More forfeits dot the Week 3 football schedule - New York State Sportswriters Association
Croton-Harmon will not return to the field this fall. In New York City's PSAL, Flushing and Lafayette are taking forfeits...MORE AT http://newyorksportswriters.org/blog/2026-09-17-more-football-forfeits-on-week-3-schedule.shtml
This has been waiting to happen for years. The idea of merging with another nearby school when this issue arose would have allowed the upperclassmen to play while developing the program for underclassmen, in-house (modified / JV). It was a simple, last option. It was not done and blame falls squarely on the BOE/Admin/failure to hire and retain a quality AD and coaches who at the time, wouldn’t give up program control. Now the players suffer and the better, young athletes have left and are leaving for other schools where sports are regarded as high as academics, music and the arts. Where is the accountability.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a great deal of blame being directed toward the administration and the former Athletic Director regarding the current state of the football program. However, that overlooks a significant amount of what actually occurred last year.
ReplyDeleteSeveral football town hall meetings were held specifically to address declining participation numbers and concerns about whether maintaining a varsity program was sustainable. During those discussions, the former Athletic Director presented the community with three potential options.
The first was exploring a merger with a neighboring district, with Ossining being one possibility. That option received considerable pushback, particularly from families of upperclassmen who were concerned that joining a larger program would negatively impact playing time after their children had already committed several years to Croton football.
The second option was to temporarily operate at the JV level while expanding the modified program to include grades 7–9. The purpose was to rebuild participation from the younger grades and eventually restore a sustainable varsity program. That option also received significant resistance because there was a strong desire within the community to maintain varsity football, particularly with the new turf field.
The third option was to compete at the varsity level through the Hudson Valley Independent League, which included programs dealing with similar participation challenges. Concerns were raised about this option as well, particularly regarding the size and strength of some opponents. Ultimately, this was the path selected.
After two difficult varsity contests and injuries to players, the remainder of that schedule was forfeited. A JV-level schedule was subsequently created, and the team finished 5-2-1 while being competitive in nearly every game.
That history matters when discussing responsibility for where the program stands today. The administration and Athletic Director recognized the participation problem, brought it to the community, and presented multiple alternatives. Each proposed solution received some level of community resistance.
It is also worth considering the continued turnover in the Athletic Director position rather than automatically assigning responsibility to whichever individual happens to hold the position at the time. The district now has another new Athletic Director, this time an administrator with more than 20 years of experience in a successful, larger athletic program, and the same fundamental participation issue has remained.
At some point, the conversation needs to move beyond blaming individual administrators and focus on the larger question: What needs to change within the program and community to rebuild participation and create a football program that is both safe and sustainable for students long-term?
As the first poster stated - the blame does squarely lie on the administration and they are right in saying so. Accountability must exist. The last AD had absolutely nothing to do with this and nobody said that she did. The problem existed long before she arrived. It should have been addressed by now! It’s not about playing time and presenting options to parents, It’s about hiring the right people to make hard decisions and get this program back on track. We are quite sure these upperclassmen would rather be playing in a combined program than not playing at all, with underclassmen on a JV team. By all means looking forward is the key, but in schools as in private corporations, accountability must be had to prevent future issues.
ReplyDeleteI think one has to consider two things, an influx of immigration . The rest of the world soccer is very much the game of choice. Secondly, I would
ReplyDeleteBe more concerned about injuries, especially TBI with a child playing football.
Football programs are built, nurtured, and maintained by the HC. Let’s try and hire one of those first.
ReplyDeleteAnd not retread, go to one of the top programs i.e. Rye, Sommers, Ardsly ect and hire their DC or OC.
And BTW, hiring a AD with zero previous AD, Coaching, or Playing experience was a foolish decision at best.
An Athletic Director does not need to be a former football coach to successfully lead an athletic program. Strong athletic leadership is about building programs, supporting coaches and student-athletes, managing operations, and creating a culture that people want to be part of.
DeleteThe bigger concern should be the continued turnover. While much has been said about the previous Athletic Director’s level of experience, what about the Athletic Directors and coaches before that? Several experienced professionals have left the district and gone on to work in successful athletic programs elsewhere in Westchester.
At some point, the conversation needs to move beyond blaming one individual and instead ask why qualified Athletic Directors and coaches have struggled to stay long-term.
The issues surrounding the football program should be a wake-up call. If the community truly wants a strong and sustainable athletic program, there needs to be an honest examination of the culture, expectations, and support surrounding athletics.
That also means asking what role district leadership is playing. Where are the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents in supporting the athletic department, its coaches, and its long-term direction?
Constant turnover does not build successful programs. Stability, support, accountability, and a community willing to look honestly at the bigger picture do.
The larger issue is that attracting successful, experienced coaches to Croton has become increasingly difficult. Within the athletics community, the program has developed a reputation that makes qualified candidates hesitant to take on these positions.
DeleteComments like this are part of the problem. There seems to be a recurring belief among certain members of the community that they understand how an athletic department or individual program should be operated better than the professionals hired to do the job. In reality, running a successful interscholastic athletic program involves far more than what is visible from the stands.