Should Eric Eric Dompierre’s (a student with Down Syndrome in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) high school athletic career be cut short his senior year because of the Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule? Why or why not? 3-5, Caps, Spell & Grammar Check!
Here is a link to the Change.Org petition to urge the MHSAA to change the rule if you would like to sign it.
Feel free to use the districts address in the petition: 411 N. Highlander Way
Howell World History 
I want to go to collage to be a photographer or a vet. I just want to save up money before I got to collage so I have enough money to go to collage. I just hope that the economy gets at least a little better before I graduate.
I don’t watch the tigers so I don’t have one.
i think that he should be able to play sports.
i don’t think that he should be cut from the team he loves it and it is something he is good at and they should lat hem play in till he is done with high school it is not hes fair form hem they are taking away something that he is good at and loves and it should not mater how old he is
I think that Eric should be able to play sports. I think that Eric’s school should keep trying to get the rule changed. He loves to play sports so they should just let him play sports.
Should Eric Eric Dompierre’s (a student with Down Syndrome in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) high school athletic career be cut short his senior year because of the Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule? Why or why not? 3-5, Caps, Spell & Grammar Check!
I think that they should let Eric play for his senior year. He was not held back for being a bad student, but for having a harder time in school because of his disorder. He didn’t do anything to deserve not to play.
I think that he should be able to play. It wasn’t his choice to be held back just because of a disability and he’s not any less a part of the team. He dedicates his time to the sport and he is like family with his teammates. They won’t say he can[‘t participate in school but they will say he can’t participate in the activities the school provides? I don’t think that’s fair.
I don’t think that they should not let him play. He is a senior and should be able to. They shouldn’t even have an age limit. It is unnecessary.
LET THE KID PLAY just because hes older than the others doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be treated and diff than anyone else.
I think he should still be able to play even thought he is too old. i don’t think its fair for him not to play.he is still in high school he should still be aloud to play sports in high school. i think your can tell he loves to play them because he plays them a lot.I really think they should allow him too because you can see how much fun it brings to him.
I think that Eric should still be able to play. Just because he is older does not make a difference. It is his senior year and he should be able to do the thing that he loves doing.
I think that he should be able to play still because he is in high school.He has a disability so officials should just let it slide and allow him to play,I think everyone would support him.It’s not his fault that he was held back.LET EM PLAY
I think that he should be allowed to play sports his senior year. He wasn’t held back because he’s stupid or didn’t try he was held back because of his Down Syndrome. It isn’t his fault and he shouldn’t be faulted for it at all let alone in high school especially when it happened in elementary school. it’s his senior year….. Let him enjoy it!
I don’t think he should be able to play, he is to old and shouldn’t get special treatment just because he has down syndrome. If he doesn’t want to be treated any different out of sports he shouldn’t get it in sports either. He is 19 if other students can’t play when they’re 19 he shouldn’t be able to.
He got held back because of his disease, which is probably unfair to begin with. It doesn’t seem to be his fault that he got held back, so he should be given special permission to play on the sports teams even being a year older. I think it’s great that he’s doing good on the teams, and he’s making friends because of it, so they should let him continue playing on the teams. It’s good for him, he’s not hurting anyone, everyone else wants him on the team, so I don’t see why him being a year older would even matter at this point.
I think he doesn’t deserve to be cut off from his team. As we all know, he has special needs, so why not treat him Like he’s one of the high school kids. Nowadays, kids way younger can defeat other kids way older than them. So i think he deserves to continue doing what he loves and The MHSAA needs to let him play.
I think they should change the age rule. I they really don’t want 19 year old to be playing school sports they should at least make an exception for people with a mental disability that caused them to get held back. There are a lot of disadvantages to having down syndrome and one of them caused him to get held back. He shouldn’t be stopped from playing because of that. Let em play.
I think that they should allow him to play just because of his Down- Syndrome. But there should be side leagues that he can attend to play those sports without having to change the same rule everyone else always had to follow.
No they shouldn’t because I think that is so cruel. They should not hold his age against him, all because he had down syndrome!! If he is gonna be a senior than let him play!!!
Eric is like any other high school teenager so he should be treated like you would treat any other person in that situation but they should not cut him because of his age. He is still in highschool its unfair you cant expect him to go another year but not able to play his favorite things. It would be different if he actually didnt care about the sport but he practices everyday and would do anything for the team and the team loves him. So LET’EM IN!
If Erik is not allowed to be exempted from this rule then I don’t want to live on this planet anymore. This kid has so many disadvantages in life and will always be judged. The least we can do is let this kid keep doping what he loves, playing sports. Anyone with a soul knows he should be able to play.
I think that he should definitely be allowed to stay on the team his senior year. It isn’t his fault that he is above the age limit and he was only held back because he has a mental disability. It probably wouldn’t be fair for him to be the only exception to the rule but i think that the rule should be taken away.
No, he’ll still be going to high school, so he deserves a chance to be a part of the team. It would feel like discriminating him because he has Down Syndrome. He was not held back because he was stupid, he simply has a disorder. He should be allowed to play and be a part of the team.
I think at when it comes to a case like this that he should be aloud to play basketball if he is still in school. It’s not his fault that he has a mental problem so why punish him for it. besides it isn’t like he has an unfair advantage I mean hes not taller or stronger then the other players and he only goes in at the end of the game.
I think they should let him play and they should not hold him back just because of his age.also if he have the grade to play i think he should. If he is still in high school i think that he should play and he works hard so he can make the team and play
I think that he should be allowed to play because he has Down Syndrome and nothing will happen if he does play. They should let him if he has good grades and if he has the talent. Also if they don’t let him play its like your discriminating against him because he isn’t the same.
No he should’t be cut short on his Senior year. The Michigan Athletic Association shouldn’t make an age range because they are still in high school no matter what. Somebody might want a career as a professional sports player and not get the chance if they keep the age rule.
I don’ think that Eric’s privileges should be cut because he is older than the set age for school sports. I think as long as someone goes to the school and has all of the reasonable requirements that person should be able to play. It was not Eric’s fault that he has down syndrome and had to be held back.
I would say it should not. Others below me are correct, it is not his fault he was held back in elementary. He has a disorder and therefor an exception should be made. Not only that, but if he has good enough grades to be on the team, he should be allowed to. It may be what he wants to go in to after high school. This would make sure that’s NOT what he does. Not letting him play, i mean.
Eric should be able to play High School sports his senior year. If a kid like him is reigning down threes all game, well let em play! Also, the rules should be changed to let disabled kids play sports if they have been held back. Their life is hard enough so give him a break already. Eric is very nice in his interview. He barely plays in games and he wouldn’t be a Kobe or anything.
#LetEmPlay.info
I believe that they should let ’em play. I understand that he will be over 18 years of age when the next season comes around but he and others with disabilities should be able to play their entire High School years if they choose to do so. I don’t think it should matter about the 18 years old they should just have set it so you can play all of your years no matter what age you are.
#beautifulstorybro
Cool story bro, I agree with it.
Of course I don’t think they should cut him off. I don’t think I’t would be fair to him if he didn’t get to play. I’ts not his fault he got help back. He is so happy and doing so good and they shouldn’t cut him off from his dream!
I think he should absolutely NOT be cut off the team based on his physical age. He is a very capable individual and if the school boards were to cut him off then I would say that is a “Hate Crime.” Also, he should be able to play specifically because he seems very enthusiastic about the whole thing. If they were to cut him because of being nineteen years old then he would feel discriminated against and more than likely feel useless.
“If you judge a fish on it’s ability to climb a tree, it will live it’s whole life believing it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein.
I think they should allow him to continue playing. Most of his students and teachers at his school want him to keep playing. Down Syndrome isn’t something that he can control so he shouldn’t have to pay for it. Playing a high school sport shouldn’t have to do with your age. Instead, it should be based off of how well your grades are.
I don’t think so because he loves to play. Just because he got held back which made it to where he turned 19 this year doesn’t mean that he should be cut short in senior year. Not only that, but they never know when something like this came up again. I think that they should change the rules a bit.
I think Eric should be allowed to play for his senior year due to his down syndrome because he is a hard working kid and he seems to be really good at sports. There is no harm in letting harm in letting him play.
I think they should defiantly let him play. Even if it’s in the “rule book” I think they should make an exception. It’s not like he plays a ton, according to the report, and I don’t see why his age matters. Besides, it’s just a school in the UP, it’s not like it’s New York or something.
I think this is very important because it could help others around the country with disabilities be able to play and inspire them.
I have mixed emotions about it because he may have a mental disability and all and yeah people are right when they say it isn’t his fault he’s to old to play, but the fact of the matter is a lot of other people get cut due to the age limit. I think that it would be different if they had more than one person on the team that were to old due to their disabilities, but its one person and people won’t change a law just because of it.
No i don’t think he should be cut his senior year because he is to old its not his fault he was held back it was in the best interest of him and now you should not make him pay of it by not letting him play the sports he loves.
