Boys' basketball: It's the Twilight Zone at Ayala

Chino Hills Ayala has become the example of what's wrong in high school boys' basketball. The last two competent basketball coaches, Tom Gregory and Kenny Donovan, have been fired in the past two years.

They still get to teach at Ayala, and yet, the poor players are going have their third coach in three years next fall.

Donovan, well-liked as a social studies teacher, guided the team to a 17-12 record this season in his rookie year as coach after being a JV coach. Then the principal just told him she wanted to go in a different direction. Are you serious? Does anyone know how tough it is to find a good teacher and competent coach these days?

Ayala is building quite a group of ex-coaches on its campus. Gregory remains a teacher at the school and is the coach at Riverside Patriot. Donovan won't be losing his teaching job, either.

Apparently some parents didn't like Donovan. Is there any program with 100% parent approval? And I thought the parents in Ventura County were tough.

Good luck to Ayala in its pursuit of finding a coach to work at a school where the requirement is to make sure EVERY parent adores you. And what happened to caring about the kids?

-- Eric Sondheimer

Comments

[AYALA FAN]

ayala fan said:

Coach Donavan in not a Varsity Coach. He is a great history teacher and a jv coach and that is all. With this firing it now makes 3 times he has been fired (azusa,diamond ranch and ayala) i know he got his job back but this because the ad martin wants his puppet.And now we realize Martin is calling the shots over and not the pricipal.
Fred do some investigating. The Times said main reason he got his job back was that parents complained about the firing. NO WAY that happened! Call all returning varsity players and ask them 1) do they respect donovan, 2) did they like playing for him and 3) how happy were they when they found out he was fired? Than Fred you are sharp reporter call the returning parents and just ask them the last question. I can GAURANTEE you that you will not get one vote of support from the players not even the board members son, who by the way can not stand donovan. then ask the parents the last question. You will get 1 parents suport and that is the board members parent and that because he also like martin control the coach and you will not recieve another vote of support!
So now was martin thinking about the program or himself!
Fred looking forward to your findings! As you know better than anyone - if there is a wiil, there is away!

[Get a Clue]

Mark Rosen said:

Coach Donavon is a good man that has good intensions, but that does not make a good basketball coach. To be successful, a coach needs his players to respect his wishes and skill sets, take direction during practices and follow the rules that he has put into place. This was not the case last year. Was coach Donavon's firing a case of bad spoiled boys and parents running over a coach? I think not, it was about a Coach not demanding the respect required to run a quality program. It is about a coach unable to communicate with his players and teach them the right way to conduct themselves both on and off the court. This is not going to change by re-hiring him. Individual’s can change, but Mr. Donavon is a nice man that avoids conflict at all cost. That is not a good trait for a coach whose job requires him to deal with conflict on a weekly basis.

The standard for being a good coach is not just wins and losses; it is about making a team out of a group of young athletes. It is about teaching them to share the ball and play hard as a unit. This did not happen last year, nor do I believe it will happen this coming year. Ayala will probably win more games next year because its current talent pool will be more mature and the bench will be stronger. Keep in mind their schedule was very weak last year. The teams that the bulldogs defeated had a combined record of 153 wins / 197 losses. Only 3 of the 16 teams Ayala defeated during the regular season finished with a winning record and two of those teams were in Ayala’s own league. Glendora and Damien, the two schools in Ayala’s league, accounted for 40 of the 153 wins.

The big question is will anything change at Ayala? My guess is no. The school administration has dropped the ball and let School Board politics determine the outcome of a program that they do little to fund. What has been created is a no win situation for everyone. The big losers here are the kids that play at Ayala. It is a common theme at a lot of High Schools these days.

[BULLDOG VARSITY PLAYERS]

