IHSAA gives Gabella death penalty for simple misdemeanor

A basketball player can get better by dribbling in his driveway and playing pickup games at the Y. A football player can practice timing and running his routes with his quarterback - or simply lift weights.

But batting practice and throwing a tennis ball against the side of your garage only go so far in developing your swing and hands. It's very difficult to replicate the changeups, curveballs, sliders and the myriad of ground balls you will face in a game without playing an actual game.

And for that reason, the Iowa High School Athletic Association has crippled Cody Gabella far more than any advantage he might have gained by appearing in a minor league exhibition game earlier this month.

Gabella, a junior at Notre Dame High School in Burlington, went 1-for-2 in an exhibition game against Southeastern Community College on April 7 while playing for the Class A Burlington Bees, who are managed by his father, Jim.

This participation, of course, violates IHSAA Scholarship Rule 36.15(2) in the IHSAA handbook which, "prohibits high school students from participating, and/or training, with or against college athletes who are representing their collegiate institution or as part of an event sanctioned or sponsored by a collegiate institution."

Jim Gabella and Notre Dame coach Jeff Klein said they were unaware of the rule which is believable - why would either of them knowingly jeopardize Cody Gabella's future high school career?

But that's not an excuse. A rule was broken and Gabella should face sanctions. So the IHSAA, in all its infinite wisdom, decided to suspend him from the Notre Dame Nikes (yes, you read that right) baseball team - for the ENTIRE SEASON.

Quid pro quo, Clarice. Sit the kid for one game.

The skills and abilities of Cody Gabella, who has started for the past three years, will suffer immeasurably with a year-long sabbatical. Two throw-away at-bats give Gabella virtually no advantage over his contemporaries.

But perhaps even more vexing is why the IHSAA picks this seemingly innocuous issue to legislate so harshly.

The organization and its girls counterpart, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, are all about giving kids the opportunity to participate in as many activities as possible.

The IHSAA allows Kevin Huggenberger of Hinton and Drew Theisen of Remsen St. Mary's to participate in two sports (golf and track) in the same season.

The IGHSAU lets Hinton's Mackenzie Small run track for the Blackhawks and play soccer - for Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

I think that is terrific. The state of Washington certainly doesn't allow it.

We live in an age where too many kids feel pressured to specialize in a certain sport. Kids should be able to play as many sports in a season as their coaches and academics will allow.

Further, the open-enrollment rule allows a high school freshman to basically pick any school within driving distance to attend and be immediately eligible for varsity competition. Sophomores, juniors and seniors have to sit a whopping 90 days - basically one season.

With lax rules like these, I'm surprised Heelan doesn't try to get Freddy Adu to come play for their boys soccer team.

It makes zero sense for the IHSAA and IGHSAU to allow all this to fly while excessively punishing a kid who shared a wonderful father-son moment with his old man.

On the other hand, maybe it does make more sense than I thought. After all, Iowa did beat the entire West Coast into becoming the third state to allow gay marriage.