The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has released a statement on the situation involving the Sacred Heart Academy tennis team, which has two players who could miss Friday’s play in the state tournament because of an Advanced Placement English test.
Here is the statement:
“Unfortunately, these types of situations occur when you get into championship events where conflicts can arise with school testing dates, proms, graduation and other ceremonies. This situation is not unique to one school or region, and that comes with the territory when you’re trying to juggle 277 schools operating on 277 different schedules/calendars, while also attempting to manage an event over which you don’t have unlimited control or availability of the facilities. We have often worked with schools in the past prior to announcing the schedule for the first-round matches, but issues are magnified in the later rounds as other possible schedule conflicts could come into play for other student-athletes. It is also important to consider competitive equity, rest periods, etc., within the bracket pods. Any single move within that schedule has the potential to impact many other schools, and it is imperative that no school be given preferential treatment.
“While unfortunate, this situation with this specific makeup test date could likely have been avoided at the local school level. Our championship dates are set well in advance, and teams and coaches can see the dates for future championships years in advance by reviewing the corresponding-dates calendar on our website. This situation is not unique to tennis, as scheduling conflicts have led to diplomas being presented at home plate in past years during the state baseball and softball tournaments, and similar accommodations have been made at other events. “