Sunday, March 08, 2009

Cheap Seats: Castro Valley coach Brewer deserved better

The saga continues as one person put it. See the additional comments which include the firing of another CV track/xc coach.
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Since this post has gotten a lot of attention, I moved it up to the top of the list once again. Please continue to post your comments below. It's great to hear from some of Coach Brewer's past athletes, parents as well as current coaches.
(February 18th, 2009)
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Read the following article about an unfortunate situation involving Peter Brewer and Castro Valley High School administration. Mr. Brewer is well known in the high school running community as well as several websites. He is a frequent contributor to this blog and has done much for our two sports at the state level.

Cheap Seats: Castro Valley coach Brewer deserved better

You can also check out an interview I did with Mr. Brewer during this past cross country season at the following link:
Catching up with Castro Valley coach Peter Brewer

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is very sad. A great coaching legend in this area being treated this way.

Anonymous said...

I would really like to know what kind of disagreement could cause the administration to to dump such a successful and well-liked coach.

Anonymous said...

Is there any type of protest being up put for this? Any letters that anyone can write to the principal?

Anonymous said...

I agree with Kevin. This is an outrage. Albert, do you know if we can come up with something and get it signed by a bunch of people?

Albert Caruana said...

I am sure the Castro Valley community has already voiced their displeasure of the outcome of this situation.

If you feel like you need to voice your own displeasure, the contact list for CV HS is here:
http://www.cvhs.cv.k12.ca.us/STAFF%20ALPHA%20DIRECTORY.htm

Anonymous said...

Peter, you have the respect of the people who count most.

Anonymous said...

Hi folks:

Suffice it to say the disagreements alluded to were of the most trivial and inconsequential nature. Your support is appreciated. I suppose you could e-mail or write letters to the Castro Valley administrators, and the board members. Those contacts are all on the District web site. However, administrators do get a bunker mentality rather quickly.

Thanks all for your support. That's worth it all.

Peter

Anonymous said...

College Park would love to have you!
CPHS Parent & Volunteer

Anonymous said...

Peter-
This is ridiculous!! I hope you get to continue coaching somewhere inthe East Bay because you are truly a great inspiration not only for your own team but for other runners from other high schools.

Anonymous said...

I have coached against and worked with Brewer for over 20 years. Like most from our time Peter has been the most dedicated member of the staff. Most hours that veteran coaches work are not paid and are done for the love of the kids the administration of C.V are very short sited and this action will harm the kids. You will not find the same dedication from ANYONE you hire!! Pete was the dean of the league and section for both track and cross country. What shortsighted fools.

Anonymous said...

Letters to the administrators would be appropriate. Send to the VP of Athletics with a copy to the Principal, the Superintendent and the entire School Board.

The administrators need to read our stories. Tell them specifically how Peter Brewer made a difference for your child and made a difference in the lives of so many kids . . . because they simply do not know.

Anonymous said...

We all love you at cvhs,and need you back. can't do this season without you.

Keith Conning said...

Peter Brewer is one of the finest coaches in the North Coast Section. His contribution to Castro Valley High School, the North Coast Section, and the CIF has been immense.

Anonymous said...

Brewer,

What a great legend you are. The CV administration has taken down one great program and faculty member after the next, and I am sad to see the destruction of a school I once believed to be an academic and life-learning institution. I appreciate your work in the classroom and on the field, plus your warm and encouraging demeanor and will always remember you, more than most any other person at CV. You are an inspiration. Perhaps some day they'll make a movie about you. Short chance, but we can fight like hell to change history. You at least taught me to fight like hell when I was out on that track. Thank you again.

Anonymous said...

I was lucky, I had Brewer for Track & Field and for English. He made me want to be a better student and a better person. He showed me school can be fun & rewarding. I wanted to do my best in school to make sure I had the grades to stay on his Track team. I think of him every time I see my Letterman's jacket. He was one of 3three teachers at CVHS that made and impact on my life. This is a great loss for the students of CVHS. If these are the kinds of choices the board makes, it makes me glad my kids go to a different school.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Brewer I'm hoping to tell you in the near future that you have been one of the greatest mentors and that I would not be the person I am today without the impact you put in my life. I can't thank you enough for all that you have done for me.

Folsom JD said...

Peter Brewer has a gift of elevating those athletes that he coaches while raising the bar for all the other coaches around the area. He is one of those positive coaches who competes with other teams and not against them, which is why he has earned the respect of so many in the cross country and track community. If the administration cannot look beyond a disagreement and see the big picture then the entire Castro Valley community will take one giant step back because the loss will have a domino effect for years to come.
-Former CIF Honor Coach

Anonymous said...

This is truly a sad story. Best of luck Coach Brewer! I know you will work your magic where ever you go!

Craig Lee
Formerly of College Park HS

Anonymous said...

Show your support for Brewer:
Thursday, February 12, 2009
CVUSD Board Meeting
6pm Board Meeting
Moved to CVHS, Cafetorium

http://207.163.233.251/scripts/webevent/basic/4.03/webevent.pl?cmd=calmonth&ncmd=startup&cal=cal1

Anonymous said...

