It has been several weeks since I last shared my thoughts in this format, as the last school year drew to a close and I spent some time enjoying my summer. The majority of that time was spent with my daughter traveling throughout the northeast for her lacrosse events. For the better part of the past decade or so, I have spent significant amounts of time in rinks, on sidelines, and in dugouts supporting my children’s participation in all sorts of athletic endeavors. In that time, I have learned several lessons, many of which are applicable far beyond the microcosm of youth sports.
One unsavory thing that I have witnessed through the years is the desire of parents to become “insiders,” using access to information and people to gain advantage. From finding out the “right” team or program to play for, to knowing which coach to befriend, I have watched as a small minority of people worked hard to gather information and network in hopes of giving their child access to things that other families did not. On one level, it is good that parents take an active interest in their children’s lives, and it is good that they perform due diligence when paying, in some cases, thousands of dollars to join certain teams. When, however, information and access seem to flow unfairly, the outcomes can be quite negative. Having witnessed the negative impacts of even the perception of insider or privileged information and access in youth sports, I have come to believe that transparency and open access are critical in any organization.
As The Beech Hill School is gearing up for the new school year, I aspire to make the flow of information and the pathways to access for our families very clear. For example, I hope that our families will come to find that the most dependable and reliable source for regular information about the school will come weekly in The Update. In the coming weeks, I will work hard to help our families to learn the most effective communication pathways. For example, if a child will be absent, families should email Office Administrator, Liz Fortier. Likewise, if an 8th grade parent has a question about their child’s experience at BHS, they should email their child’s advisor.
At The Beech Hill School we work hard to make sure that information and access is open and transparent for all families. Throughout the year, I hope to make you all “insiders,” so everyone can have access to all that they need to thrive at BHS!