Insurance Concerns Stop Formation Of Basketball Team

Like many parents, Art Paine is willing to do a lot to make his 14-year-old son feel successful. Time couldn’t be better spent. Money is, well, just money. And he has energy to lend.

So when his son Chris, an eighth-grader at Garry Middle School, was cut from the school basketball team last month, Paine decided he would do whatever it took to get his son and others left off the team into basketball uniforms.

“We preach, ‘Don’t go down on the corner’ and ‘Don’t get in trouble … get involved in sports, arts, band, stay involved,”’ Paine said. “All these kids want to do is play basketball.”

But Paine’s effort have been stimied by financial concerns, and Chris is left playing pick-up games.

More than 50 kids turned out for Garry’s eighth grade varsity and junior varsity teams, which are supervised by one paid coach and one unpaid assistant. Eighteen students were cut.

According to Spokane School District officials, cuts had to be made because of a lack of coaches and gym space. Spokane schools are trying to cut fewer students than in years past, according to Gail Stolp, coordinator for Spokane middle school sports programs, but most middle schools still do.

Stolp said the school district can’t simply add more coaches at Garry because the gym is the smallest middle school facility in the district.

Paine tracked down a gym at nearby Lidgerwood Elementary that is open three nights a week, and offered to pay the $300 salary of an assistant coach. He also said he would be a volunteer coach for the team.

The district rejected his offer for several reasons, but primarily because of insurance concerns. Stolp said Paine could organize a team, but it would have to be classified an intramural squad, wouldn’t be able to play other teams and insurance liability would have to rest on him.

Paine, not surprisingly, did not want to be liable for 18 youths. He has yet to file a request to head an intramural team.

Other middle schools also cut, Stolp said. Glover, with a 54-student team, plays on shorter courts to allow two games at once and did not cut.

“We hate to cut, and we only cut for basketball,” said Ron Liss, Garry athletic director. “You have to provide a safe environment when running up and down the floor.”

Paine feels like his efforts have been rebuffed. More importantly, he feels like the youths cut from the team are getting a bad message.

“As parents and the media tells these kids, ‘Don’t be bad kids, do well in school.’ They struggle to keep C averages so they can stay in sports,” said Paine.

Northwood principal JoAnne Rehberg said the no-cut policy can be expensive, but is worth it.

“I think it’s a tremendous payoff because the kids have something to do after school,” she said.

, DataTimes