REGARDING INDIANETTES

[INDIANFAN79]

As a graduate of PNG I am very disappointed in the remarks made about the 2008 Indianettes by other alumni. PNG is noted for the GREAT support and school Pride!!! I feel that the standards for Indianette tryouts were not lowered and the majority of the squad is new juniors "have you heard of first game jitters?" So as the season progresses so will the Indianettes as they have every year..Please be supportive of the Indianettes as they work hard every day and need POSITIVE FEEDBACK not negative! I have never been as embarrassed about the comments that have been made about our schools Friday night football entertainment. GIVE THE GIRLS A BRAKE for I am sure that they are not feeling very good about the negative comments right about now :helmet:

 

[NDNette2001]

I thought the website here was an avenue for opinions and observations. Never did I post any comments that were meant to be mean spirited or unsupportive. I simply was pointing out my observations at Barbers Hill.

Yes, as the season progresses, so will the girls. My point was, I was surprised they choose a more difficult routine for the first performance. When I was a member, we usually picked some of the "easier" routines at the beginning of the season so that the new members could get use to the performance aspect in front of the crowd. It also helped with the limited practice at the beginning of the year.

Many opponents marvel at the pageantry, costumes, and most of all the headdresses of the Indianettes. The bar has always been high for the members. I was only asking about the tryout standards because back when I was a member of the 2000 & 2001 squad, broken leg splits were not tolerated. And that lacking element can not be blamed on first game jitters. Either you can do the splits or you can't.

I support the Indianettes! Those girls work hard all year! I am proud of what these girls have accomplished in making the squad and I know I will always be faithful to purple & white.

Work it out girls and keep reaching for the stars!!!!!!

 

[86ndnfan]

I have to say this as a former Indianette: It is NOT the girls fault if they weren't together. Under the guidance of Mrs. James and Mrs. Voss, this would NEVER have happened. They would go over and over with us the steps until every girl was PERFECT.....not only in the dance, but with the marching routine as well. Mrs. James would use her megaphone to call out your name if you didn't hit your hash mark at the correct time. The dance routines were practiced so much that we could do them in our sleep. Even 20+ years later, this old mind of mine ld: can still remember certain dances! These girls are doing the best that they can do under the circumstances. It takes dedication and guidance from the DIRECTOR! If you fans are looking for someone to point a finger at, then I feel it should be with the adults that are supposed to be showing these girls the way.

 

[INDIANETTE MOM]

My daughter is a current Indianette who has taken dance since the age of 3. She is a great dancer and can do her splits. She came home yesterday from practice very upset. Someone had informed the girls of the comments that were being made on this site about them. I have never been a member or posted any comments but I thought I should let everyone know that the comments that are being made on this website are being passed on to the girls. Please remember that the girls are 16, 17 & 18 year old girls in high school. They are not on a professional team, only on a high school drill team. One thing to remember is if one girl is off, then it will probably cause the others behind her to be off also. I think it is great that the current director picked more girls to participate this year. I think the more students that are involved in activities, the less trouble they will get into somewhere else. I thought the girls looked great at both games. Unless you are specifically looking for mistakes, you don't notice them. I agree that some of the girls need to work on their splits and I have been told that the current director is working very hard on that. Again I ask that before you post negative comments about the current girls, please remember that they are only in high school and they are working very hard everyday along with the current director to make the PNG fans proud.

 

[IBLEEDPURPLE]

Point well made.

I'm sure all the girls are working very hard to deliver first notch performances to the crowds.

I would love to see many of us on this message board try to gather in a group of 40-50 and just march to the middle of the field from the sideline in sync. It is not as easy as you would think. Add a prop in your hand and the glaring eyes of 4000-8000 people and that is a lot of pressure for a 15-17 year old.

We are looking forward to seeing these girls progress and perform many more exciting routines!

GO GET EM NDNETTES!!!

 

[86ndnfan]

NDNette Mom-- This comment is for you. I feel for the girls.... that's why I posted my comment. I also have friends that have Indianette daughters--- they were the ones that told me about the site and the comments being made. I was told that the directors were fussing at the girls about being off and that they read the comments on the boards to them---- that's why I commented about it not being the girls fault. If you look back at the videos on this site with the marching contests, you can see how precise the Indianettes were during the '80's. If the directors want to make improvements, then they need to study tapes from the era of Mrs James and Mrs Voss. I feel for your daughter because I saw some REALLY great dancers out there! It's just disturbing to those of us that want the tradition to be passed on---- I'm hoping the Indianettes don't get totally cut like the Hussers did from TJ.

PS All of the former Indianettes were also high school age. Please tell your daughter not to take it personally, and please let her see the videos on this website from previous marching contests.

 

[IndianFan]

They read comments from this messageboard to the Indianettes?

If that's the case it's unfortunate.

 

[86ndnfan]

They read comments from this messageboard to the Indianettes?

If that's the case it's unfortunate.

