From: Erin Navolio on behalf of Erin Navolio <enavolio@hinsdale86.
org>
To: Allison Rogala
Cc: Brian Mitchell; Michael Jezioro
Subject: Re: HC Girls" Basketball
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 8:48:42 AM
Mike,
Effectively immediately, I resign my position on the 2023-24 HC girls' basketball coaching
staff.
Erin Navolio
On Tue, Dec 5, 2023 at 8:47 AM Allison Rogala <arogala@hinsdale86.org> wrote:
Coach Jezioro,
Effectively immediately, I resign my position on the 2023-24 HC girls' basketball coaching
staff.
Respectfully,
Allison Rogala
Allison Rogala
Mathematics Teacher
Hinsdale Central High School
(630) 570 - 8434
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From: Brian Mitchell on behalf of Brian Mitchell <bmitchel@hinsdale86.org>
To: Michael Jezioro
Cc: Erin Navolio; Allison Rogala
Subject: HC Girls" Basketball
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 8:39:42 AM
Coach Jezioro,
Effectively immediately, I resign my position on the 2023-24 HC girls' basketball coaching
staff.
Respectfully,
Brian Mitchell
From: Brian Mitchell on behalf of Brian Mitchell <bmitchel@hinsdale86.org>
To: Michael Jezioro
Cc: Allison Rogala
Subject: HC Girls" Basketball
Date: Monday, December 4, 2023 9:52:27 AM
Jez,
Thank you for all you do to support the players and staff of the HC girls' basketball program.
Based on recent events, Allison and I wanted to share our thoughts and insights.
The Red Devils Varsity & JV girls' basketball teams are off to a solid start. The team's
experiences so far have given us clarity on areas for focus and improvement.
Coach Navolio, Coach Rogala, and I are moving forward with intention. The HC coaching
staff has been charged with re-energizing the girls' basketball program, which suffered
attrition during Covid years. We have high expectations for our players and the program.
As an alumna of the HC basketball program, Coach Navolio has unique insight. She
empowers her players to share how they feel, to advocate for themselves, and to take
accountability for their contributions to the team and season. She has always encouraged the
players to keep an open line of communication with the staff. She asks them to commit,
sacrifice, and trust. She encourages players to act as a team - to sacrifice for each other, to
trust the coaches, and commit to the process. She honors the legacy of the program by
reminding them to represent the team, program, school and community in everything they do.
On Jan. 6th, Coach Navolio has volunteered to host a Grow The Game showcase, and our
team will have the opportunity to represent the Red Devils in a series of games between high
school teams led by women head coaches.
Coach Navolio has developed specific practice plans to strengthen our team's weaknesses. She
reminds the girls they don’t have to be perfect, but they have to be improving. She works on
playing rotations to put players in the best position for success. Our coaching staff works
together to adapt and find ways to help players be the best they can be.
As you know, every season and every team is a work in progress, and parent support is key to
the team's success.
In closing, Erin has our full support. We appreciate your time, and are happy to answer any
questions.
Respectfully,
Allison Rogala and Brian Mitchell
From: Erin Navolio on behalf of Erin Navolio <enavolio@hinsdale86.org>
To: Michael Jezioro
Subject:
Date: Monday, December 4, 2023 8:00:00 AM
Hey,
Let me know if you need me to clarify any of the points they made in that document so you
have a response.
For example they mention me not signing the team up for the Windmill City Tournament in
the summer. They did not specify that that was the one they wanted to be a part of, so I signed
us up for a shootout at Loyola during the recruiting window Jun15-17.
I have contacted the Windmill City Shootout organizer (Batavia girls basketball coach) 3
times from July to September so he could put us down for this coming summer. I have not
heard back from him.
Email correspondence of all of this issue can be provided if necessary.
Erin Navolio
Head Women's Basketball Coach
Hinsdale Central High School
From: Michael Jezioro on behalf of Michael Jezioro <mjezioro@hinsdale86.org>
To: Michael Jezioro
Date: Friday, December 1, 2023 6:26:17 PM
Attachments: FILE 2535.docx
Hinsdale Central Girls Basketball Program Concerns (12/1/2023)
District 86
Mission
Empowering students to pursue their ideal future by acquiring critical skills and knowledge
to collaborate, create and connect with an ever-changing world.
