After Appleton North won its first Wisconsin state championship in girls high school basketball this weekend, junior Sydney Levy went to give her little brother a hug to celebrate.
Instead, a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association employee ushered the boy away and told Levy to leave with her teammates.
The WIAA released the following statement via Post-Crescent:
“The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association acknowledges that the short video clip that was released on social media Sunday may be seen by the casual observer as insensitive. In the celebratory situations following a State championship, it is not possible for the WIAA to know the individual traditions and rituals of all the schools, teams, families and players involved. For the safety of all involved, we keep spectators off the playing surface. As an organization that runs large events on a regular basis, our focus is always on the safety and ‘what if’ situations that can evolve quickly and cause potential harm to innocent bystanders. When the WIAA staff receives advanced requests regarding special family situations or needs, we do our best to accommodate if and when possible. The WIAA has reached out to the family to express its regrets for any distress they may have experienced.”
(h/t The Big Lead)
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