THAT'S my point exactly---- it's like they were telling the girls it was their fault... that is why I commented about the directors.

 

[IBLEEDPURPLE]

Exactly - any adult "Director" that would printout messages from an internet website and bring those in to blame teenagers (if that is what happened) should be seriously looked at whether this is someone that should be acting as a leader for any young lady involved in an extra curricular activity.

It sounded like the opinions expressed were more directed at the person that was "in charge" of getting these young ladies prepared to perform and not the inability of the girls to do what the squads have done in the past.

My how times have changed.......

 

[NDNette2001]

My daughter is a current Indianette who has taken dance since the age of 3. She is a great dancer and can do her splits. She came home yesterday from practice very upset. Someone had informed the girls of the comments that were being made on this site about them. I have never been a member or posted any comments but I thought I should let everyone know that the comments that are being made on this website are being passed on to the girls. Please remember that the girls are 16, 17 & 18 year old girls in high school. They are not on a professional team, only on a high school drill team. One thing to remember is if one girl is off, then it will probably cause the others behind her to be off also. I think it is great that the current director picked more girls to participate this year. I think the more students that are involved in activities, the less trouble they will get into somewhere else. I thought the girls looked great at both games. Unless you are specifically looking for mistakes, you don't notice them. I agree that some of the girls need to work on their splits and I have been told that the current director is working very hard on that. Again I ask that before you post negative comments about the current girls, please remember that they are only in high school and they are working very hard everyday along with the current director to make the PNG fans proud.

This answers the concerns.

I think the concerns expressed were focused on that it has been a long time since fans have seen so many girls on the squad. With that being said, the routines have not been as clean as in years past. It is harder to get 60 girls to march to the same beat. Why were more girls allowed on the squad if they could not "perform" basic moves such as doing a split? The squad has always been looked up to so that girls would practice and practice to be a member of the Indianettes. It was never approached as "well if 100 tryout, lets take 50". It was always to pick the girls that could do the performance. Some years were slim, some were large.

One sore spot this year is the initial entrance to the football field for the Indianettes. I remember us practicing that entrance until I could practically do it in my sleep. I remember our captain saying to us, "This is the first impression the home and away crowds will see of us entering the field. We have to all be in step and together. It is imperative!!" I got so tired of practicing that field entrance over and over and over. Twice now, I have watched the squad enter the field on up beats and different lead legs. The director needs to clean this up.

And how dare the director make these girls feel like it is their fault. The squad is only as strong as their leader.

 

[86ndn]

IBLEEDPURPLE -- FYI as to your comment about it being hard to have 40-50 girls together on the field...back from 84-86, we had 85 girls on the field and we were together. Every Monday after the game, Mrs. James and Mrs. Voss made us watch the video from Friday's performance and pointed any mistakes that were made. As stated before, maybe the directors need to look at performances from the 80's!

Hey 86ndnfan -- remember Barbara Ann??? Those were fun times!

 

[IBLEEDPURPLE]

86ndn ----- I realize it can & has been done, my point was that maybe some of us "old guys" on this message board should cut these girls a little slack. It is easy as adults to criticize, we should keep in mind these are teenagers and many girls may be performing their first time on the field in front of a large crowd.

I'm sure the 84-86 squad had a few less than perfect routines, without the added pressure of the internet to point out how everone saw those mistakes.

 

[86ndnfan]

IBLEEDPURPLE -- FYI as to your comment about it being hard to have 40-50 girls together on the field...back from 84-86, we had 85 girls on the field and we were together. Every Monday after the game, Mrs. James and Mrs. Voss made us watch the video from Friday's performance and pointed any mistakes that were made. As stated before, maybe the directors need to look at performances from the 80's!

Hey 86ndnfan -- remember Barbara Ann??? Those were fun times!

My GOSH! Do I remember???? I was INDIANETTE OF THE WEEK that week--- I can still do the dance! I'm going to pm you because we obviously graduated together and were on the same squad!

BAH BAH BAH --BA BAH BRA-ANN!!!!!! LOL

 

[86ndnfan]

86ndn ----- I realize it can & has been done, my point was that maybe some of us "old guys" on this message board should cut these girls a little slack. It is easy as adults to criticize, we should keep in mind these are teenagers and many girls may be performing their first time on the field in front of a large crowd.

I'm sure the 84-86 squad had a few less than perfect routines, without the added pressure of the internet to point out how everyone saw those mistakes.

Definitely mistakes were made, and NO we didn't have the internet, but we had a Director that lived and breathed "indianette"......she didn't have time to breathe much less read comments to poor girls that are under her guidance--- SHE drove us to EXCELLANCE! Please check out our marching in this site!-- It is redundant to keep going over this, but I just wish they could just look at old tapes---- that's what WE did--- we looked at stuff from 15 yrs back and learned from them!

and I'll say it again-------WE WERE TEENAGERS TOO! WE performed for the "first" time and we had MUCH larger crowds.

