Students, parents and the varsity coach urged the Guilderland Central School District Board of Education on Sept. 30 to provide a paid assistant coach for the varsity field hockey program for reasons of equity, safety and competitiveness.

Coach Jennifer Sykes and multiple students described being stretched thin coaching a roster of about 24 players across varsity, junior varsity and youth programs. Sykes said field hockey has not had a paid varsity assistant since the program began in 2002 and compared staffing levels with other field-based sports in the district — soccer, lacrosse and flag football — that do have paid assistants. Several speakers said goalkeepers and position-specific drills need dedicated coaching attention.

Multiple student-athletes and parents echoed the request. Ava Ralston, a freshman JV captain, and several varsity players said having a paid assistant would improve instruction, safety and the team’s competitiveness; one student noted that nearly all opposing teams provide paid assistant coaches. Parents pointed out that newer programs, such as girls flag football, received paid assistants immediately and asked the board to consider parity across sports.

Board members asked questions about when the coach first raised the issue; Sykes and district staff said the request has been raised in internal athletic-department budget conversations for multiple years. Athletic Director Dave Austin said he has advocated for assistants in several sports over multiple budget cycles and that timing and budget constraints affect which positions are funded. He also said some sports have one-time or recurring costs (he cited football reconditioning costs) that affect line-item comparisons across boys and girls budgets.

The board did not vote on the request at the meeting. Board members asked administration to provide a follow-up: a review of assistant-coach allocations across sports, the decisions behind current assignments, and the budget implications of adding assistants.