EP Middle School Sports Fans Unite!

Advocates for Middle School Sports Organize

By Bob Rodericks

The site was the Comedy Connection on Warren Avenue complete with a stage and blue lights and a class for prospective comedians wrapping up a lesson as supporters of East Providence’s beleaguered Middle School sports teams arrived promptly at 7 pm Wednesday, February 22nd. However not many of the roughly 65 in attendance were in the mood to laugh. “We’re not here tonight to finger point,” said organizer Donnie Senna, a Martin Middle School parent. “We want to help our kids stay busy after school and we need the support of parents like you,” Senna told the crowd. But some in the crowd did some finger pointing and were not very happy with state budget commission chairman, Michael O’Keefe. It was O’Keefe who ordered the school department to wipe out Middle School sports to save about $100,000. “That’s $100,000 from a $75 million budget,” complained local sports enthusiast Vincent Spremuli. “I was a Middle School teacher for 35 years (not in East Providence) and this is one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard of for our kids,” Spremuli said forcefully. “It’s not my area to decide what to cut- bus routes, something, but kids need this. They look up to these coaches. My grandkids played 3 sports at Riverside Middle School and it was a major part of their life,” he continued. “Because of this Mr. O’Keefe, some 500 kids are now left with no after school sports for their three years in middle school,” said Spremuli.

Kevin Robinson of the KRob Foundation is also helping to organize the effort to save Middle School sports. Robinson is sponsoring another meeting in the Riverside neighborhood. “Our message is to keep our kids active in sports. We pay for kids who can’t afford fees, etc. This is the time when kids are most susceptible and we can’t let this happen,” the EPHS Hall of Famer and world gold medalist told the crowd. “I went to Martin and EPHS and to this day I still say ‘coach’ when I see my former coaches and teachers. I have been to over 30 countries and there is nobody like the people in this city. I love our people and spirit,” Robinson said to loud applause and smiles. “We have to find a solution, keep this in the budget, and make the right choices. We will stand together,” said Robinson.

Resident John Pangborn was critical of the Bacon and Edge consulting report which called for cutting middle school sports. “Youth sports in the community can help but not replace school athletics,” Pangborn said. “We need some suggestions. How about club sports? We need to email the Governor, etc,” he continued.

School Committee chairman Charles Tsonos and member Chrissy Rossi were in attendance. “There are questions that are out there. The committee has asked our lawyers about this issue. You should pass a resolution (seeking sports re-instatement) and ask the school committee to forward it to the budget commission,” Tsonos suggested to the crowd. “Consider it asked,” shouted back the audience. “These are uncharted waters,” continued Tsonos. “No other city has been asked to do this,” he said. Rossi spoke at length at the meeting. “How about pay for play? The state department of education believes our funding formula includes these activities but there isn’t a state law against it,” continued Rossi. Rossi had sharp comments aimed at budget commission chairman Michael O’Keefe. “He threw me out of the last commission meeting. O’Keefe told me he didn’t have time for my questions and made me leave the meeting. He feels he is the lord and master and doesn’t care about us,” said Rossi. Rossi then urged people to attend the next day meeting of the budget commission at city hall. “Make a big scene and fuss. Be there,” she asked.

Kevin Robinson spoke again and asked everyone to remember that, “Kids come first. Let’s keep focused on that as we find a way to keep sports for our young people,” he reiterated. A parent of a special needs child told the group that “special education costs are a big culprit here. Special education is the (spending) problem, not middle school sports. Cutting this $103,000 is short-sighted,” he said. “The money the city spent on the Bradley partnership hurt us. It didn’t work and it cost us,” the parent continued. “My child has special needs and strongly needs activities like sports to be successful in school.”

Parent Roger Forand asked Chrissy Rossi if the “…school committee has offered the budget commission any alternatives? Have you suggested to the state that the $106,000 could come from another area instead of sports?” Forand asked. Rossi responded that she had done that to the commission in an e-mail. “You need to do that publicly, not in e-mails,” Forand chided Rossi. “They won’t allow me to ask questions. They threw me out of the room,” Rossi retorted. But Rossi assured Forand that she will make her budget suggestions public at the next school committee meeting.

“Can we call for a larger scale public meeting with Mr. O’Keefe?” asked some in the crowd. “I will see that the school committee schedule a special meeting and invite Mr. O’Keefe to answer our questions,” pledged Tsonos. “Will he come,” the crowd asked. “I will have him there,” said Tsonos.

State Representative Bob DaSilva was in attendance also. “What troubles me is that our elected officials have no say. Some commission members don’t even live in Rhode Island and are only concerned about dollars and not the impact on our kids and families,” worried DaSilva. “I understand that we have a problem. But this commission isn’t the answer. Some other cities like Providence and Woonsocket and others are in worse financial shape than us and they don’t have a budget commission in their towns,” DaSilva said. “We have two of the state’s most influential legislators in Senator Dan DaPonte and Representative Helio Melo. They are both good people who have some control over this process,” offered DaSilva. “DaPonte and Melo are respective chairs of the senate and house finance committees and this budget commission reports to them,” he said. DaSilva urged those in attendance to contact DaPonte and Melo with “your opinions in this matter. I am totally against this state takeover process as it exists now. I am sending a letter to the Governor to object to this process,” added DaSilva.

Former school committee member Bob Faria attended the meeting and stirred up some spirited give and take between attendees. “I support middle school sports, my kids participated, but I think all-day kindergarten is more important than middle school sports. Cranston has no middle school sports and Providence only competes against other Providence schools. There might be a different way to do this. Maybe we can re-design teams or combine the two middle school teams into just one,” Faria suggested. “There might be more competition this way. You could save by cutting one set of coaches (if two schools combine sports), cut buses, etc.” said faria. “You just cut out half the kids in the city,” shot back Vin Spremuli. “When was Middle School Sports ever a right?” shouted back faria. Some in attendance began to shout out and the tension level in the room rose for the first time in the meeting. Responding to the concern that eliminating half of all sports teams by merger, Faria said “…you don’t make the team then you don’t play. It’s more of the same, this city doesn’t want to change.” “Throw out ideas is ok but don’t throw out kids…” said Spremuli. At this point, organizer Donnie Senna asked for cooler heads to prevail, “let’s not get into arguments,” Senna asked.

Organizer June Coan said that the B&E report which recommended cutting sports has errors in it. “South Kingstown does have middle school sports in contrast to what some have said,” claimed Coan. Some in the room also said that Cranston has middle school sports. That question remains unclear as some communities who have middle school sports may use booster clubs to fund them. The Reporter contacted the Cranston School Department and a spokesperson in the superintendent’s office replied, “no we (Cranston) do not have Middle School Sports.” Adding to this confusion is a RI Principal’s Committee on Athletics (RIPCOA.com) which does list Western Hills Middle School and some other Cranston schools as being members. Although listed as ‘members’ the Reporter could not find any schedules for Cranston teams on the web site.

Finally, a group of middle school students spoke. Nervously, they stood before the assembled adults and talked about wanting to keep their sports. “My wrestling coach at Riverside makes me do my homework and keep up with my grades or I can’t wrestle,” said recent middle school state champion Mario Peoples. “He (wrestling coach) has made me like and do well in school, which I didn’t like so much before,” said an emotional Peoples. He is like my best friend. “I cried when I heard about this,” said a girl from Martin. “The sports keep me busy and interested in school.”

“You are our future!” KRob (Kevin Robinson) stood and told the students. “It takes me back to my days as a student here,” said KRob. “Hang in there. Stay positive and direct your passion toward school success. We will help you.”