Michael Anderson, 15, is getting a raw deal. It involves his heart condition, his love of swimming and the inflexibility of Kentucky's High School Athletic Association.

        Michael is trapped in a regulation that wasn't aimed at him. He's now hoping the association will overrule its commissioner.

        Swimming “is the only thing I've had success at,” Michael says, “and it's the only thing I'm allowed to do.”

        Last year he attended Boone County High School, where he ran cross country. He wasn't good. His real sport is swimming, but Boone County doesn't have a team.

        This summer, Michael transferred to Covington Catholic High School. It has small classes and a good academic reputation. It also has a swim team, which is more important than ever to Michael. This year, doctors gave him two options: swimming or golf.

        Michael was born with an abnormal heart valve. He has no symptoms but must get periodic checkups. In January, tests indicated a problem, and doctors recommended surgery. They worried he might collapse during heavy exercise. Ultimately, the surgery was canceled, but Michael must be careful. No more contact sports or running. Timed swimming was deemed OK, however, because his body would be horizontal.

        I confirmed this with Brad Wilson, an exercise physiologist at the University of Cincinnati. Upright exertion requires the heart to pump blood against gravity, Dr. Wilson says. Swimming eases the job.

        Michael was excited. He would remain an athlete after all, he thought. His sophomore year would be complete.

        Then Kentucky's high school sports commissioner cried foul.

        Michael must sit out this season because he participated in a varsity sport at Boone County High when he ran cross country, the commissioner said. The rules can be waived under certain circumstances, but Michael's wasn't among them.

        No kidding. This is a unique case. It warrants special consideration.

        Michael's parents are appealing the decision. Even the principal of Boone County High has testified on Michael's behalf.

        I recognize the need for transfer rules. They prevent schools from stealing each other's athletes. Academics should be the point of high school, not sports glory, the association says.

        True enough. But let's deal with reality here.

        In addition to discouraging recruitment, the rules protect schools from “losing students who have established an identity as an athlete and, as such, are contributors to the overall school program and image,” the association says.

        In other words, schools should focus on academics, but God forbid they lose their star jocks. What a crisis that would be.

        The association is right in this respect: For many students, sports and identity are intertwined. This helps explain Michael Anderson's disappointment.

        He loves beating his own times in the pool and enjoys the camaraderie with classmates. If he missed this year, he would feel like the odd man out, he says.

        Boone County doesn't have a swim team. At Covington Catholic, “they recognize you as an athlete and not just a kid who swims and is weird and wears Speedos,” says Michael.

        He's a sharp, funny young man. He deserves a break.

       Kearen Seamples is Kentucky columnist for the Enquirer. She can be reached at 578-5584 or ksamples@enquirer.com.

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