Band members were witness to varsity football players leaving the gym in tears. At a private meeting with Principal Justin Mew and head football coach Arnold Martinez, players were informed of the administration’s decision to cancel the remainder of the football season in order to “protect (their) health and well-being.” The decision left varsity players in disbelief with many rejecting the decision.

To many players, football is more than just a sport. Many players had been playing since their childhood and cite it as something that taught them commitment, resilience and the desire to do one’s best.

Senior Joaquin Tafao believes that football is even more than that. He says that, “When I put on the jersey, it’s go time. I represent myself, my family, the school, the players around me.”

Football has always been a sport that the student body and the community has rallied behind. The sport itself and the support surrounding it is a visible, tangible sign of school spirit. Thus, removing something of this scale affects more than just the players on the team.

Seniors wanting to play collegiate football are at a serious disadvantage. Because of the abrupt halt to the season, any hopes of an athletic scholarship were dashed. College scouts can’t recruit players if there aren’t even any games for them to see. In the long run, this decision not only affects many athletes’ future, but it may have even jeopardized it entirely.

Many players felt the initial problem started this year when Martinez wanted to change the football program by strictly enforcing policy. Some varsity players were fed up with Martinez’s insistence on structure and left the team. His “all in or all out” approach frustrated many students.

The team members were unable to adapt to such an abrupt change in coaching method. At the same time, Martinez’s inability to understand that his policy conflicted with Kaiser’s laid-back football culture was a major source of contention from players.

In situations like this one, early action is a must. If Kaiser’s administration had decided to move JV up to varsity sooner or mediated the situation, parent conflicts could have been avoided. They should not have let the problem escalate to the point it did.

Although protecting both the faculty and students’ well-being is a priority, cancelling the season resulted in many missed opportunities and broken dreams for the athletes. By simply cutting the whole season short, everyone is at a loss.

Jolie Ching is a Kaiser High School student, Class of 2018.