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SLIDESHOW: “Every school asks their athletes to live up to a code, to represent themselves the best they can as a representative of that school. Each of you had lived up to that code, and yet we as leaders have not.” Photo by Rick Eymer. -
“What is happening to you was a coordinated effort to take away what you deserved.” Photo by Rick Eymer. -
I wish I had the strength and the voice to change what has happened, and give you back the opportunities you so deserve.” Photo by Rick Eymer. -
“All of us, administrators, coaches and teachers, have failed you. You deserved better, you deserved leaders who recognized what you went through.” Photo by Rick Eymer. -
“There is not one argument out there that truly supports the injustice that has been bestowed upon your class in losing your senior year of competition in the playoffs, NONE!!!” Photo by Rick Eymer. -
“We can’t just pick and choose as we see fit, it’s important to make sure that justice itself is the leader.” Photo by Rick Eymer. -
“Recognize what you have lived through, and vow to make it better!” Photo by Rick Eymer. -
“Understand the importance of hearing all voices.” Photo by Rick Eymer.
To the spring Sport Seniors of the SCVAL
I am sorry. That is all I can muster at this point for you, I am sorry. You, each one of you regardless of sport, have put in your time. You have dedicated yourself since your freshman year to better yourself, not only as an athlete, but as a teammate and a person. Every school asks their athletes to live up to a code, to represent themselves the best they can as a representative of that school. Each of you had lived up to that code, and yet we as leaders have not.
You have reached your senior year as an athlete, and you have abided by all of these expectations, and we have let you down. We have decided that it is okay for us to change the rules. We have decided that your 4 years of hard work and dedication are no longer important to the cause. Rather, we have decided that we as the leaders and educators have the right to change the very parameters we chose to instill in you as freshman upon entering our specific schools. And it was wrong and so very unfair to you.
I have heard some of our leaders refer to what is happening in the very cliche way of just saying, “life isn’t fair”. They are right, to a point. Life isn’t fair, and if you haven’t already experienced life’s way of showing you this, then in time it will. That is just the nature of life, I can’t stop that for you, but hopefully I can at least let you know it will happen.
This, what you are going through, is not the definition of “life isn’t fair”. What is happening to you was a coordinated effort to take away what you deserved. It wasn’t life that took it away from you, it was those very people who were hired to watch out for your well being and make sure that you were taken care of.
It is here I will stop on this tangent. I could continue on a negative path, and point our every flaw and failure that has happened to this point of your loss of competing for your school in the playoffs. And trust me, that hits home with our team. We have, however, endured enough of the negative. I wish I had the strength and the voice to change what has happened, and give you back the opportunities you so deserve. But sadly I have failed in that venture.
I am not alone, all of us, administrators, coaches and teachers have failed you. You deserved better, you deserved leaders who recognized what you went through from last year to this year, and they should have fought for you, they didn’t. So this letter is for you. I would like to make one last attempt at educating you, so you don’t follow in our footsteps.
First, fight for justice. There is not one argument out there that truly supports the injustice that has been bestowed upon your class in losing your senior year of competition in the playoffs, NONE!!! You deserved the opportunity to compete. It wasn’t taken from you, it was stolen from you. As seniors you are able to see what is happening in our world. Stand up for those who are not given a fair chance. Learn to be strong for those who can’t speak for themselves. Our world will only become better if we start to live by the understanding of a universal right and wrong, a moral code or value. We can’t just pick and choose as we see fit, it’s important to make sure that justice itself is the leader. Please don’t let emotion and anger guide your path. Recognize what you have lived through, and vow to make it better! Remember your passion for what you believed in, keep that passion, and remember to share it with others!
Second, understand the importance of hearing all voices. There are so many who put so much time and effort into making this world a better place, and yet their voice is not heard. Worst yet, those with the power know these people exist and they still don’t listen. Make sure that you see all involved, and let them have the voice they deserve. Honestly, those that do the most important parts of what happens in this world, are usually the ones who have the least input. Let the voices be heard! It is at that point that we truly learn to embrace all who make our world a better place, for when we recognize each component, it makes the machine that much stronger!!
Lastly, hold those in charge accountable. Make sure that if they are true leaders, then they have done their job of speaking to all who are impacted by their decisions. True leaders understand those who they are making their decisions for. Strong leaders make sure to get input from those they represent, the best leaders take this information and then make the best decision with their constituents best interest in mind. If a leader has done their job, they have created a new generation of leaders, please be leaders!!