I think Eric should be able to play. Who cares if he got held back. If he wants to play he should be able to. Age should not matter and plus it’s his senior year.
I think that he should. I think that even if he is to old he is a good player and should be able to play. I also think that he should be able to play football.
I think if you you get held back in elementary school or middle school no matter what age you are you should be aloud to play. So if you get held back in 5th and 7th grade then you can play two more years of high school sports. Even though he has down syndrome i still think they should let him play because he got held back because of his disorder not his grades. So let him play.
I absolutely think that he should be allowed to play. Senior is supposed to be special and fun to mark the ending of a lot of hard work. He was held back because of a disability, not because he chose to. If they don’t let him play I’ll be very disappointed.
I agree. Its not his fault he got held back.
No, i think that he should be able to play because it’s no this fault for getting held back. He only got held back because of his disease. Everybody likes him and hes and advantage to the team. He is also still in high school and he will be playing high school football. He should be able to play for the teams.
I agree that he shouldn’t be stopped because he got held back for a disability. I think he earned the right to play so let him.
I think that they should let Eric play in the team. The reason why is that he got held back a year due to his syndrome, not for academic reasons such as failing. It’s unfair to me when someone else wouldn’t be able to play a sport due to someone being held back a year due to his syndrome, the only time it should be like that when someone got held back due to reasons such as failing.
Cool story bro, I agree with it a lot.
Eric Dompierre’s high school athletic career should not be cut short his senior year because of the Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule. I think this because it was not his fault that he got held back one year when he was in elementary school. They should not be allowed to make an age range because some kids are just older due to birthdays and being held back. It wouldn’t be fair just to kick him off the team because of his age. The rule should be changed.
I think they should let him play, not because of his down syndrome, but because he is still in high school, and he is still small enough. The down syndrome should add to why they should pass it and make it happen. If they do this, he will get to play and feel better his senior year.
I think he should be allowed to play, even though he is too old. He was held back because of a disability. He can’t help that he has that, and he shouldn’t be penalized because of it.
I think that the rule should be changed. This is because he was held back not because of choice but because of a disability. They should make the exception for people in his situation not for kids who got held back because they blew off school.
I think they should let him play cause that’s his dream. He is not going to become as good as an NBA player being one year older. He has been playing ever since he was a little kid just one more year doesn’t hurt anyone.
I think Erik should be able to play. People would be ruining his dream. Also people might think they are discriminating him because he is different.
I think that he should be able to play because its not like having one person of a year older will make a dramatic difference. Also he has a disease that makes him a little slower cognitively, so his age doesn’t matter. On a cognitive level, he is with all of his classmates. So I think that he should be able to play.
I think that he should be able to play. As long as he is in the school i believe that he should be able to play, as long as he gets good grades and keeps them and has the skill to play.
No, I don’t think that he should be cut off because of his age. It wasn’t his fault that he was born with down syndrome and got held back because he wasn’t as advanced as the other kids. It probably would make him feel bad about himself because, he would think that no one would accept him for who he really is.
I think he should be able to play his senior year. It’s only fair. If he gets the grades and has the skill required, you can’t hold him back. He works just as hard as every body else. Just because he got held back because of down syndrome, that’s not enough to say he can’t play anymore.
I don’t think that he should get cut off for his age. Since he has down syndrome he should have special privileges. I think its really cool how good he is but they shouldn’t cut him off.
Personally I do not think this boy with down syndrome should be cut a year on participating with athletics. This is not fair to the boy because he is still in 11th grade. He should be able to have his extra year to play just like everyone else even though he is already 19. People should considerate that just because he was held back and now is older he still should be able to be treated like everyone else. He will be going to school everyday, why not just let him play. Also if you are still going to a school you should be able to participate in everything with the school until you graduate.
I think they should change the age. I don’t think he should be cut just because he is a year older. One year will not majorly affect his skills as an athlete, and it is not his fault he was held back in elementary school.
some kids also start school late so they could play too. this would improve the amount of players.
I think that Eric should be allowed to participate in school athletics, even though he is 19, because of his disorder. He dedicates himself to sports and people love to watch him play and be active. Its not his fault that he was held back, he may be 19 now but he isn’t in the same condition of other 19 year olds. They should be able to bend the rules and allow Eric to play.
No he shouldn’t be cut his senior year because of a age. Just because he got held back in elementary does not mean that he should not be able to play. It’s not his fault hes older then the other students. It just stupid that he can play just because of what happened in his life.
I don’t think that they should cut Eric’s senior year. It is stupid to put down a kid because he’s too old to play for them. He will help the team out! He is a huge asset for the team.
I think that hey should let Eric play because this is something that he is really good at. He has a disability and it is out of his control that he was held back and is nineteen years old. I think it is only fair for him to play. It’s awesome that everyone is supporting him.
I think that the rule should be that you can play as long as you’re in High School. Doesn’t matter how OLD you are, as long as you still attend high school, you should be able to go. Sports can encourage kids that got held back to do better, because you have to have a certain GPA to play sports, so it could really help him do better in school if he had a motive.
eric should be able to play football and basketball still because hes not out of school yet and like he got held back and thats the only reason he is still there its not the age its if your still in school i mean eventuall hes going to have to quit because its not like he can still be able to play wen hes out of school
I think that he should be able to play another year in high school because of his condition. I think he would be very disappointed if he found out that he couldn’t play his senior year. I don’t think they should have an age restriction in high school unless you are really too old. You should should be able to play when your 19. I think like 21 is too old for high school. So they should let him play.
No i do not think that the Michigan Athletic Association should make Eric stop playing basketball. It seems unfair that he has to stop because of his age, he should be able to stop playing until he goes into college or he finishes high school.
i don’t think he should be cut from the basketball team. thats just sad, making a down syndrom guy not play sports his senior year. also he only plays if they know the team is gonna win or if they have a good lead.
i dont think they should cut him because he just wants to have fun and i dont think it is fair becuase its not his fault he got held back because of what he was born with. so let him play. that would be the nice thing..(:::::::::):(:(:::(::::::::(:(:(:(:(::(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(::(:(:(:(:(:(:((:(::(:(:(:(:(:(:::(:(::(:(::::::::::(:(:(:(:9:(::(:(:(:((: mr moore is so cool…. better than the other history teachers!! wow…
I think the should let him play he can’t help that he has Down Syndrome so why should he get punished for that. Come on how can you not let this kid play, in the video you could see how happy it made him. They should change the law for every one that is in High School, if your in High School you should be able to play.
I think that Eric’s high school athletic career should not be cut short because of his age. It wasn’t his fault that he was held back in elementary school. The law should be changed so students just like Eric can play sports through high school.
They should let Eric play because this is something that he is really good at. He has a disability and it is out of his control that he was held back and is nineteen years old. I think it is only fair for him to play. It’s awesome that everyone is supporting him! He deserves to be in this positive situation!
they should let him play because hes still in high school its not like he is in his 20’s. then that means i cant play a sport when i am going to be varsity player because i’m going to be 19. i think that it dos-int mater if he is 19.
I don’t think he should be cut. It’s not his fault he was held back, and as long as your still in high school, you should still be able to do sports, and other activities. I also think that he has tried to hard to be cut from the teams.
Yes, he should be able to play. Eric has a medical condition, so they should make an exception for him. Also sports are what he loves to do so they should let him play.
I don’t think that he should be cut from his senior year athletics. It is the schools fault that he got held back and now they are preventing him from playing sports because he is too old. I think that they should change the rules so that he can play sports for his last year in high school.
I think he should not be able to play sports if your above the age because it would be unfair to the other team having older kids on the team. They should not change the rules.
i do not think that they should suspend his seniors because that would not be fare. he had made his life as a mentaly challenged person a great and awesome life and it would kill him he had to leave and not be able to play.
I defiantly think they should let him play. It’s not his fault he got held back! I don’t understand why age matters, a lot of people get held back and i have never heard of that problem. I wish they would just change that rule for him. He is a really good player and, he should be able to pursue what he wants to.
I don’t think he should be cut. I think people with special disability’s should be active and stay healthy just like everyone else. let him play.
I agree. I think that he should play. I also think that he should be aloud to play football to.
I think that he should still be able to play even thought he is too old. Its not fair for him to not be able too. Because he is still in high school so he should be able to play high school sports. He obviously loves to play sports and is dedicated to them! I really hope they allow him too because you can see how much joy it brings to him.
He should not be cut because of his age. He works very hard, and has accomplished a lot. If he’s is attending the high school he deserves to play on the sports teams.
I feel that Eric deserves the right to play in his senior year for its not his fault that he has downs syndrome. If he is academically eligible he should be able to play. If he can keep up his grades he should be able to play ball.
No Eric should not be cut. He can not help he got held back and is older than his class. They should change the age group!
