Martinez is a great city with a rich history. With only one high school in town, there has been a sense of pride surrounding its storied athletic program for generations. Unfortunately, the athletic department at Alhambra has seen a steady decline in recent years. As an example, our football program was historically a DII (corrected) school but is now a D5. We have not had a winning season since 2017 and hold a 4-19 record in our league over the last 5 seasons. Football is not the only sport deficient of wins. Baseball has had one winning season in 5 years, and has struggled to find a good coach to come and stay.  Boys soccer has not had a winning season in a decade. Though Girls' Soccer and both Boys' and Girls' basketball have fared well, it is obvious to many the program as a whole is a mere shell of its former self.

Education is the primary focus of every school, but with 44% of high school students in California (763,000/1,700,000) participating in at least one sport, the importance of athletics can not be ignored. It has gotten to the point where promising Martinez athletes are looking to transfer, go to private schools, or move out of the city completely. This snowball effect causes further damage to an already declining program, as well as takes overall budget dollars away from our school. Talented athletes help win, but there also seems to be a dearth of coaching as well. Over the years qualified coaches have been dismissed, while underperforming coaches have been invited to stay.

This decline has been a topic of discussion for some time, both on social media and in social circles. There have been plenty of parents that have voiced their concerns over the years to deaf ears. On top of their concerns not being addressed, their dismay has led to issues for their children still active in the program. It is time for the community to join together to bring Alhambra Athletics back to a highly competitive level, which is the purpose of this petition. Please join us by signing today. You can use the comment section below if you would like to assist in this process or have firsthand details to share. Thank you for your time and GO DOGS!