I'm cutting the girls slack--- you all can guess from my comments who I feel needs work---and it's not the girls.

 

[seawolfe]

:huh: not too sure what all the fuss is about? We may lose a game or two but I've never seen a band better then PNG when it comes to pride, color and pagentery. As for the indianettes. I can't count the number of times someone has commented to me how great you look in your headdress's. ( I think a lot of other schools are envious) Don't ever forget your sexy young and beautiful and these are the best days of your lives.. Lets pow wow!...enjoy...enjoy...enjoy

 

[NDNMom83]

"Honor, Pride, Tradition" These are the words we identify our district by. Each of those words holds special meaning to those of us who were fortunate enough to go to school and graduate from PNG. When you are a member of an extracurricular activity at PNG you put in many countless hours of blood, sweat and tears. Even though we may have gotten older we still hold the present students at PNG to the same standards that we were held to. Anyone who was ever on a sports team, drill team, band, and a number of countless groups on the Reservation hopes that each time the present students step out on the field that they will bring "Honor" to the uniform they are wearing. Criticism comes with the territory. Posters on this site criticize the coaching staff, players who haven't given their all and yes, even the band , cheerleaders and Indianettes. After being a member of one of these groups you want to see the present students do their best. Who knows if the directors read this to the Indianettes, then maybe they also will read the post now that are letting them clearly know that they are dropping the ball on maintaining the high standards that the community and former Indianettes hold for them. As in football where the blame buck stops at Matt Burnett, it also stops with the Indianette directors. I also remember the countless hours that Mrs. Voss and Mrs. James spent making sure the Indianettes were doing the best they could do. When we start giving excuses for not upholding the standards that go with "Honor, Pride and Tradition", then we endanger those ideals being passed down to another generation. So hopefully this will be taken as constructive criticism and be used to make the Indianettes a group that continues to pass on our ideals and traditions.

 

[IBLEEDPURPLE]

Can someone shed some light as to who is the current director and how long she has been directing the squad? Just curious.

 

[INDIANETTE MOM]

Just curious if any of the ones that are criticizing the current Indianettes happens to be the parent of one of them!!! I am. If you are not a parent, you have only seen the girls perform at two away games. They have not even faced the home side yet. All I can say is that the ones who are criticizing must have a better pair of eyes than I do because it is almost impossible for us on the home side to see the girls marching onto the field and dancing when they are on the opposite side of the field.

 

[IBLEEDPURPLE]

Just curious if any of the ones that are criticizing the current Indianettes happens to be the parent of one of them!!! I am. If you are not a parent, you have only seen the girls perform at two away games. They have not even faced the home side yet. All I can say is that the ones who are criticizing must have a better pair of eyes than I do because it is almost impossible for us on the home side to see the girls marching onto the field and dancing when they are on the opposite side of the field.

I think if you read back through the posts, some comments were coming from previous Indianettes.

I certainly do not want to rehash this topic, but I beg to differ that we could not see the girls dancing when they were facing the home crowd when we were the visitors @ Barbers Hill & Crosby. There were a number of specific observations that were shared by posters that were spot on. During the band performance, the girls are closest to the visitors stands (which is where we have been for the last two games) and I must admit I saw what was mentioned above with my own eyes.

Nevertheless, I think we are all ready to put this topic to rest and focus on the upcoming performances and more importantly the 1st HOME PERFORMANCE at our new beautiful stadium. I know the girls will be excited and have wonderful routines to showcase for all of the fans!!!

 

[86ndnfan]

"Honor, Pride, Tradition" These are the words we identify our district by. Each of those words holds special meaning to those of us who were fortunate enough to go to school and graduate from PNG. When you are a member of an extracurricular activity at PNG you put in many countless hours of blood, sweat and tears. Even though we may have gotten older we still hold the present students at PNG to the same standards that we were held to. Anyone who was ever on a sports team, drill team, band, and a number of countless groups on the Reservation hopes that each time the present students step out on the field that they will bring "Honor" to the uniform they are wearing. Criticism comes with the territory. Posters on this site criticize the coaching staff, players who haven't given their all and yes, even the band , cheerleaders and Indianettes. After being a member of one of these groups you want to see the present students do their best. Who knows if the directors read this to the Indianettes, then maybe they also will read the post now that are letting them clearly know that they are dropping the ball on maintaining the high standards that the community and former Indianettes hold for them. As in football where the blame buck stops at Matt Burnett, it also stops with the Indianette directors. I also remember the countless hours that Mrs. Voss and Mrs. James spent making sure the Indianettes were doing the best they could do. When we start giving excuses for not upholding the standards that go with "Honor, Pride and Tradition", then we endanger those ideals being passed down to another generation. So hopefully this will be taken as constructive criticism and be used to make the Indianettes a group that continues to pass on our ideals and traditions.

Thank you for that post... I wish I could have said it so eloquently as you!!