Education Town Hall exposes deepening school sports struggles

Not having a place to call home court is proving to be a tough loss for student athletes at Simon Sanchez High, who are still without a campus to call their own.

The issue trickled down to the single gym in Yigo, which is becoming increasingly harder to score, as juggling the needs of outside leagues and school teams becomes a balancing act. 

“I was in receipt of some concerns from the Simon Sanchez volleyball team—they had been practicing at the Yigo gym, and they were informed there was a league starting, so they weren’t going to be able to use the Yigo gym to practice anymore,” said Senator Chris Barnett. 

Ethan Cruz with the Yigo Mayor’s Office explained the league had confirmed the space before Sanchez's request and even agreed to move  some of its practice days. 

Still, Cruz is looking to find middle ground, bringing this play to Monday's Education Town Hall. 

“To see if there was a way to partition off or utilize either FBLG or Simon Sanchez’s gym to help ease the load of the indoor sports,” said Cruz. 

But the Guam Department of Education said that’s just not a playable option, since Sanchez doesn’t have an active sanitary permit, prohibiting anyone from the campus. 

“I’m not saying anything about any mayor–but we really have to support these kids. Simon Sanchez students—they’re going through enough already. If anything, they should be using the facilities in Yigo, hopefully, or Dededo—but we’re already putting these kids through so much, and I don’t understand what the issue is with trying to find a place for them to practice volleyball,” said Sen. Barnett. 

It’s a similar issue students at F.B. Leon Guerrero is facing too as they continue on a double session schedule at Okkodo High School.

“We appreciate that the mayor is trying to help us, but at the same token, where else can we go,” said FBLG Principal, Alyssa Mafnas. 

The simon sanchez rebuild is currently in active procurement, while FBLG’s refurbishment remains in a 45-day timeout, pending resolution over American Rescue Plan funding.

Meantime, Senator Barnett confirmed that the Astumbo Gym in Dededo has made room for the Sanchez volleyball team, at least for now.