Dear Dr. Skelly,

We, the undersigned, as students, players, parents, family, community members and basketball fans, ask that you return Friday Night basketball to its proper structure and allow Quads during the league season 2021-2022. 

• The current plan pits girls against boys for fans and families -- scheduling 6 pm Varsity GIrls and 6 pm Varsity Boys in opposite locations but at the same time places an undue burden on some families as well as the school staff. The girls and boys teams will not be able to support each other and the community will split. Unfortunately, we can be assured that the girls players & teams will be the ones most harmed.  
• Eliminating Quad games, in itself, does not mean controlling capacity. The state and county have very clear expectations for capacity and, at this time, we have had no problem following them with all other indoor activities (volleyball, drama, etc). We have every reason to think positively that Quad Basketball games will be successful and safe (open stands on both sides of the gym, open doors for ventilation, continuing to mask spectators, etc).
• Currently, SMUHSD teams are attending, and schools are hosting tournaments all through the pre-season which have back-to-back games, multiple gyms, and schools from far and wide. We are fortunate to live in a community with an incredibly high vaccination rate which means playing our own schools, even if it's several games in a row, will be fine if we continue to follow appropriate protocols. 
• Other schools in the PAL have already reorganized to have their boys & girls teams going back to back (mostly in the North Division). The PAL is the only league in the entire Bay Area to eliminate Quads for this season.

We recognize that there are still many safety considerations and that school administrators and staff are feeling stretched.  We are here to help!  It is actually easier to staff only 3 Friday nights rather than 6. We also realize that scheduling situations like this don’t usually end up on your plate, but worry that striking deals one at a time, school by school, will lead to unequal outcomes. Our communities are working hard to come together and restore the sense of pride, belonging and spirit that Friday Night basketball brings. Specifically, the athletes and families on the girls teams don’t want to get left behind,  and those on the boys teams want to stand united with their friends, siblings and schoolmates. 

Fixing this has to happen now. We know this can be done with your leadership and our community support.

Let us try.