Allow all Grade 8 Girls Teams to Participate in District Playoffs Feb 23

In order to allow their teams to have sufficient players to form a team, a number of grade 8 girls played in the Jr Girls District basketball tournament held Feb 1-3, 2024. Two teams were recently notified by the School District league coordinator that these Grade 8 student athletes would be unable to play in the upcoming Grade 8 Girls District tournament, held Feb 23-24, 2024. Team rosters were NOT checked at the Jr tournament, and these grade 8 athletes didn't have the opportunity to give informed consent to play - they did not know they would miss their age level tournament by participating in the Jr District playoffs. Additionally, if the two District tournaments were held in the usual chronological age order this would not have been an issue.

BC School Sports upheld the rule that "as soon as student-athlete plays a playoff game with the older age team they cannot play any further games with the younger age team for the duration of the season. Therefore, the grade 8's that played for your junior team are not eligible to play for your grade 8 team in the districts on Feb 23."

After receiving the ruling from BCSS, one of the Grade 8 teams met as a team of now 6 eligible grade 8 athletes on the next available school day to vote on whether to bow out, or play. The remaining girls voted to play, and received news later that day that because of a shortage of refs the team was now excluded from the tournament. The school offered to supply and pay for out of town referees, but this offer was rejected by tournament organizers.

This is two years in a row this same girls basketball team - undefeated for two years in league play - has been excluded from league playoffs. There is a major concern that these Grade 8 female student athletes are being discouraged and pushed out of the sport because of their excellent skills. It is raises the question of whether BCSS rules are being consistently applied to all teams in the league.