A Team Decision

To the Editor:

As captains of the Newtown High School Girl’s Varsity Soccer Team we felt it as necessary to clarify a few misconceptions that were recently written about in The Newtown Bee. It was stated that our coach, Rupert de los Reyes, was responsible for the decisionmaking of the team, specifically regarding the attendance at our most recent dance. This, however, was not the case and it was in fact the entire team’s decision not to attend the dance. A team meeting was held after practice and each player was given an opportunity to voice her opinion. By the end, the vote was unanimous. Everyone decided a run at the State Championship was worth missing one of the potential ten dances offered to students at Newtown High School.

It is important to understand that all of our team decisions are indeed made by the team. Weekend practice times, a team decision; team uniforms, a team decision; fitness workouts, a team decision, to name a few. Being a part of the Girl’s Varsity Soccer Program, as well as any other NHS sports team, is an honorable achievement. Without unified hard work and dedication there can be no team.

In the same sense, although we appreciate the concerns for our program, we must remind everyone that the breakdown of a team, or even program, starts with uninformed players, parents, and spectators. On that same note, it is difficult for us to find reason to complain about how the athletic programs are run at NHS based on our past four years there, let alone find reason to criticize Mr Simon, the athletic director. Not a day goes by where he is not pushing for something to benefit the athletes.

It is not so much Mr Simon’s ability to choose an appropriate coaching staff that should be criticized, but perhaps you should take a step back and evaluate your own role as either a parent, a player, or a spectator in Newtown athletics. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tara Gaston, Alex Konneker, Casey Frobey & Kyla Miles

2005 Girl’s Varsity Soccer Captains

18 Main Street, Newtown                                     November 29, 2005