Parents, boosters urge Plum Borough School District to fill boys lacrosse coaching vacancy to save season

Janet Jenkins, a Plum resident and vice president of the high school lacrosse booster board, told the Plum Borough School District board on Sept. 23 that the boys program is “in very urgent need of help” because it has no head coach ahead of the season that begins in March.

Why it matters: parents, boosters and students said the vacancy threatens not only practices and tournaments this fall and winter but the program’s ability to recruit and keep players for upcoming seasons. Without a high school coach, parents said, seniors could lose their final season and juniors could miss college recruiting opportunities.

Jenkins said the program has been struggling with coaching instability for three years and that volunteers cannot replace a qualified head coach. “The boys have worked so hard. They have sacrificed a lot of time,” Jenkins said. “Frankly, a lot of us are worried that without a coach, we will not have a season this year.”

Rob Amon, a Plum resident who said he has been involved with the program, said parents and volunteers have tried to fill gaps but remain “no closer to a resolution.” Amon described a recent practice where only a small group of committed players attended and two of the team’s three seniors were present. He said the group had already declined an invitation to a possible tournament and that the team has canceled at least one scheduled event because of the staffing uncertainty.

Kristen Major, a Plum resident and parent of a junior player engaged in the college recruiting process, said club coaches have been assisting players but that a high school coach is essential to the formal recruiting communications colleges expect. “If this high school program were to go away because they don't have a coach, that youth program is going to suffer,” Major said.

Board response: after public comments, Doctor Anderson said board and district administrators would speak with the parents and boosters after the meeting; no formal motion or hiring directive was made on the record during the Sept. 23 action meeting. The board did not vote on hiring or reallocating staff at that meeting.

Clarifying details from the meeting: the lacrosse season begins in March; the team runs off-season practices and tournaments now that are affected; volunteers (including fathers) have been assisting at practices; parents said two of three seniors recently attended practice; at least one tournament had been canceled and another was scheduled in November; the booster vice president said district hiring processes can be lengthy and positions in neighboring districts are filling for the upcoming season.

What’s next: parents were invited to speak briefly with Doctor Walsh and Doctor Thomas after the meeting to continue the conversation. The board did not set a public deadline or formal direction for staff to report back on hiring progress.