MIAA Discussion Could Impact NHS Swimmers

At their meeting today, Jan. 5, the MIAA will have a discussion that could impact Norwood High School's swim team, and one team member in particular.

At a meet in November, one of the six male members of the Norwood High swim and dive team broke a 25-year-old meet record for the girls’ 50-yard freestyle event. Will Higgins swam a personal best at the MIAA South Sectional Meet, his coach Kim Goodwin said, and was very proud of his accomplishment.

But that accomplishment has forced the MIAA swim committee to examine the controversy of boys swimming on girls' teams, and the equity required by Title IX.

The Boston Globe reported earlier this week that MIAA spokesman Paul Wetzel said the swim committee will explore “what, if anything, can or should be done,’’ about boys setting records in girls' swim tournaments. “Any action will depend on that discussion," Wetzel told the Globe.

Goodwin said that having previously coached an all-girls team competing against teams that included boys, she sees both sides of this issue. A boys team is not a feasible option for Norwood High, so boys who wish to compete in the sport play in the girls' fall season, though schools with coed and boys' swim teams compete in the winter season.

"These boys are now part of our program," she said. "One does not focus on a boy beating a girl or the other way around. Individuals go against the clock, trying to improve their own times. Places are secondary. The boys on the team stayed under the radar until we had a first place finisher who broke a long standing meet record at the sectional championship meet."

The MIAA can no longer ignore the issue, but needs to find a way to help resolve this issue without punishing the male swimmers for excelling or the schools without the viable option of separate teams, Goodwin said.  

"We hope that it is ruled that he (Higgins) established a new boys' record in the 50-yard free at the sectional meet and one that other boys who swim in the fall will work hard to break," she said.