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LETTER: Kwantlen gave varsity athletes the shaft in Surrey

The Editor,

Re: "KPU spikes varsity athletics," the Now, July 16.

As a parent of an athlete affected by Kwantlen Polytechnic University's decision to eliminate varsity athletics after the 2015/16 season, I am disturbed about how this decision was reached.

Coaches, athletes and their families were blindsided with this decision - which came down on July 8 - and were then notified the following day that their seasons would continue.

This now appears to be in jeopardy. No consultation happened with any of the involved parties, including the athletic director, who was promptly fired the day he returned from vacation.

Athletes and parents, along with coaches, did not get any explanation until July 16. Why was there no consultation prior to making such a decision? Why was this not done much earlier in the year, allowing all student athletes to try out for new school teams, enabling them to begin or continue their degrees and athletics?

Students are in a terrible position now. Most have already registered for classes. It is too late to make changes now and sadly, if varsity athletics are eliminated now, they will probably never come back. This is another blemish on Surrey's reputation.

Josephine Smith, Surrey



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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