Eric Might Play! MHSAA Rule Change Approved
ISHPEMING---The Michigan High School Athletic Association says that its member schools have overwhelmingly approved a change to the association's age-limit rule, which will allow kids with disabilities to apply for waivers to be able to play sports even if their 19th birthday falls before September 1st. This will likely mean that Ishpeming High School student Eric Dompierre, who has Down Syndrome and has been fighting for a chance to play basketball in his senior year, will be allowed to play. Only 701 of the MHSAA's 1,535 member schools voted on the rule change. But of those 701, 94-percent approved the change.
“The affirmative results reflect two things: first, that the proposal was well-conceived; and second, that Council members themselves turned many of their constituents’ votes from No to Yes,” MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts said. “This proposal would not have passed without the Council’s proactive efforts. " - Prior to the waiver request by the member school, the student’s educational progress must have been delayed prior to initial enrollment in the ninth grade solely because of a medically documented disability under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act or Michigan’s Persons With Disabilities Civil Rights Act. - At the time of the waiver request, the student must have a defined disability documented to diminish both physical and either intellectual or emotional capabilities, does not create a health or safety risk to participants, and does not create a competitive advantage for the team. The burden of proof rests with the school seeking the waiver.
Jack Roberts Clip #3
- For those most disabled students to which waiver is granted by the Executive Committee, the maximum age rule would be extended one year. The four-year maximum enrollment limit would still apply. - The rule also has a waiver provision at the junior high/middle school level for seventh and eighth grade athletics. |