ST. HUBERT CATHOLIC SCHOOL
A Community Petition for Inclusion in Seventh-Grade Boys Basketball
To: St. Hubert Catholic School Advisory Council (SAC) and School Administration
Subject: Request to Reconsider the Late Registration Decision — 2026–2027 Basketball Season
Our Request
We, the undersigned members of the St. Hubert Catholic School community, respectfully request that school leadership reconsider its decision to exclude four seventh-grade boys from participating in the upcoming basketball season because their registrations were submitted after the school-established deadline.
We recognize the importance of deadlines, accountability, fairness, and organization. However, we believe these responsibilities can coexist with the Catholic values of compassion, inclusion, understanding, and grace.
Our request is not to eliminate deadlines, but to ensure their enforcement does not unnecessarily prevent children from participating when reasonable accommodations are available.
The Circumstances
- Twenty-one seventh-grade boys are currently registered.
- Four additional boys wish to participate, bringing total enrollment to twenty-five.
- Two teams are planned, supported by four coaches.
- All four seventh-grade coaches support welcoming these additional players.
- Team assignments have not yet been finalized.
With existing coaching support and teams still being organized, we believe these circumstances warrant reconsideration.
SSYO League Policy Permits Roster Additions
Importantly, the South Side Youth Organization (SSYO), the league governing St. Hubert basketball participation, expressly permits players to be added to team rosters during the regular season.
The published November 2024 SSYO Policy and Rules for Basketball — Cub and Varsity provides that roster additions may be made throughout the season.
The policy also specifies that initial rosters must be submitted one week before the season begins and that players must participate in at least 70% of league games to qualify for postseason tournaments.
Therefore, the published SSYO policy provides a mechanism for accommodating additional players beyond initial roster submission, subject to applicable eligibility requirements.
While St. Hubert may establish its own administrative registration deadlines, we respectfully ask that school leadership distinguish between a school-established cutoff and an actual league restriction.
We request confirmation of the applicable 2026–2027 SSYO rules and consideration of the flexibility they provide.
Source: SSYO Policy and Rules for Basketball — Cub and Varsity, November 2024, Eligibility to Play.
Accountability and Compassion Can Coexist
We support clear registration deadlines and family responsibility. We also believe reasonable alternatives should be considered before excluding students from an entire athletic season.
These alternatives may include:
- A defined late-registration period when league rules and roster capacity permit.
- A reasonable late-registration fee, where appropriate.
- Direct communication with seventh- and eighth-grade students to encourage responsibility for timely registration.
- A consistent process for reviewing late registrations before teams are finalized.
- Coach and administration collaboration to determine whether additional players can reasonably be accommodated.
Reflecting Our Catholic Community
St. Hubert Catholic School is more than an academic institution. It is a faith-centered community committed to the education, character, and development of its students.
Athletics provide meaningful opportunities to learn teamwork, perseverance, accountability, friendship, sportsmanship, and belonging.
We believe the policies governing these opportunities should reflect both effective administration and the compassion central to Catholic education.
We can teach children the importance of following rules while also demonstrating the importance of grace.
Our Petition to School Leadership
We respectfully request that the School Advisory Council and administration:
- Reconsider the exclusion of the four seventh-grade boys from the 2026–2027 basketball season.
- Recognize the published SSYO provision allowing roster additions throughout the regular season, subject to confirmation of current rules.
- Consider the support of all four seventh-grade coaches and the fact that team assignments have not yet been finalized.
- Delay final team announcements, if feasible, until this request receives consideration.
- Review the school’s late-registration policy and develop a consistent approach that balances accountability, fairness, and inclusion.
We believe St. Hubert can uphold its administrative responsibilities while ensuring that reasonable opportunities for student participation are not unnecessarily lost.
Four boys. Two teams. Four supportive coaches.
One community.
Let us find a way to welcome them onto the court.
⸻
Community Support
By adding my name, I affirm my support for this petition and authorize my name to be included among those presented to St. Hubert Catholic School leadership and the School Advisory Council.
COMMUNITY PETITION — SIGNATURES
St. Hubert Catholic School — Seventh-Grade Boys Basketball
By signing below, I express my support for allowing the four additional seventh-grade boys to participate in the 2026–2027 basketball season.