year.
“Not even One Direction is going to stop them from going to that match on Friday ,” Johnson said.
Chapin senior Abbigale Pooley sold her ticket when she saw the scheduling conflict with the tennis match against Burges High.
“I try to show the coach I’m dedicated. So this is one way of showing her that,” Pooley told ABC-7. “I’m still regretting it in a way, but I know it was probably for the best.”
Then there’s Pooley’s teammate, Jasmine Ramirez, who bought her tickets in September 2013 .
“I was like, ‘I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to that concert,'” said Ramirez.
She has a plan to get herself off the court and into her seat. It involves winning her 3:45 p.m. match in straight sets, then getting a ride from her sister to the Sun Bowl for the concert.
“Hopefully. We’ll see,” Ramirez said.
School district officials from Clint to Canutillo told ABC-7 it’s up to coaches to determine how to handle student athlete absences during extra curricular activities.
