A Southern California girls’ basketball team has been reinstated after it was denied participation in the playoffs for donning uniforms with pink lettering promoting breast cancer awareness.
A three-person panel reinstated the Narbonne High School team after they were disqualified from the City Section Open Division playoffs and forced to forfeit a Feb. 28 semifinal win over View Park.
"This can’t be happening," Alicia Harris said, a junior guard. "We worked super hard to get where we were."
The team was forced to forfeit the win because they wore illegal pink-lettered uniforms. The decision to prohibit the team from playing in the state playoffs was lifted Tuesday, the California Interscholastic Federation Los Angeles City Section announced.
The Gauchos were originally removed from the playoffs on Monday because their uniforms did not meet City Section rules. According to Article 1305 in the LA City Section Goldbook, "Uniform colors may only be a combination of the official school colors." The school was in violation of this rule because Narbonne’s official school colors are green and gold.
"Pink is not a school color at Narbonne," a CIF statement read.
The team wore the colors in support of breast cancer awareness, and team officials, players and parents said they had no idea they were in violation of any rule.
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"We were unaware that honoring cancer victims with uniforms was against California Interscholastic Federation rules," Principal Gerald Kobata said in a Los Angeles Unified School District statement.
The high school appealed the CIF’s decision and won.
"In the spirit of the game and for the kids, the appeals committee has decided to grant Narbonne’s request for reinstatement into the 2015 CIF LA City Section basketball playoffs," CIF LA City Section Commissioner John Aguirre said in a statement.
"We will continue to review Narbonne’s athletic program and compliance with the Section policies and bylaws over the next year."
Although the team will play the championship game on March 7 against Palisades Charter High School, the appeals committee issued three penalties. Head Coach Vicky Sanders will be suspended for the remainder of the season, Narbonne High School will not be allowed to host any home playoff contests in 2016 and the school will remain on probation for the 2015-2016 calendar year.
Sanders told NBC4 she "felt horrible" about the situation.
"It was for a good cause," she said. "Our hearts were in the right place."
Sanders takes "full responsibility" and is already prepping for next season with a rosy outlook. She said she'll submit a waiver to CIF next season before making alterations to the team uniform.
The girls' basketball team will compete in the championship game Saturday at 6 p.m. at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
