NC TarDevils: Support CH/Carr FH

Learn HOW to Support FH programs in MS & HS

1)  http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/#!/pages/Save-Chapel-Hill-Carrboro-Field-Hockey/195375503828579 letters are being posted.

2)Info on Thursdays' meeting: The Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the Superintendent's Recommended Budget at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, at Chapel Hill Town Hall.
PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT FIELD HOCKEY!

 Any one who wants to speak at Thursday's Board meeting should call or email Donna Wyatt in the Superintendent's office to get on the agenda:
Phone: 967-8211 (x28226)
Email: dwyatt@chccs.k12.nc.us

3) "Dear Field Hockey Families,

Monday night’s meeting went so so for high school field hockey we will not have our program cut (we will more than likely loose an assistant coach) we need to get to work to support middle school field hockey.

Scarlett Steinert spoke and confirmed that middle school field hockey is on the block to be cut.

If field hockey at the middle school level is cut then we would surely fall short with our national rankings. ECHHS finished 7th in the nation last year. I believe CHHS and CHS will be in the top rankings in the next year based on the number of athletes from both schools that are playing year round.

Please contact your middle schools AD and express your support for field hockey. Please copy Scarlett K. Steiner, on all emails she is Physical Education & Athletics Coordinator 919-967-8211 x28284 ssteinert@chccs.k12.nc.us for Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools.

Please come to the school board meeting Thursday night at 7pm ready to speak.

I encourage everyone from all schools to get involved. Field Hockey is growing in NC; teams are being added in the state. If our district makes cuts at the middle school level we lessen our chances to become state sanctioned in the future.

Please send this out to any one you know who has a daughter who loves field hockey!

Thank you for all your support, "

...........

4)Email your school board members. All emails are at this link!

Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools Board of Education | Meeting Agendas | Schedule | Policy | Minut
www2.chccs.k12.nc.us
Annetta Streater H12 Highland Hills, 180 BPW Club Rd., Carrboro, NC 27510 (919) 918-2037astreater@chccs.k12.nc.us Four-year term expires in 2011


Comments & letters

As quoted form a school Board Member at CHCCS
"Regarding field hockey, the good news is that the Board hasn't even agreed to any athletic budget cuts yet. The bad news is that the NC General Assembly may force us to make between 2 to 6 MILLION dollars worth of cuts. However, the other good news is that at least three of us are well aware of the CHCCS field hockey teams' success on the field and its importance to the lives of the players off the field.

So.... I can't make any promises except that I'll have a lot more gray hair by the end of this budget season if the NC General Assembly makes good on its plan to cut the education budget to the point that CHCCS has to make cuts over $2 million. We have been planning for this rainy day but can't absorb more than $2 million of cuts without harming the student experience. I'd encourage folks to contact members of the General Assembly, not asking them to protect field hockey (which they might dismiss as a narrow special interest), but asking them to protect all aspects of public education. Our delegation (Hackney, Insko and Kinnaird) are very supportive of education but if anybody in the extended field hockey family has friends in other areas of the state with, frankly, Republican legislators, it would be fantastic if they would lobby their legislators to protect public education. "

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Hello School Board Members

I read that your are to consider budget cuts in school sports on Thursday night. It has been proposed to you that you eliminate Field Hockey in middle schools. Agreed, in tough times cuts must be made by all. But ELIMINATING ONE SPORT, and only one is a VERY BAD IDEA.

Field Hockey is very popular here, and has provided a lifetime worth of positive sports experiences for many, including my daughter (now 21) who started field hockey at Culbreth. Following strong middle school programs, she and her teammates at CHHS, along with those at East, have won many state high school championships for our school system. One strong factor in those state championships is the development of players in the middle schools. Also, many of our players who started FH in middle school have gone on to play in college. 5 of our alumni were on the 2007 UNC NCAA Championship team.

Should you vote to cut Field Hockey in middle school, I think you will find the injustice of that would cause a strong reaction. It is astounding to me that anyone would propose that. LET EVERYONE SHARE THE BURDEN OF NECESSARY CUTS EVENLY. I can't imagine that this would be proposed without checking Title IX, but in case no one has thought of that, I can assure you that many affected families will look at Title IX if Field Hockey (all female sport here) is singled out for elimination.

Please be even and fair about necessary cutbacks!

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I am the parent of a student in the Durham Public Schools and am urging you on behalf of the girls in that system to please not cut the field hockey program in your schools. Despite your statewide dominance in field hockey, we here in Durham, always enjoy playing against your teams. Further, it is your systems long time commitment to the sport that we point to as we try to get the DPS to provide more support for our fledgling programs. Your potential abandonment of the program would be devastating to our efforts here.

There are so few athletic outlets available to girls at the high school level, to remove even one would be a severe blow that would be felt statewide. In a state that boasts frequent national champion women's field hockey teams with programs at Wake Forest, Duke and UNC, it would be a terrible signal to the young women of our state for any of our public systems to drop field hockey from high schools where it is already in place.

Thank you for your consideration.