It is with sorrow that I write this note. As Senior Spring Sport athletes in the SCVAL you deserved better. You deserved strong voices on your behalf, you deserved leaders who should have understood that your well being was the most important.
Your leaders had the greatest resource a human could ever hold, Hope!! Yet instead of giving you hope, they procrastinated and raised tension, anxiety, stress and gloom. What you deserved fell on deaf ears, closed minds and cold hearts.
Pleas hear my plea, don’t be us. Strive to be better than us. Strive to recognize our mistakes, and use your own experience to make this world a better place.
I can only truly speak from my experience with the senior athletes I have coached, and those I have coached against. These athletes, both from my school and those of others schools have been nothing but awesome. They have made every aspect of competition, one that has been a joy. Each of you has a strength that this world has not seen. It manifests inside of each of you right now!! Don’t rob this world of that gift you have, and that gift is you, because we failed you.
I ask, no, I beg you, embrace these gifts, listen to my words, combine them and make this world better than how we have left it for you. You deserve better, but in our failure I ask each of you to be better. You now have the experience to understand how to lift others up, after society has failed them. Please recognize the strength you have, and do better!!!
You are all special and unique, there is not another like you in the world. Recognize that badge, gain your courage, and do for this world what we failed to do!!!
Danny Dye
Palo Alto Head Swimming Coach
Great letter Coach Dye! It is a shame that Principals made the secret decision to deny Santa Clara county high school athletes the opportunity to participate in the postseaon while all the other leagues in our area will be participating. So far, the only reason the 14 Principals have provided is that “latest of sports in CCS won’t finish until mid-June, when many administrators have scheduled vacation”. Pathetic…
Can someone explain what decision Coach Dye is addressing?
SCVAL High School sports league decision (made by Principals) to not let high school athletes participate in CCS post-season playoffs when all the other leagues in the area will be participating. More information here: https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/5551879-student-athletes-parents-outraged-after-santa-clara-valley-athletic-league-administrators-vote-to-bow-out-of-ccs-playoffs/
Two other threads on here about administrators ignoring students.(SCVAL and Sequoia) They publicly espouse how important it was to get athletics back for the health of students but when they have a chance to expand those options, they turn their backs on them.
For PAUSD, what did Don Austin, Nelson Gifford, Brent Kline, Curt Johansen and Wendy Stratton do to support the student’s opportunity to finish the year with a few playoff games?
All of them are silent. Also, pathetic.
Parent of Paly Alto High athlete here. These kids have lost so much already, pulling out of CCS is insult upon injury. SCVAL is not just canceling a game or meet. CCS is often a four year goal for these players. For some, it represents the end of their sports career, being their last time to demonstrate their accomplishments. For others, it will be validation for all the hard work and daily training they’ve put in. Canceling this opportunity is crushing.
Please remember why we have have athletics in school. It is more than just hoping for a scholarship. It is the life lessons, the social and community bonds, and in these times, it is also a key to students mental health. The goal should be supporting our students, not furthering the impact of the pandemic. If they can safely participate in sports now, they should be able to participate in post-season play.
The SCVAL board owes an explanation for their decision, and they need to revisit it based on the impact.
Danny Dye, thank you for writing this letter and than you for caring so deeply for the kids. Don Austin, Brent Kline and the rest of the SCVAL administrators should be taking lessons from you. Instead they colluded with other administrations to destroy the dreams of high school student athletes just because they could. In the end, no one’s interests are served here. Just avoidable bitter disappointment after a challenging year.
Go, Danny Dye.
What great rules for our community.
Fight for justice.
Understand the importance of hearing all voices.
Hold those in charge accountable.
Unfortunately, PAUSD administrators are not being held accountable for decisions that led to family angst, teenage depression, and lost learning since March 2020. And those who try to fight for justice are put down or, as Danny pointed out, told cliches like “life isn’t fair.”
Go, Danny Dye.
And, thank you.
Real shame for the senior athletes. The only valid reason I can think of to not have playoffs is for health reasons, but that is moot if they are already playing. You can reach your own conclusions about why they decided against playoffs (since they won’t tell us) but clearly they let the kids down.
Thank you Danny for a well written letter and having the courage to call out those in administrative positions you have to work with as a coach. They probably aren’t too pleased to read this. Tough!
I have a grade for PAUSD and SCVAL staff- hmmm how about F-.
wow. the Concernists have taken control, with little recognition of facts, significance of statistics, or balance of life. Sort of embarrassing for such an educated section of CA?
well @swim soccer parent please educate us rather than making such a statement . Point- counterpoint like the good old days when we actually had debates.
