A potential curveball: CDO Softball seniors could have to choose between attending state championship, graduation – KVOA

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – A potential curveball for seniors on Canyon Del Oro’s Softball team. 
Players may have to choose between playing in a state championship game and walking the stage at graduation. Several parents reached out to News 4 Tucson expressing their concerns.
CDO hasn’t advanced to the title game yet. The Dorados play in the semifinals Friday. If they win, student-athletes and their families will have to choose the championship game or graduation.
The two events are scheduled for the same day, Monday May 19. The 5A state championship game is at 5:30 p.m. in Tempe. CDO’s graduation is at 7 p.m. in Oro Valley. 
The Dorados haven’t advanced to the title game yet. They play in the semifinals this Friday. If they win, student-athletes and their families will be forced to pick one. 11 of CDO’s 18 players are seniors.
“I feel really disappointed because it means I’d have to watch my second family make a decision between 13 years of athletics and 13 years of academics,” Senior Pitcher Amelia Streuber said. “I find that kind of unfair. The fact that we are supporting all of Tucson. We’re representing them. We have all these people behind us. They want to come out and support us, but a lot of them are going to be at graduation too. So we’re not going to get the support we’d normally get.”
“We’re talking about an impact to 11 players, their immediate family, extended family, friends,” CDO Softball parent Ted Herman said. “You have potentially a couple hundred people who are impacted, having to make this decision. It shouldn’t be this way.”
The team says they want the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) to move the game a few hours earlier.
“If we as adults, and I’m talking parents and the administration, can’t come up with a solution to move the game time by a few hours, shame on us,” Herman said.
Full statement from CDO Head Coach Kelly Fowler: 
“It isn’t CDO vs. the AIA. That isn’t what it is. It’s about the celebration of 13 years of schooling and 13 years of softball. It’s the culmination of both. They came to a head. They shouldn’t have to come to a head. No student-athlete should have to make a decision if they attend their state championship or graduation. It’s our job as adults to make sure they’re able to attend both.”
Full statement from the Arizona Interscholastic Association: 
“The dates for the 2024-25 championships were established in July of 2024. Between July and August of 2024, that information was placed online on the brackets publicly, the tournament pages publicly, and the quick glance calendar publicly. Since that time, there have been numerous meetings that included the Executive Board, Conference leadership, and sports committees in which this could have been discussed. With dates set as far back as they were, the AIA entered into contracts with facilities over the course of the school year for these championships and worked with media partners to ensure proper coverage for live telecasts and webcasts. Additionally, e-mails are sent out from the AIA office to school administration and coaches regarding upcoming events within their respective sport seasons regularly and frequently.
State tournaments are coordinated to elevate opportunities for athletes in all 282 high schools across the state. Each school/district has its own calendar and dates for important events, including graduation. As playoff and championship schedules are crafted, the availability of venues, along with opportunities to expand opportunities for students in championship games, such as live television broadcasts, are finalized as much as a year in advance. To accomplish and elevate the opportunities for student-athletes, playoff and championship dates and times are scheduled and communicated well ahead of time and remain in place.”
Full statement from Amphi Public Schools:
“The Amphitheater School District enthusiastically supports its athletes in competition for state titles, and we are cheering on the Canyon del Oro softball players as they go into semifinals. As it stands now, if CDO earns the opportunity to play in the championship game, they will be scheduled to play on a date and time that conflicts with the school’s graduation ceremony.
In the Amphitheater School District, graduation ceremonies are always held on the last three days of the school year. The dates for state-level athletic competitions are set by the AIA, and competition across spring sports has the potential to conflict with graduation ceremonies around the state. While we always believe our athletes have what it takes to compete for a state title, we never know in advance whether a scheduling conflict will occur.
As CDO is in a position to indeed earn a place in the championship game if they win on Friday, we have asked the AIA to consider moving the final game to the morning or to a different day, if a move would not cause hardship to the opposing team.
Ideally, we would like to see our softball players compete for the championship and walk across the graduation stage.”

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