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Natalie Gallo
North Carolina is finally beginning to receive recognition from college coaches in the past few years and has given rise to many athletes continuing their field hockey careers at the collegiate and club field levels. Without these programs, which are some of the best in the state, the level of competition will drop, and North Carolina... will lose any interest from college coaches for the few players who continue to play. I was told by multiple college coaches in high school that they dont even look at players from north carolina just a few years ago, but almost every member of the TarDevils field hockey U19 club team is being recruited by college teams. The progress this state has made for field hockey players is incredible and it's truly terrible to cut programs that are allowing student athletes to continue their passion and contribute/compete at a higher level and bring them more opportunities.

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Dear Donnae:

I signed up to speak at the meeting. My daughter, Taylor Wahrenbrock, first played field hockey in 8th grade (2004) at Culbreth Middle School. Before 8th grade, Taylor never touched a field hockey stick. Thanks to the opportunity provided by Coach Carrino, Taylor was provided a stick, and the opportunity to begin learning to play field hockey. Taylor played on the JV Field Hockey team her Freshmen and Sophomore years at Chapel Hill, varsity her junior and senior years and scored the winning goal in a penalty shot against East CH in 2008. Chapel Hill went on to win the State Championship that year and Taylor scored a goal and had an assist. Taylor is a rising senior on the Division II St. Michael's Field Hockey team in Burlington, VT. She started every game last year, and is a candidate for captain this year. Through Field Hockey she was able to travel to Europe her freshmen year and play with elite level players. She was able to attend a leadership conference for women. She has most importantly, learned how to travel with a team on a bus to games in various parts of New England. The bottom line--without middle school Field Hockey Taylor's life would have been dramatically different. I look forward to sharing her story tomorrow night.

Best,

Scott Wahrenbrock

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Bonnie Wilson
Abby McNeal, Katie Knapp, and I all have played on the NC State club field hockey team. We all started playing in middle school. If I hadn't started then, who knows if I would have played in high school. Cutting middle school field hockey teams would be a direct threat to the survival of the sport at the high school level. Why would these athletic directors want to threaten one of the ONLY sport that gives any of their high schools any success in their athletic programs? My sister Katie Wilson is a freshman, a varsity field hockey player/varsity lacrosse player/qualified for regionals in swimming and these people think that field hockey players aren't true athletes? give me a BREAK.
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Karen Sanders
There are several sports at the middle schools that are not "school or district" sponsored. The parents of the students must pay to play. Most people do not know of this issue. This includes girls tennis and girls lax - the only two I can speak from experience about. When the students are put in a pay to play position then only the parents who are able to pay and participate in transporting our students can play - if pay to play becomes the norm for our middle school, we have again put some at a disadvantage. And the only option for a middle school student to earn any money towards a sport would be to work at the Thrift Shop.

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Jeff Watts
After the disturbing news received today about the Field Hockey program in the our local school system being cut out just because it is not a state sanction sport in NC is not an excuse. A program is built from the ground up just like a house, a good foundation, great structure, and support is what has built all school sports. You can not look at what it cost the system, but what we will loose by taking it away. You have groups of girls from so many different backgrounds of life coming together, working together as a team, things they will take to college, and on to life with all their future endeavors.
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Cindy Parks
The important thing here is that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools dominate the state in this sport because our players have had the advantage of the opportunity to be introduced to the sport in MIDDLE SCHOOL. Other public high school ...programs in the state are having a very hard time getting established and are always frustrated because they do not have middle school programs (club or otherwise) to feed their high school programs. Chapel Hill-Carrboro students always have the advantage there. I don't know of any time that the CHCCS high schools have had a problem filling JV and Varsity teams, so obviously, the middle school introduction is working & young women enjoy the opportunity to play a field sport (in addition to or in lieu of soccer and/or LAX). The general public has no understanding of this sport and no appreciation for it. AD's included. To them, it's a pain to have to share the field space, line the fields, maintain the goals, find coaches and find officials. This is what makes field hockey an easy target in tough economic times. Soccer is king/queen here and lacrosse has made much greater strides in popularity than field hockey. The only reason we've been able to keep it for as long as we have here in Chapel Hill is because UNC and Duke have such successful programs that it makes it a little more difficult to ignore. It will be an uphill battle all the way to keep public school funding for it. Good luck on Thursday.
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Hello Donnae,

 

I heard this broadcast on NPR this morning and thought of the Field Hockey situation/Chapel Hill Schools.  There is discussion about the lack of foresight being used by schools that are cutting athletic programs because of budgetary constraints.  They propose (while acknowledging that it would never fly) that if any sport is to be eliminated, it should be football.  They suggest football because of the high costs and all of the relevant/related safety concerns with head injuries.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/16/134533821/budget-cuts-put-school-sports-on-chopping-block?ft=1&f=3&&

I’m not on Facebook, so if you think it is worthwhile, please post the link.

I’m not clear on why Field Hockey is being targeted by the district……..while I don’t agree with cutting any sports, Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation and local “clubs” offer plenty of opportunities for play for those participating in football, baseball, softball, lax, cross country/track, volleyball, tennis, etc.  Field Hockey is probably the least served sport in the community from what I can see. 

