DON McDERMOTT MORE COLUMNS Advertisement

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, more than 600 girls (and their parents, families and fans) and the game of soccer in Southern Nevada are still being held hostage by one misdirected parent in Henderson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Johnson, the father of Green Valley soccer (and volleyball) player Emma Johnson, filed an emergency action against the NIAA two weeks ago. According to published reports, Johnson acted "in response to the NIAA's decision not to allow Class 4-A Southern Nevada girls soccer teams participating in the winter to be involved in post-season state tournaments and awards."

Before we comment any further, let us state that more than four years ago, the NIAA announced that girls soccer in Southern Nevada would be switched from the winter season to the fall in the 2008-2009 school year. Which meant the Clark County School District had at least three years to study which outdoors sport it could add to its athletics program in the winter season in 2008-2009. Field hockey, lacrosse or flag football could have been considered as outdoors sports; girls wrestling would have been a logical choice for an indoors sport during the winter campaign.

The CCSD, which knew about the NIAA decision of 2005, didn't do anything, when it should have. The NIAA cannot dictate to any school or district which sports they can offer; the association's only moral obligation is to make sure Title IX, which offers equal opportunities for girls to compete, is not violated.

The NIAA did not violate any rule, legally or morally, in enforcing its decision to move girls soccer in Southern Nevada to the fall -- just as it said it was going to do four years ago.

Another point to consider.

Johnson and his daughter had choices to make -- sue to get their way, or have her select a sport she would play in the fall.

Back in 2001, a group of Rosemary Clarke Middle School girls -- including Veronica Villa, Darla Hopkins and Sara Coleman -- had to choose which sports they would play after enrolling at Pahrump Valley High School.

In the fall, Villa chose volleyball over soccer and girls golf. Hopkins played golf. Coleman picked soccer. Each of them went on to have outstanding careers in their four-year stays at PVHS.

Villa played on five state Class 3-A championship teams (two in basketball and three in fast-pitch softball). Coleman was on those same teams. Hopkins was on an individual record six title squads, including one in golf.

In the spring, Villa and Coleman chose softball over track and field all four years. Hopkins was on the track team for a while, then closed out her athletic career as a member of three Lady Trojans' state title teams in softball.

They made -- like thousands of athletes across Nevada will do this fall -- conscious choices to play a particular sport. And we can imagine some of those boys and girls struggled with their decisions.

Throughout life, each of us has to make choices. And we will do it without having a U.S. assistant attorney as a parent.

Ultimately, it is his responsibility to do the right thing -- back off any further legal action and urge his daughter to make a choice.

It would be an outstanding choice he could make. Six hundred girls and all of their families and friends would be grateful and he will have fulfilled his moral obligation as a parent.