north metro

As a 1990 Alumni of Anoka this is just one more reason Anoka has become the cold Omaha of Minnesota! Brandon gave everything for our school when he fought. He proceeded to carry our Tornado pride all the way to an Olympic Medal and continues to give back to an ungrateful community. Brandon you daughter clearly has that same drive I saw when a short 7th grader used to hang around my parents house and wrestle in the family room. So lets see the record this year: Discriminate against Gays No Honors for Bryanna Scurry (class of 1990) Stopped the tradition of Cruising Mainstreet And now this.......Somebody get a clue!

I'm not from the area, so this comment is generic, but parents.... please remember that there is much more to high school sports than winning a ribbon. If this girl truly wants to run... she will still be winning in her future. Building character is much more difficult. Standing at the sidelines and cheering on the senior who has put in 6 years of loyalty, responsibility and hard work will be far more beneficial to that child in her future.

Not "everyone won" in this case, as the mother of this 8th grader was quoted. An exception was made for ONE middle school athlete out of the entire district, when the reality is there are countless middle school kids eligible for varsity in Anoka Hennepin. These parents have attended the board meetings as well, asking for the same consideration. The board was grossly unjust in not allowing fair opportunity.

Parents, come on. These are kids. It is a sport. Try to change a rule, sure. Protest at school board meetings, sure. Go to court over this issue? Give me a break. Parents seem too over invested in what might be a frustrating situation but certainly does not merit going to court. Our taxpayer dollars, which fund all of our court systems, can be spent in a better way than advancing a personal agenda like this.

You never know what can happen in the future, in any sport/job/life. These are kids that are eligible for competition, why hold them back? Athletics teaches you determination, hard work, goal setting, and living right. It shouldn't teach you that politics can give/take away a spot. You don't make the team, work harder/smarter. LIFE SKILLS. Headed North- No lawyers are involved, it goes to federal mediation first.

What's next? 9 year olds? Just because they aren't in high school, they can't compete? Why discriminate against those who have already graduated? Just because they are no longer in high school? This entire situation is farcical. Instead of concentrating on preparing a child for life via education, Paulson and others focus on something that MAY only provide a limited "career" for a child. He himself argues that "We have no idea what the future holds for any of these student athletes". Exactly. He seems to think that because she could blow out a knee next week, it's imperative that she should attain "glory" as a runner immediately. The entire thing seems to be a classic case of an ex-athlete trying to relive his success through his offspring. One has to wonder if she cares nearly as much as he does. If at all.

If something is filed in court the school district will be be obligated to use an attorney, at taxpayers expense. And who do you think pays for a federal mediator, clerks, paperwork, scheduling, space, etc, etc? Taxpayers. I really do not think this is a good use of those dollars.

There are a few facts to this story that need amplification: 1) When Anoka-Hennepin Varsity teams compete, they compete against other schools across the state that allow their talented 7-8th graders to "play-up." When A-H has the occasional talented 7-8th grader, it is frustrating to have them not be able to compete for their Varsity teams. 2) The board has not been consistent with adhering to this play-up policy over the years. It was given more teeth in 2010, for reasons that are speculative. 3) A-H sports fall into one of three categories under the board's play-up policy. Sports with large numbers of athletes, such as boys hockey, football and basketball, are Category 1 and do not allow for play-up at all. Plus, these sports usually have teams that allow for students to play at their grade levels. The sports that are working to change the play-up policy are Category 3 sports--mostly individual sports, such as cross country, swimming, wrestling, tennis, etc. Winning isn't everything, granted. Yet, when you are talented in a sport, practice the same as Varsity, pay to play the sport in the district, and you have Varsity-level performance in competition, why be denied the opportunity to compete as a Varsity player? Those who take issue with this school board policy are asking for a level playing field, plain and simple.

Let's start thinking about what is right and good for kids. This obsession our culture has about sports is NOT good for kids. What if we encouraged our kids to invest that same time and efforts into their academics. "Stop Sports Injuries", http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/ is an organization endorsed by the National Association of Athletic Trainers, The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and more. They are very concerned about the amount and the seriousness of injuries to our kids that are happening younger and younger because kids are pushing their bodies too hard too soon. Middle school students should NOT be competing with high School students. They should be involved in age appropriate activities and sports with students of their own age. It is time for some sanity to prevail before we sacrifice the health and future of our young people on the altar of sports!