I do not think Eric should be cut short just because of his age. It’d be different if he was held back for another reason, but since he cannot control the reason he was held back for he should not be punished. He’s still in high school, he’s a senior, he should be able to do everything all of the other senior’s are able to do. He will not be hurting anything by continuing what he loves to do.
No, they should not cut Eric short because he’s a little older. He has a disability, and it’s not like he would be the best one on the team. Being a year older shouldn’t mean anything. You should be able to go to school, and be able to play anything you want. It doesn’t matter how old you are.
I think Eric should not be cut from his schools sports. i think if he gets good grades and if he attends school i think any age can play. he is part of his school and he should be able to help his school out and play school sports.
I agree with you any age should play
No he shouldn’t be cut short because he is still in high school. What happened to him in elementary school shouldn’t matter because he is not there anymore. I think that anyone no matter their age or disability should be cut short of amazing opportunities in high school.
As long as he wants to play he should be allowed to because he has his rights as an american.many people will be upset if he don’t and he all ready must suffer from just having down syndrome he suffer more.its just a game why discriminate against his age when its not far from the rest and the other players don’t seem to mind.
i think that he should be able to play that would suck not bein able to play just because he got held back in elementary school
I think that he should be able to play! Every high school student has the opportunity to play in sports, and Eric is a high school student. It’s just his senior year! One year wont hurt anything! I don’t think it would be fair, he obviously likes what he does!
I totally agree. You go to the school and you should be able to play sports, no matter how old you are, at your school.
no because he was held back when he was young and is only one year over the limit. they should increase it for everyone though not just him.
I think that it should not be cut. Many students get held back and are older than others when they reach the same grade level. It shouldn’t matter how old you are in high school, you should be allowed to play at any age.
I agree, if he is in high school he should be able to play the sports.
No. He should be able to play because he has a disorder, meaning he should get special privileges. He can’t help that he’s been held back.
I think they should let him play. I don’t think it really would be too bad even if he was to play it isn’t like hes the best in the world but he deserves the chance. He already has so much opportunity’s taken away in his life and he likes to play sports so i say let him be happy.
I think he should be able to play his senior year and they should extend the age requirement for him. Just because he got held back when he was younger because he has a disability doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be able to play a sport he’s played all his other years of high school his senior year.
I think he should be able to play. It something he enjoys doing so why stop it? I think it should be that way anyways. It shouldn’t be an age limit.
Yes and he already has so many things taken from him.
I think he should be able to play, because yes he did get held back a year but that was when he was younger and didn’t get to play sports. so he has all of the same training as others and is as good or even better. This to me sounds like segregation and is totally unfair.
I think that Eric shouldn’t be exempted from the rules because of the down syndrome. Even though he got held back, he is still too old to play. There should be a chance for other students to be able to play. It wouldn’t be the same to the other students even though he has down syndrome.
The rules should be changed,just because hes to old shouldn’t matter, as long as hes still in the high school i think it would be fine for him to play.
Just because he has down syndrome doesn’t mean that he should have an exception. It is not fair to the other kids. Even though I do feel bad for him. He shouldn’t be treated any different from anyone else. He can always play with a different recreational team, or get together with buddies.
I think that he shouldn’t be cut because of his age. He has not done anything wrong and still should be able to play. Everyone in the city even their rivals wants him to play. You shouldn’t take something he loves away from him just because they think he’s too old. It’s not fair they won’t let him play.
I agree. He’s had so many opportunities taken away in his life and they should just let him have one!
I think Eric should be able to play in college. The Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule should change because some kids need more help than others. I think it would be unfair if they didn’t change the rule.
No, he should not. He can’t help how old he is or that he got held back and it’s completely unfair to not let him play his senior year.
I don’t think he should be cut. Its good for people with special needs to be active. I think he should be aloud to play.
No, he shouldn’t have to be cut. It’s his last year in high school let him enjoy his last seasons on football and basketball. He obviously has the skills to make the team so why not let him. It’s not his fault that he has downes syndrome and got held back.
I think he should be able to play the sports he likes even though he has a disability. It wouldn’t be far for him to get set out because he is too old. In fact we all should be willing to change the rules for one person. It would be a great thing to do for a boy who had been disclosed from people for most of his life.
That is totally true. Sports is probably the one thing that makes him feel like a normal person and makes him fit in with everyone else.
No, Eric’s high school career should not be cut short because of age. Yes Eric is 19, but he just has one more year till he becomes a senior then hes done and can go pro, but until then the board should let him play. Its not Eric’s fault for being held back, he had some problems, thats no reason to kick him out of sports. If they do this they are not only hurting him but ruining his childhood, because believe it or not this is still his childhood because he’s in highschool. Just because he is different and a little older then he’s supposed to be their is no reason to kick him off.
I think he should be able to play. Its not his fault he was held back he should still be able to play. It’s not fair he cant play this year because he’s 19. The rules should be changed so he can play. Football and basketball make him happy and his teammates except him for who he is. LET HIM PLAY.
I don’t think that he should be cut his senior year because he still goes to the school and it is not his fault he was held back because of down syndrome. Just because he is a year older then the others he should not be cut.
I think that he should be able to be able to play another year of sports on his senior team. He has a disability but loves to play sports on his team, plus there is only a one year age difference. Its not going to make a huge difference for a 19 year old with down syndrome is going to make the team all stacked or anything. The least that they could do was just change the rules for one year so that he could play with his teams until graduation.
I do not think that they should cut the senior because of his age i think that its kind of cruel that they would do that just because of his age. I think they should let any age be able to play. as long as your grades are good they should let him play.
No, it should not be cut short because he is still part of the school. It also makes it seem that they think don’t want him on the team and is wrong. Even though he is 19 he is still in school and is part of that schools community. I say that the rule should just go away or at least change from age to whether or not they are in the school.
I think that they should let him play even if he is older. I don’t really know why they wouldn’t in the first place. If he is that good let him play.
I think Eric should be able to play in next years season. The Michigan athletic association is cutting its career short because the rule says he is too old to play. Its not like he was held back because he didn’t try, he has a medical condition and it is difficult to learn. I think its so mean and ridiculous that the Michigan athletic association wont let him play. Its not like Eric has been doing bad things They should really change the rules and let Eric play.
I think that he should not get cut from the teams because of his age. It isn’t his fault that he can’t learn as quickly as others. It is unfair for him to be taken off the team. The school shouldn’t make an age range for sports because there are more people who cant do what others can do because of a disability.
Ne he should not cut his senior year because he loves his classmates and the sports he play. Just because he has Down Syndrome it doesn’t mean that he can’t play basketball anymore, or maybe it does but his senior year is the most important year of all of high school and he shouldn’t miss out on all the sports and opportunities he can play. He loves basket ball and he should not stop playing because of Down Syndrome.
I think that he should be able to play. He was held back in elementary school which is something he cant choose. And he has down syndrome. So he should be able to play.
I think he should be able to play because he is still a student at the school and not just some random person that doesn’t even go to that school. He has down syndrome and it’s not his fault that it got him held back, keeping him from playing because of his age is like not letting play because he has down syndrome. I’m glad that people are trying to get the rule changed so he can play because i really don’t think it’s fair.
NICE JOB KEEP IT UP
I don’t think his athletic career should be cut short because of his age. I don’t think there should be a range when it comes to situations like this. If he’s good at what he does, and he’s happy doing it, then let him do it. It isn’t fair for them to cut his career short considering his situation.
Yes, he should be able to play sports his senior year. because it isn’t his fault that he has down syndrome, it just means that he learns slower than the rest of us. I think that the board of education in Michigan should change the age limit because Eric isn’t the only one with this disorder and they should include them when thinking about the rules in school sports.
I think he should be allowed to play. He should be allowed to play because hes still in high school. I think that anyone should be allowed to play if there still in high school it shouldn’t be by age.
i think that he should be able to play becuase its not like he
will be on the feild or court all the time he just wants to be apart
of something and have fun and be like everyone else.
he might only play like 3 to 5 mins all year or season in both
sports.
I don’t believe that his high school athletic career should be cut back just because of his age. If he is taking classes at the school, I think he should still be allowed to play.
Eric should definitely be allowed to play high school sports. As long as he’s a student at that high school, it shouldn’t matter that he’s on a sports team. He wasn’t intentionally trying to be held back, just because he has a disability doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be granted the same opportunities as everyone else.
I totally agree! Eric should be aloud to play sports!
I agree with you Morgan… I also think that it would just be unfair.
I think that it is not right that they wont let him play. He got held back and it wouldn’t be fair to him or his teammates. I think it should be allowed because it would not be right if they don’t let Eric play any sports.
I agree he should be able to play
ya, he should be able to play. He got held back.
I think he should be able to play because there is nothing against the challenged children. They should be allowed to fulfill their dreams. And it should depend on grade, not age.
I think that he should be able to play and that his senior year shouldn’t be cut short. The team accepts him even thought he has downs syndrome. The sports could of helped him over come so of his disabilities and he gets to connect with other people people. If they take that away from him it wouldn’t be far.
me too its unfair he cant play
I agree! Its not fair that they won’t let him play.
