Register complaints about coach with principal

Dear Annie: Last night, my daughter's high school held tryouts for cheerleading. Many girls and their parents were shocked by the actions of the cheer coach, who advanced her own sophomore daughter and six of her daughter's friends to the varsity level, thereby cutting experienced juniors and seniors. This screams of nepotism. The coach refused to show the score sheets to justify her decisions. These same girls got together with the coach over the summer to practice, and they were grouped together for the tryouts, which gave them a tremendous advantage.

I am livid and want this coach fired. Should we ask for tryouts to be held again? The problem is, some girls who made the junior varsity squad do not really have the skills, but there were seven spots that needed to be filled due to the mass exodus of those sophomores who were moved to the varsity squad. I don't know how to make this fair. Any suggestions?— Sad in Maryland

Dear Maryland: If the coach has total control over who makes the squad, there may not be much you can do. However, we suggest you and some of the other angry parents approach the principal and register your complaint as a group. We hope the principal cares enough about the school's reputation to see that tryouts are fair and, if necessary, to put safeguards in place to avoid accusations of favoritism. Whether or not that means the sophomores are back on the junior varsity squad is not your call.

Dear Annie: My older sister was 10 years old when I was born. She resented me from the beginning, and I cannot remember her ever speaking a kind word. When she moved out of the house, all communication was through Mom. That is how she kept up with my life. I was never considered part of her family. She made it clear she was too good for me. Whenever I made an effort to see her, she wouldn't speak to me. She would only watch TV while I sat there.

Now I have been informed by one of her daughters that she has a few months to live, and that I should hurry to her town if I want to see her before she dies. I am no youngster myself. I have no desire to see her, and besides, I'm getting too old to drive. My question is: Should I feel guilty?— Too Late to Care

Dear Too Late: It doesn't sound as if you have much to feel guilty about. You are not obligated to make this trip, particularly if it is too difficult for you. However, if you wish to maintain a relationship with your nieces, it might mean a great deal to them that you made the effort to say goodbye. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to phone.