Contreras football coach resigns in protest for not allowing offseason training

Contreras football coach Manuel Guevara said he and his staff have resigned after being told they would not be permitted to hold any offseason workouts with players. He said he usually starts in January with weight training and speed training, but those would be prohibited even though he doesn’t get paid and the training happens after school.

“We can’t have any contact with athletes until the summer,” Guevara said.

He said he was told all sports at Contreras would not be able to work out in their offseasons in an effort to increase participation in other sports.

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The Los Angeles Unified School District released the following statement on Thursday: “The decision to limit offseason workouts for football players at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex is unique. It aims to give students the opportunity to participate in multiple sports throughout the year without the pressure of dedicating all their time to one single team. This limitation applies to all sports and all schools on this campus and was unanimously decided by principals after receiving feedback from students and coaches.”

Guevara said some football players were distraught and contemplating transferring. Guevara has been head coach for two seasons and worked at Contreras for 16 years.

Contreras soccer coach Eder Puga Garcia, who led his team to a City Section title last season, resigned after similar objections to offseason workouts from the school administration.

In high school sports, many football programs train year round. If Contreras sticks with its new policy, it remains to be seen if any coach would want to take on the responsibility of putting together a competitive team with the new restrictions.

In September, a parent, Abner Garcia, wrote a letter pleading for the school to help its athletes.

The letter states: “Our students already live in a neighborhood surrounded by gangs and drugs. Just a mile west of this school lies a park infested by homelessness, gangs, violence, in simple words, a sad reality of what we as parents are trying to keep these students away from.

“Football has been the heart of a schools tradition of unity and perseverance. High school students aspire to be part of this team. Rainy days, hot summer days, no matter what, the show must carry on and our students train. Train for those nights where the lights go on, cheerleaders cheer, families and friends fill the bleachers to see two different schools demonstrate their grit, their hard work. Yes, not everyone is perfect, but I can vouch that every parent is proud of their own child.

“Taking away from school’s sports does not only affect the students and coaches, it affects the grades, it affects the friends, the families, the communities, and the school’s overall performance. When you take away from a kid what makes them a kid, you take away their want to strive for better, their creativity, their inner child that allows them to lets loose and know that life is not just work.”