I don’t think the age rule in Michigan is very far. If the students are doing good in school and are talented in the sports they should be able to still participate. Also they’re still apart of the school, so they should still be able to participate in sports and activities no matter their age.
I think that he should still be able to play. They should let him do something he enjoys. Age shouldn’t matter.
I think that they should let him play even though he’ll be nineteen for his senior. I understand what the MHSAA is saying because they can’t just change it for him and then change it back so it can’t happen for other nineteen year old seniors. I really don’t think it will happen but they should still keep on trying with the petition.
i don’t think he should be cut because he still goes to the school, its not like the team is cheating. If you get good grades and you are good at the sport then you should be allowed. I think that anybody who is still in school should be able to play sports, not just Eric.
It should depend on grade, not age. This could crush his dreams. They should let him play at least one more year.
I think he should be able to play. They shouldn’t tell him he can’t play anymore just because hes to old. He has down syndrome, like really, doing these sports make him happy and he barely could do anything, so let him finish off his year doing the sports that he loves. He should be able to do these sports no matter how old he is.
I do think that they should let him play because he was able to play when he was a junior and they should let him play during his last year just because he is a year older than most kids on the team. I also think if it is such a big deal ask the other coaches if they have a problem with him being in the game when the game is practically already over.
No, they should let him play. It is extremely discriminating that they wont let him play because he has down syndrome. Tell him that he can never play again is like telling someone who is hurt that they aren’t ever going to do the things they love most. It shouldn’t even be questioned whether he can play on the teams or not. He hasn’t done anything to them and everybody really likes him!
No, he shouldn’t be cut. If he plays the same as the other kids and practices, then he should be an exception because he has down syndrome and usually its harder to do the same activities as other kids. He should be able to play and do something that he loves, i think everyone should have that chance and it doesn’t matter if hes 19
i think if you are a student in the school you should be allowed to play. Also i bet if he was allowed to play all his teammates would be very happy.
well no i dont think that that is fear for him he dose lots to stay on the team and practis alot so i think that he should be able to do sports for as long as he whants to come on hes got to play for the team
He shouldn’t be cut because of his age. They should consider his dis-abilities and make an exception for him. They should also just make the age limit for sports in high school higher overall.
I don’t think that they should cut off his senior year because this age rule. They shouldn’t make an age range for this at all. I don’t think that it is fair to cut him off the team just because he has down syndrome and because of his age. If he’s a senior, he should play on the senior team.
I think that Eric should be aloud to play his Senior year, he is still in high school, so he should be aloud to play. He has been practicing hard for these sports and he should be aloud to show how Hard he works.
Yeah I agree and its not like its going to hurt anyone
just let him play. i think that as long as he is in high school and he meets grade reuerments he should be able to play. that is all i have to say on the subject.
No, its wrong to not let him play his last senior year of high school. He cant help that he was held back in elementary, he has a disorder and needed to he wasn’t like a kid that didn’t try and did it to himself. Its mean to discriminate others for something that’s not their fault if it was you in this position you would feel the same way.
I think that they defiantly should let him play, because it doesn’t matter if he has down syndrome he deserves to be treated fairly. Just because he has down syndrome and is one year older doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t let him play.
No,I think that he shouldn’t be cut his senior year because he is a role model for other kids with down syndrome and they should make an exception for him he’s a kid that has a heart and wants to do what he can do before anything goes wrong like if his down syndrome gets worse.
I do not think that his high school career of basketball should be cut short. i do not think so because it is not fair. it is not like he is a pro or anything like that. it is not his fault that he got held back in elementary school.
I think that Eric shouldn’t be cut his senior year because he loves the sports and it might help him with his social skills or help his family with the idea of him being like safe and welcomed by other people at school. I think that the age rule is stupid, he can’t help that he failed a grade and has an early birthday. they should let him play until he graduates from his senior year of high school.
I don’t think that his athletic career should be cut short due to his age. If he is still going to school it shouldn’t matter how old he is. He should be able to keep playing. Plus, if he has good enough grades he could still be able to play. They players obviously like him being on the team and he shouldn’t not be able to play due to age.
i agree, and it really doesn’t matter if he has a syndrome. He should play and he enjoys playing. They shouldn’t cut it short.
I think Eric should be able to play because of his disease. It makes him a little slow so it doesn’t change much, and he had a disadvantage before. I think letting him play is for the best in this case.
They shouldnt cut his senior year. I mean seriously this kid has down syndrome and he loves basketball! Let him have his last year of maybe ever playing basketball.
– Thank you, all the people of the world.
I do not think that he should be able to play. If it would not effect the entire state of Michigan then i would be completely fine with him playing. But since the MHSAA would have to change the age rule for everybody then other schools could purposely hold back their star player and that would give that team an unfair advantage. Its not that i don’t want him to play, its just that other teams your exploit that. If they could make an exception just for him and not change the rule it would be great. Also it wouldn’t be ending his career as an athlete, a lot of the time i find that practicing on your own is better than on a team where they have to practice with everybody and you don’t get as much time to practice by yourself.
I think he should be able to play, because he is still in high school. If he isn’t able to play..then he shouldn’t be able to do his senior year.
Very bad post, Trevor.
I think since his disease stopped him from moving uo he should be able to play.
That is rude. He never did anything to anybody so he should be able to play.
He should play. It isn’t his fault he has down syndrome and doesn’t learn as quickly as others. Its just genetics.
I think he should be able to play. Its called high school sports for a reason. Honestly if he is gonna push and try that hard then he should be able to get what he wants. He has a lot of talent and he shows it. Yeah he may have been held back in elementary school. Academics are important and he needs to keep his grades up. If his grades are up and he goes to practice he should be able to. If there son/daughter were in the same position they would do what they could to get him on the team too.
I agree
This is a very common situation that seems to come up a lot. Many people have conditions, like Down Syndrome, and it’s really not fair to them at all that so many people think they aren’t capable of simple things, like sports. They are normal people with normal abilities, the only thing that puts us apart is the fact that they have a condition. They should let Eric Dompierre play sports in his senior year.
I believe that they should not take him off the team or stop him from playing sports his senior year. He is making friends and getting active. He also probably doesn’t have the best life ever, but sports bring him back up and he try’s hard. They should overturn this rule to let him play, not only for him but also his teammates and the people around him.
I think he should be able to play sports his senior year. He worked hard to get how far he is and he deserves to play on the team. I think if he was held back in high school, than it would be a different story. But since he has come so far, he should be able to play. Fifth grade he could of just had a bad year and I don’t think he should be penalized again for it.
I think that anyone with a mental disability should be able to participate in sports even though they’re over age. Eric can’t really help that he was held back in elementary school, his brain doesn’t work as efficiently as a person without a mental disability.
i think that they should not end his career early. he has worked hard and over came many obsticles. he is over coming his disability and playing sports highschool sports.
I think that the athletic department should make an exception for him, and all special needs kids if it is their last year. Besides, its his last year of high school, let him have some glory. I think it would be the right thing to do, and i’m sure the majority of other people would agree. Let him have some glory
i agree colon. he has down synrome so it is not his fault
I think that he should be able to play his senior year even though he is 19. He has down syndrome so he is already a little slow. Plus its really good that he can at least play a sport with the down syndrome. It wasn’t his fault that he got held back in elementary school. And its not his fault that he has down syndrome. So i think that he should be able to play.
I think that he is a senior just like everyone else, age should be not an issue. he has been held back because he has down syndrome… Its not his fault, Besides he’s really good! he has an inspiratational story! LET HIM PLAY!
Great job Emilio, I agree with you.
Should Eric Eric Dompierre’s (a student with Down Syndrome in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) high school athletic career be cut short his senior year because of the Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule? Why or why not? The rules apply to everyone else in Michigan, If he didn’t have down syndrome this wouldn’t be as big of deal as it has become. If they let him play, then they should let everyone else play. This is completely wrong, Due to him having down syndrome, people feel that he deserves special rights over everyone else. Everyone has problems weather they admit it or not, so should we do that to everyone.
but him having down syndrome is kinda the big deal for the change.
I don’t think he should be cut his senior year because of an age rule. They shouldn’t make the rule apply to him because he was held back, he still deserves to have his senior year the way he wants it to be. He has worked hard to get where he has and that shouldn’t be taken away from him.
He shouldn’t be cut. The Michigan Athletic association should have some sympathy and let him play. They should just give him a chance.
I think they should change it because age 18 and age 19 isn’t really a difference. I think as long as hes in high school he should be able to play. I think they should let him play for his senior year, it wasn’t his fault he got held back in elementary school
Yeah, i agree with that 18 & 19 are a big difference.
I don’t think that they should not let him play. If the rule is changed i think that the rule should be as long as your a student in the school, you can participate in school sports. I think the whole school will be happy to see him play.
yes he should not be able to play because he is disabled so they should change it.
just because hes disabled?
