Virginia HS student, 19, who has LD told he is too old to play sports

From WDBJ-TV:

MONTGOMERY CO., Va. — An Eastern Montgomery High School senior misses the chance to play his final year of football by one day.

The Virginia High School League has denied a 19 year old's appeal to play ball, even though he was held back a year due to learning disability.

Actually, the teen's father tells News 7 he missed the eligibility cut off by just 12 hours, but there are exceptions to this VHSL's Age Rule.

The player hopes his learning disability will be considered again.

Adam Sisson explained a typical Friday night now, "It's the worst feeling to watch your teammates run out onto the field when you're sitting on the sidelines wanting to be with them."

He just wants to play football his senior year.

"After the games, they say good game to everybody and I don't get told that anymore," said Sisson.

19-year-old Sisson was sidelined his fourth and final season because of his age.

"I yell at them just cheering them on...that's all I can do," said Sisson.

Now, every Friday night, number 20 is on the sidelines.

The Virginia High School League Age Rule states that a student is not eligible to play sports if he or she turns 19 on or before August first of that school year.

Sisson's birthday is July 31st.

"We held him back in the third grade because he has a reading disability and it's still with him today," explained Adam's father, Allen Sisson.

The Sisson's appealed the Age Rule because of Adam's disability and exceptions to the rule, but they were denied because Adam's hardship was not considered "undue".

In an email exchange obtained by News 7, Tom Zimorski, Deputy Director of the VHSL, writes of 10 of 25 cases appealed in the last five years.

"Those that were granted fall into a couple of categories: students in refugee status who entered the US as non-English speaking persons who were placed in a lower grade than their age would dictate; and documented specific medical or disability issues that required their repeat of a grade(s)."

"They told us no and that's the end of the case, but we've not stopped. We're still pursuing this thing," said Allen Sisson.

News 7 spoke with the Deputy Director of the VHSL on the phone.

He would not comment on Sisson's case at all and when asked about the Age Rule he referred us to the online handbook.

Adam tells News 7 he won't be able to play basketball or baseball either.