SOUTHPORT, NY – Last Saturday, Notre Dame won their first Section IV Soccer Championship in over two decades. The unbeaten Crusaders are the number one ranked team in Class C. After an internal investigation on Monday and Tuesday, the school Wednesday decided to withdraw from the post season due to a residency issue with a player all season.
Notre Dame High School Responds to IAC Soccer Championship Protest
Statement from Notre Dame High School:
Elmira, N.Y. – Notre Dame High School has just announced that their boys Varsity Soccer Team will be withdrawing from the State Tournament.
On Friday, October 31, Notre Dame High School received word that the boys Varsity Soccer team was facing allegations regarding the use of an ineligible player. In response to these allegations, Notre Dame conducted an internal investigation, revealing that the team had, unknowingly, been playing with an ineligible player.
Notre Dame is still working with the Section and the State Athletic Association to resolve this issue. The school has reported that they will not entertain any questions on the issue at this time.
Here is a letter from Notre Dame Athletic Director Steve Weber on the Timetable of events:
“On Friday October 31st, we were contacted by Section IV, and were advised that another school was accusing allegations that a residency issue had been violated. The player in question was withheld from playing in the Championship game. The Section asked us to voluntarily conduct an internal investigation into the allegations. Following the investigation which occurred on Monday (11/3) and Tuesday (11/4), the investigator, in good conscious, could not say that the residency in question was acceptable. Following the conversations with the Presidents of Section IV and the NYSPHSAA, we believed that the only solution was to voluntarily withdraw from the state tournament. We held a team meeting with the players and parents at Notre Dame this morning at 8:30am to break them the news.”
Official release from Lansing High School:
Adam Heck, our Lansing soccer coach, who is also the IAC boy soccer coordinator and the assistant section IV coordinator.
“As the IAC coordinator, on behalf or the IAC boys soccer coaches, a protest was filed against END for allowing an illegal player to participate throughout the season. This protest was brought to the attention of section IV and IAC well before the sectional championship game last weekend. We were notified today that END has self-reported that they had an illegal player and have withdrawn. Due to the withdrawal of END, Lansing will be representing section IV in states this Saturday. We appreciate processes our in place that support the integrity of interscholastic athletics and the well being of all of our student-athletes.”
Part of the NYSPHSAA Rule in Question:
30.TRANSFER: (Foreign Exchange/International # 9)
NOTE: The Transfer Rule will be enforces as writtenwith no variations permitted.
a. A student in grades 9-12 who transfers, with a corresponding change in residence of
his/her parents (or other persons with whom the student has resided for at least six
months) shall become eligible after starting regular attendance in the second school. A
residence change must involve a move from one school district to another. Furthermore,
when a student moves from public school district to another public school district for
athletic eligibility the student must enroll in the public school district or in a private
school within that district’s boundaries of his/her parent’s residency. The
Superintendent, or designee, will determine if the student has met district residency
requirements.
b. A student who transfers without a corresponding change in residence of his/her
parents (or other persons with whom the student has resided for at least six months
prior) is ineligible to participate in any interscholastic athletic contest in a particular
sport for a period of one (1) year if as a 9-12 student participated in that sport during
the one (1) year period immediately preceding his/her transfer. Students who transfer
from any school to the public school district of the residence of his/her parents (or
other persons whom the student has resided for at least six months) or a private
school within that district’s boundaries shall receive a waiver from the Transfer Rule.
Such a transfer without penalty will only be permitted once in a high school career.
Schools must submit the required transfer form to the Section office. Athletes are
not permitted to practice before the form has been submitted. Athletes are not
permitted to compete without approval. NOTE: A student in a foreign exchange
program listed by CSIET has one-year waiver of the Transfer Rule. If such a student
elects to stay a second year he/she becomes a foreign student at the start of the
school year with item (b) in effect.
Exemptions to (b): For athletic eligibility a student must enroll in the public school
district or in a nonpublic school within that district’s boundaries of his/her
parent’s residency.
Note: Multiple High School Districts – The policies/boundaries of the school district will
be followed. If the district has an open enrollment policy, the interpretation to be used
will be same as used for students of K-8 school districts. When a student enrolls in 9th
grade, that is the district (building) of their residence. Any subsequent transfer would
be subject to the Transfer Rule.
BYLAWS
&
ELIGIBILITY
STANDARDS136 V9/2014
1. The student reaches the age of majority and established residency in a district and
can substantiate that they are independent and self-supporting.
2. If a private or parochial school ceases to operate a student may transfer to another
private or parochial school of his/her choice. Otherwise, a student must enroll in the
public school district of his/her parents’ residency.
3. As student who is a ward of the court or state and is placed in a district by court
order. Guardianship does not fulfill this requirement.
4. A student from divorced or separated parents who moves into a new school district
with one of the aforementioned parents. Such a transfer is allowed once every six
months.
5. A student who is declared homeless by the superintendent pursuant to
Commissioner’s Regulation 100.2.
6. A student of a military employee who is transferred to an active military base may
enroll in the non-public school closest to their residence and maintain eligibility if
the student enrolls in a non-public school immediately following the change in
residence.
NOTE: It is provided, however, that each school shall have the opportunity to
petition the section involved to approve transfer without penalty based on an
undue hardship for the student.
c. Transfer students trying out for sports before school opens in the fall shall register and
be accepted by the principal of that school before the medical examination and the first
practice. This shall constitute the start of the regular attendance for falls sports.
NOTE: After approval by the school medical officer a student may practice immediately
and must satisfy the specific sports standard according to the number of practice
sessions.
d. Practices at the previous school may be counted toward the minimum number of
practices required provided the principal or athletic director of the previous school
submits, in writing, the number and dates of such practices to the principal or athletic
director of the new school.