I think they should let him play. I understand being held back and that would stink if you couldn’t play because of one year difference.
i think he should be able to play because age shouldn’t matter especially because he has down syndrome. they don’t want him to play because they think he will have an advantage. if anything hes at a disadvantage so it shouldn’t matter.
yes i think if he is in the highschool he should be able to play.
No he shouldn’t be cut short, he was held back due to his disability, that isn’t his fault. I would understand if he didn’t have Downes, because typically the older you are the better, but its not lts not like he was the best player on the team, he only plays in games that are decided.
Good point about how he only played if the game was decided.
he was not held back due to his disability? it was age requirement, hes 19?
I think that Eric should be able to play High school. He is only a year older, its not going to matter if he is 19. I think that he should play sports what does it matter. I think he they should let him play because its wrong to say he cant because he got held back one year because of a disability.
He’s not “only a year older.” Remember, there are kids playing on these teams who are as young as 15 years old.
Good Point David.
I think this should only be for people with a genetic disorder, not all students. Students who fail and are held back who don’t have a genetic disorder shouldn’t be allowed to keep playing sports. They had a choice and chose to fail, and shouldn’t be allowed to keep playing. People like Eric should be allowed to play though, since he tries to improve himself, and works hard for a better education.
I think they should let him play. Its not his fault they held him back because of his downes syndrome. The school is doing the right thing trying to get him to be able to play next year. I hope the last petition gets approved and he is allowed to play.
I think that he should be allowed. It doesn’t matter about his age considering he has a serious problem with him. As long as someone is in high school I think they should always be able to play sports because it would just make it unfair and a lot more boring for the people who had been held back.
He should be aloud to play because it isn’t his fault he has down syndrome and got held back in elementary school. It isn’t like he is a all star and making a huge difference during the games. He is just out there to have fun and play for his school in front of the fans. They don’t even have to change the whole rules they can just make one exception.
It would only be fair if they changed the whole rules because he’s probably not the only person with a genetic disorder that isn’t allowed to play high school sports.
I think he should not be cut from the teams in his senior year. Even though he is over the age limit, i think they should change it so as long as a kid is in high school they should be able to play. He’s only one year over the limit so just changing it for him to play wont hurt anyone on the team. It’s his senior year and everyone wants to finish strong with their sports in their senior year. So cutting him from that just is not right in my opinion.
Yes , i do think he should be able to play because age should not matter when it comes to that stuff he is still a high school student and if he wants to play they should let him play because it seemed to me on the CNN Student News thing . People like him a lot and i think it said that the students are trying to help him out to try and get the people to let him play. I think if that is his dream to keep playing football and basketball let him play it and let him live his dreams . Just because he got held back does not mean he should not be able to play age is just a number and a lot of people play them sports . Why would they try and take him out of the sports and he is still in high school ? I would have to say if they kick him off the team and don’t let him live his dreams they are some pathetic people . I also think if he has good enough grades that he should be able to play he goes to school i am pretty sure he would does his work and he must have to have good grades to play on the team and now they want to kick him off ? It seems to me they are being a little stuck up but that is my opinion about it . LET HIM PLAY !!
I think they should let him play. But only for him and no one else because its not fair if a 19 year old plays high school sports. Its not his fault that he was born with down syndrome. And since he’s not the star player on the team they should let him play.
*Matt Kerr
this has nothing to do with him having down syndrome, its age.
I don’t think that his senior year be cut because of the stupid age rule. He is still in high school. It’s not like, he is 40 and is playing. It’s one year. He has special needs and just because of that he got held back and is now not able to play his sports that he wants to play.
I think that Eric Dompierre should be able to play sports his senior year. He is still in school and the sports are apart of the school so I think that he should be able to play any sports he chooses his senior year.
The boy could not help his disease. He should be able to play for another year, he is a good player. There should be a special rule that if the kid is held back due to special needs he should be able to play sports as much as he wants. this is very selfish of the people who are not letting him play.
I think that it should not be cut short because he is still in the same grade as the other people that play. I think it should go by grade, not age, this decision would be the most fair. Also, since Eric Dompierre has down syndrome, that makes him a more valuable player because, he has down syndrome and he is really good at basketball and football.
I agree with you, and I don’t think that it is fair to cut him short of sports his senior year. I also think he’s a valuable player as well.
i agree completly people need to start looking at your grade not your age i mean if you did get held back more than twice its on a border line but other than that age doesn’t matter.
I think that Eric should still be able to play in his senior year of high school. The only reason he was held back was because of his condition, not because he didn’t turn in any of his work or fail the grade. They shouldn’t even really count him being held back because it wasn’t for an academic reason, it was because of a medical reason. The board should change the rule so that Eric can continue playing in his senior year, specially since the board are the only people that don’t want him playing, everyone even opposing teams want him to keep playing.
He should be able to play this year. He should be able to play as long as he has the grades to. I get that they don’t want people that aren’t suppose to be in high school play because they might hurt some one or out play everyone so they win the State Championship or something like that.
I know that it seems as if letting him play would be the right thing to do, but I personally think that changing the rule is going too far. If kids could play longer in high school, they might purposely get held back so that they would be better athletes and this would take away from the actual academics of high school. As harsh as it may seem, I don’t think that they should change the rule to accommodate him.
thankyou!
I think that they should change the rule to be as long as you’re in highschool, you should be able to play the sports you want to. There’s a lot of athletes who have gotten held back or come from rough times and have made it to professional level. Just because he’s nineteen doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be allowed to play. But I don’t think that they should change the rule for the fact that he has down syndrome.
i think that he should be able to still play on sport teams because he likes to play sports. also that he is in high school still. so it wouldn’t be right to not let him play.
Should Eric Eric Dompierre’s (a student with Down Syndrome in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) high school athletic career be cut short his senior year because of the Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule?
He should not. Its the schools decision to have held him back, therefore he should be able to finish his Schooling doing what he should’ve been able to do in the first place. He seems pretty good too, they’d be crazy not to allow him not to play.
I do not think this boy with down syndrome should be cut a year on participating with athletics. This is not fair to the boy because he is still in 11th grade. He should be able to have his extra year to play just like everyone else even though he is already 19. People should considerate that just because he was held back and now is older he still should be able to be treated like everyone else. He will be going to school everyday, why not just let him play.
I think he should be able to. If he is very committed, and his team likes him, they should Let ‘Em Play. They can change one little rule so he can play if he is 1 year older than usual.
he should play there is no reason that there should be an age limit in exercising and playing on a team. this is not a good rule but i get why they did it, still in my opinion it is not necessarily needed and rude to players. i think it is like saying a 10 year old cant eat ice cream because it is for 9 year old.
I think Eric should be allowed to play. He will be a senior just like the others and he deserves to continue to play sports. I think as long as a student is under 20 they should be allowed to play. I think cutting his ability to play for the school could cause unhappiness not only for him, but also his friends and teammates that would miss having him on the team. I don’t think he needs special treatment just because he has Down Syndrome, but I think the same age rule should apply to other students as well. You’re ability to play sports shouldn’t be affected by being held back in elementary school.
I think that they should let him play. He’s still in high school, he only got held back because of his condition. It’s not like he gets bad grades or he’s not a good player. Just let him play in the sports.
I do think that Eric should be able to play his senior year. That’s not really fair to cut him because he got held back, which in his case he couldn’t control. He got held back because of his disability and he does not have the power to change what he was born with. Eric did not in any way choose to have down syndrome, it just happened.
i believe that he should be able to play because he is still a high school student.they should not make an age range. it wasn’t his fault for getting held back for his down syndrome.
I don’t think that its fair that his athletics is cut short. A lot of people get held back. And because of his disability it wasn’t his fault he got held back. Not many kids with a problem like his get to accomplish their dreams. And he might be a actually famous athlet one day if he were to still play his senior year.
i do think that he should be able to play. it shouldn’t depend on your age just what grade your in. it wouldn’t make a difference if hes to old he would still play the same.
I don’t think they should be able to tell him he cant play. If sports is what he likes doing why stop him. Just because he got held back doesn’t make a difference. Hes still in school and is a part of everything that goes on at the school, so why not sports.
Yeah exactly, he should be able to play the sports at the school no matter how old he is.
It’s simple. He should not be allowed to play because muscular ability and strength develops just the same with people with Down Syndrome as with everyone else. Because of that, he has an unfair advantage over the other kids. Intelligence is unrelated to sports.
Let the kid play. He was born with a disability, its not his fault he got held back. Plus its not like hes a star player. They take him in when the score is high. They should change the rule for people with disabilities only. So kids cant get held back on purpose to play more.
I believe that they should let him play. As long as you are in high school, then you should be able to play. If they don’t let him play then that is just plainly cruel.
I think every student in High School should have the opportunity to play sports for their school whatever their age. Not only this guy, but all older students. It’s not their fault if they started late or were held back. It won’t give the team that big of an advantage.
