Chicago Public Schools students are making the message clear to school officials that the students, coaches and parents want to have sophomore-level sports reinstated within the school district. To help deal with a hefty system-wide cash crunch, CPS offic
Chicago Public Schools have put sophomore level sports on an indefinite hiatus. The decision was made as CPS copes with an estimated $600 million budget deficit, but it’s a decision that’s created confusion, disappointment and bitterness for athletes, coaches and parents. The announcement was in a memorandum sent to schools earlier this month by the CPS sports administra. CPS spokeswoman Monique Bond said the decision was made to “consolidate” sophomore sports into the freshman and varsity squads and is projected to save a half million dollars. The memorandum made it clear that only freshman and varsity sports were authorized to begin practice for the spring, and that no money would be allocated for sophomore teams. Bond said the decision was announced so that sophomore coaches would not go ahead with outfitting and preparing teams when they would not be paid for their efforts. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the nearly 6,000 student-athletes who had just earned spots on sophomore rosters and had spent months conditioning in eager anticipation of the spring sports season. “These kids worked hard for three months and then showed up one day for practice and were told to turn around and go home,” said Jim Velez, a baseball coach at Lane Tech high schoo. Missing out on sports on any level is traumatic for a high school athlete, but sophomore year is a critical bridge between frosh and varsity and cannot be replaced, said Velez. “Sophomore year is an extremely important year,” he said. “The level of performance between freshman and sophomore year is dramatic.” “They will still be able to play varsity and freshman sports,” Bond said. “Sports is very important to us. That is going to be a priority, to keep kids involved in sports at every level.” The prospect of not having a sophomore season has Lane Tech’s freshman baseball team feeling anxious as well. They need the sophomore experience on the field to improve as players and develop mentally and physically enough to compete on the varsity level, but they aren’t sure they’ll have the chance next spring. “It’s going to be hard,” said freshman Daniel Birt. “Starting at the freshman level your skills aren’t fully developed yet. That’s why they have the sophomore level – to build upon what you did freshman year. I don’t see how you can go from being a freshman to playing with juniors and seniors on the varsity level. It just doesn’t make sense to me at all.” Whitney Young sophomore Guillermo Perez was also stunned by the cutting of sophomore baseball. “In the beginning it completely threw me into shock,” said Perez. “Baseball is pretty much what I live for. I grew up with the sport and I love the game. When they said, ‘sorry you can’t play this year,’ I was completely upset.” The elimination of sophomore sports is having an impact on more than just baseball. Volleyball, softball, water polo and lacrosse are also having to make cuts and adjust rosters. Lane Tech track and field coach Kris Roof said he is still working on a plan to keep everyone on his team in action this outdoor season. Some sophomores are talented enough to compete at the varsity level, but those who aren’t may be cut or relegated to just practicing or running in exhibition meets. “It will be the first time since I’ve been involved in track that I’ve actually got to cut people,” said Roof, who sees track as an all-inclusive sport that should keep everyone on board. “It’s the wrong plan and I’m afraid to see what happens. The last thing we need is another 100 kids on the corner. Give them something to do and give them a chance to get into college,” he said. The cuts have have also caught the attention of parents, and Lane Tech had a protest to highlight the issue. Theresa Rowe, whose son is a sophomore on the track team, organized the event and she is determined to let CPS and the entire Chicago area know that making financial decisions that take away from the students is not the right approach. “The kids are suffering because of adult’s mistakes. There are so many other areas that could be cut before you ever affect a child,” said Rowe. She also points out that many athletes have already purchased uniforms and that they’ve been conditioning for months to be ready to perform. To learn that they can’t play is too much to ask of a kid. “Do you know what a downfall that is for a child?” Rowe questioned. “We’re not standing for this. Cut in other areas. Big mistake. Wrong move.” Making cuts to sports at CPS is also the wrong move in the eyes of King College Prep athletic director Lonnie Williams. He doesn’t see anything positive that can come out of it. He believes the cuts will set CPS sports back as far as competing with suburban schools that still have sophomore sports. And he said it’s possible that students will lose interest in sports completely if they have to sit out sophomore year. “I think it’s bad for them to cut any level of sports,” Williams said. “If anything we need more sports like suburban schools who not only have sophomore teams but also A and B teams at the freshman level.” “What’s going to happen during that year he or she is out of sports?” he asked. “They might lose interest in sports and in some cases drop out of school entirely.” Currently, many sophomore athletes are still practicing on their own in hopes that sophomore sports will be reinstated. CPS has allowed for the expansion of varsity rosters, so some sophomores who are talented enough can move up and play with the juniors and seniors. But if they can’t play, it will be very difficult to watch friends and teammates take the field without them. “It’s on a lot more personal level for us because this is what we love to do,” said Whitney Young’s Perez. “They’re looking at statistics and how they can save money, but they don’t see it how we do out here on the base paths in the dirt and grass. I believe there should be other ways to save money and still keep the sport because it helps a lot of people and a lot of kids.”
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