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Allowing grade’s 7 and 8 students to participate in High school sports has decimated the Junior High sports programs in Southwick .We no longer offer girls 7th or 8th grade basketball or soccer. Two years ago Southwick Tolland Regional High School moved grades 7 & 8 up to the Southwick High school building which created a loophole where all grades 7-12 could now compete for the JV and Varsity athletic teams because they were all under one roof and one principal. MIAA has ruled that for grade 7 & 8 students to participate on High School teams the school must also prove hardship: that without grade 7 &8 students the school would not have enough players to field a team: Southwick’s Athletic Director and Principal would have had to write a letter stating hardship to qualify for this exemption to the rule. Except for field hockey there has always been enough participants to field soccer,basketball,baseball and softball at Southwick/Tolland High School without resorting to taking junior high kids. Many upper class students were cut form High school teams in favor of junior high players the last two years. The school committee has been notified of the loss of girls sports but has taken no action. The Southwick High principal actually stated at a meeting that Suburban basketball should end at grade 6 . How he could be so callus about the loss of opportunity for over 20 girl athlete’s is appalling. As an educator he knows that students who participate in athletics do far better in the academic world then students who don’t participate. Either the school committee needs to approve freshmen/JVB teams for soccer and basketball or end allowing JR High kids participating on High School teams. There is no denying the harm that has occurred to girls sports in Southwick. I have seen way to many Junior and Senior girls not even tryout over fear of being cut in favor of some promising Jr High player. Please help save our Jr High teams call or write your school committee members and end the injustice our girls are experiencing. This is mainly a girls problem as Junior High boys are usually not strong enough to compete against upper classmen. Girls are actually faster and leaner in Junior High then they will be in high school thus they can compete favorably and take away spots from upper class girls. Southwick/Tolland is one of only a handful of schools in the state that allow Jr High students to play on Varsity or JV sports. The MIAA doesn’t approve of it 95% of other schools don’t approve of it ,so why does Southwick Schools allow it? Greedy coaches who desire promising players under their tutelage for 6 years, knowing that by taking these players they will destroy the feeder teams and take away opportunity for the average skilled players. It should not be only about wins or losses but providing the most opportunity for all kids to participate in Jr and High school sports.
