On December 9th, 2024, Coach Abel was administratively reassigned and told he was no longer authorized to coach the Gila Ridge H.S. wrestling team. Three days later, on Dec. 12th, Coach Abel was given a letter signed by Superintendent Brienza stating that the Superintendent would recommend the school board terminate him as wrestling Coach for the Gila Ridge Hawks. The only reason stated in the written materials given to Coach Abel for this severe and unwarranted action is that a single student athlete (out of approx 80 athletes that tried out for wrestling this year) attended wrestling practice a handful of times between Nov. 4 thru Nov. 20th without completing Register My Athlete and without submitting a sports physical and parent waiver, a violation of AIA rules. As soon as the oversight was discovered on Nov. 20th, Coach Abel told the student he could no longer attend practice until he had completed the clearance process thru Register My Athlete. The student's clearance was marked complete on Dec. 5th.

From our perspective, the AIA violation that occurred was clearly a system failure, not an intentional violation by Coach Abel. Assuring future AIA compliance requires addressing the cracks in the system, not scapegoating Coach Abel with harsh and arbitrary punishment.

Equally distressing to those of us with kids in the Hawks Wrestling program is to see the District not stand behind and support one of its greatest assets. Coach Abel has been instrumental in sculpting the Hawk Wrestling program for seven years. His dedication towards ensuring the growth of the team has seen our program increase to over 80 talented wrestlers. Many of these young athletes have been under Coach Abel's watchful guidance since their middle school days. Coach Abel's commitment to the kids in the program is unparalleled. He's not just creating wrestlers, but instilling confidence, positivity, and a sense of pride.

Coach Abel has long fought for the development and growth of our children, so we now fight for him. We request that Coach Abel be promptly allowed to return to his coaching duties as Head Coach for the Hawks Wrestling program. Please join us as we make our plea for the reinstatement of a beloved mentor and coach. Sign the petition.

Christy Cradic

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