N.Y. boy kicked off girls' field hockey team for "superior play"

In this undated photo Keeling Pilaro, 13, takes a shot as a member of the East End Field Hockey club in New York. Pilaro, who grew up playing field hockey in Ireland, has been told that after two years as a member of the Southampton High School girls' team, he is now too skilled to qualify for an exemption allowing him to compete with, and against, girls next season. / AP Photo/Andrew Pilaro

(AP) GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - He's too good, and that's too bad.

A 13-year-old New York boy who played field hockey growing up in Ireland has been told that after two years as a member of the Southampton High School girls' team, he is now too skilled to qualify for an exemption allowing him to compete with — and against — girls next season.

Keeling Pilaro, whose 10 goals and eight assists earned him all-conference honors on suburban Long Island — he was the only boy in any league — is appealing the decision by the governing body for high school sports in Suffolk County, and a lawyer for his family suggests a court battle could ensue if the ball doesn't bounce Keeling's way.

An appeals committee said it looked only at his skills, not size or strength, when upholding the decision to keep him off the field. That raises a question of discrimination.

Keeling's fight appears to be a rare example of a young man seeking to take advantage of Title IX, a 40-year-old law enacted to provide women equal access to athletic opportunities. There are no boys' high school field hockey teams anywhere on Long Island, or, for that matter, in most of the country.

"It's really annoying," the eighth-grader said in a recent interview. "I'm just 4-foot-8 and 82 pounds, so I don't see why I shouldn't be allowed to play. I don't really care if I'm on a girls' team or a boys' team, I just want to play."

Southampton school administrators agree, but they don't have the final say.

"The decision to support him represents our commitment to provide meaningful opportunities to each of our students," Superintendent Dr. J. Richard Boyes said in a statement. "Our community, including the girls on our field hockey team, embraced Keeling Pilaro and we couldn't be more proud of him."

Keeling Pilaro, 13, center right, plays offense as a member of the East End Field Hockey club in New York in this undated photo.

/ AP Photo/Andrew Pilaro

The problem, according to Edward Cinelli, the director of the organization that oversees high school athletics in Suffolk County, is that state education law won't allow it. He cited a provision that says administrators are permitted to bar boys from girls' teams if a boy's participation "would have a significant adverse effect" on a girl's opportunity to participate in interschool competition in that sport. Officials say Keeling's skills are superior to the girls he plays against, creating an unfair advantage.

Keeling's defenders say that while he has played well, his skills are not superior to everyone else in the league, and also that his skill level should not be the final determining factor in whether he gets to play.

In order to play with the girls in the first place, Keeling had to get permission from Suffolk's mixed-competition committee, which screens players who want to compete on teams of the opposite sex. Cinelli says there have been occasions where girls have been approved to play football, wrestle or compete in other traditional boys sports, but Keeling is the first in his memory to play alongside girls.

After a year on the junior varsity and a second season with the varsity, the committee in March denied Keeling permission to play next fall. An April decision by the panel's appeals committee affirmed the original decision, and said it did not consider his size and strength as potential criteria for being disqualified.

"Stick-play, quickness and agility are the ingredients of superior play and those are the characteristics of Keeling Pilaro relative to those girls with and against whom he participated," the committee wrote.

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[cvaiciulis]

Let the boy play!!! It is not ok to hold back this child from reaching his full potential, he quite obviously is very talented and has a love for the sport as well. He is not preventing any girls from playing any more than another talented team member would, if you want to get off the bench - get off your but & practice!!! If we are worried about players sitting on the bench, then instill an "equal playtime" rule.

[joe1022joe]

I guess what's good for the gander is not good for the goose.

[rockychance]

UNCONSTITUTIONAL! To kick anyone off any team that they have made is against our equal rights. We do not have a choice but let this boy play as well as let girls join wrestling teams as well as contact sports. We are a nation of equal rights now so let the better person win!

[Davisrad]

Maybe I'm mis-interpreting something. The cited provision "He cited a provision that says administrators are permitted to bar boys from girls' teams if a boy's participation "would have a significant adverse effect" on a girl's opportunity to participate in interschool competition in that sport. Officials say Keeling's skills are superior to the girls he plays against, creating an unfair advantage." Guess this is where I get confused. The boy's skills haven't precluded any girl from the opportunity to participate in interschool competition. Seems all the girls that want to play are able to. His skills are impeding the girls' oppportunity to win. Big difference here - "participate" in sports vs. winning in sports.

Hope you win your lawsuit. And shame to all who are posting nasty comments about co-ed showers, etc. Give me a break.

[rainbowroosie]

LAW SUIT!!!!!

[rh0123]

Age is a major concern here - what was the reason an 11 year old was allowed to play on a HS team in the first place? Talk about liability.

This should have been a non-issue until he was a freshman in HS.

[rh0123]

It doesn't matter if he is better or not. Many countries have male field hockey teams, and there are a few at private schools in NY and NJ.

It is up to the league to have teams only for girls or allow boys. Frankly, they should have boys teams as well if there is interest.

I also don't understand how any school administrator in their right mind can allow an 11 year old to play with high school students. People already whine about 14 year old freshmen playing with seniors.

[daffy64]

So if a female joins a male league and excels, the team should be able to kick her off for being too good?

Didn't think so.

So much for "equality".

[caljack430]

This is beyond stupid. If those are the rules they're going to play by... then any girl that shows superior skill to her teammates should also not be allowed to play. We'd all be screaming then! Let him excel! He's sure as heck not big enough to cause significant damage. I'd be more scared of the defenders who knock the wind out of you in field hockey. No contact sport my ars...

[chatmandu7451]

What if he was gay and wanted to play as a girl? What would his/her legal standing be then?

[daffy64]

Um. If you're gay, you're still a male.