Lakewood Ranch cited for rules violations by girls basketball coach Tina Hadley

Lakewood Ranch High School has been cited for conducting illegal practices with its highly successful girls basketball program, putting the school on probation for a year. It also could be fined more than $30,000.

The Florida High School Athletic Association said it received information from District Supervisor of Athletics Jason Montgomery that the practices were conducted by Lakewood Ranch head girls basketball coach Tina Hadley under the umbrella of her Next Level Hoops girls basketball travel team.

The FHSAA charges that Next Level Hoops held practices without completing required forms and warning participants their eligibility could be in danger. The organization said four student-athletes participated in the Next Level Hoops program who were not zoned for Lakewood Ranch. It said previous contact may have occurred as two student-athletes transferred to Lakewood Ranch after attending the non-school athletic activity.

The FHSAA said Next Level Hoops has participated on Lakewood Ranch’s campus without proper documentation since 2015 and that it did not inform student-athletes and their parents or legal guardians of potential eligibility issues that could result from the participation of by the student-athlete in non-school athletic activities affiliated through Hadley.

The FHSAA also said Lakewood Ranch committed a rules violation for retweeting an original tweet on FGB’s Twitter page, which states, “Can’t say enough about @Hadley_th if I had a child in Bradenton/Sarasota they couldn’t play for anyone else #gymrat #development.” It was posted on March 13 at 7:45 p.m.

Lakewood Ranch was hit with multiple fines, though much of the money would be held in abeyance until June 1, 2017, provided no other violations occur regarding FHSAA Policy 37.1

The fines include: $2,500 for improper conduct ($2,250 held in abeyance); $600 for allowing students to participate without the proper forms ($500 held in abeyance); and $30,000 for the FHSAA rules violations that require a $2,500 fine per violation times 12 ($28,500 held in abeyance). The sanctions also require Lakewood Ranch athletic director Shawn Trent and Hadley to attend the FHSAA compliance seminar.

The school was placed on administrative probation until June 1, 2017, and warned that any additional violations during that time would result in increased penalties, which could include explusion from the FHSAA.

Hadley in March was named the Class 7A girls basketball Coach of the Year by the Florida Association of Basketball coaches. The Mustangs finished No. 2 in the state after losing the title game.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch cited for rules violations by girls basketball coach Tina Hadley."