H.S. Boys Tennis Team Disqualified For Having Girl On Team
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The California Area High School boys tennis team wants answers after the WPIAL told them they had to forfeit their first four matches of the season.
The team was undefeated this year, 11-0, with only one conference match to go when they got the news. The WPIAL said the team would have to forfeit the games because of a new rule banning most mixed-gender sports teams.
Because of an initial lack of interest at the beginning of the season, a female student volunteered to fill an open spot so the team could have enough people and compete. She started training in February and played second doubles with a male student on the team.
"This girl, on her own doing, stepped up to the plate and volunteered to be part of the team," said Mario Tiberie, Captain of the tennis team.
But the new WPIAL rule forbids mixed-gender teams if a school has both a boys and girls team in one particular sport. Because the high school has both a boys and girls tennis team, the girl was forbidden play on the boys team.
Only last July 1 the PIAA put the new rule in place. WPIAL Executive Director Tim O'Malley says all of the schools were told at a meeting the change was coming.
"A year ago, in April, and detailed in its entirety and that it would take effect July 1," O'Malley said.
The players and coaches say they were not aware of the new rule, and that's why they allowed the girl to join the team in the first place.
But coaches on other teams complained. The school filed an appeal against the WPIAL, but the group voted against it twice.
School administrators even pleaded their case to the PIAA, hoping to overturn the two previous rulings. But they denied the schools appeal as well.
"We know that we won, but it's almost like winning a championship, but you don't get the trophy," said Tiberie. "Because somebody doesn't think that you deserve it, even though you proved that you can."
Despite everything that's happened, the Cal boys still have a chance of making the playoffs, but the ball in not in their court. It depends on what happens in the South Park-Greensburg Salem match Monday night. If Greensburg Salem wins, the Cal boys are in. They find out in a call after the match.
UPDATE: Greensburg-Salem did win on Monday, which means the Cal boys are in the playoffs.
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