Rod Swallers, Granville

I am writing in regards to the North Dakota High School Activities Association’s denial of the hardship request for the eligibility of Sage Hanson of TGU High School. Sage had been a student at TGU since he was in kindergarten. On July 31, 2024, Sage was offered an opportunity to transfer to Wasatch Academy in Utah for his junior and senior years of high school. After careful consideration, he began his junior year in August 2024.

When he returned home for Christmas, he learned his Dad had an aneurysm near his heart and will need surgery at Mayo Clinic. There is a 40% chance the aneurysm could rupture and cause death, so Sage came home to finish high school.

Unfortunately, the NDHSAA denied his hardship request to participate in sports and determined he needed to wait a full calendar year to join his high school team with whom he had played since 5th grade. He will not be varsity eligible until January 2, 2026, of his senior year and he is not allowed to play junior varsity until the last game of the 2025 season. This was heartbreaking and stressful for him and his family during an already stressful time.

I have been a member of this community for many years. I have cheered on my own kids as they participated in sports in this community. Now that they are grown, I have continued to support our local team.

Teens in today’s world have many unhealthy distractions — illicit drugs, nicotine, alcohol, unhealthy use of technology, addiction to food, etc. Suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety are on the rise in teens. High school athletics improve physical health and mental health. With all of these unhealthy distractions and mental health concerns, it does not make sense to prohibit students from participating in healthy activities such as high school athletics.

The NDHSAA Mission Statement states, “The purpose of the NDHSAA is to contribute to the education of high school boys and girls of ND by supplementing the dramatic, literary, music, and physical education programs of the schools and giving due emphasis to those tendencies which promise best to promote the mental and physical health and social well-being of all students.” How is suspending a teen from sports for one calendar year for moving to be near his Dad while his Dad faces potentially life threatening health concerns promoting mental and physical health and social well-being for anyone?

Sage made a brave decision to move away from what was comfortable to pursue an opportunity. He sacrificed this opportunity to be near his Dad while his Dad faces uncertainty. Typically, these adult decisions made by a 16 year old would show a positive display of character, rather than an infraction in need of disciplinary action of 1 year without sports. I feel NDHSAA needs to do a better job supporting high school students rather than trying to find ways to prevent them from participating, especially given the medical concerns of this family.