A Hoover baseball coach is facing a year-long suspension for the 2023 season due to Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) rules that have already spurred heated debate in the state.
According to AL.com, Hoover High School baseball coach Adam Moseley will reportedly be forced to sit out the season due to an AHSAA rule that forbids a high school coach from coaching a student in sports competition during the school year.
Moseley was a coach on the USA Baseball Under 18 National Team. One of his Hoover players was on Team USA.
Team USA defeated China in September to win the World Baseball Softball Confederation World Cup in September 2022. Since games occurred in September, during the school year, Moseley violated the rule.
Since the rules require either the coach or the athlete to sit out the season, Moseley is reportedly expected to sit out the 2023 season to allow his student-athlete to play.
Hoover is reportedly appealing the rule before AHSAA's central control board.
Moseley received online support from the head baseball coaches at the University of Alabama and UAB.
The possible suspension has also garnered attention from ESPN's Jay Bilas.
AHSAA, a semi-private organization that regulates high school athletic programs, has come under fire in recent years for lack of transparency and heavy-handed enforcement of unilateral rules that many feel lack flexibility.
In 2019, State Rep. Kyle South (R-Fayette) introduced legislation to create more government oversight for AHSAA after it ruled that Charles Henderson High School basketball standout Maori Davenport was ineligible to play basketball in her senior year.
Davenport received an $857.20 check from USA Basketball to play on their team in 2018, which she later repaid after finding out it was against ASHAA rules. Despite repaying the money, ASHAA still suspended Davenport, prohibiting her from finishing her senior year at Henderson.
South criticized the AHSAA for its handling of this situation.
"I think it's crazy that we punish anyone for success and especially those representing our state on a national, sometimes international stage," South told 1819 News. "We should be celebrating them instead."
"I think what it's going to take to cause change over there is for the athletic directors, the coaches and the principals to become more engaged instead of being just a pass-through. Personally, as a state government, I don't want to see us bring [AHSAA] under the State Department of Education or anything like that and grow government. But, at the same time, they're there to support the kids, not to punish them for success. And, too often lately, we've been punishing folks for success."
AHSAA also came under fire in 2022 after refusing to accommodate Huntsville's Oakwood Adventist Academy basketball team, forcing them to forfeit a playoff game.
In keeping with its religious tenets, the Seventh Day Adventist school does not engage in athletics during its sabbath, which falls on Saturday.
After the AHSAA refused to give the team a three-hour game extension, the team was forced to forfeit for religious reasons.
The Oakwood decision drew the attention of Gov. Kay Ivey, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and many members of the Alabama Legislature.
State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) suggested the need for legislation to address the "overwhelming lack of confidence" the AHSAA has garnered in recent history.
See: State Sen. Elliott says legislation on the way to rein in AHSAA
In September 2022, the AHSAA voted to amend its rulebook to allow accommodations for future situations after a lawsuit was filed on behalf of the basketball team.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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