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Resident urges addition of a fourth boys volleyball team, cites summer camp participation metric
Summary
A District 211 resident told the board that summer camp participation data support adding a fourth boys varsity team, and criticized the district’s reliance on tryout attendance records that some coaches did not keep.
At the start of public comments, Lee Bennett, a District 211 resident, asked the board to consider adding another boys volleyball sub‑varsity team based on his analysis of participation data.
Bennett said the district’s explanation — that tryout counts show insufficient numbers — relies on inconsistent record‑keeping. He suggested summer camp participation is a better metric because it reflects students who show up and train, and provided a spreadsheet comparing four years of camp participation to roster space across Middle Suburban League competition. In his analysis, boys volleyball placed third in participation behind boys basketball and girls volleyball and would merit a fourth team ahead of other sports with similar rosters, he said.
Bennett asked district officials who could provide contrary numbers; he told the board that some coaches “did not create and or retain records,” making tryout data incomplete. The board did not take action on the request during the meeting; Bennett’s comment was logged for administrative follow‑up.