Vision
District 86 will set the standard for excellence by inspiring passion, confidence and
excellence.
Hinsdale Central:
Hinsdale Central High School is located 17 miles west of Chicago in DuPage County. We
proudly serve more than 2,500 students who live in the communities of Hinsdale, Burr
Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Darien, Oak Brook, Westmont and Willowbrook. We have highly
qualified certified and non-certified staff members who work tirelessly both in and out of the
classroom to help students learn, grow and achieve.
Our school provides students with a well-round education that meets their academic, social
and emotional needs, and helps guide them down the path toward their ideal future. This is
reflected in Central being among the 325 schools from across the country that were
named 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools.
Areas of concern/disconnects with D86 & Hinsdale Central Vision and Mission below:
Culture/Environment:
• All of the items listed below were experienced in the 2022-23 season and continue to
date in the current 2023-24 season. Last year was Coach’s first year coaching so
many thought these were issues of a first year coach but to date the problems
persist and in many ways have gotten worse. The program is in a state of collapse.
The items listed below are impacting our STUDENT-Athletes – basketball is a part of
the identity of our girls and to be treated and have the experience they have had in 2
seasons has a detrimental impact to their growth, development and academic
success. We expect and demand a better environment for our girls that is consistent
with the mission and purpose of both District 86 and Hinsdale Central High School.
• The current Hinsdale Central Girls Basketball has an environment that does not
inspire “passion, confidence and excellence.” Current environment that is a “tear
down” approach but no effort to build our girls up. Most every practice and game
there are multiple players that come out crying. There is consistent and constant
• Most competitive programs communicate and make college scouts
• Coach did not encourage Fall League participation for our girls stating in the past
“we never had enough numbers to form a Fall League team.” The parents stepped
in and organized this and we had more than enough numbers and had a good Fall
League experience (if not for the parents Fall League would not have happened)
• There is little to no tape review of competition before playing an opponent
• The offense that is implemented is Steve Gross offense from 2006 – ask any coach
and they can scout our girls team in about 3 minutes to shut us down. There is very
little relevant up to date basketball concepts being implemented. There have been
no offense improvements from the 2022-23 season where we went 11-19.
• The full court press is rarely used at the appropriate times
• The defense is strictly man to man which allows our opponents an easy scouting and
game scheming. Even if you believe in a man-to-man defense flashing a 2-3 or 1-3-
1 zone causes disruption in the game planning for our competition. Against higher
level competition our team has competitive first halves but given the requirements of
man-to-man and depth of opposing teams our girls run out of energy and then get
admonished for lack of hustle at the end of the game.
• Our varsity Assistant Coach I would significantly question
what she does, what her impact is and what her role is. Because the girls don’t
really know – it would be nice to use the school’s money for someone that is actually
contributing something to the team/program.
• Coach during pressure moments relies for big play decisions on JV coach –
exhibiting Coach’s lack of basketball concepts, acumen and ability.
• Lack of improvement and continued inability to be competitive is beyond concerning
Parent support:
• Since last June parents have offered, implemented and organized the following:
o Helped prompt the Coach to develop a program vision and mission
o Created off season plan which allowed Fall League participation and
weekend open gyms run by parents
o Introduced Coach to free coaching resource for her to help her widen her
basketball circle – she has not followed up with that resource
o Paid for coaching resource for Fall open gym sessions on the weekends
o HC Girls BBall Booster Club has raised more money for the program since
the 2014-2015 season
o Organized attendance driving concepts to home games to bring our school
and community closer together
o Forged relationship with Jodie Harrison/Community House to help get
elementary school girls excited about basketball and playing for Hinsdale
Central
o Created and organized HC Girls Basketball Skills Clinic fundraiser to reach
out to aspiring Red Devils
o Created volunteer opportunities to increase HC Girls BBall exposure at
Community House 3v3 tournament in August
o Optimized concessions (YTD the efforts and optimization have more than
doubled our revenue)
We are demanding the immediate firing of Erin Navolio, Head Coach for Hinsdale
Central Girls Basketball, for creating a toxic, non-supportive environment, lacking
ability to connect with high school girls at this level of play, emotional immaturity,
inability to show program and player development, inability to retain girls,
underperforming teams, undermining parental oversight, lacking basic
communication skills and not providing a path or vision for program success in
the future.
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