Thanks,

Beth Ann Ghio

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Anna Long
I started playing field hockey in middle school and loved it from the beginning. It has brought me many opportunities with regard to education and athletics. I am now on the team at Appalachian State University and I cannot picture my life without the game. However, I doubt I would have played in high school had I not been exposed to field hockey in middle school. My little sister, Isabel, will start 6th grade next year and has been looking forward to playing for some time now. I would hate to see that opportunity be taken away from her and other young athletes.
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Dear School Board Members, 
 
I am writing the message to offer my strong support for the Middle School Field Hockey program in Chapel Hill. Let me tell you about my personal experience as I believe it is representative of many families with daughters playing field hockey in Chapel Hill. My daughter (Jess Barfield) became involved in field hockey in 6th grade while attending Phillips Middle School. She is now a Junior at Chapel Hill High School. When September 1st of her Junior year arrived, she was then eligible to receive email and regular mail from college coaches for recruitment purposes. She received about 50 contacts from colleges, and has since visited Harvard, Princeton, and has been invited to visit Yale and Dartmouth. In addition, she has an offer to play Division I field hockey at an ACC school. NONE of this would have happened if she had not started playing field hockey in Middle School. Further, field hockey is a sponsored sport in states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and our local girls often compete against such girls in national tournaments. Jess, representing our State and Chapel Hill High, has come in first in several national tournaments; again, NONE of this would have been possible had she not been exposed to field hockey in Middle School. After seeing the competition at national tournaments, I can tell you, without getting exposure to field hockey in Middle School, our girls will be at a tremendous disadvantage in competition, and will be passed over when opportunities to play in college come along. Based on the success of our girls in field hockey, and the college education they have received as a result of being recruited to play field hockey, the benefits of the sport far surpass the cost to the district for the Middle School Program. Given the success of the Middle School program, and that such programs feed players into the Chapel Hill and Carrboro High Schools, and given that 9th grade is far too late to begin to learn the skills associated with the sport, a vote against Middle School field hockey, is also a vote against the sport in High School. Surely, we can find a way to keep one of our “crown jewel” athletic programs alive and well in Chapel Hill. There must be around 150-200 girls playing the sport in Chapel Hill and Carrboro at the Middle School and High School levels- therefore we ask that you work with us in saving the sport, and by doing so, strengthening the future of one of our most precious Chapel Hill resources, our daughters. Please do not hesitate to contact me for further information or help in solving this very solvable problem. Many parents and players are here to help, lets move forward together. 
 
Sincerely yours, 
 
Dr. Woodrow Barfield 
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Dr. Barfield

On behalf of the whole school board, I acknowledge receipt of your email. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. 

You will be pleased to hear that the Superintendent has communicated that he no longer supports removing middle school field hockey. 

Best,
Shell Brownstein
Board of Education, Member
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Dear Ms. Kasold:

On behalf of the whole school board, I acknowledge receipt of your email. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. 

You will be pleased to hear that the Superintendent has communicated that he no longer supports removing middle school field hockey. 

Congratulations on all your post CHCCS field hockey successes!

Best regards,

Mia Burroughs
Vice Chair
Chapel Hill Carrboro Board of Education

On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 7:43 PM, Michelle Kasold <mkasold@hotmail.com> wrote:
Dear CHCCS Board Members,

My name is Michelle Kasold and I am a member of the US Women's National Team. I have been on the team since 2006 and none of this would have ever been possible without the opportunities I received playing field hockey in CHCCS. I attended Phillips MS and East Chapel Hill HS where I played field hockey and gained much of the experience that was needed to take me to the next level- including a college scholarship, Jr. National Teams, and now the Sr. National Team. I have written a letter (attached to this e-mail) which states just how important all of this was and still is in the success of my career.

As I strive for Olympic Gold in London next year, I always know that I never would have made it to where I am today without the middle and high school field hockey programs in Chapel Hill. Without a doubt, the most important part of my development as a player was at the beginning, in Chapel Hill, on these teams.

I really hope you take what I have say into serious consideration. Some of my best memories playing hockey have been from these teams, and that is saying a lot because I have traveled all around the world to play.

I would love nothing more than to bring home a gold medal to Chapel Hill- and then one day in the future see another (or multiple) star from the area raise a gold medal as well.

I know this decision won't be made lightly, as it is of such high importance to so many people. I really hope the sport can continue to grow and Chapel Hill as well as North Carolina so that our state can become known as a field hockey powerhouse.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.


Sincerely,

Michelle Kasold
ECHHS '05
WFU '09
US National Team 2006-present

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First, I was at a Public School Foundation board meeting last night and spoke
afterwards with Jamezetta Bedford and Neil Pederson about supporting field
hockey in the budget.  Both reiterated their support for field hockey - Neil
noted that his daughter played at Phillips and is advocate for m.s. field
hockey, Jamezetta is a life-time field hockey supporter and managed the Va.
field hockey team.  Both commented on how positive  all the emails and calls of
support had been.  Jamezetta also noted however that this recommendation had
come up from the ADs.  I take from that comment that we should continue to make
certain that the ADs at all the schools understand the importance of field
hockey to our overall sports programs.  I am booster president at Smith so I'll
take that one.

Thank you

Margaret Conrad
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