Judge Allows Girl to Play for Boys High School Volleyball Team
Judge Allows Girl to Play for Boys High School Volleyball Team
Anyela Aquino will get her wish. A New York judge ruled Friday that Aquino should be allowed to play on her high school's boys volleyball team.
By: Marc Raimondi
Anyela Aquino will get her wish.
A New York judge ruled Friday that Aquino should be allowed to play on her high school's boys volleyball team, according to a report in the New York Daily News. The Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) had previously blocked the Bronx teen from playing with the boys, because her school, Taft Educational Campus, has a girls team.
"I feel really happy, I can't wait," Aquino told the Daily News. "My family is really happy because they're supporting me a lot."
Aquino is the star player for the girls squad and helped lead the team to a city championship in the fall. She wanted to continue playing volleyball competitively in the spring season too, and her coach, school and the boys players all supported her decision to tryout for the boys team. Aquino made the team and a three-person panel -- her coach, a physical education teacher and a school doctor -- approved it.
The Taft boys team has trouble filling roster spots, so Aquino was a natural fit to help them made the requisite number of players to compete. But the PSAL did not allow the Taft boys program to add Aquino to the roster. Previously, a girl has only been allowed to play for a boys team in the league if the school had no girls program.
The PSAL reasoned that allowing Aquino to play for the boys team would take away an opportunity from a boy at the school.
Robert Siano, Aquino's attorney, filed a petition last week, stating that Aquino's exclusion was based solely on gender and the three-person panel's decision said that she "meets all the standards in athletic performance test and is a high-level volleyball player." In other words, Aquino didn't just make the team, because she was a girl -- she made it because she was good enough on that level.
"The Taft Boys Volleyball Team is historically unable to field an entire roster," Siano's petition read, according to the News. "It was suggested that Ms. Aquino would receive more attention, and a greater opportunity to hone her skills, if she was allowed to play in the spring season."
Aquino, 17, grew up playing volleyball in the Dominican Republic and is far more experienced in the sport than most New York City players. She will be playing volleyball next year at Monroe College, a landing place for many city volleyball stars.
"Anybody can take my position, but they should have to fight for it," Aquino told the Daily News in a previous interview.
On Friday, judge Julia Rodriguez ordered that the PSAL could not remove Aquino's name from the roster. As of Monday, though, Aquino was not yet on the official roster posted to PSAL.org. Taft plays again Tuesday against Alfred E. Smith.
“We are dedicated to continuing to expand opportunities for students to participate in sports teams across the city and encourage as many students as possible to get involved," New York City Department of Education spokesperson Toya Holmess said. "Playing on a team is a transformative experience that strengthens school communities.”
Rodriguez's decision is a huge one. It would set a precedent in the PSAL, which is the largest public high-school school league in the United States with more than 40,000 athletes competing.
In the fall during girls season, Aquino was second in the city in kills (115) and led Taft to the PSAL Class B championship. The year before, with Aquino academically ineligible, Taft went just 2-10 and did not make the playoffs. James Longsworth is the coach of both teams and has been coaching at the school since 2009.
"We want her to be on the team," Siano told the Daily News, "and fulfill her dream and her destiny."
Anyela Aquino will get her wish.
A New York judge ruled Friday that Aquino should be allowed to play on her high school's boys volleyball team, according to a report in the New York Daily News. The Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) had previously blocked the Bronx teen from playing with the boys, because her school, Taft Educational Campus, has a girls team.
"I feel really happy, I can't wait," Aquino told the Daily News. "My family is really happy because they're supporting me a lot."
Aquino is the star player for the girls squad and helped lead the team to a city championship in the fall. She wanted to continue playing volleyball competitively in the spring season too, and her coach, school and the boys players all supported her decision to tryout for the boys team. Aquino made the team and a three-person panel -- her coach, a physical education teacher and a school doctor -- approved it.
The Taft boys team has trouble filling roster spots, so Aquino was a natural fit to help them made the requisite number of players to compete. But the PSAL did not allow the Taft boys program to add Aquino to the roster. Previously, a girl has only been allowed to play for a boys team in the league if the school had no girls program.
The PSAL reasoned that allowing Aquino to play for the boys team would take away an opportunity from a boy at the school.
Robert Siano, Aquino's attorney, filed a petition last week, stating that Aquino's exclusion was based solely on gender and the three-person panel's decision said that she "meets all the standards in athletic performance test and is a high-level volleyball player." In other words, Aquino didn't just make the team, because she was a girl -- she made it because she was good enough on that level.
"The Taft Boys Volleyball Team is historically unable to field an entire roster," Siano's petition read, according to the News. "It was suggested that Ms. Aquino would receive more attention, and a greater opportunity to hone her skills, if she was allowed to play in the spring season."
Aquino, 17, grew up playing volleyball in the Dominican Republic and is far more experienced in the sport than most New York City players. She will be playing volleyball next year at Monroe College, a landing place for many city volleyball stars.
"Anybody can take my position, but they should have to fight for it," Aquino told the Daily News in a previous interview.
On Friday, judge Julia Rodriguez ordered that the PSAL could not remove Aquino's name from the roster. As of Monday, though, Aquino was not yet on the official roster posted to PSAL.org. Taft plays again Tuesday against Alfred E. Smith.
“We are dedicated to continuing to expand opportunities for students to participate in sports teams across the city and encourage as many students as possible to get involved," New York City Department of Education spokesperson Toya Holmess said. "Playing on a team is a transformative experience that strengthens school communities.”
Rodriguez's decision is a huge one. It would set a precedent in the PSAL, which is the largest public high-school school league in the United States with more than 40,000 athletes competing.
In the fall during girls season, Aquino was second in the city in kills (115) and led Taft to the PSAL Class B championship. The year before, with Aquino academically ineligible, Taft went just 2-10 and did not make the playoffs. James Longsworth is the coach of both teams and has been coaching at the school since 2009.
"We want her to be on the team," Siano told the Daily News, "and fulfill her dream and her destiny."