The Katy High School baseball team learned a valuable lesson this week.
And I’m truly surprised the University Interscholastic League, the state’s sanctioning body administering high school sports, did something more than slap a program on the wrist.
Actually, come to think of it, plenty of people were given an education this week, and I’m not talking STAAR testing.
I’m glad I get to share the story with all of you in this column – because I want to make sure people do their homework and look at the legal ramifications before diving into the pool.
After all, I don’t want to write about a local high school team I cover having to be stripped of wins.
Here’s what happened.
Katy baseball players Hayden Baker and Grant Jackman served as assistant coaches for a Little League team based in the same Houston suburb.
That’s all fine and dandy; however, there’s one thing. Both Baker and Jackman were paid for their services.
It was an amateur athletics violation for that to happen, and the UIL state executive committee denied Katy’s last-ditch appeal on Monday during a meeting at the Austin Marriott North hotel.
That means Katy will forfeit 20 wins and miss the UIL Conference 6A playoffs. Katy is a blueblood athletic program in Texas, and that’s why I find the reprimand so shocking.
The District 19-6A executive committee originally ruled against the school in an April 22 decision, and recommended the minimum penalty – which was forfeiture of games. Read more from this column in the May 7 Bowie News.

Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.

The University Interscholastic League state executive committee denied Katy’s last-ditch appeal on May 2 during a meeting at the Austin Marriott North hotel. (Logo provided by the Katy Independent School District, used with permission)