The Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) held a public webinar yesterday at 2 p.m. in response to student and parent complaints about the sports schedule released on Thursday, January 21. 

The board held an hour-long session of public comment and ultimately moved to maintain the original schedule, with one major change: Season 3 sports — of which some can practice in the red or purple tiers — may begin early on Monday, March 15, should Season 2 orange tier sports get canceled. The board tabled the conversation about postseason competitions until the next public meeting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 4.

Season 1 sports can also resume competition after a brief pause brought on by a parent complaint. 

Overall, the majority of public speakers advocated for an extended Season 3 schedule with the chance to play in a postseason competition, should teams qualify. 

A major concern was statewide equity among players, as SCVAL is one of two leagues in California whose schedule does not currently allow for postseason games. One parent of a baseball and water polo athlete at Palo Alto High School pointed out that SCVAL’s plan is an outlier among other leagues, and that “without involving student athletes, SCVAL decided that 95 percent of leagues are doing something wrong.”

Although a decision about Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs has not been made, Season 3 athletes and parents were concerned about how missing playoffs would affect college recruitment.

Many claimed that without playoffs, the likelihood of being scouted by college reduces significantly. One member of the Los Gatos High School baseball team said that last year’s shortened spring season cost him a recruitment scholarship. Counting on this year’s season to show college coaches his improvement, he said his chances don’t look very promising with a shortened season. 

Wilcox High School varsity soccer coach Joshua Foley noted another concern regarding students who cannot play on club teams, often due to financial constraints. For these athletes, school playoffs are one of the only chances they have to get in touch with college coaches and pursue athletic scholarships. 

Several speakers were also concerned that the Season 3 sports seem to be taking the brunt of cancelations and restrictions in comparison to the other seasons. According to one speaker, Season 3 sports, specifically those which normally play in spring, will have had only 22 percent of the normal two-year varsity season under the current sports schedule. In contrast, some Season 1 and 2 sports will have had 72 percent of their normal seasons. 

In response, another speaker commented that sports outside of Season 3 have had to make sacrifices as well. The swimming and diving teams, for example, lost close to three-quarters of their season last year, their chance of participating in playoffs last year and their postseason tournament this year. 

Through the period of public comment, there was also frustration from parents who wanted to see their kids play a full season.

“Being able to compete in CCS in no way conflicts with anything,” one Paly parent said. “Let them play.” 

Some parents believed that having better representation of students and parents at SCVAL meetings could help prevent future conflicts. One Paly parent asked board members to have the “appropriate insight to advocate for students on campus” in the future and challenged board members to evaluate their level of engagement in athletics. 

There are many obstacles to finding a solution that will satisfy everyone. For example, Title IX regulations dictate that if gender-specific Season 1 sports cannot compete in CCS, neither can their counterparts in consequent seasons. 

There were also concerns about the fact that shortened seasons would harm athletes’ mental health. With the current schedule, some think that athletes may lose vital structure and camaraderie. 

“Basketball is what keeps [my son] going through everything else,” one parent said.

Throughout the public comment section, there was a general sense of urgency and frustration. One player likened missing playoffs to the Giants missing the World Series, and another described his team as “brothers going to war.” 

“We have all taken too many L’s the last eleven months,” a Paly parent said. “It is time for our parents and community members to step up and take our community back from this stupid virus.”

“I think it’s time to let these kids out of jail and let them go play sports and enjoy life,” a Paly parent said.

Despite the numerous challenges, the SCVAL Board of Managers hopes to find a solution that will appease a majority of athletes and parents. The board will revisit the various points made at yesterday’s meeting on Monday, March 15.