sportsjabber.net

Athletes can lose scholarships for a variety of reasons. Those free-rides are yanked for poor academic performance, rules violations, arrests, or any actions that relinquish the amateur status. But can a coach snatch your scholarship simply because they didn’t like you? In 2007, Washington coach Ty Willingham informed red-shirt seniors that they wouldn’t be back for the following year. As much as their parents griped, Willingham had the right to sweep out the non productive old to free space for the talented new. There were initially reports of possible legal action against the University, but nothing ever surfaced.

But one young woman has filed suit against a former coach and institution, claiming her scholarship was revoked for her being heterosexual and not lesbian. Former Chippewa, Brooke Heike, has brought a cause of action against Central Michigan University and her former coach Sue Guerva. According to the petition, Heike claims her playing time decreased and she eventually lost her scholarship for no other reason than being a “girly-girl”. With Guerva hired in 2007, Heike went from playing in 11 games to only six, before no longer being allowed to play at all. Her attorney also claims she was traumatized by the entire situation.

We have a woman accused of favoritism based on sexual preference, allegedly. But if Heike believes her scholarship was taken because of the contents in her make-up bag or her attraction to the opposite sex, wouldn’t it also insinuate that scholarship students on the CMU women’s basketball team are all lesbian? I can’t imagine any coach in America, regardless of sexual preference, yanking the scholarship of a productive player. Mostly, because they all want to win, and the more victories they accumulate means more cash incentives are reached.

In the season before Gueva was hired by Central Michigan, Heike did play in 11 games, but she averaged just 1 point per contest, and added a whopping 1 rebound to go with it. Her season high was 6 points. It would appear more that a scholarship was lost for reasons on the court, but who readily admits that they stink up the joint…especially swearing on a bible? She was a high school star, and maybe it’s the deflation of her ego that brings this case. I can’t imagine any coach, regardless of sexual preference, denying a scholarship to a player like Candace Parker (a girly-girl) who displayed mastery on the hardwood, but I can see many of them clearing their bench of players like Brooke Heike.

Athletic scholarships are not guaranteed, and are renewed each year, but it’s very rare that student athletes will be denied such renewal. In those instances where it does happen, it’s usually the result of a change in the coaching staff, as was the occurrence at CMU.