A North Carolina high school football player with Down syndrome is off the team.
It鈥檚 not because Brett Bowden can鈥檛 play well鈥攊n fact he rarely played at all, according to several.
But Mr. Bowden, 19, is too old to be a part of the team at Hobbton High School in Newton Grove, N.C., southeast of Raleigh. He鈥檚 been on the team for two years.
Although the allows children to have educational services through their 22nd birthdays, that鈥檚 not case for state rules about sports eligibility in many states.
That鈥檚 in part because of safety issues; older players could be significantly stronger or larger than typical high-school-age students. Mr. Bowden will be a junior this year, which would have have been his third year on the team.
In North Carolina鈥檚 case, a state board of education rule keeps players who turn 19 before Aug. 31 from playing, said Rick Strunk, associate commissioner of the.
A hardship provision allows the NCHSAA to make exceptions when students鈥� attendance or academic records don鈥檛 meet requirements to play. But there are no exceptions for age, Mr. Strunk said. The rule about being ineligible to play at 19 has been on the books in North Carolina since 1974. Mr. Strunk added that in the last few years, the association rejected a request by a 19-year-old student who wanted to play, too. The rules apply to all sports, and all students, regardless of whether they have a disability.
鈥淚 hope we can get this worked out,鈥� Mr. Strunk told me. 鈥淲e鈥檇 like to see him participate.鈥�
Nearly 17,000 people had signed onto a called 鈥淟et Brett Bowden Play,鈥� as of Wednesday afternoon.
In reality, Mr. Bowden鈥檚 participation involved suiting up for games. As a concession the NCHSAA said he may wear a football jersey and pants on the sidelines, but no football pads鈥� to indicate he鈥檚 not a player. Otherwise, ineligible players suited up for games could trigger another team to request a forfeit.
But that isn鈥檛 enough for Mr. Bowden, or his family.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like Brett even plays; he just enjoys warming up with the team, practicing, putting on that number 11 jersey and pads,鈥� a statement from his family on the Facebook page reads. 鈥淭his is what he looks forward to when school starts.鈥