Medders Remains Ineligible

Oak Park senior Lyndsey Medders, one of the top girls’ basketball players in the Southland, had her appeal to the Southern Section denied on Wednesday and will remain ineligible for the rest of the season.

Earlier this month, Medders was found to be in violation of section rules regarding transfers with dual residency. Her family owned a home in Westlake Village, which was still occupied by a son attending Westlake High, while the remainder of the family lived in a leased residence in Oak Park.

The Westlake Village property is in the process of being sold. However, the Southern Section recognizes bona fide changes of address only when the entire familymoves, said Paul Castillo, a section assistant commissioner.

The Medders family could appeal the section’s decision to the California Interscholastic Federation state office.

Medders attended North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake last school year before transferring to Oak Park.

-- Martin Henderson

The California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section council is reconsidering whether to eliminate its controversial association rule despite continued resistance from members who fear that removal of the regulation would be burdensome on coaches and athletes.

Montebello Athletic Director Tim Murphy encouraged the council at its meeting in Long Beach on Thursday to consider repealing the rule, which prohibits coaches from working with athletes during the off-season in more than a conditioning capacity.

Murphy said elimination of the rule would allow school principals and athletic directors increased oversight of their coaches, athletes to be trained by qualified coaches, improve coaching development and decrease summer demands on athletes by allowing them to work on skill development with their coaches during the school year.

Murphy’s proposal was met with a hail of dissent from administrators and athletic administrators who raised concerns about increased pressure on coaches to work with their athletes year-round and an increased onus on administrators to supervise athletic activities.

The proposal faces a vote at the March 13 council meeting.

As a former principal, Southern Section Commissioner Jim Staunton said he supports the rule because it encourages athletes to play more than one sport and prevents burnout among coaches and athletes.

In other action, the council adopted a proposal that reduces the number of allowable boys’ and girls’ golf matches before league qualifying to 24 from as high as 36. The rule, which takes effect with the 2003 girls’ golf season, will minimize missed class time, Staunton said.

The council also approved a proposal that will allow football teams that play a game before Week 1 flexibility in their remaining schedule. Previously, teams that had played before Week 1 were required to take a bye in Week 1.

Ben Bolch