To the editor:

I wrote the following letter to The Sanibel School on Nov. 15 concerning the girls volleyball team.

Sanibel School,

I’ve waited to send this because I wanted to give the current team structure a fair chance. However, it’s become clear that the decision to create A, B, and C teams was a mistake. Here we are, weeks into the season, and the teams have not improved at all. Why? It’s simple: when the standard for making a team is merely showing up, there’s no accountability, no drive, and no real development happening.

This approach does a disservice to the girls who take their sport seriously. Those who go home and practice, who want to improve, are being held back by a system that prioritizes participation over performance. This is not the real world. In high school, in college, and beyond, success requires effort, dedication, and the ability to meet expectations. By setting the bar this low, we are failing these players.

How can the team improve when every game they’re playing with different teammates? How are they supposed to grow when they aren’t encouraged — let alone required — to practice outside of scheduled sessions? Do you even ask the girls to practice at home? Because I guarantee that if you did, and if you held them accountable for it, you’d see results.

The truth is, we are teaching these players the wrong lesson. Right now, we are telling them that effort doesn’t matter and that everyone gets a spot just for showing up. That mindset guarantees failure, both on the field and off. If we continue like this, we will remain the laughingstock in athletics.

We’ve been clear with our daughter, Dylan: if she doesn’t practice, she doesn’t play. Period. That’s what accountability looks like. That’s what builds winners and prepares them for the challenges ahead. If you’re not instilling this same standard in every player, you are failing them, their teammates, and the program.

If this school is serious about building competitive teams, it needs to start acting like it. Players who put in the work should make the team. Those who don’t, need to practice harder and try again next season. We are not here to appease everyone — we are here to build athletes who understand that success must be earned.

It’s time to step up and take this process seriously. Anything less is a failure of leadership.

On another note: It’s beyond frustrating that Dylan, who has been giving 110% every single day to improve, is being sidelined from the final two games of the season because of a scheduling mess. She’s not just balancing her commitment to the team but also excelling in the Steel Drum Band, and this complete lack of consideration in the schedule is an outright failure to support a hardworking player. Moving the schedule around to “appease everyone” has clearly done the opposite — it’s failed one of your most dedicated athletes. Great job showing her that hard work and commitment don’t matter. Absolutely unacceptable.

Jesse Field

Sanibel