All is well for athletes with family still in Haiti

Posted Jan 25, 2010 by Nick Williams

Updated Jan 25, 2010 at 05:19 PM

Middleton senior Vasty Paul and Jefferson sophomore Yvanesa Vincent can finally breathe easy. Paul, a running back at Middleton this past season, and Vincent, a member of Jefferson’s girls varsity basketball team, were strongly affected by the earthquake in Haiti. For days, neither had heard from their loved ones caught in the aftermath. Four days after the quake, Paul had yet to hear from his mother and father while Vincent was waiting to hear from her 17-year-old brother, along with nearly two dozens other relatives. She had already learned two family members died.

By Monday, however, both had learned their relatives were alive. Jefferson athletic director Bob Morgan said Vincent’s brother has returned to the states while Middleton football coach Jason Stokes said all seven of his players with ties to Haiti have heard from their families still there.

Meanwhile, the Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors discussed Monday plans to address the eligibility issues of students who are relocating to Florida as a result of the earthquake in Haiti. A conference call involving athletic directors and superintendents from both public and private schools around the state to discuss the issue has been scheduled for next week.

“We are trying to be proactive in handling the influx of students from Haiti,” said FHSAA Executive Director Roger Dearing. “The FHSAA will cooperate with individual schools, school districts and the Department of Education to help with the transition.”