ISHPEMING, MI-- High schools in Michigan have voted to allow a waiver of the maximum age for students to participate in interscholastic athletics.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association announced Thursday that its member schools approved an amendment to the organization's constitution that would allow for the waiver under certain circumstances.
The rule change would allow an Ishpeming High School student with Down Syndrome to play football and basketball next season. The Athletic Association's constitution had said that students who turn 19 before September 1 are ineligible to play sports for the full school year. Eric Dompierre started school late because of his disability. He has already turned 19.
The MHSAA says 94 percent of the 701 senior high and junior high/middle schools that cast legal ballots approved the change.