I think that they should change the rule. He has downs-syndrome and he hasn’t let that stop him. I think that this is an incredible story and i don’t know why they wont change the rule. If they don’t do this then they will hear about it forever.
I agree he is just out there to have fun and play for his school. He really isn’t having a big impact one the score of the games.
What would be so bad about a a kid one year older then everyone else play sports.
we should be encouraging him not punishing him because of his age.
I think that he should be able to play. It is not that he has a big influence on the teams record. I also think that he should play because it is not his fault he has downs syndrome
I think he should be able to play he’s senior year. It’s not his fault that he got held back because of his disorder, he never chose to be like that. But he has worked really hard and found something he likes to do which is sports. To him, it’s probably very important to him that he plays his senior year despite his age. Also, it’s only a one year age difference which isn’t a big deal.
Yes, it’s not like he’s 25 and still trying to play on the high school team. He’s worked hard academically and physically his whole life, he should be able to end his high school career on the team.
I agree it’s not his fault and i think what they are doing is completely unfair. They’ve already got two petitions signed by people so they obviously have nothing against letting him play.
I do not think he should be able to play. The age rule is set and just because he has down syndrome or just because hes a senior doesn’t mean there should be a change in the age limit. It isn’t fair for the other schools that do have younger people. I don’t think just because this boy has special needs means he can just play.
It’s not technically because he has special needs Jake. It’s the fact that he got held back because of his disability so he’s older. He’s still doing everything else the other kids are doing. They all have the same curriculum. It’s not like he’s being treated specially because of his disorder.
I disagree because it isn’t his fault that he has downs and it isn’t like he has a big impact on the score of the games.
yes i think they should let him play.I think it would be nice.If they dident it would make him feel left out.Also his jumpshot is amazing.
I think that he should be able to play because age shouldn’t matter. The guys 19 so what i can understand if the guy is 20 but he isn’t so what does it matter. Its his last year of school let him go out with a bang.
I think that they should let them play because it is his senior year and he should be able to do what he wants.And that would make him feel left out. I think they should make an exception.
Yes, he should be able to play because hes still in school. Also hes a senior so its his last year so why not let him play? People don’t understand what its like to have a son that has a disability or a brother. I wonder what Eric thought when he heard that he might not be able to play anymore.
I think that he should still be allowed to play. The problem for them is all high schools have the same age limit. I don’t think they will be willing to change the rule. I think that they should just make an exception for students with downs syndrom
I think that they should change the rule for him. He only got held back for his condition. He shouldn’t be held back from playing on a school sports team. It isn’t fair to him just because of his age and his condition that he has.
it wouldn’t be right for them not to change the rule.
Yes, I agree. He should be treated the same and should be able to participate in athletics his senior year like everyone else.
I think they should be allowed to play his senior year because he is a hard working student who wants to play sports. If he is a good student his age shouldn’t make a difference whether or not he can play. They should be alter the age restrictions on students who have mental disorders like he does, but keep it the same for people who are held back because of a lack of effort. Removing the restrictions altogether would lower the education standards and make people less likely to work at school.
Eric shouldn’t be cut from the basketball team just because he is too old and got held back a year, why not let him play one more year before he leaves the high school.Also if he can play basketball with good skill, he has accomplished a great feat, he should be able to play no matter what.
Hes got a disability its not like he can control it.
I think that they shouldn’t cut his senior year because of the age rule because it’s unfair. He has down syndrome, and was held back one year. If your held back that shouldn’t keep anyone from playing any kind of sports. They can’t take him off the team because of his age. There shouldn’t even be a rule for this. It should just be if your in High School you can play.
I think he should be allowed to play even though he is 19 years old because he has down syndrome and it is not his fault he got held back. Its not like he is a big factor in games like the stand out star of the team.
They should do the right thing
No he shouldn’t be cut his senior year because of a age rule. They should just let him play, it’s not his fault that he got held back in first grade. If he wants to play let him play.
I agree with you, I think that it is unfair that they won’t let him play sports his senior year and I think he should be allowed to.
I don’t think that Eric should be cut short his senior year. He has a genetic disorder, Down Syndrome, so it is not his fault that he has fallen behind a year in school. He is still in high school, so he should still be able to play. I could understand if the person was like a jokester who never tried in school, but he isn’t- he tries hard and was held back because of something he can’t control. The only people who don’t want him to play is the association. Even opposing teams cheer for him and want him to continue! This would be a great life opportunity for him, because he loves it and won’t get any other chances to play like this. It seems selfish to not let him play.
i’m not reading all of this…..
Agreed– and if everyone wants it what’s the hurt?
I do not think that Eric’s Dompierre’s athletic career should be cut short because he is 19. He is still in high school, so they should still let him play in the sports he wants to, and it’s his senior year, so it really wouldn’t be that big of deal to let him play.
I agree. He’s only one year older so it’s not a big deal.
The kids got downs syndrome. Change the rule for people with disabilities only.
I definatly think Eric should be able to play, and I’m sure there can be some exceptions made towards him. He truly wants to play sports, and it makes him happy and he trains for them daily, so really I don’t see why MHSAA can’t make an exception for him. I understand if Eric is able to play other older students without disabilities will maybe try to play too, so i understand why they wouldn’t want to let Eric play.
I think that they should let him play. Even though he is 19 years old, he does have down syndrome. Knowing that, he is not going to go go on to any collages for sports so why not just let him finish out his last year of ballin’……..lat him play…
The age of the player shouldn’t matter, as long as they go to the school. The fact that if you are held back a year in high school or start a year late, you can’t participate in high school athletics is unfair. They should at least raise the maximum age of athletes to 19 for those in there senior year.
I think this should only be for people with a genetic disorder, not all students. Students who fail and are held back who don’t have a genetic disorder shouldn’t be allowed to keep playing sports. They had a choice and chose to fail, and shouldn’t be allowed to keep playing. People like Eric should be allowed to play though, since he tries to improve himself, and works hard for a better education.
I totally agree! Some people had a choice to be held back, others with disorders like Eric didn’t have that choice.
I believe that he should be able to play, because it’s not his fault that he has a disability and is older than everyone. He should be able to do what he pleases, as long as he’s in high school he should play high school sports. It’s rude to discriminate against him for his disability.
Its not about his disability! I still feel they should let him play though!
No he should be able to play he is still in high school isn’t he? His senior year shouldn’t be ruined because of his age. That might make him feel even more different then the rest of the people. i’m not saying he should just be the only exception, everyone should be able to be in sports during high school no matter what their age is.
I don’t think that he should be stopped from playing. He is still a high schooler so he should be able to play with the rest of the high school kids. Age shouldn’t matter, especially when it is a kid in special circumstances like him. Why take what he loves away from him anyway?
Good points. I think it wouldn’t be fair to not let him play because the only reason he was held back is because of something he can’t control- it’s genetic.
Down syndrome doesn’t affect muscular development, which was the issue here. The age limit is because at that age there is an unfair advantage over the people who are 16 and 17, sometimes even 15 years old.
I don’t think Eric Dompierre’s high school athletic career should be cut short because of his age. Eric has not let Down Syndrome stop him from playing sports and his age definitely shouldn’t stop him either. I think each case should be viewed individually, there shouldn’t be just a general rule.
I agree with you Janice. I don’t think he should be held back because of his condition or his age.
No, I don’t think that Eric should be cut for his senior year because of his age. A lot of people get held back, and I don’t think that it should effect who is allowed to play on sports teams. He is only one year older than the other students and he is good enough to play with them, so he should be able to play on the school’s team.
I think they should make an exception for him. He was held because of his disorder and not because he wasn’t trying to succeed in school. I think he should be able to play his senior year even if it goes against the Michigan Athletic Association’ age rule, they should be able to change it.
I agree, it’s his senior year and they shouldn’t punish him for something that happened in elementary school that wasn’t his fault.
Yes I agree, although it would probably be a problem if they made one exception because other people are going to be wanting to do this. Do you think they should just change the whole age limit?
I don’t think that Eric should be cut short his senior year. The whole point of holding someone back in school is so that they can develop another year because they didn’t as much as they needed to the previous year. He didn’t chose to stay back a year in school and he’s devoted time to his teams and should be allowed to play for his last year of high school. He isn’t hurting anybody and everybody wants him to be able to play, even the opposing teams, at this point if they turn down the petition they’re doing it just to make a point.
I think he should be able to play because its not like he wanted down syndrome and wanted to get held back. I think that they should make an acception for him or anyone else with a disease because its not fair to them.
i agree but don’t you think this shouldn’t be an exception so anyone who gets held back like that for any reason can play?
by shouldn’t be an exception i mean it should no longer be a rule.
That is exactly what I think. Kids with Down Syndrome don’t have control over their own brain, and he is trying his best to do well.
i believe he should be able to play due to his down syndrome. the rule should be changed no doubt and he got held back due to his disability not because he is a bad student. He should be able to play his senior year because that is usually one of the best years of sports and it would be fun for him.
