New York City & New Jersey High Hoops

5/23/03 Newsday: Section XI's New Rule: Stay Away From OSNA.

Section XI, Suffolk's athletic association, took the unprecedented act of revoking the Friend and Neighbor status of parochial school Our Savior New American yesterday at an athletic council meeting. The move means the Centereach-based Lutheran school cannot play or scrimmage any members of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association during the 2003-04 school year.

"I think there is a perception among member schools that Our Savior New American doesn't follow the rules and regulations of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association," Section XI executive director Cathy Gallagher said. "When they apply for status, they have to follow those guidelines."

Questions have been raised in recent seasons about the recruitment and eligibility of OSNA players.

The status of all schools who are not members of the state Federation are considered by all sections every two years. To be eligible to play NYSPHSAA schools, Our Savior New American was required to file an application for renewal with Section XI this spring. The issue was discussed at four conference meetings before representatives of each took the directive of their membership to the athletic council meeting, where they unanimously voted to reject OSNA's application. The Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA already bans its teams from playing OSNA in boys basketball.

Our Savior New American is a Missouri Synod Lutheran school that opened in 1992. It has an enrollment of 450, a quarter of it in grades 9-12, including students from 26 countries. The Pioneers are not a member of the state Federation, but play in the Independent Private Parochial Schools Athletic League in five sports: baseball, girls basketball, softball, boys soccer and girls volleyball.

But the boys basketball program pulled out of IPPSAL two seasons ago to play a national schedule. The Pioneers went 30-11 this season and will send two players to Division I programs. The team features one of the nation's top juniors, Colombian-born Juan Diego Tello-Palacios. A national schedule along with a cast of gifted international players has repeatedly drawn whispers of impropriety in gyms throughout Long Island. It's a perception coach Ron Stelzer has denied, stating his program follows state guidelines.

"We're just trying to help kids and give them a good education," said Stelzer, who was recently named Coach of the Year by the National Association of Christian Athletes. "If a school wants to play us, let them play us. Why should some organization make it difficult for a team that wants to play us to play us? I would like to know why they feel so strongly about us that way?"

Brice Fielding, president of the 16-team IPPSAL, said OSNA remains a member in good standing. "It won't affect their status in IPPSAL," Fielding said. "The belief and philosophy is to have a league that provides equitable competition for the kids at these programs."