Long Island High School Student Denied Right To Play On Football Team
LONG ISLAND –– The spirit of playing under Friday night lights, and high school football in general, is something you just have to experience to really understand the magnitude it has on one’s high school career. Recently, a Long Island student has been denied that experience because of one very interesting Section 11 rule.
Lindsey Noack, a senior at Centereach High School, who plays soccer outside of school, really wanted to be the kicker on the CHS Varsity Football team. When their Spring workouts came around, Noack bugged Coach Adam Barrett(also her basketball coach), to watch her kick. After seeing her in action at one practice Barrett said, “keep coming and working at it,” so Noack did. She went to all of the team’s workouts/practices and apparently even kicked two 40 yard field goal, quite impressive. Clearly Lindsey deserved a spot on the team, right?
Like many students, Noack is an “involved student” and also plays on the Centereach Field Hockey team. So rather than choosing one over the other, she figured why not play both, no biggie right?
Playing two sports during the same season is more common than you would think. In fact, one of my friends was going to play both tennis and baseball in the spring, but was unable to due to his already busy schedule. Even my dad (way back when) was a dually, competing on both the Maple Hill Bowling and Basketball teams. The biggest thing that tends to keep kids away from playing two sports during the same athletic season is typically scheduling, but if all parties involved agree on whatever scheduling conflicts may occur, it is usually ok.
Well, apparently not to Section 11, who took the wind right out of Noack’s sails when they informed her AD that she would be unable to take the field. Something to do with the “dual participation rule,” that says she can’t be a dual athlete as kicker on the football team, because she isn’t on the school’s soccer team.
To be fair to Section Six, I had a difficult time finding the rule and it is somewhat unclear if this is a NYSPHSAA rule or intersection rule. In any case what should it matter? It’s not like anyone is trying to cheat or pay off officials.
Looking from afar, I’m really not surprised that NYSPHSAA (or one of its sections) is denying students an opportunity, as it seems to be their pattern. You may recall last winter we (a student run media outlet) had to practically beg for the state to let us cover the Boys’ championship basketball tournament as members of the working press. Even after they opted to honor our request, we still were not allowed to sit on press row with the rest of the media. What’s more, we are still in limbo for this upcoming year. So I’ve got to ask, “Is it even about the kids anymore?”
Lindsey has already missed the first game of the season, and is hopeful that she will be able to play in her homecoming game. She has also started a petition (which you can SIGN HERE) to let her play, in addition to the hashtag #FreeNumber13.
Section Xi : Change the dual participation rule before the football season ends! #FreeNumber13 – Sign… https://t.co/cxYb06Xwrw via @Change
— 011 (@nora_aliii) September 5, 2016
Don’t keep her on the sideline because she’s too pretty #FREENUMBER13 pic.twitter.com/NzZqi7cHmE
— Nick Dishman (@ndish12) September 3, 2016
Help me get on the field #freenumber13 pic.twitter.com/70rHsvO5HU
— Captain Grand Poobah (@lindsey_noack) September 4, 2016
The matter will be addressed at an upcoming committee meeting and is apparently on the agenda. We can only hope that this will have one of those “they lived happily ever after” endings.