I agree. That isn’t fair that they are doing this, and especially to him.
I think that they should let Eric play. So what if Eric is a little bit too old to play, it doesn’t make that big of a difference. If he likes it and has a fun time doing it then I think that they should let him play.
Q: Should Eric Dampier’s (a student with Down Syndrome in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) high school athletic career be cut short his senior year because of the Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule? Why or why not? 3-5, Caps, Spell & Grammar Check!
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A: No his sports career should not be cut short. They need to treat people equal so if someone has a disability they should provide him/her with more ideas to help make them feel better and help them fit in.
i think that he shouldn’t be cut because he is still in high school and just because he is one year older than everyone else doesn’t mean that he should not be allowed to play for his school. That is like saying that someone else got held back or started school late and just because they turned 19 they can’t play for their school that they are still attending, even if they are an MVP. So, no, they shouldn’t cut him just because he turned 19.
I agree. You make a good point.
I do not think that Eric Dompierre’s athletic career should be cut short because of his age. Everybody sees that lots of people are supporting this cause and so i think the should just let him play for the rest of his years in high school. He is obviously an advantage to have on the team because he is good at what he plays, and he tries hard just like everyone else so just because he is a certain age doesn’t mean he should not be able to play. LET ‘EM PLAY!!!
Eric Dampier’s high school athletic career should not be cut short his senior year because of the Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule because with down syndrome, its not fair to him. His age and condition should not determine whether or not he can play.
I think that Eric should play even though he is older. He should still play because he is in high school still and that doesn’t if he’s older or younger. If they say that he is to old for the sport then isn’t he to old for high school?
i think he should be able to play no questions asked. i think they shouldn’t hesitate to get rid of that rule of only being 18. i think its ridicules that they cant change it to 19.
i think they should make him move up and play a sport that people his age are in. even if he got held back i think they should let him play. he has down syndrome and thing where a bit harder for him when he was a kid.
Yes, I think that athletic association age rule should change because you never know this same thing may happen again but someone different. I think it also should depend on if they have a condition or not.
it can happen again but i still don’t think it is fair if they change it.
i think that it wouldn’t be right for them not to change the rule.
Should Eric Dampier’s (a student with Down Syndrome in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) high school athletic career be cut short his senior year because of the Michigan Athletic Association’s age rule? Why or why not? 3-5, Caps, Spell & Grammar Check!
I don’t think his athletic career should e cut short. its not fair. I realize what the age rule is and how it comes into play but i still do not think that its fair for his athletic career to be cut short.
I think this student should be aloud to play his last year in high school. It is not his fault he got held back in elementary school. He should be the exception to the rule. They don’t have to change it just let him play. The rule should be changed so he is aloud to participate.
I do not think he should be cut short in his High School athletic career. He was held back because of his disability and I think some rules should change because of that. The only problem I see with this is the possibility that other students could be in the same situation but without a disability, causing them to want the rule to change for them as well.
They should make it if your in High school you can play. I agree with you Jordan!
I think that he should be able to play because he has worked really hard for the sports he loves and his disabilities held him back. There shouldn’t be an age limit because i don’t think it’s fair. This isn’t college, it’s just a high school he plays because he enjoys it.
I don’t think he should let him play. Sure he has down syndrome and I’m not trying to be mean but if another normal kid gets held back and can’t play his senior year because he is too old how is that fair to him?
I think that Eric’s high school athletic career should not be cut just because of his age. Eric should be able to play because he is just like everyone else and i think that anyone who wants to be part of a school activity that is “to old” should play. He is a good player and he will be able to lead the other students in the games.
No i think that they should let him play. He isn’t like all the other kids and i think that all of the students love to see him play and his team mates. I think that it isn’t fair for them to not let him him play at his last year of school!
i think he shouldnt be help back because he has downsydrome. also because he isnt a dominant player who can win the game. they only put him in when a games been decided so there should be no question as to that he can play or not
i agree…its not fair!
I think that he should be allowed to play. If they can held people back because of a mental disorder then they should be able to let him play. I could understand if it was someone without a mental disorder that got held back in the Ninth grade but he couldn’t help getting held back. I think they should make a exception.
Wouldn’t it be better if they change the rule completely, not just make an exception.
I do not think he should be cut just because of how old he is. I think that if you still go to high school, then you should still be allowed to play the high school sports, no matter your mental abilities. This applies for anyone and everyone, just because someone got held back or started school late, they shouldn’t be excluded from activities that the other students are allowed to do.
I agree. But i don’t think that EVERYONE who is over the age should be cut a break because some kids deserved to get held back and if they did they shouldn’t be able to participate like kids who passed.
yes i think he should play because he was held back and he looks really good at football and basket ball let em play.
I think he should not be cut short, if he likes to do it, he should be able to continue with what he likes to do. He may or may not have a good life ahead of him, he may get turned down jobs due to his condition. He loves to do it, and with his down syndrome, it may not even be his fault that he got held back. He also has many supporters and they think he should continue as well. They should let him play, this way he can be happy and his friends, family and supporters will be happy too.
I think that Eric should be able to play his senior year. Just because he is one year older, that shouldn’t mean he isn’t allowed to play. After all, it’s not his fault that he has a disability.
I don’t think that it should be cut short I think he should be able to play one because he was only held back because of probably his disability and it is nit his fault that he has this problem i think they should let him play no matter what . He is still in school and a senior there are still people that are that old and it is just because they went to school later when they were kids so i think this should be able to happen.
i think that he should be able to play because it’s not his fault that he has down syndrome, it’s also not his fault that he got held back in elementary because that happens often to people with disabilities like down syndrome. also, hes not bigger than most of the people on his team and it makes him happy so he should be allowed to play, even if it’s just out of respect or support for him.
yeah exactly
I think Eric should be able to play. It’s not his fault he has down syndrome which made him have to stay back a grade. I think that if you had to be in a certain grade for this type of reason, you should still be able to play no matter how old are.
I agree. He was held back because of the disorder and he should be able to play senior year.
I think that it is outrageous that Eric cant play sports. He defiantly should be able to play. He only got held back in elementary school! That is so unfair how a person with down syndrome cant play because he is one more year older. He would only play for 1 more year i don’t see how that would hurt anybody. I think the Michigan Athletic Association should make and acception to Eric playing sports.
I think they should cut the kid a break. Just let him move on, but don’t change the law completely. Now if he got held back in a highschool year (9-12), That’s another thing.
Totally, just let him slip through this one time.
I would let him play. There’s nothing wrong with a 19 year old playing a sport. Hes a great player. So what hes a year older what difference does it make that hes 19 and the others are 18? None there is no difference.
Yes because if the athletics associations makes this one exception then they will have to make an exception for everyone. And if they do it for everybody then more people could get hurt from facing of against bigger and stronger men because they have aged more.
this is good
But think about it, this kid has a major disability. Why take what he loves away from him?
No i think he should play because he loves basketball and football and he would love to play these sports for his last year of high school. Its not like he is the all star of the team and they don’t put him in unless the game is decided anyways. I think they should allow him to play.
I think they should change the rule for Eric because its not his fault that he got held back and is now to old to play. I think the Michigan Athletic Association can make an exception to the rule for Eric. It would be different if Eric didn’t try in school and never really cared about sports but he made an effort to go out and play all the sports that he likes. I don’t think they should punish Eric for just trying to get out there and play sports.
I think they should lat him play sport because his team care about him and he help can help his team. Even thou he is 19 he is still in school,
Please spell check!
if they think hes to old to play sports then i think he should be to old to go to high scholl
I believe that Eric should be allowed to play until he gets out of school. Eric was held back in the elementary so he is too old to play. Eric has a mild case of down syndrome, but this does not stop him. He loves sports and plays on both the Basketball and Football teams. The age restrictions should have some leeway though so that people like Eric, with down syndrome can have more time so that they can play sports with the rest of their school. Eric is also very dedicated to what he does, and he continues to practice and play even though he knows he might not get to play next year. Anyone like Eric should be given a little extra to say that they can still play. Sports are also good for your health, so if we want Eric to be healthy they should let him play sports.
well said i agree with you 100%
well yes you have some good points but other people would complain that he is 19teen.
I don’t think that it is right for people to stop him from playing sports. If he is a senior then he should be a loud to play no matter how old he is. He is really good at sports and they shouldn’t take it out on him not being able to play sports. This is just wrong. As long as he is still in high school then he should be able to play sports. No matter how old how strong or if he has a disorder or not!
People with these disorders don’t want to be treated any different.
I think that he should be able to play if he is in the games. I think that if you were held back one year it wouldn’t make a difference. I could see if you got held back once for each grade and your over twenty by one time should be over looked. i would be angry if i couldn’t play sports because i was a year too old.
That is true. If you only get held back once you should be able to play
I think that they should let him play and any other kids that are nineteen because why should that be a rule if they go to the school they should be able to play. I also think that they should change the age rule for all students, because some students weren’t held back but still are 19 in there senior year.
i agree with you they should change that rule.
