SC wrestling put on probation for its part in fight
By JOSE GARCIA, Editor
The Arizona Interscholastic Association Inc. put the Santa Cruz Valley Union High School wrestling program on a year probation for its involvement in a fight in a school-sponsored event.
The fight took place at a Coolidge wrestling tournament Jan. 15, but no one is saying who actually started the fight.
They still don’t know who started it, said Superintendent Gene Bichekas. It is questionable between Show Low and Santa Cruz.
They know a spectator walked onto the mat, he said, but they did not start the video recording until later.
Bichekas said A.I.A. took exception with SC because they did their investigation and submitted a report, but Show Low submitted a better, 15 to 20 page, report.
As a result Show Low was given a warning. It is not known what happened to Coolidge.
Santa Cruz appealed the decision and turned in the information they collected. If they do everything the A.I.A. wants them to do, including a forum in August followed up with a community forum, the A.I.A. will lift its suspension in October.
The steps the A.I.A. want the school to complete are steps Bichekas set for the campus in the days following the incident. They include an in-service for coaches of all spring sports; an in-service for the student athletes on the wrestling team to include the athletic handbook and A.I.A. Rules and Regulations; disciplining of athletes found to have been active participants in this incident; banning of parents found to be involved in the incident. The banishment is for the remainder of the school year; the cancellation of at least one home wrestling meet; final home wrestling meet should be held without any spectators.
Future preventive measures are to include: at the start of the 2005-2006 school academic year, they will have a meeting of all coaches to in-service them on A.I.A. guidelines, the school’s athletic handbook and the “Pursuing Victory with Honor “program provided by the A.I.A.; a revision of the school’s athletic handbook to strengthen consequences for infractions; and invite parents of athletes to participate in the school’s athletic in-service.
The school will also have an adequate number of uniformed Eloy police officers in attendance; establish procedures to keep fans away from and off the areas where an athletic contest is being held.
“The police report in Coolidge indicated a very combustible environment, “said Bichekas.
Although the probation strictly affects the wrestling it does put the activity program on warning.
“What we want is to put wrestling on warning and the activity program on advisement, “Bichekas said.
Bichekas also wants to put rumors to rest that wrestling is not allowed in the school. When they go off of probation in October it will no longer affect the wrestling program.
Wrestling does not start to practice until October, said Steve Hudgeons, athletics director. It will put wrestling where it was the previous year with only a warning.
“The sad part is one parent’s indiscretion caused problems for three schools. If the man from Show Low had not gone on the mat none of this would of happened, “Bichekas said.
The bottom line is they have already revised the handbook in order to comply, he said. They will be doing a workshop to let both parents and athletes know what is expected by A.I.A.
Hudgeons said the one thing which is not expected if for parents to leave the stands and students to leave the bench. “Both things happened, with both schools.
“It’s the adults creating part of the problems, “he said. “How can you expect kids to be under control when the parents are not.”
Bichekas encourages parents and citizens that if they hear rumors to contact him or Hudgeons.
“We really appreciate and encourage parents as spectators, but they have to realize there are rules and guidelines.”
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