Carle Place's Ryan Leary files petition with state to play soccer and football after school said no
Carle Place High School senior Ryan Leary has filed a petition with the state in hopes of returning to the soccer team this fall while continuing to play wide receiver for the football team. Leary planned to play both sports this season but was informed by the school that he could play both only if he just kicked for the football team.
Leary, 16, led the soccer team to a state title last season and also kicked for the football team. This season he also planned to play wide receiver in football.
District superintendent Ted Cannone told Leary on Aug. 21 that he could play both sports only if he did not play wide receiver, citing safety concerns. Leary decided to play football.
“I’m working hard and trying my best to help the football team have a successful season and hopefully make [the] playoffs,” Leary said on Wednesday. “I’m hoping something will happen that will allow me to contribute on the soccer field as well.”
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- Ryan Leary, a 16-year-old star athlete at Carle Place High School, filed a petition to the New York State Education Department on Sept. 25 seeking to play soccer this fall in addition to playing wide receiver in football.
- Leary scored 17 goals and helped lead Carle Place to a state title in soccer last season while also kicking for the football team. Leary planned to play both sports again this fall and asked the football coach if he could also play wide receiver. Leary said he was initially told yes by the coach and athletic director.
- On Aug. 21, district superintendent Ted Cannone told Leary he could not play both sports if he played wide receiver because of the safety concerns involved with playing two contact sports. Neither the county nor the state has a rule that prohibits playing two sports in the same season.
Leary filed the petition to the New York State Education Department on Sept. 25.
“A petition requesting a stay has been filed, and under this process, the Commissioner [Betty Rosa] will typically issue a decision within a few business days after receiving the respondent’s opposition papers,” said JP O’Hare, the education department spokesperson, in a statement to Newsday.
The soccer team’s regular season ends Oct. 15 and the football team’s ends on Nov. 1.
The petition was filed on behalf of Ryan by his parents, Patrick and Karin Leary. In the petition, the Learys say their son should be allowed to play both sports because there are no rules prohibiting an athlete from playing two sports in the same season by either Section VIII, the governing body of Nassau County Scholastic Sports, or the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.
“Ryan made a commitment to both the football and soccer teams over the summer only to be told in the first week of the season that the Carle Place District implemented this nonexistent policy,” the Learys wrote in the petition. “Ryan was left feeling as if he did something wrong and was put in the inevitable position of letting down friends and teammates with whatever decision he made.”
Before filing the petition, the Leary family attended two school board meetings to voice their opposition to the school’s decision during the public comments portion of the meeting. They followed that by sending a letter to Cannone, who responded by saying the district was standing by its decision.
“The district respects any family’s right to file a petition,” Cannone said in a statement to Newsday on Wednesday. “We are following the typical steps for answering a petition to the NYS Education Department. As this is a confidential student matter, we have no further comment.”
Leary has been among the top receivers on Long Island with 15 catches for 361 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He also has 12 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns and has totaled 21 points kicking extra points and field goals. Carle Place is 2-2.
The soccer team is 2-6-2 this season without Leary, who scored 17 goals and helped lead the Frogs to the state Class B title last season. He also is a standout for the varsity basketball and track and field teams.
“It is a shame that such an outstanding young man is being denied to do something that the NYSPHSAA and Section VIII allows,” said Pat Pizzarelli, the executive director of Section VIII. “He has proved what a truly outstanding athlete he is.”
Leary’s situation does not violate any NYSPHSAA rule, but earlier this year, there were three cases in Suffolk County in which athletes went to court to appeal a NYSPHSAA rules violation. All three won their cases and were allowed to compete.
Commack High School girls basketball player Sofia Vasselman was cleared to play in her team’s February playoff game after she received a one-game suspension for being ejected from a game for committing two intentional fouls.
Six Northport High School wrestlers won an appeal in February to participate in their league’s postseason tournament after being ruled ineligible for competing in too many matches this season. Northport tried to appeal the decision with a letter to Rosa, who informed the school that they would need to pursue a lawsuit in state supreme court.
William Floyd High School track star Zariel Macchia was cleared to run in the indoor state championships in March after winning an appeal of a ruling that declared her ineligible for the rest of the indoor season because she competed against college athletes.
