Chicago’s youth football team wants its suspension lifted and allowed to compete in the playoffs.
The league has suspended the Glenwood Cougars’ eighth-grader football team for including a 13-year-old academically gifted player. Tremayne Gandy Junior is technically in high school after jumping up a few grades from last year’s 7th grade to 10th grade this year.
“This is amazing, this is something to celebrate,” said Glenwood Football Coach Gary Richardson. “What message are we sending them? That education is not the right way? No, that is not what we do here at Glenwood.”
The Southwest Midget Football League has suspended the entire Glenwood team for having a high school player on the roster, which is against league rules.
Tactics sent a statement to NBC 5 in an email saying, “…we regret to impose disciplinary action that affects the broader organization, however, each of the ten franchises and All three leagues have agreed to abide by these rules for the sake of fair play.
The Rainbow Push Coalition supports the group in its efforts to overturn the suspension.
“Having the right to play taken away from them is unconscionable, immoral and somewhat criminal,” said Bishop Tavis Grant, national executive director of the Rainbow Push Coalition. “No sports organization has this kind of rule that if you do well in the classroom you can’t play on the field. So Pastor Jackson and I made calls to Roger Goodell of the NFL.”
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Below is the full statement from the Southwest Midget Football League: To see also : Former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader is worth more than UFC champion Israel Adesanya.
We understand that it has been a difficult few weeks as the league is going through this difficult period. The Board of Directors of the SWMFL (Southwest Midget Football League) has reached the unfortunate decision to take action for a violation of the law (Rule 4, Title G) on behalf of the Glenwood Cougars Football and Cheerleading franchise, therefore result in the disqualification of the Glenwood Cougars from the 2022 postseason. As Rule 4 of the Act, Title G states: No player shall be drafted if he attends a high school.
As leaders of the SWMFL, we are motivated by the progress and potential of each of our players, from the Mighty Might to Varsity levels. While we are happy to know of the player’s talent and are proud to see his progress in high school at such a young age, it is under the supervision of the SWMFL Board of Directors to evaluate and establish policies. for team unity. behavior. As part of our mission to encourage our youth to learn and practice sportsmanship and fair play, we are proud to know that our student has excelled academically in high school. because of hard work, dedication and investment. to his scholars. The road to success is never easy, however this player has continued to show commitment to his academics and for that we acknowledge and respect his time with the Glenwood Cougars.
It is never easy to establish disciplinary measures against any franchise in our league; despite this, it is necessary for us as the SWMFL Board of Directors to be aware of our position as the governing body of the league to place the authority to make decisions that require immediate attention or will have an impact on in the SWMFL process. However, in any case like this, it is a shame to force a disciplinary action that affects the wider organization, however, each of the thirteen franchises of the league has agreed to respect these rules for the sake of fair play.
We understand how this decision has affected the SWMFL community and we regret that this has caused a rift among us. Our thoughts and decisions are always aimed at improving the game, our fans and supporters, and most importantly our players and supporters. We hope that our supporters are aware of our commitment to follow the established rules to avoid similar violations in the future.
We are proud to represent Chicagoland’s youth football and cheerleading teams and will continue to fight for fairness and the well-being of our players for this season and future seasons.
Sincerely, SWMFL Board of Directors
