From CNN:
A Michigan high school student athlete with
Down syndrome might get to keep playing sports during his senior year
despite his age.
The Michigan High School
Athletic Association said May 7 that its representative council had
approved a proposal for a vote by member schools that would change the
group's constitution to allow for a waiver of its maximum age limit
under "narrowly defined" circumstances.
Under current rules,
students who turn 19 before September 1 are not allowed to compete. The
rule is intended to prevent the possibility of injury or competitive
advantage from an older, more developed athlete playing against younger
students.
Eric Dompierre (pictured), the
Michigan student with Down syndrome, turned 19 in January. He was held
back in kindergarten because of his disability.
The athletic association
did not mention Dompierre by name, but it released a statement that was
clearly meant to deflect criticism over the way it has handled the
question of his participation.
Ballots will be mailed this week, the athletic association said, and schools will have two weeks to return them.
"The representative
council does not advance proposals it does not want the membership to
support, and an affirmative vote by schools is being specifically
requested on this proposal," it said.
The specific wording of
the proposal was not immediately available. It is expected to be posted
on the group's website no later than May 14. A two-thirds majority is
required to change the organization's constitution.
Dompierre has played sports with other children in Ishpeming, Michigan, since he was in elementary school.
"We didn't know how far he'd go, how many coaches would keep him on the team," said Dean Dompierre, Eric's father.
When he got to high
school, Dompierre was invited to keep playing. Now a junior, he is on
the Ishpeming High School football and basketball teams. He attends
every practice and works out with the other players and sometimes plays a
few minutes at the end of the game.
During this season's
basketball playoffs, Dompierre brought the house down. After maintaining
a nice lead, the team put Dompierre in the game and he hit a
three-point shot against rival Negaunee High School.
"I was on the left side
behind the three-point line and they passed me the ball," Dompierre
said, smiling as he recounted the game. "I heard the fans, including my
mom crying."
Dompierre's father was in the stands with his camera and captured the amazing reaction.
"I videotaped the crowd
on the other side and it was made up of mostly Negaunee fans, including
their student section, and they were all on their feet cheering for
Eric."
The same thing happened
when Dompierre kicked his first extra point for the football team toward
the end of a game two years ago.
"I was amazed that he
even had the opportunity to kick, and then when he did it, I thought
woo-hoo! And then watching the kids react, they carried him off the
field; it was just one of the best moments," recalls Eric's mother, Jill
Dompierre.
For the past two years,
the Dompierres, with the support of the Ishpeming School District, have
tried to get the rule changed so Dompierre can play during his senior
year.
"The rule is 100 years
old. We've come a long way in those 100 years in this country in the way
that we involve and include people with disabilities. And I think it's
time that the rule catches up with that," said Dean Dompierre.