@YP sure….I’m not up to preparing a full statistical presentation, but please look at COVID deaths rates for 19-under in Santa Clara Co, and compare to death rate of virtually any other cause of death. 0.3% of COVID deaths in SCC are 19-under, and new cases have dropped to near negligible. For older folks at greater risk: we should all be vaccinated? COVID is an unwelcome new cause of death, but currently in this area, not a major risk relevant to many other causes. Perhaps that will change with new variants. Until then, we need to try hard to live life. Swimming is low risk, as the virus cannot survive in a pool (see CDC website), and competitors are low density in outside air. Hence, we should expect that anyone who wants to cancel should quantify the severity of the risk, and not act on an emotion or a newsmedia hype.
PAUSD Superintendent, School Board, and Paly & Gunn Principals SHAME ON YOU. Pathetic. An embarrasment to yourselves and the district.
Thank you Coach Dye for speaking TRUTH! It doesn’t matter how much PR that Austin and PAUSD does for themselves (newsflash, everyone knows your M.O.), the truth is they do NOT CARE ABOUT THE STUDENTS. This secret decision says it all.
Coach Dye’s Letter to the Students is spot on. I’m so glad we’ll be out of this district when our senior graduates. I’ve never seen such lack of leadership or a so completely inept PAUSD Board and administration. It’s been a full year of willful ignorance of the facts, and dismissal of what’s in the best interest of the students. PAUSD destroyed the seniors year completely unnecessarily when they could’ve been on campus and competing in sports ALL YEAR starting last August, just like the rest of the country. I hope these families affected by SCVAL cancellation’s of CCS sue the behinds off Superintendent Austin, PAUSD, the Board, and the Principals. Because just like the State of CA caved like a cheap suit to LetThemPlay, and had to settle that lawsuit on all accounts giving LetThemPlay everything they asked for because CA had zero ground to stand on keeping youth sports shut down after a year, PAUSD will lose big time. PAUSD: Enjoy that summer vacation fighting a law suit!
I want to be clear. I’m upset and disappointed at the decisions and actions of the SCVAL Board of Managers (including Paly’s Principal and it’s AD) related to the 3 season schedule and CCS participation. Their decisions on the topic are wrong, misguided, and mean spirited. I encourage them to reverse their decision now before it’s too late. To that end, a consortium of SCVAL parents have started a Go Fund Me campaign (https://gofund.me/8ade47fa) to pay for the legal fees related to action against SCVAL. Please contribute if you are able or share with others if you can’t.
That said, I acknowledge that it’s been a difficult year for school administrators (Superintendents, Principals, and ADs) and teachers. They deserve a pat on the back, a heartfelt thank you, and a long holiday regardless of your level of satisfaction with the product they’ve delivered. They do not, however, get a pass for giving up and quitting at the end. Just like any endeavor that gets difficult at the end. They must look deep into their souls and finish like a champion. That effort, that commitment is what defines them; that is the character they are supposed to teach our students.
Thank you Coach Dye and the other coaches, and assistants and trainers that are out there every day for these athletes. Many of you offered safe practices and other activities before the kids could even get to competition, if only to give them respite from the hours of Zoom and social isolation. Hours of conditioning on the deck, or running sprints or serving a ball to no one.
This is so unfair to the Spring Sport Seniors, getting maybe a last chance to find out just how far that hard work has gotten them, or the chance to play hard one more time. I wish we could applaud your efforts one last time, win or lose, cheering you on like a school community should.
Just wait for fall when all those administrators will be out on the sidelines acting like the biggest supporters, when in fact, they failed you in secret. Not all adults are like this – there are many as Coach Dye pointed out, trying to make a difference in all the noise.
I hope the Administration will take a hard look and “run for the finish line”, “push it over the goal” or “hit the grand slam.” An athlete, and student, learns from their mistakes, picks themselves up and tries again. PAUSD, you have time to try again.
I’m thrilled that High School athletics are back in swing! My kids are LOVING it!
A question for Coach Dye, Principals Klein and Stratton, and Dr. Austin:
If kids and their parents are comfortable being back on the field, back in the pool, and back on the court, and our teams all have full rosters, then why are there so many EMPTY classrooms at Paly and Gunn?
If our administration, teachers, coaches, and parents were to exert as much energy getting their kids back into the classroom, there would be a lot more in-person learning.
Why isn’t that happening?
Our energy is pointed at athletics championships, but not filling classrooms?
Is it Dr. Austin? Superintendent Austin? Or should we just call you “Coach”?