The Maine Principals’ Association’s Tennis Committee decided against recommending rules changes sought by a Wells High freshman who wants to play as a full-fledged member of the Kennebunk tennis team.

The student, Rosemary Campanella, filed a petition with the committee to change the way tennis is classified as an MPA sport.

Since Wells does not have a tennis team, Campanella is allowed to play for Kennebunk in what is called a “cooperative individual” arrangement.

But under current rules, any of her matches would be counted as a forfeit loss for Kennebunk.

She is allowed to play in the state singles tournament after the regular season, representing Wells.

The MPA’s Classification Committee recommended all sports be changed to “cooperative team” status for the 2015-16 school year. Cooperative teams are formed from multiple school districts. The practice is used mostly for hockey and football. Tennis is one of several sports classified as cooperative individual because they hold both team and individual state championships.

Kevin Campanella, Rosemary’s father, said Friday he was disappointed in the Tennis Committee’s response to the petition, which he helped his daughter file.

In an email to Kevin Campanella, Gerry Durgin, the MPA liaison to the Tennis Committee, wrote: “the Tennis Committee did meet (Thursday) and all pieces of correspondence from you and your daughter were reviewed. The decision by the committee was to take ‘no action.’ As has been stated, the Classification Committee has recommended that – ‘All activities will be allowed to form a Cooperative Team’ beginning with the 2015-16 school year.'”

Neither Durgin nor John Mullen, the Tennis Committee chair, returned phone messages Friday from the Portland Press Herald seeking comment.


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