Needles commission restores handbook language to keep school-playing sixth-graders in B division

The City of Needles commission voted Nov. 17 to revise the youth sports handbook so that sixth-graders who play on a school sports team will be placed in the B division for league and tournament play unless a parent or player requests to play up.

Parks and Recreation staff told the commission the change restores clarity after prior edits that placed some sixth-graders into the A division and then created scheduling and competitive-balance problems for the city league. "Sixth graders that play on a school sports team will be in the B division for league and tournament play," the presenter summarized when describing the proposed wording change.

Commissioners discussed examples from last season, including girls who said they felt intimidated when shifted into a co-ed A division and several returning sixth-grade all-star players who were required into A and then chose to stay there, reducing B-division participation. The presenter said the proposal would make placement automatic to B for school-playing sixth-graders but retain an option for families or players to request a move to A; if a player requests to play in A, they would remain in A for both league and all-star competition.

A commissioner made the motion to adopt the revised language; Commissioner Melvin seconded. Commissioners Pletcher, Melvin, Vice Chair Torres and Commissioner Calderon voted yes; there were no recorded no votes and the motion passed. Meeting records show the commission intended the change to reduce mid-season moving between divisions and to protect participation rates in the B division.

The change was presented as an amendment to the existing 11th bullet in the youth sports handbook; staff said the handbook already allows individual players to request to play up by one grade. The commission did not indicate any further amendments to tournament rules at this meeting.

The commission did not identify a deadline for publishing the updated handbook language in the agenda packet; the motion passed at the Nov. 17 meeting and commissioners directed staff to proceed with implementing the amended language.