When it comes to dealing with the transfer epidemic related to Hawaii high school sports, there is no one right answer, no one size that fits all.
And — despite some public perception leading to other conclusions — the Oahu Interscholastic Association seems to understand that with its new rule going into effect now.
At least its executive director, Raymond Fujino, gets it.
The OIA edict that forces transfers from one Hawaii public school to another on Oahu to sit out a year in a sport if they played it the previous year seems drastic to many.
But the oft-repeated assumption that there will be no possible exceptions and no appeal process is a myth, Fujino confirmed in an interview Friday.
The OIA has been an easy target for some of its policies over the years. This one looks reasonable. Maybe not perfect, but reasonable and fair.
We can debate the merits of the top talent gravitating to just a few schools that have the best programs and the best coaches. In some ways it’s an emulation of the pros and college. A lot of high school kids have been taking their talents to East Honolulu and Central Oahu in recent years, for little other reason than to raise their football profiles.
You can’t blame parents for wanting the best situation for their kids. They can still do that with a district exemption. But now, the smart thing is take care of it before the child enters high school.
Also students change schools for many reasons that have nothing to do with sports. Fujino agrees a teenager should not miss out a year of the positive things that come with being on a high school athletic team simply because they transfer for reasons out of their control.
Like, let’s say a kid’s family moves to another school district because of finances.
“Exactly,” Fujino said. “That’s where the case-by-case comes in.”
He then brought up a good hypothetical example. What if a family has its house overflowed by lava, forcing a move from Hilo to live with relatives in an Oahu school district?
“What the parents would do is approach the athletic director, after registering,” Fujino said. “They can make an appeal, and then the principals vote.”
Forms are available at the schools to help “make it easier for parents to verify the circumstances,” he said. “First of all you need to enroll at the school. If you have to move, you move and then you address the eligibility issues.”
Another couple of things to keep in mind: Transferring does not prevent a student-athlete from playing ANY sport the next year at the new school, just those that he or she competed in the previous year. Kids coming in from the mainland or private schools to their home district can play right away.
Also, more-and-more, outstanding college prospects in many sports are being identified at summer camps and in competition other than interscholastic.
A certain guy named Marcus who was offered a football scholarship at an Oregon camp despite being the backup quarterback at Saint Louis the previous year comes to mind.
Things worked out pretty well for him.
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quickreads.
