The Globe High School Boys' Basketball Team has been required to forfeit 10 games from its 28-5 record due to an ineligible player participating in those 10 games. This high school player, whose name is being withheld for privacy interests of the juvenile, transferred in from a neighboring district and resided with his legal guardian. The Athletic Director for GUSD is required to complete and provide to the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) certain paperwork, hardship guardianship paperwork for transfer, so that this type of athlete is eligible to compete. The paperwork was not completed and this was discovered last week after an inquiry from a competing district. If the paperwork had been completed, the player would be eligible for athletics.
GUSD confirmed the oversight in filing of eligibility paperwork, as required by the AIA, on Friday, Feb. 13th, 2009. At a hearing held this morning the AIA heard from Dr. Timothy Trent, GUSD Superintendent, Athletic Director Louise Rodl, Assistant Principal Rob Thompson, & Coach Jim Acton. GUSD acknowledged that they only recently learned the proper paperwork was not completed and requested that the AIA consider that this was an unintentional oversight. GUSD also highlighted that this is not an issue of a player being recruited with an intention to impact the quality of the team, as the player did not impact the outcome of any game as he only scored 1 point in the 10 forfeited games. GUSD petitioned that the AIA not punish the team for what was an oversight by an adult.
The AIA ruled that the team must forfeit the 10 games and Globe dropped from 2nd in conference to 5th, removing them from post-season tournament play. GUSD was also placed on "Warning" and any additional AIA infraction could result in placement on "Probation" and removal for all sports from any post-season play. The GUSD Athletic Director, the administrator whose responsibility it was to check student athlete eligibilty, has been reassigned to other administrative duties and will be suspended for five days. GUSD has also instituted a three-step review process to ensure this never occurs again and all athlete eligibilty paperwork for Spring athletics will be reviewed by the Interim Athletic Director.
In February 2007 the Payson High School Girls' Basketball team was similarly required to forfeit games (25-5 record prior to forfeiture) and could not compete in post-season play after AIA ruled an ineligible player competed due to similar oversight in paperwork. Similar action was taken towards their athletic director by the Payson Unified School District.