Imagine a high school soccer team’s season abruptly derailed—not by a loss on the field, but by a social media post. This is the shocking reality for a girls’ soccer team in Santa Fe, New Mexico, whose head coach has been suspended over a seemingly harmless video. The Academy for Technology and the Classics has placed Coach Vilma Ontiveros on administrative leave for the remainder of the season, citing a violation of coaching policies. But here’s where it gets controversial: the video in question, shared on the team’s Instagram account, shows players participating in a lighthearted trend where they draw positions from a hat—a practice Ontiveros says was meant to boost team morale and positivity before games.
In an interview with KOB 4, Ontiveros expressed confusion over the decision, stating, ‘I asked why, and the athletic director’s only reasoning was that I had violated the social media aspect of my coaching contract in a way that was demeaning.’ Ontiveros defends her approach, explaining that the team’s social media videos are a season-long effort to foster a positive environment. ‘It’s about going into a game with endorphins and happy hormones,’ she said. ‘That’s why we incorporated this.’
And this is the part most people miss: Parents and players are outraged. Martha C’deBaca, whose daughter is on the team, described the emotional toll: ‘We’re all receiving calls from our children around lunchtime, crying. It’s frustrating and concerning.’ Darlene Roybal, another parent, echoed the sentiment: ‘They got rid of our coach for no reason. We want her to finish out the season.’*
The school’s athletic director issued a statement to KOB 4, claiming the suspension followed ‘several instances of not adhering to coaching policies and expectations.’ However, this explanation has done little to quell the backlash. Is this a case of overregulation, or a necessary enforcement of school policies? The controversy raises broader questions about the role of social media in youth sports and the boundaries of a coach’s influence. Should coaches have more freedom to foster team spirit in creative ways, or is strict adherence to policy always the best approach? Weigh in below—this debate is far from over.
