Parents, coaches and alumni tell Anoka-Hennepin board Champlin Park softball championship was earned

Dozens of parents, coaches and alumni told the Anoka-Hennepin School Board on June 23 that Champlin Park High School’s Class 4A state softball championship was earned by the players and should be celebrated without qualification.

Speakers from across the Champlin Park community used the board’s communications and public comment time to push back at comments made at a June work session that several speakers said had demeaned the team. “This team of girls was stacked with talent,” parent Jill Reimler told the board, reading from a prepared statement. “To suggest that their state championship was not earned or credible because we happen to have a transgender player is not only unfounded, but also deeply dismissive of the team's hard work, talent, and skills.”

Why it matters: The comments came during the board’s public-comment period and the issue has drawn strong local interest. Several speakers said the board’s earlier remarks diverted attention from the players’ season and harmed students.

What speakers told the board

- Reese Reimler, who identified himself as a Champlin Park alum, said the team’s success depended on nine players and strong teamwork, and that the pitching advantage alleged on social media was false: “Our pitcher was averaging 61 miles per hour, while our opponent on Bloomington Jefferson was averaging 64 miles per hour, a 3 mile per hour difference,” he said, urging the board not to judge the team from social-media posts.

- Dean Helters, father of a player, said the team’s depth — including multiple solid pitchers, strong hitting and defense — explained their run to the title. “If you didn't personally watch the games, you're not qualified to pass judgment on anything that occurred,” he told the board.

- Carrie Cott Smith, who identified herself as a parent of a Champlin Park varsity player, said the athletic accomplishments included Division I–III college commitments and all-conference selections: “This team of girls earned that championship under the current policies and deserves to be recognized, celebrated by the district leadership and not dismissed,” she said.

- Caitlin Hill, assistant varsity coach, asked the board to support the full team and their values, saying the players “practiced six days a week, supported each other through pressure and injury and they never lost sight of what really matters: each other.”

Calls for apology and for board restraint

Several speakers asked the board to apologize and to avoid injecting political or policy debates into moments set aside for honoring student achievement. Parent Monica Heltemers said the board’s prior remarks “hijacked” a celebration and that students “persevered on and off the fields with grace and composure beyond their years.” She said an apology was owed to the team.

A Champlin Park teacher, Mike Phillips, told the board that it should “celebrate them and their successes, not one who will tear them down to score political points.”

What the board did not do at the meeting

No board vote or formal action on athletics policy or eligibility rules occurred during the meeting. Multiple speakers urged the board instead to raise concerns with the Minnesota State High School League if they believed league rules needed change.

Ending

Speakers asked the board to keep students at the center and to limit policy debates in moments meant to honor student achievement. Several characterized the team’s title as a unifying accomplishment and asked the district to publicly recognize the players’ season and the coaches’ work.