EXCLUSIVE: The Nicolet Youth Basketball Club is accused of allowing ineligible players to suit up for its sixth grade team, and the superintendent of Nicolet Schools is allegedly allowing it to happen!
According to a letter circulated among other basketball clubs that "The Dan O'Donnell Show" has obtained:
Recently the WYBL accepted a club's controversial decision on their players’ eligibility. Unfortunately, their decision diminishes the requirement that players must either reside in the district or attend one of its schools. Given the potential impact to your club, this decision is being shared with you.
On November 21, 2023, a formal complaint was submitted to Nicolet Superintendent Dr. Greg Kabara by a group of parents. This complaint was grounded in verified and detailed information, explicitly detailing how, over the past two seasons, the Nicolet Jr. Knights 6th Grade Select Team orchestrated a system of cheating. This involved the falsification of residency documentation for ineligible players and was coordinated by at least two parents and one coach.
In their complaint, the group of parents assured Superintendent Kabara that an investigation would reveal that
A significant number of players on the team don't attend a school in the Nicolet School District, contrary to the requirement stated in their policy.
Of the players who don't attend a school in the district, NONE would be able to produce school records with an address in the Nicolet School District.
In the end, neither of these points were ever disproven by Kabara.
Initially Kabara responded to the group's complaint with an assurance to conduct a comprehensive investigation and promptly remove any ineligible players. Unfortunately, it was later discovered this commitment lacked credibility.
This sequence of events unfolded subsequent to the 2021-22 season, during which the Nicolet Team concluded with a .500 league record in the Y Division of the WYBL. In the ensuing summer, two players played for the Wisconsin Playground Club. During that period, two parents actively recruited players from the Wisconsin Playground to join the Nicolet Select Team the following season. Additionally, they included other youth not affiliated with the Wisconsin Playground Club. Importantly, none of the newly added players resided in the Nicolet School District or attended any of its schools. In the subsequent season, competing as Nicolet with these prohibited players, the Wisconsin Playground Team won the WYBL A Division Championship for the 2022-2023 season.
This practice is explicitly prohibited by Nicolet's own written policy, which clearly states, "Jr. Knights Select Boys Basketball program is open to boys attending a school in the Nicolet Partner School District who will be attending grades 3rd through 8th during the year of participation." Their policy does not provide any exceptions for youth who only live in the district, but don’t attend one of its schools. Significantly, Nicolet's policy is more stringent than the WYBL's, which only requires residency or enrollment at a school in the district.
In the current season, the team expanded their roster of ineligible players. For instance, during the NY2LA Generation Next Tip-Off Tournament, which they won, their authorized 9-player roster expanded to 13, incorporating boys rostered on other WYBL teams. When this was uncovered, the coach openly admitted that the team also competes as Wisconsin Playground. Notably, none of the players added for the tournament were Nicolet students or residents.
On December 12, 2023, Kabara responded to the WYBL with the Recreation Department's findings. He was forced to acknowledged that although a requirement of their program, many of the players do not attend a school in the district. Disappointingly, Kabara chose to not provide an explanation for the deviation from their policy that has allowed non-students to participate.
(The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction data reveals that only 3% of students who live within the district attend a school outside of it. Statistically, it would be implausible for the majority of the nine players to attend school outside the district. However, in his response to the WYBL, Kabara presented numbers that did not align with the state's data, raising concerns about the accuracy and consistency of the information provided.)
In a departure from conventional wisdom, Kabara chose not to request school records for verifying attendance or an address within the district. Instead, he adopted an unconventional approach by examining the names on residential leases within the district. He openly admitted that, on occasions, the children were not included on the lease. When unable to verify the players' residency in the district, Kabara sought league permission to roster players with "non-traditional living arrangements" or "split households." This granted them the ability to include players on the roster who could not produce a single document with the player’s name that reflected residency or school attendance in the district.
Despite having initially committed to a fair investigation, Kabara recommended the WYBL consult with an attorney if they wanted additional information.
Ultimately, the WYBL granted Kabara the authority to determine whether the parent or child resides within the district, even in a "non-traditional living arrangement." As a result, all nine players will continue playing for Nicolet throughout the current season. This decision allows Nicolet to maintain a team that effectively functions as a school-sponsored extension of the Wisconsin Playground Team.
Regrettably, Nicolet's approval of "non-traditional living arrangements" has widened the range of acceptable residences for their players from a limited few to an infinite number. This grants Nicolet the flexibility to include any player under this designation, putting every other club at a distinct competitive disadvantage.
The expectation is that shedding light on Nicolet's behavior and the league's choices will inspire the league to implement significant reforms. A case in point is the Wisconsin Middle School Basketball Championship, which employs a straightforward and efficient system mandating each team to submit copies of designated school or residency documents for every player. Adopting a similar practice would substantially contribute to resolving these issues. Notably, as evidence of the effectiveness of the WMSBC’s rules, Nicolet would be unable to play in the Championship due to their inability to field five eligible players.
On the other hand, teams choosing to adopt Nicolet’s standard now have the option to strengthen their rosters by adding players under the guise they reside in their school district under a "non-traditional living arrangement." Unfortunately, without change, this could indeed be the only route for teams to remain competitive within the current system.
In response to these allegations, Superintendent Kabara released the following statement through a communications company to "The Dan O'Donnell Show:"
In response to an anonymous complaint regarding sixth grade recreation league basketball eligibility, District staff completed residency verification for kids in the sixth grade Jr. Knights Select Boys Basketball team, a Nicolet Recreation Department program.
The District was instructed by the WYBL to verify that at least one parent has residency in the district. Nicolet has confirmed residency for the nine kids on the WYBL Jr. Knights team, so the kids are eligible to play in the WYBL.
As a point of clarification, AAU tournaments - such as the NY2LA Generation Next Tip-Off Tournament - and the WYBL run as entirely separate entities and rulesets. Kids across the state frequently participate in both leagues throughout the year. AAU basketball programs and teams are separate from the Nicolet Recreation Department.
The District has offered to meet with the anonymous complainants, but they have declined to meet with the District, or the WYBL, to discuss their concerns or provide additional evidence related to their complaint.