Hockey players from Voznesenka, Razdolna and Kachemak Selo got the green light last spring from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School Board when the small school athletes requested a waiver to allow them to play hockey for Homer High School.

Monday, the Alaska School Activities Association turned that green light to red.

"They denied the request, one for and seven against," said Gary Matthews, ASAA executive director, of the association board's decision.

Organized as a nonprofit, ASAA prescribes the rules and regulations for interscholastic activities involving teams, groups or contestants from a second high school.

The ASAA board's decision was a blow to hockey players from the Russian Old Believer communities and their supporters who view increased sports opportunities as a way to strengthen relationships between the schools and as a way to maintain students' interest in school.

"Enrollment in small schools goes up and down year to year," said Sunni Hilts of Seldovia. Hilts is currently vice president of the school board and represents the areas of Voznesenka, Razdolna and Kachemak Selo.

"Seldovia this year won't have a boys' basketball team and we've actually had kids leave the town because of it. Extra-curricular activities keep some of our students in school. We need to have activities in school that generate enthusiasm and make students want to be there."

The ASAA ruling came after a lengthy battle by local hockey mom Kim Duggar who launched a campaign last year in support of the waiver request.

Duggar sent letters to officials, attended meetings and coordinated support from parents, coaches and the four school's principals. Duggar's efforts drew attention by the Alaska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, who stood ready to launch a legal case on behalf of the hockey players.

She also enlisted the support to Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, who wrote to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and former superintendent Donna Peterson.

"Providing children the opportunity to be engaged and interested within the context of an academic institution may be a way to help decrease our dropout rate," Seaton wrote.

Additional letters of support were sent to ASAA prior to its decision Monday. Among them was one from Dr. Allan Gee, HHS principal.

"One of my goals is to consistently encourage participation in student activities which increases the likelihood that students will continue their education and ultimately become a high school graduate and pursue post-secondary educational opportunities," Gee wrote, requesting the waiver to ASAA's bylaws. Hearing of the association's decision, however, Gee expressed disappointment.

"I understand ASAA has to look at this from a statewide perspective, but I was hopeful they would take into consideration the uniqueness of our Russian students," he said.

Although ASAA's decision is not what the hockey players were hoping to hear, it may not be the end of the story.

Concerned that granting a waiver for these schools for one sport would open a "flood gate" of similar waiver requests from other schools around the state, Matthews said the board is asking for additional input.

"Because the issue was brought forward, the board of directors will ask regions around the state to review this section of the bylaws that limits 1A and 2A schools who don't have enough kids to have their own teams from participating on a larger school's team," Matthews said.

Discussion on the subject is expected to be included on the ASAA board's agenda for its meeting in Anchorage Feb. 21-22.

"Once you make an exception, you can't very well, under all fairness, deny another," Matthews said. "It's (the ASAA board's) responsibility to make sure there's a level playing field around the state. So, that's why they want to go back and discuss this."

Looking at the possibility of other schools being impacted, Gee was encouraged by ASAA's decision to consider a bylaw change.

"Someone shared with me the other night that there were smaller charter schools in the Soldotna area that, if this passed, they would be interested in trying to be an athlete at SoHi or Kenai or Skyview," Gee said. "This makes sense, rather than just a waiver, to actually review the bylaws."

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky.@homernews.com .