From the BHC...

A six-month long battle may finally reach a conclusion when the Washington County School Board meets at 7 p.m. tonight in Abingdon, Va.

The board is scheduled to hold a second reading of proposed policy changes that would govern the participation of eighth-graders on high school junior varsity teams.

The proposed changes follow several months of controversy, confusion and frustration that peaked when a group of John Battle High School parents objected to eighth-graders reportedly receiving preferential treatment over ninth- and 10th-graders on the Trojans' JV baseball team.

Highlighting the changes ? drafted on June 30 with a first reading on July 21 ? are revised rules stating that eighth-grade students may only participate on high school junior varsity teams when:

* There are insufficient numbers of ninth- and 10th-graders to field a junior varsity team.

* An eighth-grade student is prohibited from participation in community-sponsored leagues, due to their age or large size, and the student's participation on a junior varsity team does not displace a ninth- or 10th-grader.

* There is not a feeder program in a particular sport, and the student's participation on a junior varsity team will not displace a ninth- or 10th-grader.

"The intent of the board is that eighth-graders will not replace ninth- and 10th-graders, when there are sufficient numbers of ninth- and 10th-graders to fill [a junior varsity] roster,"? Washington County School Superintendent Allen Lee said. "But if the roster has holes in it, then that'll be OK to bring the eighth-graders up."?

According to Tom Graves, Washington County School Board assistant superintendent, the second reading is designed to ensure the general public is comfortable with the new policy. Graves said the school board is looking for input and feedback from the public, and will consider any suggestions before the policy is adopted. Graves also encouraged the public to attend tonight's meeting or place a phone call to the school board if they would like changes made to the policy.

Graves admitted, though, that the new policy could be approved tonight if the board does not receive any objections.

Larry Cannon, John Battle athletic director and varsity baseball coach, said he's comfortable with the policy changes.

Cannon and his Trojans were caught in the middle of the initial controversy surrounding junior varsity teams in Washington County, which the Bristol Herald Courier documented in a series of articles.

"I'm going to be fine with whatever [Mr.] Lee and the board comes up with,"? Cannon said. "I think we all just kind of want to put this behind us ... so we can be assured that we're doing the right thing. And, of course, that's what we want to do anyways; what's right for the kids."?

However, Herschel Stevens, a school board member in the Wilson District, is not convinced that the policy is ready to be approved.

Stevens voted against the policy at the board's first reading. And he has pushed for the inclusion of a rule stating that any player who makes the cut for a junior varsity team will be allowed to play via a rotation system.

According to Stevens, the rotation rule initially was included in the proposed rule changes, but was removed when coaches and board members objected.

"I've talked to parents every day about [the junior varsity issue],"? Stevens said. "They are [upset]. ... We're saying these parents here believe their children ? if they go out for a sport and make the team ? they're entitled to play on a rotation basis, so they will get some experience in the game.

"The coaches' job is to develop the mind, develop the body and teach the game. It has nothing to do with the score."?

Stevens' desire to include a rule stipulating all players who make the cut for a team will be allowed to play in a game points toward a bigger issue.

The school board's proposed rule changes for high school junior varsity programs allow for a loophole, based around the premise that coaches are allowed to dictate the roster size of their teams. Thus, a coach theoretically could create a roster size large enough that eighth-graders would essentially be required to play on a junior varsity team. The eighth-graders then would be allowed to play in place of ninth- and 10th-graders, according to school board policy.

"When you ask children to go through the rigid practice that you have to have in these sports, and then expect them to sit there, and then somebody tells you that the counseling the coaches have to done to them [while they are] sitting on the bench makes a better people out of them, that's a bunch of bull,"? Stevens said.

Lee conceded that the loophole exists. But he said it was solely to ensure that schools with a small number of ninth- and 10th-grade junior varsity participants could use eighth-graders if needed. In addition, Lee stated that manipulating the loophole would be "very unwise on the part of a principal or an athletic director, because I think they know the intent of the board, and I think they know ... my attitude about it."?

Meanwhile, Cannon disputed the claim that John Battle ever intentionally employed its JV baseball squad as a farm team for its varsity component.

"I think, every parent, they love their child and they want to see them succeed. And sometimes the parents want it more than the kids do,"? Cannon said. "A lot of times, the kids understand what's going on. And for the most part, they're fine with it.

"I think with everything in our society, somehow we've gotten away from the fact that we have to earn things instead of them just [being] given to us."?