By:Anne Marie Allocca and John C. O'Connell
Long Island CYO league officials prevented the team from playing in the Long Island Championship on Monday, citing a violation of the league's rules. Officials discovered that the team's roster included a 10-year-old, fourth-grade girl and three third-graders, none of whom were eligible to play without having received league waivers at the start of the season in November. Waivers had never been requested, according to league officials, so none were granted.
The 10-year-old girl has been on the team for the past two years, without ever having been granted a waiver.
The team's home court has been the Holy Name of Mary School in Valley Stream, though the team has no other relationship with Holy Name of Mary Church or the parish school. "They are not affiliated with the parish," a rectory employee said. Holy Name of Mary's pastor, the Rev. Tom Harold, told parishioners from the pulpit at the 12:10 mass on Tuesday that the CYO team has no ties to the parish or school.
Ken Heino, youth minister for the church, explained that the CYO system is set up differently from a school team, in that the players don't come from one school, but from a community. "Each town has a CYO," he said. "The Holy Name of Mary team has some kids from North Valley Stream as well as Blessed Sacrament. Only 10 percent of the school kids from Holy Name of Mary are even playing basketball. ... The one thing they want to clarify is it's not a school team. Bill Gillespie organizes the CYO team for Holy Name of Mary."
In a statement issued Tuesday by the CYO Nassau Suffolk, league officials said the decision to disqualify the team had been "communicated to the parish and the pastor was in agreement with the decision rendered."
The statement sought to justify the league's decision. "The overriding concern of CYO Nassau Suffolk is for the good of every child and young person. Any decision made regarding a team's eligibility is made with the good of every team in mind, and not just the team in violation of the rule.
"In the case of the Holy Name of Mary Fifth Grade Boys' Team, there were three third grade boys, playing two grades up, and one fourth grade girl playing on the team. Permission for children playing with older children is given on a case-by-case basis and is contingent upon the emotional, social and physical best interests of the child. Permission for a girl playing on a boys' team is also given on a case-by-case review and is based upon the specific factors inherent in the particular situation (such as sport, age, level and team composition and safety concerns).
"In the case of the Holy Name of Mary team, four waivers were needed; none were requested by the parish and, therefore, none were given. The penalty for improper players on a roster is forfeiture of games. It was the decision of the Eligibility Committee, a committee made up of parents and coaches from Nassau and Suffolk counties, to disqualify the Holy Name of Mary team from the playoffs because of ineligible players on the roster."
