Parents warn Plum lacrosse season at risk as high school lacks head coach

Parents and booster leaders told the Plum Borough School District Board of Education on Sept. 23 that the Plum High School boys lacrosse program is without a head coach and risks losing the season without a hire.

The concern came during the public-comment portion of the board’s action meeting, where Janet Jenkins, a Plum resident and vice president of the lacrosse booster club, said the team is “without a coach” even though the season does not start until March and that off-season practices and tournaments already require adult leadership. “We need a coach before it’s too late,” Jenkins said. “This is the future of the program.”

Rob Amon, a Plum resident who also addressed the board, said parents and volunteers have stepped in for practices but that the district must avoid repeatedly reaching a crisis point each hiring cycle. “Had we had this urgency four or five months ago … maybe we wouldn’t find ourselves in the situation we’re in today,” Amon said. He added that a small, committed group of players continued to attend recent practices and that parents have had to answer difficult questions from seniors about the team’s future.

Kristen Major, a Plum resident and parent of a junior player, told the board the gap affects recruiting: “He wants to play in college. You need your high school coach through this process.” Major said some players are relying on club coaches for recruiting communication because there is no high school head coach available to serve as a point of contact. She warned that if the high school program collapses, the youth lacrosse pipeline in the community could suffer.

Board members and district administrators acknowledged the comments and offered to speak with the parents after the meeting. During the meeting the board noted the session was brief because it was a voting meeting and two district officials — Superintendent Thomas (referred to in the meeting as Doctor Thomas) and another administrator — said they would meet with parents and boosters following the session.

The speakers asked the board and administration for an immediate effort to fill the coaching vacancy and to act before tournament commitments and recruiting windows pass. The transcript records parents saying a tournament was already canceled and that two seniors are directly affected; the district did not announce a timeline or a hire during the meeting.

The comments appeared only in the public-comment portion of the meeting; no formal motion or board vote on the lacrosse program or hiring process was recorded in the meeting minutes excerpted in the transcript.

The board did not provide a public staffing timeline at the meeting; district staff offered to continue the conversation with parents after the meeting.