Send a message to the NDHSAA and urge them to allow Dusty and Ethan to play for Hillsboro!

Dusty Schildberger and Ethan Proznik face a senior year without football because of circumstances out of their control. You can help do something about that!

 

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy of Brenda Schildberger)

You may know the story of Central Valley football players Dusty Schildberger and Ethan Proznik. Because of declining enrollments in Central Valley, their school will not have a team this year. The Valiants will co-op with Hillsboro in 2013. But that is too late for Dusty and Ethan, who are seniors. In the meantime, they've asked to play this season with Hillsboro so they can complete their careers. But the NDHSAA board of directors has denied their request, citing current rules and reluctance to go down a "slippery slope" of making exceptions to those rules.

Here is a blog post I wrote about the story recently, if you want more information: http://www.kfgo.com/on-air-details.php?ID=138

The denial has been appealed and the board will reconsider Dusty's and Ethan's request at a June 19 meeting.

Let's do our part to help the NDHSAA overturn their original decision and allow these two young men to play one season at Hillsboro. Below is a form letter you can copy and paste in an e-mail. Below that is all the e-mail addresses of NDHSAA board members. You can copy and paste that into the "TO:" portion of your e-mail window. Then just hit "SEND."

Also on this page is the general phone number for the NDHSAA in Valley City. We urge you to call it and let executive director Sherm Sylling know how you feel. Be polite and respectful, but let him know that Dusty and Ethan should be allowed to play their senior seasons at Hillsboro.

Thank you for your help!

HERE IS THE FORM LETTER:

Dear NDHSAA board member,

I am writing to urge you to reconsider your stance on the status of Central Valley football players Dusty Schildberger and Ethan Proznik. It is my belief they should be allowed to play their senior season at Hillsboro, and Hillsboro should not be forced to move up from 9-man to Class 2A 11-man.

While I understand this decision would contradict current NDHSAA rules, I believe the circumstances of this case call for an exception to be made. As an article in the Grand Forks Herald stated, these two young men have "become collateral damage in a complicated mess of declining school enrollments, the delicate negotitations of cooperative sponsorships and the rules of the North Dakota High School Activities Association."

I believe the circumstances that led to Dusty and Ethan not having a place to play for their senior seasons were completely out of their control, and they should not be punished because of those circumstances.

Football is a big part of Dusty's and Ethan's life. They started as ball boys and continued their playing careers through their junior seasons at Central Valley. Now they are facing a senior season without football.

I urge you on June 19 to vote to allow Dusty Schildberger and Ethan Proznik to play for Hillsboro this fall.

Respectfully yours,

HERE ARE THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES OF NDHSAA BOARD MEMBERS:

scott.m.ulland@sendit.nodak.edu; todd.olson@gfschools.org; kirk.ham@sendit.nodak.edu; pmoe@beu.midco.net; shane.martin@sendit.nodak.edu; steve.brannan@sendit.nodak.edu; bauch.ba@gmail.com; steve.swiontek@sendit.nodak.edu; jfastnacht@ellendale.k12.nd.us; larry.helvik@sendit.nodak.edu; wsanstead@nd.gov

HERE ARE THE NAMES AND HOMETOWNS OF BOARD MEMBERS:

Scott Ulland
Mayville-Portland
scott.m.ulland@sendit.nodak.edu

Todd Olson
Grand Forks
todd.olson@gfschools.org

Kirk Ham
Park River
kirk.ham@sendit.nodak.edu

Pete Moe
Washburn
pmoe@beu.midco.net

Shane Martin
Turtle Mountain
shane.martin@sendit.nodak.edu

Steve Brannan
Garrison
steve.brannan@sendit.nodak.edu

Ben Auch
Mott
bauch.ba@gmail.com

Steve Swiontek
Devils Lake
steve.swiontek@sendit.nodak.edu

Steve Hall
Kindred
jfastnacht@ellendale.k12.nd.us

Larry Helvik
Beach
larry.helvik@sendit.nodak.edu

Wayne Sanstead
Bismarck
wsanstead@nd.gov

HERE IS THE PHONE NUMBER FOR THE NDHSAA OFFICE IN VALLEY CITY:

Sherm Sylling, executive director

(701) 845-3953

   

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