ITS NOT THE PARENTS.IT'S US!! THE PLAYERS. WE ARE ALL UNHAPPY WITH HIM. MAJORITY OF YOU PARENTS ARE SO IGNORANT TO WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT WE WENT THROUGH.YOU GUYS THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE FRIENDS W/ COACH AND KISS ASS TO HIM ALL THE TIME SO THAT YOU KID PLAYS THAT ITS OK. wHEN REALLY NONE OF US WERE SATISFIED WITH WHAT WENT ON. FROM THE LACK OF COACHING ABILITY TO THE LACK OF LEADERSHIP THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY A COACH.
TO PEOPLE LIKE GLEN ( WHOEVER THAT IS)AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO TALK DOWN ON US, YOU NEED TO JUST WORRY ABOUT NJB AND STAY THE HELL OUT OF HIGHSCHOOL BASKETBALL. BECAUSE THIS YEAR WE DID HAVE GOOD TALENT FROM PLAYERS SUCH AS J.P. WHO THEY JUST DIDNT EVEN TRY AND DEVELOPE, ANDREW WHO WASNT USED PROPERLY, DJ WHO WASNT USED PROPERLY ALSO, JARED, MIKE, TONEY WHO WAS A HARD WORKER BUT NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO SHOW HIS SKILLS,MATHEW, JEFF WHO THEY ALSO DIDNT EVEN TRY WITH BUT INSTEAD KICKED TO THE CURB AND TYLER. SO TO YOU SO CALLED PEOPLE WHO THINK YOU KNOW THE GAME OF BASKETBALL, YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR MOUTHS SHUT ABOUT THIS SITUATION BECAUS ALMOST EVERY KID I NAMED CAN BE PLAYING FOR SOME SCHOOL IN THE FUTURE. BUT THANKS COACH DONOVAN,MR.MARTIN, SELFISH NO BASKETBALL I.Q. HAVING SPECTATORS FOR MAKING MY YEAR THIS YEAR A WASTE FOR ALL OF US!

[Straight to the point]

Here's the inside look. Donovan could probably be a good volunteer coach on an NJB level but no furthure.Mr. Martin well lets just say he is doing everthing not to keep from looking like he doesn't know what the hell he's doing.Oh and as for Ms.Yarboi she finally had the guts to do what most ignored.As for the baketball players who this is supposed to support and build, they got the very short end of the stick.

[GET REAL]

Do people at ayala know how to read and comprehend?
I know spelling is lacking but come on its getting ridiculous.

As far as coaches/teachers having sex with each other...... Isn't that common at all schools? Im not saying its right but I know it happened when I went to school and im sure it will continue to happen for years to come.

[Bubba]

Wow! There is a very popular head coach at ayala that was recently caught involved in an unethical and immoral sexual realtionship on campus with a married female faculty member who is involved in the athletic program and it is swept under the rug and kept under wraps with no disclipinary action taken on either of them for their behavior, but a coach like Donavon who displays high morals, values, character and sets a good example is fired? What does that say about Ayala's athletic program?

[Real talk]

Did I just read an adult insulting a child?? This is way outta hand and exactly what the probelem stems from. Lack of respect!!! To all the boys in Ayala basketball program please do not let these ignorant selfish adults steal your joy and love for the game. You can rise above all the negativity and poor display of manhood that has been shown to you.As for you adults good luck sleeping at night knowing you have damaged our youth and future.

[player from ayala]

well i dont like you so you should be fired. and dont act like i dont know you. and our principle acted in the best intrest of the players.

[player at ayala]

wow so our bored member is attacking the players now. If u dont like wat im saying than you dont like wat all the players on varsity fill and work on your math skills cause it should not cost 6 hundred dollars to play basketball and i have a 3.0 thank u.

[GET REAL]

Funny
Actually you should start with the english teacher. English will take you farther than basketball will.

If you wanna fire the booster president, the coach, and the AD, maybe you should fire the principal too. Who else dont you like so we can fire them as well.

You say Im coming from the twilight zone. LOL
Your name suits you right, you are funny.

[Funny]

Get Real
I think you came from the twilight zone.
Your right the President should be released of his duties.
This is about as active as we have seen him all year. Maybe he does know something about what just happened. We will find out soon. What is needed is a coach that can coach. Just like haveing an English teacher that can teach. Lets start with the coach and we will continue with the rest including the Athletic Director.

[GET REAL]

Player at ayala by reading your statement there a few things that are pretty obvious.
1. You need to spend more time in english class.
2. Everyone knows that the president of the booster club would be the first person who would be screaming for a coaches head if they are as bad as you say. Presidents of a booster club would be fired as well as a coach if they where incompetent.

Listen to someone who doesn't know you and hit the books and study hard. When you discipline yourself in the classroom, you will be able to discipline yourself on the court, whether you have a crappy coach or a great coach.

[player at ayala]

If you want to care for us than why is he being rehired he was a horable coach! Befor Glenn Hansen our bored member that only cares about making us pay 6 to 7 hundred dollars to play for a crapy coach he should get his facts together. and this is comeing from one of your coaches players. If u have any questions just ask every kid on varsity how they fill!

[Glenn Hansen]

Eric, thanks for posting this. As the president of the Ayala Boys Basketball Booster Club (and v.p. last year in the Gregory days), I have seen this situation evolve from up close. It's even less pretty to see it from this close, especially with a son in the program. It's been my goal from the start - as I know it was for Coach Donovan, too - to make this an enjoyable environment for the boys. We were building that, though with many obstacles placed along the way. If you ever want an inside look at it, please let me know. I thank you for simply raising the questions you have.

Glenn Hansen