Story
Atlantic's Brisly Estime can play full season for Eagles
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
by
Jeff Greer
Brisly Estime anticipated a short 2012 football season, but his appeal to the state's athletic association changed all that.
Estime, an Atlantic senior with several Division I scholarship offers, will reach the state's age limit for high school student-athletes (19 years, 9 months) after two weeks of games this fall. Under the Florida High School Athletic Association's bylaws, he'd have to sit out the remainder of the season.
At an FHSAA hearing in Miami on Wednesday, Estime, explaining that an early childhood move held him back academically, appealed for full fall eligibility. The Haitian-born defensive back and a source close to Atlantic High football both said Estime won his appeal, though the FHSAA did not respond to inquiries for confirmation Wednesday afternoon.
Estime tweeted about the FHSAA's ruling Wednesday, saying "God is great" before announcing he got "the green light" to play the full season.
Estime's full eligibility is a huge boost for Atlantic, a team that competes in one of the state's toughest districts. He was the star of the Eagles' 14-0 spring-game victory against Glades Central, and he's expected to star in Atlantic's defensive secondary and on the special-teams unit.
Not only is it a major break for Atlantic, Estime now won't have to worry that limited exposure this fall could hurt his chances of signing a Division I scholarship in February. Among the schools that have made offers to Estime are Purdue, Florida Atlantic and Florida International.
Estime, whose family moved to Delray Beach from Haiti in the late 1990s, enrolled in public elementary school and was immediately behind, slowed by the Creole-English language barrier. Once he reached high school, Estime's mentor, Atlantic High teacher Whitney Clodfelter, discovered he wasn't on course to graduate on time in 2012.
Clodfelter enrolled him in Florida Virtual School in an attempt to speed up his credit intake and help him graduate in 2012, which would have made him eligible to play college football this fall. That plan, which included hours of summer and after-school classes during the past two years, chipped away at his credit gap, but not enough, prompting Estime's plea to the FHSAA.
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User Comments:
PIP-Squeak commented on August 9, 2012 at 7:34 a.m.: report abuse
Congrats again bro now go and fullfill the expectations which is expected of you.
@ pip squeak commented on August 9, 2012 at 7:56 a.m.: report abuse
Hey pip just like the other guy posted he is a grown man playing with kids 19yrs old playing with 15,16,17 year old kids. He gets no points from me sorry.
@ pip squeak commented on August 9, 2012 at 7:57 a.m.: report abuse
Hey pip just like the other guy posted he is a grown man playing with kids 19yrs old playing with 15,16,17 year old kids. He gets no points from me sorry.
Coach D commented on August 9, 2012 at 8:51 a.m.: report abuse
He is the real deal. 4.4 Speed is his asset. My advice to opponents do not kick the ball to him or you are going to pay a touchdown.
Virginia Tech or Georgia is going to get that cat.
Education or Athletics, Men vs Boys commented on August 9, 2012 at 9:07 a.m.: report abuse
I think this ruling if true is apalling. This athlete is the age of a college sophmore. This is not due to a medical issue like Eddie "Coach Toe" Giersbrook" where he was DENIED by the FHSAA after missing a year of school after a terrible boating accident! Being given a right to a H.S. education I certainly agree with. To compete in athletics "NOT". There is a right to an education, there is NO right to compete in H.S. sports. 19 years 9 mo. is 2 years serving in the military! Say what you want, a definite unfair advantage....and playing against 15 and 16 year old players.
@fhsaa commented on August 9, 2012 at 9:27 a.m.: report abuse
Simple, you got it wrong!
mom agrees too old commented on August 9, 2012 at 11:56 a.m.: report abuse
I may have to agree about him being too old, I have a son in college who just turned 20, I do not believe that is fair to the other kids, or kids in the past who could not play because they reached that age. I know it would be beneficial for him to finish playing the season so he could get a chance at a good college which is the goal for all of the kids, but he is just too old. Its not our fault he was held behind .I feel bad he was put in bad situation when he came over here, but thats life.but now that the FHSAA has made the decision, I wish him well at what ever college he goes to. Good Luck.
@fhsaa commented on August 9, 2012 at 12:54 p.m.: report abuse
The foreseeable consequences are coming. After all administrative procedures have been exhausted, a cause of action will be filed in court by any player with standing. You had a bright line rule, and you ignored it for a common occurrence, bad grades.