I think they should let him play.They should let him play because its not his falt he got held back a year he can’t help it.They should change the rules just for him because he has down syndrom.
No his career an sports during High school should not be cut short… This is not fair to him, his family, and the school. They are debating if he should be able to play because he got held back one year so he will be 19 years old.. Who cares? for example the recommended retirement age is 65.. This is like saying That if your 66 You can’t work any more… It’s just stupid, So yes the schools should change the rule because the current rule is stupid, and it makes absolutely no sense at all.
Yeah like one year makes a difference
I agree, my grandma still works and shes 68
I agree. he didn’t want to be held back a year because of his disease.
I completely think Eric should be able to play sports on his senior year. Just because he is a little older the Michigan Athletic Association says he can’t play. It’s not his fault he got held back, he has a disease. He really works hard out on the court/field and he also practices off court so he really deserves to play. LET EM PLAY!!!
I think that he should be able to play. I think that if they are still in high school they should be able to play, unless you are in your 20’s. He just turned 19, he should play in the next seasons.
I don’t see why they won’t let him play. They should at least let him play his senior year. I’m on both sides on this because people are only supporting it because he has down syndrome. If he didn’t have down syndrome people wouldn’t care much. But it’s something he loves doing and it would be terrible if they didn’t let him play.
It doesn’t matter if he has that disorder or not they still should let him play. He has played all year!
I think that he should be able to play he part of the team. He has been part of the team sines he was little. They did say that they put him in when they know they have the game. He is not the star player but he knows how to play and what to do in the sport! So i say let him play!
Those are some good points about why he should be able to play
No i do not think his athletic career should be cut short because i think as long as your still in high school you can play the sport you want to play. I think that he should be able to play because he can go to school but not play sports? And if he has good grades and good talent he should be able to play just like all the other kids.
Yes, I like this sentence of yours, “I think that he should be able to play because he can go to school but not play sports?”.
i totally agree with your post on the subject
i think they should let him play
No, his year should not be cut short. It’s rare for someone with a disability like his to be accepted into sports, and this is his senior year. The senior year is most important to any athlete, and they should not take it from him for something that is not his fault.
very true, senior year is the last year until you actually have to get a start on life. He should be allowed to have the best one.
I think that Eric Dampier should be able to play sports his senior year. The school should be able to change the rules for him. Just because he is 19 doesn’t mean that he shouldnt be able to play sports his senior year. It wouldn’t be fair that the rest of his class can but he cant.
yes very true
No he should be able to play that’s not right to deny him to play if he is able to. He is only 19 because he was held back in elementary so they should allow him to play.
but they should change the rule just for his case or anyone like him as long as he is not to old.
I agree it’s not fair to take it out on him because he has Down Syndrome.
I don’t think that the athletic association should cut him from the team because it shouldn’t matter how old he is. Many people get held back and sometimes it’s not their fault so they shouldn’t be punished for it. Just because he got held back shouldn’t mean that he shouldn’t be able to play sports at school because he still goes there.
Yes he should play because of his circumstances but they shouldn’t let the average 19 year old play. He is deserving of it and he is a good role model for other kids with down sin drum that want to play sports.
I think he should be able to play. Just because he has a mental disorder and is older that doesn’t make have to stop playing sports. Any one with a disorder and is over age should be forced to stop playing sports on his senior year.
I think that the board of athletics should bend the rules a little for kids with disabilities. I think that it should go by what grade the kid is in not by his age. This rule, under the right circumstances, should apply only to kids with special needs.
I think that Eric’s career should probably be cut. Although if he is good enough I think he should be able to play. If he isn’t good enough to play they cut him just like the other kids.
yup well said.
i think that they should change the rule for people with downs syndrome because it really isn’t fair for the kid that was held back in elementary school and the kid just wants to be apart of a school team.
He should still deserve to play like u said!
I do not think that Eric’d athletic career should be cut short. If kids are in high school, they should be able to play the sports that the want. Even if Eric is 19, he is still in high school and deserves what every other high school football or basketball athlete is able to have. I think that Michigan should change it’s rule to something more like if you are in high school, and you haven’t dropped out you can continue, and if you have dropped out and come back and your over the age of 19, then you can’t play in any sports.
It really doesn’t matter if he has a disorder or not he still should be able to play if he is in high school. I don’t think that it is right!
That’s a good point. As long as he’s not like 30, as long as he is in high school, he should be allowed to play whatever sports he wants.
i think Eric should be able to play because its just a sport but if it was any body else people wouldn’t be bending back word so they could play but i do think he should because he has lots of friends because i mean if hes to old to play sports at 19 then he should be to old to go to high school
I think he should be able to play for his senior year. He shouldn’t be disallowed entry because of his age. He couldn’t control when he left Elementary school, so he shouldn’t be restricted from playing Basketball in his Senior year.
I don’t think his athletic career should be short because he got held back. This is a special case where a exception should be made. I think they should let him play sports his senior year.
No i do not think he should be cut because he has a disease its not his fault its only one year. They should do it cause the team likes him and hes good at the sports. And it would motivate other kids with disabilities to play sports.
its kind of like how Jackie Robinson changed the game of baseball
No, I don’t think he should be cut his senior year from playing sports. Its not his fault that he was held back when he was in elementary. Its clear that he’s a good team player, and everyone wants him to play on the teams his senior year, so why not let him? I think the Michigan athletic Association is being unreasonable with their age rule, and should really take in consideration of changing it.
I think he should be allowed to play. Even though he may be too old there is no harm in letting him be apart of the team. The board of athletics should take a closer look at the situation and realize that it isn’t hurting anyone by letting him play the sports his senior year.
your right
No I don’t think that it should be cut, if he’s been playing it for so long, that it’s his last year, he shouldn’t not be able to play just because he’s 19. If he really likes doing it then he should be able too. Especially because everyone wants him to play too, since they made shirts and everything.
Yes i think he should be able to play. Just because he was held back in a grade because of a disorder he has, doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be able to play a sport. As long as he has the grades, he is still a high school student and should be able to play!
Of course not, anyone that is still in high school should be allowed to play sports. In college, older people are allowed to play just like the Oklahoma St. QB. But knowing this kid has down syndrome it shouldn’t even be thought about. I think the people need to keep trying to getting this kid play next year.
i like how you used an example from a different school good job
i agree
I don’t think that Eric Dampier should be cut short just because of his age. He practiced and worked just as hard as the other players so he should be able to play.I think Age is just a number and shouldn’t be able to stop kids from playing a sport in high school.
No, I think whatever age you are you should be able to play sports. Its not right for one person not be able to play when the other kids are playing sports. They should extent the age limit so that Eric can play whatever sport he wants to play.
I think he should be able to play. With the type of conditions he has they should look into that and make a new rule saying that he and people like him can play if they are an older age. I think it is great that his school lets him play and work with the team as much as he does.
If they where held back in school for the schools purposes, not for being not smart.. it shouldn’t matter how old he is. Its the schools fault he got held back.
I don’t think his career should be cut short because if he’s good and is willing to play, he should continue.
no, as while he is indeed too old, he has special needs and therefore an acceptation should be made. if he were not to be allowed, the school would surely be sad about it and all it would do is cause trouble. so yes, he should be allowed to play.
An exception should not be made because he has a disability. People like that need to be treated like everyone else. The rule should be changed for anyone at that age, if you do it for the fact he has a disability, that alienates him
I think he should. So what he’s a year to old. Does it make that much of a difference. He practices a lot so he should be rewarded a lot.
I say that he should be able to play sports in school, no matter what his age is, its something he wants to do, and he should be able to do it.
I think that the student should be allowed to play for his senior year due to the fact he had down syndrome. He is a hard working young guy who seems to enjoy sports a lot and deserves to enjoy his last year in high school doing something he loves.
Your right give him something to remember don’t ruin it.
And since he was held back in elementary because of his down syndrome, he should get to play no matter how old he is. He wasn’t held back for being not smart.
Its not just that he has down syndrome, The Oklahoma state quarter back is like 25 and he plays college… so erik should be able to play…
And if it’s something he wants to go into after high school, that would crush his dreams.
I think they should let him play for his senior year, it wasn’t his fault he got held back in elementary school, and i don’t see how letting him play when he’s 19 affects any thing, age is just a number, and sports are what he enjoys, no one would want to give up something they really like.
i think he shouldnt be held back just because of his age. I think if your going to school and you have good enough grades and the talent to be on the team you should play. Also if he was held back he should get the extra year for sports.
I like your use of the grades and talent idea.
No he shouldn’t be cut his senior year because of a age rule that just makes it seem like they don’t want him on the team anymore. They shouldn’t make an age range for this type of thing what if its someones dreams in life or there profession.I just think it isn’t fair for them to cut him off the team because hes different and because of his age.
I agree with you, you are totally right. That’ll probably make him feel like they are discriminating against him because he’s different.