Following is a portion of letter sent to the Wawasee volleyball coach:
You may be surprised to be receiving this letter; I will assure you up front that the purpose of it is not to be insulting or to direct accusations in any manner. I am writing not only as a proud alumna of Wawasee and a concerned supporter of their athletic programs, but also to provide somewhat of an objective outlook in regards to the decision that you have made concerning my sister.
My sister is quite devastated, so I would much appreciate if you would truly take these words into consideration.
As a teacher, I'm sure you realize that your influence on these kids' lives has great significance. There are few more noble causes than to ensure that future generations will succeed, and that they are upstanding, intelligent citizens. I now have my masters in biology and am in the thick of medical school simply because my biology teacher told me one day that I was truly talented in the subject and continued to offer encouragement. Your words and actions have more of an impact than you may currently realize.
The purpose of school-affiliated athletics was originally to be an organized block of time, after school, for adolescents to have fun, exercise, and learn invaluable lessons about hard work and group interaction.
I believe it a great travesty when we purposely deny our youth these opportunities. It is heart wrenching that our society allows programs affiliated with our school systems to begin breaking down the spirits of our hopeful youth. But then again, what better time than the present to teach them that it doesn't matter how hard you try, how much commitment you show, how enthusiastic you may be, sometimes you just can't succeed. In fact, you may also have to sit back and watch others less deserving come out on top.
I understand that winning is desirable and should be the end goal that everyone is working to achieve. Insightful, talented, compassionate coaches, however, should be able to take any group of dedicated athletes and transform them into powerhouse teams. The only setback for great coaches should be getting enough players who possess determination and dedication to the sport.
My sister has unquestionably shown this dedication to the volleyball program. In the two weeks I was able to spend at home this summer, she was all volleyball, all the time. She would make sure to have her things laid out the night before; she would get up at 6 a.m. everyday (which I personally don't even understand) because she actually quotes you in that, "if you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late." This is one of the many values that athletic involvement has taught her, and it is those values that should be the focus of school athletics.
My question is, have high school sports really become so jaded that spirited, passionate, talented young athletes like my sister are turned away after years of hard work and now must miss out on a huge part of what makes high school so memorable? She is in the best shape of her life, she is 16, and she is only in high school once. Playing team sports is a unique experience that most will never have again, and one that she does not deserve to have ripped away from her.
The hours of practice (actually years of practice) that she has dedicated toward volleyball have been under your guidance and I cannot believe that now as a junior she simply is not "needed on the team". My sister is a great player and always trying to improve. She is spirited and optimistic. She is role model and a leader. She has put in her time, you have invested time in her, and you both have a great pride in your team - a team that I feel will be suffering an unfortunate and unnecessary loss.
I am a very disappointed honorary Wawasee Athlete alumna.
