Hmmm...

Well, I worked last night at the Community Center. It was the very last night of women's volleyball, which will certainly free up some time and gym space. I noted right away that the soccer league was not scheduled for the night, although I knew that that basically meant nothing, as the players show up anyway. Sure enough, I had the gym all swept before volleyball began. The soccer players filtered in, and I told them that they were not scheduled. Javier (the group's coordinator) was not there, which meant (to me anyway) that they were not planning on playing last night.
Of course, they wanted to play. I told them that I would allow them to play on the open half of the gym, but also I told them that I felt that they were being disrespectful to me, the Center and the process by which we operate, being that they keep showing up and expecting us to accommodate them. They agreed and it appeared as though they would try harder next time.

Well - they were happily playing soccer with their skeleton crew. Volleyball finished up on their side of the gym, so I swept that up. Five minutes after I sat down, one of the soccer players came to ask me to raise the dividing curtain so they could play full court. I told him he should be happy with half the gym, since they were not on the schedule at all. I also pointed out that I had already cleaned that side of the gym. He left, and ten minutes later, another player came to ask me to raise the curtain. I told him I thought they could get along fine with their half, since they had a smaller crew than normal. He assured me that the group was much bigger than when I was in the gym, so I agreed. When I went into the gym, it was obvious that they didn't have many players, and I turned and told him that. He assured me that they would stop playing at 9:45, put away all their gear and sweep the gym themselves, since it had already been done and they were the source of the undoing. I thought was a good deal, so I agreed.

Fast forward to about 9:30. I am making a sweep of the building, starting my closing the building routine. I notice it is quiet in the gym. I walk in there, and they have all gone home. The soccer goals and ball are sitting by the storage room doors, and nobody has swept the floor. It was like they vaporized. I realize that somehow the storage room door got shut (and thus locked), but they could have easily found me to ask me to open it up for them. You know darn well they would have found me if they needed something from me. My faith in mankind has been shaken!