Decisions that impact students and their opportunities should be made with transparency, fairness, and community input. Yet, when the Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) announced its plan to phase out field hockey, parents, players, and supporters were left with more questions than answers.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding this decision is that the school administration has not provided any visibility into the reasoning behind it. Without that transparency, it’s impossible to determine what motivated this decision.
With the March 10th meeting approaching, I am asking TVUSD administrators and board members to seriously consider five key questions before making an irreversible decision that affects so many student-athletes.
1️⃣ Is This Decision Primarily Financial?
If cutting field hockey is primarily about budget constraints, then TVUSD should be prepared to present financial data showing that field hockey is more costly than other sports. If funding is the issue, are there alternatives—such as fundraising, booster programs, or grants—that could keep the program alive?
2️⃣ Is This About Lost Classroom Time & Academics?
If administrators are concerned that travel for games is negatively impacting student academic performance, then let’s look at the data. How do the GPAs of field hockey athletes compare to those in other sports? If the concern is educational outcomes, then we should base decisions on real academic comparisons, not assumptions.
3️⃣ Is the Travel Time Itself the Issue?
Field hockey teams in TVUSD travel to compete—but so do many other sports. If travel time is the justification, then it’s only fair to compare field hockey’s travel impact to that of other teams. Is it truly more disruptive than other programs? And if not, does that mean other sports will also be on the chopping block? (We hope not!)
4️⃣ Is This About Field Availability?
If the issue is about field scheduling and availability, then let’s find a practical solution rather than eliminating an entire sport. Coaches across different sports already collaborate to share resources—so why not allow them to work it out together? If field space is limited, the solution should be compromise, not elimination.
5️⃣ Is There Another Reason?
If none of these reasons are the real driving force behind this decision, then what is? The school administrators owe it to students, parents, and the community to be open and honest about what is truly behind this decision. Let’s bring it to light.
Shifting the Conversation: How Do We Save Field Hockey?
The most important shift that must happen in this conversation is changing the focus from explaining why field hockey is being cut to finding ways to keep it alive.
TVUSD Administrators should not be in the business of taking away opportunities from students. Instead, we should be working together—coaches, parents, students, administrators and board—to find solutions that allow this program to continue.
If we don’t make that shift, we are doing these young women a huge disservice.
And they deserve better.
Join the Conversation
📅 Board Meeting: Monday, March 10, 2025
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM
📍 Location: Performing Arts Center at Great Oak High School
The decisions made now will shape the future of girls’ sports in TVUSD. If you care about keeping field hockey alive, show up, ask questions, and make your voice heard.
Let’s work toward solutions, not eliminations.