It has been reported that the #1 seeded Casteel Lady Colts have forfeited their opening round playoff victory against #16 seed Paradise Valley. There was a violation reported via an anonymous email to the AIA and Casteel’s administration on Coach Dan Trageser’s off-season position - coordinating travel and practice facilities for a club basketball program. Here are my thoughts:
Coach Trageser did not have direct contact with any of his transfers. The AIA should have had a hearing to give Coach Trageser a chance to defend his team’s case. The end result was no winners. The decision for Casteel to be removed from the playoffs could have negative effects for some of his student-athletes.
A similar situation happened to a football team in Hawaii back in 2010. The Kahuku Red Raiders had to forfeit their season for the use of an ineligible student-athlete (due to grades), which resulted in the Red Raiders being yanked from the state tournament. The student-athlete was a role player who barely played in special teams' situations when the games were out of reach.
The result was negative, since a few of the student athletes got depressed from the situation and ended up committing suicide.
Fast forward to what our student-athletes have endured with a pandemic season. Sports is an important aspect of a student athlete’s emotional and mental well-being. The way the AIA handled the cancellation of the season sparked anxiety for student-athletes, coaches and parents. We are all grateful the season was reinstated, however the AIA dropped the ball with the way they handled the Coach Trageser’s situation.
The AIA requires a transfer form to be completed prior to transfers being eligible to play in any sport they participated in during the year before prior to the start of the season. Why didn’t the AIA look into those transfers prior to approving their eligibility before the start of the season?
There needs to be a change in the rules by adding an appeal process, because it is disheartening for Casteel’s players to be punished, due to an anonymous email and gray area rule. The AIA should thoroughly look into the transfers as well, before approving it, so situations like this could be avoided.
There are numerous high school programs throughout the state who blatantly disregard the prior-contact rule, and it seems the AIA knows about it, but turns a blind eye to it. Each school in the AIA should be held to the same guidelines and standards.
The hope is this article should create a movement for change. Kids should not become casualties to unfairness and gray area policies. There needs to be CHANGE!
