Watered-Down Bill Passed by Assembly
The state Assembly this week passed a watered-down Senate Bill 338, which will go back to the Senate for a vote. Passage by the Senate would send it to Gov. Gray Davis for final approval.
SB 338, sponsored by state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), originally called for a state law that would require universities and community colleges to provide one-year notification to athletes before dropping a program. The Assembly Committee on Higher Education changed the language of the bill to say “reasonable notification of a termination.”
Community activist Duke Russell believes the bill is necessary because it directs colleges to make every reasonable effort to place athletes in other programs and to honor athletic scholarships.
California community colleges do not offer scholarships.
“We need to have people start sending letters to the governor in support of Senate Bill 338,” Russell said. “[Education] administrators are going to argue that this bill takes away their flexibility. What about the flexibility of the kids on campus? We need to protect student-athletes.”
BASKETBALL
* Chad Phillips, junior varsity boys’ coach at Canyon High last season, has been promoted to the varsity.
Phillips, 24, replaces David Humphreys, who resigned earlier this month to become an assistant at Cal State Bakersfield.
SOFTBALL
* Rich Perez has been hired as coach at Saugus.
Perez, an assistant at Saugus for nine seasons, replaces Ron Hilton.
FOOTBALL
* Cal State Northridge will hold its annual Red-White scrimmage and football media day Saturday at North Campus Stadium. The Matadors will be on the field from 10 until noon, then pose for photographs.
A barbecue will take place after the scrimmage.
TENNIS
* Lester Cook of Sherman Oaks defeated Euisik Jung of Korea, 6-3, 6-4, in a quarterfinal match Thursday in the boys’ 18 division of U.S. Tennis Assn. Junior International Hardcourt Championships in Hamilton Square, N.J.
Stephen Amritraj of Calabasas and Conner Murnighan of Glenview, Ill., defeated Cook and Kean Feeder of Portland, Ore., 6-3, 6-2, in the round of 16 in doubles.
* Braemar Country Club in Tarzana won the men’s 4.0 Southern California sectional tournament Sunday at Los Caballeros Racquet Club in Fountain Valley.
The Braemar team included singles players Greg Nathan of West Hills and Dennis Mitchell of Santa Monica, and the doubles teams of Bill Halac of Studio City and Steve Cohen of Northridge, John Isaacs of Encino and David Serber of Northridge, and Howard Camhi of West Hills and David Dann of Woodland Hills.
SOFTBALL
* The California Waves 18-and-under Gold team is holding tryouts Saturday and Sunday at Santa Barbara High from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Information: Marv Watson (805) 965-3771.
* The Valley Breeze 18-and-under Gold team is holding tryouts at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Pierce College.
Information: Garry Fetman (818) 879-9064 or (818) 991-7780.
* The Northridge ASA girls’ fastpitch league is holding final registration and tryouts Saturday for fall for players 6-16.
Tryouts: 9 a.m. for 16-and-under; 11:30 a.m. for 12-and-under; 2 p.m. for 10-and-under; 4:30 p.m. for 8-and-under.
Information: (818) 368-4654.