The Daily Blurb

First of all I want to thank Coach Brewer for being such a wonderful, thoughtful and caring coach. My daughter has been running CVHS XC for the past two years and we want Coach Brewer back. We have entrusted Coach Brewer with our daughter along with other parents and their sons and daughters to numerous XC meets throughout Northern California, on trips to Mt. Sac in Southern California, to Nike Nationals in Oregon, and the State XC Meet in Fresno. My daughter wants to run XC for two more years under Coach Brewer because she knows that he is the best XC coach. My daughter wants him back, her friends on the XC team want him back, my wife wants him back, the assistant coaches want him back, and other parents and community members want him back. Let’s get Coach Brewer back. Please call Peter Alvarez, Principal at CVHS at (510) 537-5910 ext 3801 and email at palvarez@cv.k12.ca.us . Also call the CV Unified School District Board Members that we just elected to the Castro Valley Unified School District Board (510) 537-3000 to request Coach Brewer be reinstated. The board members can be reached at the following extensions:

Board Member Voice mail extension
John Barbieri 1685
Janice Friesen 1687
Jo A. S. Loss 1693
George Granger 1688
Kunio Okui 1686

Run Peter run…..  The White Family – Herman, Lois, Gabbi & Kyler

Anonymous said...

Dear Coach Brewer:

You are a great coach and we want you back. Workouts work....

Anonymous said...

The whole team at school is in an uproar about Brewer. He's done a lot in the 20 or so years he's coached. The administration made a big mistake by firing him.

Anonymous said...

Peter -

I have learned a lot about managing
and motivating kids from you, as well
as the importance of making a "place" for them.

You are as much of an inspiration to me as the kids you coach!

Anonymous said...

When CV's fields were under construction - Peter Brewer coordinated our Invitational at De La Salle. I was helping in the press box and the De La Salle coaches that were up there were talking about how Brewer puts on an awesome meet - single handed. I don't think CV's Administration has any idea how hard Brewer has worked for our athletes - this is a huge mistake. This years Track & Field Dinner is going to be terrible without him.

Anonymous said...

Petter Brewer is the best coach i have ever meet or had the privilage to run under with out his many days staying late and coming early to morning workouts
When you look at our football team or basket ball team or even base ball team have more problems than the track and cross country all of thoes sports combined do not have the NCS and leauge championship the either track or cross country also Brewer has sent more athlets to collgese than all of thoes sports combined
Track and X Country is that mans life you may take the coaching posisson from brewer but you will never take the coach out of Brewer i am one of thoes college athletes every coach i have met in my running career knows castro vallies legacy we are speculated as one of the best teams in the state and brewer is thought by many to be a very good coach

Anonymous said...

mr. brewer is the best coach castro valley could ever ask for he cares so much about the team and the runners and cares about each runner individually. hes always there and works so hard to coach us and make us better runners. we love brewer so much! mr.whiteman knows nothing about brewer he doesn't know how much brewer did for us he only knows that brewer made some mistakes. those mistakes are nothing compared to all the accomplishments he did all these years. we need him back. he deserves so much better. everyone misses brewer so much it just isn't the same without him. our team is falling apart.

Anonymous said...

I served my coaching apprenticeship under Coach Brewer.During that time the girls team went to the state meet four years in a row. My daughter was able to run all four of those years.What other sport at CVHS has had that success.It should have been Peter setting policy for use of the new stadium not Whiteman.No one is more qualified than Peter to take care of the facility.Whiteman will be gone in a year and has undone 25 years of building a great program ,What a shame.Good Luck Peter thank you for what you did for my daughter and my family.

Anonymous said...

PLEASE HAVE COACH BREWER REINSTATED!!!!!! MY SONS LOVING BEING ON THE TRACK TEAM BUT NO MORE! THEY WILL NOT JOIN UNLESS COACH BREWER IS BACK!! COACH BREWER IS A SUPER GREAT COACH. HE IS VERY DEDICATED TO THE CVHS TRACK TEAM. NO OTHER COACH WILL DO. THIS IS A BIG MISTAKE, WE WILL BE FOREVER AT LOSS OF NOT HAVING COACH BREWER BACK! PLEASE ADHERE TO OUR PLEAS!!!!!!! THANKS

Anonymous said...

I've left voice messages and sent emails. Now I'm crossing my fingers that all this support, coupled with an outstanding record and all the respect a coach can have for going above and beyond, will mean something to those who have the authority to reinstate Coach Brewer. I have a Sophomore who would benefit greatly from Coach Brewer for the next two years, plus I have two more runners coming up. I'd hate to see CVHS just melt into an "okay" track team. We take great pride in CVHS Cross-Country and Track & Field being a force to reckon with. That's entirely due to the dedication of Peter Brewer.

Unknown said...

Brewer was the most dedicated coach I have ever had. He always meant well and loved the sport more than we know...

avwelch006 said...

this is bullshit. this is a great coach that has done so much for me in my life. I will be there to defend my coach

andrew welch

Anonymous said...

