Fairfax

I am writing to you because I am very upset at the prospect of UC Davis eliminating its aquatic programs and the process under which the decisions are being made.

I am the parent of a high school sophomore. My child has been playing water polo and swimming since elementary school. He is a member of a USA swim team and a club water polo team at the high school level. He has been working many years toward the goal of having the honor of being a member of an aquatics team at the collegiate level.

As you know, maintaining academics at a high level and striving to compete in a sport at a high level require focus, determination, hard work and a dedication to oneÕs studies and sport. A student who works to accomplish these goals will be instilled with skills that spill into adult life and help shape who they are as adults.

Being a part of an aquatics program has taught my son many skills in how to be successful at school and in real life. To take away so much of what is important in shaping the young adults who will ultimately determine the fate of our world is unconscionable.

I respectfully request that:

– UC Davis grant the aquatics teams a one-year window of time to allow the teams a reasonable amount of time to keep their programs alive. It is my understanding that coaches and athletes were not given sufficient time to save their sport.

– That it adhere to the core principles outlined in student referenda that were passed in 1994 and 2003, specifically, that funding should come from the university rather than endowments.

– That UC Davis give consideration to reducing costs in areas that would keep the teams intact.

It is my hope that UC Davis will keep an Òopen ear and mindÓ in making decisions that affect the lives of so many young adult athletes. I would like to see aquatics sports maintain their strong role at our public universities in the future.

Linda Bevilacqua

Fairfax

Comments

comments