Dear editor,

The Jemison High School soccer team is in jeopardy of losing the team because the Chilton County School District isn’t providing the necessary resources such as budgeting for a coach.

We are completely dependent on a positive outcome of next week’s faculty meeting where all hope relies on a current staff member who might be generous enough to volunteer his or her time and energy to lead the soccer team. Our greatest hope is that the Chilton County Board of Education will recognize soccer as a sport that brings positive attention to Jemison High School and the Chilton County School District.

The 2013-2014 JHS soccer team was comprised mostly of Hispanic and black students. All students in our district deserve to have their extracurricular needs met because it makes them better overall students and positive influences in the community. I am hopeful for a positive solution to this potential travesty.

We want our community to know that the soccer players, parents and the previous year’s coach worked very hard at securing the funds necessary to purchase the minimum essentials to participate in a full season including practices, home games and away games. The team has been declared and assigned a region in the 5A division according to AHSAA. We were able to secure the support of our state senator who gave the team $1,000 for the purchase of a set of soccer goals. The coach who was also a Jemison High School science teacher volunteered her time and energy to our children with no compensation. We lost her this school year to Alabaster City Schools.

We need the Chilton County Board of Education, Jemison High School, and our community to help this necessary and beneficial program survive. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Nicole Dixon Henley, Jemison