I have known Mr. Peter Brewer for only 1-1/2 years, but I have nothing but respect and praise for him. He may be a little unorthodox, but I believe that he is a terrific teacher, coach, mentor and role model for our kids. My son, Andrew, had him for Sophmore English and he persuaded him to go out for track, which he did last year and he had a terrific year going to the Meet of Champions at UC Berkeley in pole vaulting. I was really impressed with Mr. Brewer’s communications through his “Daily Blurb” via E-Mail. As parents, we knew exactly what was going on with the track season and what help was needed to successfully host a track meet. I was especially impressed with the end of season party where Mr. Brewer was able to say something positive about every kid on the track team and had stories to tell, recalling various track meets, races, times and/or records set. I also persuaded my younger son, Nick, to go out for track this year because of Mr. Brewer.
My nephews, Phil and David Ghaderi, who graduated from CVHS in 1997 and 1999 both idolized Mr. Brewer. They were pleased to hear that Andrew was doing track. They were both wrestlers but they did cross country to stay in shape. Phil is in his last year of law school and is graduating at the top of his class. David is a policeman with the Kent Washington police department. Phil says that when he has children, he is not going to have a television set in the house because Mr. Brewer told his class that he raised his children without television which forced them to do more reading and other activities. Phil and David feel that Mr. Brewer is the best teacher and coach at CVHS and they took every class he taught including his science fiction class and they were his teacher’s assistant. Mr. Brewer is passionate about coaching and only wants every child to reach their full potential. Please reinstate Mr. Brewer as track coach. Kirsten Wiegardt

Anonymous said...

Brewer is the best coach ever
he actually cared about running and the participants, and his sarcasm was very funny
he was organized and our invitational went great
it sucks a lot that brewer's gone.
everyone wants him back

Anonymous said...

The CVUSD Board Meeting on 2/12/09 went well, a good showing in support of Coach Brewer, even through the long and necessary budget discussion. Many speakers during the “budget” portion of the comments threw in Brewer’s name (and the crowd went wild), but the school board told speakers to wait until “items not on the agenda” were addressed.

Once speakers could finally address the school board regarding their desire to have Coach Brewer reinstated, it was a wonderful parade of parents, former parents, former athletes, and even Bill Welte up to the microphone!

The audience applauded with each accolade and every point made in support of Peter Brewer.

If only he were a fly on the wall . . .

Anonymous said...

As a resident of Park City, Utah, reading Coach Brewer's Daily Blurbs, was a good way to follow my niece's progress on the XC team. I have been most impressed with the CVHS XC team's accomplishments and Coach Brewer's abilities. My niece enjoys her friendship with her teammates, coaches and assistant coaches, and she even went to the Winter Ball with a XC runner on the boy's team. The XC team is a fabulous community!

Anonymous said...

I went to the school meeting this thursday to witness the effect of what was being done to bring brewer back. It is only the school administration that can do anything(Mr. Whiteman, Mr. Alverez) and they did show up to watch the meeting themselve, that is until the talk of brewer came up they simply left. DO NOT LET THEM TURN THIER SHOLDER AT YOU. Personally find Whiteman and Alverez and talk to them face to face about the subject.

Anonymous said...

Our son ran for Brewer in cross country and track and field 4 years graduating in 2004 at CVHS. He went on to run at UCSD for 3 years and is now a chemical engineer in LA. We already wrote a letter to the CVHS principal with copies to the school board and also to the CV Forum and Daily Review in support of Brewer and our letter was published in the Forum . One school board member called us back to basically tell us it was a decision made by the school administration and they stand behind it. There was nothing more they would/could do. We did not hear about the show of support at the school board meeting until after it occured and we saw it in the most recent CV Forum. We reread the coaching blog and are inscensed that the principal administrators of CVHS- Whiteman and Alvarez would attend this same school board meeting and then leave when the Brewer supporters started to speak??? Is that true??? They walked out and would not listen to the community supporters of Brewer? What does that say to us- parents and CV community members? Ellen and Lawrence Yano

Anonymous said...

Here is the link to the article published in this week's Castro Valley Forum regarding the school board meeting: http://www.castrovalleyforum.com/*ws4d-db-query-Show.ws4d?*ws4d-db-query-Show***DAJ-BIA-228229232233231236-1422***-Database***-***sltimes(directory)a_cvf(directory)***.ws4d?sltimes/a_cvf/column.html

Anonymous said...

The Saga continues..... Mr Perez, a 22 years veteran assistant girls track and cross country coach at CVHS, was fired this Saturday at the Mt. Pleasant track meet.

Anonymous said...

Another community comment in the Castro Valley Forum this week regarding Coach Brewer:

http://www.castrovalleyforum.com/*ws4d-db-query-Show.ws4d?*ws4d-db-query-Show***IFI-BJF-243244248243245250-1440***-Database***-***sltimes(directory)a_cvf(directory)***.ws4d?sltimes/a_cvf/column1.html

Albert Caruana said...

Fired at the meet? For what reason?

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