Posted on February 4, 2011

MIAMI — State Representative Daphne Campbell (D-Miami) issued the following statement in which she calls on the Florida High School Athletic Association to allow the Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School boys basketball team to participate in postseason play.

“Athletics plays an important role in the development and health of many of our young men and women. Every student who qualifies to participate in extracurricular activities by attending school, living in the district, and maintaining the required grade point average should be allowed to participate. Athletic pursuits are not only are a great subsidy to the education provided by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, but they often create opportunities for students to receive scholarships to attend colleges and universities.

“At Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, the student athletes on the boys basketball team have earned the right to play in the postseason. Posting an impressive regular season record of 22-3, Krop’s team has earned the ranking of number one in the state of Florida and has been ranked as high as number eight in the country by ESPNRise.com this season. The student athletes on Krop’s basketball team have been a model of student athletics by winning both on the floor and in the classroom. Over the last few years, Krop basketball players have received scholarships to North Carolina State University, Kansas State University, and many other prestigious universities across the United States.

“I have become aware that Krop’s season has been placed in jeopardy because of an immigration issue regarding one of their student athletes. Public high schools are prohibited by federal law from investigating the immigration status of their students. The students at Krop High School deserve to play in the postseason.

“Our state faces a 3.6 billion dollar budget deficit. Therefore, in the interest of avoiding spending the resources of our court system, I, State Representative Daphne Campbell am imploring the Florida High School Athletic Association to allow the Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School boys basketball team to participate in the postseason, and play for the state championship.”