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Open Letter to Principal Principal Keri Lew

December 3, 2012

Principal Keri Lew,

I regret having to write you this letter.

When I was hired to coach the first, girls varsity soccer team at Rancho Dominguez High School, I was very excited for the privilege and responsibility. Even though Leland Wong, athletic director, scheduled just 13 games (8 of them were league games), he said I would get to choose the team jerseys and order equipment. However, we had to forfeit our first soccer match against Manual Arts HS because we didn’t have any jerseys. We also had to wear street clothes for our first scrimmage. As of December 3, we still don’t have our uniforms. Your assistant athletic director said we may have to wear girls volleyball uniforms.

The most critical problem is probably the lack of soccer balls. Only a couple of girls have their own balls, so not having soccer balls to practice with has been exceptionally difficult. We cannot run certain exercises to enhance certain skills without the proper equipment. He said he ordered balls and jerseys, but they haven’t arrived. I had a company I wanted to use and he implied I could use them, but he and the JV coach ordered them without me.

When I was hired, Leland Wong said there was an $18,000 budget for the girls soccer program. However, we can’t get a new net or a speed ladder for some reason. Referees won’t let a game begin if there is a hole in the net and our nets have several of them. We also need an off-color goalie jersey and some gloves for her to use.

I’ve repeatedly asked Leland for a first aid kit, but he hasn’t given me one. We have to have a first aid kit at every practice. Some girls have gotten cuts and scrapes and we don’t have any antiseptic or band aids for them.

Leland gave the Varsity boys and the JV boys field priority over the entire girls program. I’ve spoken to the JV boys coach because some girls on the Varsity team want scholarships. They also want their name in the paper. These sorts of things are not a consideration at the JV level. Consequently, me and my team should have worked out a main field schedule with the Varsity boys coach, but instead, the girls were left out, receiving a poor schedule with important practice days spent on the adjacent baseball field outfield.

I’m very concerned that Leland didn’t properly advertise the girls soccer program at school. I’ve personally met about 35 people who have shown interest in soccer. However, 4-5 of them did not come out and 4-5 quit because they didn’t want to play for the JV coach Lily Montano. Without a JV program, the Varsity program will never become anything. They have to be trained at a lower level and be ready to feed into the Varsity program.

Leland has scheduled some Wednesday games. However, I’ve been told that Tuesday is a special day for studying and students cannot practice soccer. If this is true, scheduling soccer games on Wednesdays was a horrible idea because the girls need more time to practice and focus on the upcoming game. The more time in between a practice and the game gives them more time to lose focus and forget what they learned. Also, scheduling games on Mondays is and was a poor idea.

The girls can play a total of 20 soccer games. However, Leland only scheduled 13 and one was canceled. I scheduled the scrimmage with a big school after repeatedly asking Leland for help selecting a smaller school to play against. With only 60% of the allowed games scheduled, it does not seem like Leland has given the girls enough of an opportunity to play.

Several times, Leland and I had a communication problem. I emailed him or expected one thing and he did another. One time, when my folder was stolen, I told him I needed a new paper that showed me the livescan fingerprinting locations and it took him about 2 weeks to get it to me. He was also exceptionally slow with first telling me an online coaching course was necessary, then giving me a discount coupon and the web site address. Proper and prompt communication with my athletic director is critical for a program that works like clockwork.

I was never given the medical release cards for the players. The coach must have every medical release card at every practice and at every game, in case a player gets hurt. I'm very concerned that Nurse Liu is only there Mondays, Wednesdays and every other Friday and only until 3pm those days. If a student gets hurt at practice or a game, there is nowhere to send her.

Finally, the soccer field’s dimensions are not compatible with the current team’s dynamics. Soccer fields can be between 80 and 120 yards long and even when I moved the goals in 10 yards a side, Leland moved them back and insisted I mind the painted lines on the field without changing it. Therefore, this field was designed to serve this field and not our team. It’s important to adjust the field size to your team’s fitness level and makeup and since we do not have any cross country runners on our team, for instance, they would excel with a smaller field.

I had intended on coaching this team for multiple years, scheduling next year’s games and training many soccer athletes. In fact, we already received a transfer student who was going to play for me and she had experience at another school. However, I simply cannot work like this.

For these reasons and some others I’d prefer not to mention here, I resign. I cannot coach the girls soccer team in this sort of situation. Also, I will not return to practice or discuss these matters with the girls. I feel it would be counterproductive for me to return and talk to them about these business matters and I’d like them to have some sort of season with some sort of coach instead of be angry, quit and have no season.

I expect to be paid from October 26 until December 3. I worked many hard hours during this time. Please notify the district they need to disburse 1/3 of my $2000 stipend agreed upon by Leland Wong.

Best of luck.

Sincerely,

Jason Gastrich