Sign Of The Apocalypse ...
 

<iframe width="697" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pLQx7jNgGRI" title="Churchland High School JV Girls Basketball coach impersonates player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://news.yahoo.com/22-old-assist...140703772.html

My association services the visiting school that exhibited this very poor judgment. The young lady who made this bad decision has actually attended new official training but went back to coaching. We need to get her back in the fold so she can get some proper mentoring.

The HS this occurred at in not part of our association, but I live 5 minutes and 2 left turns from that school.

(OT--This pales in comparison to the other local school in the news lately. My oldest son went to 1st-4th grade at the elementary school where the 6 year-old shot his teacher.)

(OT#2--Churchland HS is the facility used for the annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) prior to the NBA draft)

Club Teams ...
 

I found it odd that several players on the short-handed high school team chose to play for their club (AAU) team rather than their school team that day.

Odd priorities?

That would not be allowed by CIAC rules here in Connecticut. High school age student athletes are only allowed to participate on one organized team in-season (middle school student athletes are not limited by such).

Because of this rule, Connecticut AAU basketball clubs limit their activities (both in-house leagues, and travel tournaments) to spring, summer, and fall.

While not basketball, there are few other sports where Connecticut student athletes choose not to play on their high school teams and choose to participate on in-season club teams - especially for elite athletes in gymnastics, but also tennis, and swimming. And I've heard some rumblings about spring travel baseball.

It is illegal for those in Illinois to play club and with your high school team during the same period. Not sure how that even happens, but it was a JV game. Just not sure why an adult thinks this is even a good idea? A coach allowed this? A school allowed this? They thought no one would find out?

Peace

The OhioHSAA has the same rule for both JrHS, FR, JV, and VAR.

MTD, Sr.

Keeping Up With The Joneses ...
 

I can't believe that Connecticut middle school student athletes are allowed to participate in two organized teams at the same time, a school team and a town sponsored travel team. That on top of school work, band, family activities, and church.

But I see the draw. More experience often means a better basketball player, more likely to be successful in high school. My daughter showed some potential for basketball and we allowed her (tough decision) to do both. Gotta keep up with the Joneses.

It would have been a much easier decision for my family if the CIAC had just said "Verboten".

Pennsylvania used to have a similar rule that athletes competing in a school-sponsored sport were prohibited from competing in the same sport outside of school during the regular school season. The rule was dropped about 15 years ago when a soccer parent threatened to sue the PIAA for forcing his child (can't remember if it was his son or daughter) to choose between one or the other - PIAA or travel soccer. The lawyers advising the PIAA felt that they would have a hard time convincing a judge that PIAA could forbid a school student from participating in a legal activity after school hours, or punish them for doing so.

Having said that, it boggles my mind that the adults in charge of the school team would think that suiting up an assistant coach for a junior varsity game would be a good idea:eek:.

I agree. VHSL, as many other state associations, have rules that an athlete cannot be 19 years of age or older by August 1 of the start of the school year. A coach playing would definitely violate that rule, not to mention that a coach cannot be eligible to play by any definitions.

Is there a state where it's not against the rules for non-student adults to play sanctioned HS sports? I don't think that is VHSL unique ;)

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My point exactly. The situation shown in the video clip.should never have happened.

That's a universally accepted opinion. How do we as officials know what is going on?

It was a non-district game so the officials working the game would not be familiar with the visiting coaching staff and the opponent is not familiar with the visiting coaching staff.

There is no debate that it was wrong and there is no question it is not allowed in any state.

Here in Ohio, officials are specifically told that this is none of our business. We are to officiate the game according to the rules in the NFHS rule book. Who may or may not be eligible is not our concern. If we suspect something is off, there are reports one can file and let Columbus sort it out, but it is not our job to adjudicate this on the court.