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The Sequoia Union High School District has made the decision to not take part in the Central Coast Section playoffs. The decision applies to all sports at Menlo-Atherton, Woodside, Sequoia and Carlmont high schools.
“The decision was made at the administrative level, but the ADs were all in support,’’ Menlo-Atherton co-athletic director Steven Kryger said. “For myriad reasons. With the playoffs going on into June after graduation, there’s just a lot going on.’’
The Peninsula Athletic League had earlier decided to allow traditional spring sports to take part in CCS, to make up for last year when all those sports had their seasons curtailed by the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.
“When we returned to play we decided no standings, no records, no league championships and no playoffs,’’ Kryger said. “At the time we didn’t think CCS would have one. We wanted kids to play for the love of the game, just to win today, enjoy what we have, get back to a sense of normalcy, vaccinated, and get ready for next fall.’’
SCVAL update
The Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s Board of Managers voted last week to not take part in the CCS playoffs. That decision set off a firestorm of emails protesting the decision.
Contacted Monday morning, SCVAL commissioner Brad Metheany was asked for his reaction to the 30 or 40-odd emails he had received on the matter:
“They’re entitled to speak their minds. I’ve read every (email) and I listen,’’ Metheany said. “There’s a lot of emotion on this. I understand where they are coming from.’’
Given the outpouring of sentiment, would the board reconsider?
“As of now, no,’’ Metheany said. “My board is my board. This went from an ad hoc committee of athletic directors to the principals. It was tabled three times and we had public input three times. The agenda was up 36 hours before the meeting, at 9:12 p.m. on Tuesday.’’
This is ridiculous, why can’t we just play? “Next season,” ya well a lot of ppl don’t get a next season. I could understand if Covid was just too bad, but it isn’t, and by the time CCS would start it would be even better than it is now especially with the vaccines. Isn’t that the point of a Vaccine?
Did anyone bother to ask the kids what they wanted to do?
Right now, I feel for seniors like M-A’s Will Demirkol, who got excited about the possibility of going to the playoffs. His mood visibly changed for the better. Now, to see that taken away again is just sad.
This is beyond stupid. No one has provided any reason for this–what is the risk? What is the downside? Most varsity athletes will be fully vaccinated by the time playoffs start. Particularly spring athletes will be deprived of EVER participating in playoffs. Why? No one knows. These administrators should be ashamed of themselves.
Hey Steve Kryger, your job is athletic director. You (and your fellow ADs) are supposed to be promoting . . . you know . . . athletes and athletic competition. Instead of advocating for CCS playoffs for the benefit of the kids you’re supposed to be championing, you literally take the ball and go home. Why? Because “there’s just a lot going on.” Seriously? That’s your explanation? That is embarrassing.
And Brad Metheany, instead of fixating on whether you gave proper notice under the Brown Act of your BOM meeting, how about providing the reasons for the SCVAL pulling the rug out from the competitors in your charge? And for the love of God, please come up with something better than “there’s just a lot going on.”
A cynic might think that ADs and administrators are abandoning their SCVAL student competitors because they just want to check out once the academic year ends. In a school year where there was literally nothing going on at the high schools for 2/3 of year – including athletic competitions – that rationale seems particularly weak. But if that is, in fact, the reason for pulling the plug on these kids, then at least have the decency to come correct and say so.
TJM (father of 3 kids playing HS sports, including a senior daughter whose team has come up short in the CCS playoffs previously and was really looking forward to one more shot at the title).
Just when it seemed SUHSD was finally moving in the right direction to put our student’s best interests first, along comes the completely unfair decision to opt SUHSD student athletes out of CCS post season play.
What could possibly be the reason for this? It has come as a complete shock and a huge disappointment to many spring sport student athletes, including my own two sons. I’ve spoken to other parents who are also so confused by this decision, and we are hoping to be given an explanation as to why this is happening. I managed to find this article last night online and the explanation given in the article stated it was because “there’s just a lot going on.” What?!? District Leaders need to elaborate since that is not a valid answer. Given the fact that spring sports missed out on their regular and post seasons last spring, unlike fall and winter sports, these teams were really looking forward to having the chance to compete in the post season and they absolutely deserved the right to do so. Of course, making it to CCS playoffs is never a guarantee, but since they are being offered, it is an absolute shame that our district has opted out eliminating the chances of our hard working student athletes to move on to the post season. Playing for a title is the pinnacle of the season! If all district AD’s agreed to this decision then they are absolutely in the wrong line of work. Quitting goes against everything that sports is! If you are quitting on your students then find another job. It’s infuriating that what is best for the students is put on the public school back burner once again.
Parent of 2 Carlmont HS Varsity Baseball Players
Michelle , well said …. I feel so sorry for parents in your situation, my kids got to play high school sports and participate in CCS just before Covid, it was a great experience to see them play after so many years of dedication and hard work. It’s really shameful what SUHSD has announced, no other way to say it.
It’s been a long hard year for everyone. Still, when you are an administrator or AD, your job is to fight for the students. Seems the Sequoia district just wanted summer to arrive on time. Do the minimum. Dreams and memories for this athletes, dead on arrival. Way to go.