Too many times we hear about adults interfering in young athletes lives. Most of the time it’s a parent who ruins an opportunity for a child. Sometimes it is a group of adults who are put in positions of rule making, or rule enforcement authority when they should not be in that position.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is a group of adults who represent the worst in rule making or enforcement with one simple rule.
The rule that is being enforced, as you can read below, will as of now force Ty Emberson to chose between playing for his country at the Youth Olympic Games, or remaining eligible for the Wisconsin High School playoffs.
“It is the philosophy of this association that a student owes loyalty and allegiance to the school and team of which he/she is a member during the season of a given sport. A student becomes ineligible for the remainder of the season for competing in non-school game, meet or contest in the same sport during the season of practice and competition established by the school.”
If you read the rule, it would be fine if Emberson were going to compete in the Youth Olympics as a skier, but he can not play hockey without becoming ineligible for the High School playoffs.
This is exactly the type of rule that will, if enforced, have players leaving High School programs in Wisconsin for AAA programs throughout the United States.
Emberson is being victimized for choosing to play for his school over the AAA opportunity he had. Yes, this young man chose his school over AAA, and now has to choose again because some adults just don’t get it.
We are encouraging everyone sign the petition to allow Ty Emberson to play. Send a message to WIAA that some rules need to be changed in order to keep from discouraging athletes from all sports from representing their countries.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lettyplay?utm_medium=widget&utm_source=widget&utm_campaign=button
Joseph Kolodziej – Publisher
