NIAA addresses public over soccer playoff fiasco

By Steve Silver

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 | 2:18 p.m.

Eddie Bonine, the Executive Director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, sent this letter to various Nevada media outlets Tuesday. Here is the full text of the letter verbatim titled, "It's My Turn:"

"It is important that the general public have all of the facts surrounding the most recent eleventh hour tournament format changes in the Southern 4A Girls' Basketball Tournament and now the Girl's Soccer Tournament before individuals criticize the integrity of the NIAA staff. In both cases, a CCSD school has failed to follow a CCSD policy, which in turn has put the NIAA in a position of 'scramble!" In the basketball "attendance debacle" it was a CCSD policy for game day athlete's attendance, not an NIAA NAC Chapter 386 Regulation, that eliminated a school from the tournament. In the present scenario, it is important that the general public understand that this office approves transfers ONLY from Private Schools to Public school, Public schools to Private schools, Nevada County to Nevada County and from out of state schools to Nevada schools. The transfer in questions for this ineligible athlete was monitored by and approved solely by the CCSD as an in district CCSD school to CCSD school transfer."

"It is also important to make something perfectly clear: the NIAA office staff, four of us, had absolutely nothing to do with the present situation with Girls Soccer other than attempting to correct the tournament schedule if necessary. The Clark County athletic department was the lead investigator in the case because it involves two CCSD school."

"This particular case was brought to my attention as Executive Director for the NIAA via e-mail on Sunday by a Las Vegas attorney who has in the past represented the parents and student athletes of a particular school in litigation against the NIAA. We understand that this gentleman and the parent of a particular school found out details surrounding the possible ineligibility of a particular student-athlete from a student-athlete of another school competing in the tournament. I was traveling back to Northern Nevada after a very successful NIAA State Basketball Tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Hencer, this was the first item I addressed on Monday, March 2, 2009."

"In retrospect if we had played a "True State Championship" in Girls Soccer during the fall season, as the NIAA Board of Control voted to do last summer prior to litigation being filed by a disgruntled parent of another Las Vegas area school, we most likely would not be having this discussion."

"I will be the first to admit when I or my staff has erred, but in this case the NIAA is not at fault. If people are frustrated or angry, please direct your feelings to those who are truly responsible. In closing, it appears as though we have entered an era in high school athletics where schools are policing other schools. First attendance issues, now residency issues. Who knows what is next, possibly proof of recruiting?"

-- Respectfully your in High School Athletics and Activities,

Eddie Bonine, M.Ed., CAA

Executive Director, NIAA