CV loses forfeit appeal

RENTON-Central Valley High came close, but the Bears lost this one.

The WIAA Executive Board, after spirited discussion, voted narrowly not to accept CV’s appeal of its basketball forfeitures dating back to last season.

An administrative error last year related to the enrollment of a freshman who played on the varsity, forced District 8 to force the forfeit of the Bears’ 13 wins. The mistake, which was self-reported, deals with students who play middle school athletics in one district but enroll in another.

Central Valley principal Mike Hittle had appealed to the board Sunday to not punish the team and coaches, but to sanction the administrators, including himself, who were responsible.

Though most of the board seemed to understand and sympathize with CV’s plight, the final decision came down to the rigidity of the WIAA’s rules.

As written, the organization’s rules allow only one remedy. The Greater Spokane League and other state districts have tried to have the rules loosened at the past three Representative Assemblies, but the organizations’ legislative body has failed to pass a change.

Even members who voted against the appeal expressed a desire to clarify the rule. The rule requires a student who chooses to attend high school in a district different from where he or she attended middle school to go through an eligibility hearing to play varsity athletics.

In response to the punishment, the GSL has proposed an amendment to the Representative Assembly which would add a statute of limitations to the forfeit rule.

The Executive Board will offer four amendments to this spring’s Assembly, one which would cause a sea change if passed.

The board agreed Monday to propose and support an amendment to its handbook which would move the summer’s out-of-season period (when prep coaches can not work with their school’s athletes) back to July 15 from its current three weeks prior to fall practice beginning.

If the amendment passed the Representative Assembly, it would mean all summer activities overseen by high school coaches would have to end by July 15, including summer football workouts, basketball camps and baseball leagues.