The voice of ATL commented on August 9, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.: report abuse
God works in may ways, yes in the past other people didn't have the opportunity that Brisley did. Clearly there was a way for players to get the type of help that Brisley got, they just didn't have the right people.
Brisley Estime is going to make it out the hood!!!
fhsaa really commented on August 10, 2012 at 4:39 a.m.: report abuse
This is crazy if this kid will be 19-9months two weeks into the season which is in Sept if atl goes deep into the playoffs which is in November Plus Allstar games included this kid will be well over 20 years of age do the math people, he too old, itbisnt even football season yet he had offers last year his junior year could have already signed if he wanted to like all other 19-9month kids that are too old to play their senior year he is not the first kid that the RULE APPLIED TOO,but they are UNABLE TO PLAY...PERIOD, this is about ATLANTIC trying to play deep into the playoffs and no one is hollering PERSONAL FOUL, TEN YARDS on this play because the school involved in this is not Dywer,AH,or GC,..power house schools...so all kids that are 19-9 appeal your case....WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER...IJS
@ Matt or Jeff commented on August 10, 2012 at 11:33 a.m.: report abuse
As reporters, are you investigating who filed the appeal? Did the school, or staff, have a hand in it. Have you asked the FHSAA how many like appeals have been filed, and granted. This is an adult you should let the sunshine in. RSVP.
BE REAL commented on August 10, 2012 at 11:48 a.m.: report abuse
I'm not going to lie but, if i was a coach and i had a player pass the age limit i would of filed in appeal to because i wouldn't really care what anyone would've said because in high school winning states is like when the Superbowl. Every team knows if they had a player like him they would be jumping off the walls if they knew he was playing the whole season. You got to understand he doesn't care what you right about him, and the other big teams like American heritage, Glade central, and Dwyer care about him because they know its a team effort and they know that they can beat Atlantic, to most players their not scared seeing on the field because most of them already have the hearts and strength of grown men. # One player is nothing if he doesn't have a team that's willing to fight with him
Doesn't matter commented on August 10, 2012 at 11:57 a.m.: report abuse
Doesn't matter Greg Bryant said he go rush for 300 vs. Atlantic
@fhsaa really commented on August 10, 2012 at 2:11 p.m.: report abuse
He could not have signed last year. He was only a junior. He isn't being given an extra season, this is his 4th year of high school. And Brisly isn't going to be the deciding factor in the playoffs. He's a big contributor but he isn't THAT great. This was done to help him. Period.
fhsaa really commented on August 10, 2012 at 2:32 p.m.: report abuse
So just because he will still be 20yrs old this year and still in highschool....we should break the RULES....well I'm all for it....ALL HIGHSCHOOL ATHLETES IN PALM BEACH COUNTY DON'T WORRY ABOUT BEING OLDER THAN 19-9MONTHS YOU ARE STILL ELIGIBLE TO PLAY YOUR SENIOR YEAR....not matter how you all want to slice it doesn't make it right...ONLY IF IT PERTAINS TO YOUR KIDS AND YOUR SCHOOL....I GUESS RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN....STOP TRYING TO MAKE KIDS WHO DO WHAT THEY SUPPOSE TO DO SEE THE BENEFIT IN A AWFUL SITUATION........WRONG IS WRONG AND CAN NEVER BE RIGHT....HE WILL BE A GROWN MAN PLAYING WITH KIDS....NO EXCUSES...WE ALL HAVE THEM TOO
Aya commented on August 22, 2012 at 2:38 a.m.: report abuse
I too have information that one plaeyr has been told he is cleared and one of the remaining transfers was dismissed for violating team rules . A poster on FLAVarsity claimed two months ago that a 70 page report had been submitted and a ruling would be coming down in the next few days declaring three of the five ineligible. Those same people at BCP are also claiming Lakeland will have to forfeit last season's wins because of 8 ineligible plaeyrs. I find it very hard to believe Castle would let himself get put in that position. That entire administration is almost extreme about verifying plaeyr's eligibility before they are aloud to play one snap so it seems unlikely that Lakeland all of a sudden failed to do their due diligence.One of the people commenting on the BCP message board actually spoke with a plaeyr from Jenkins and tried to convince him to transfer to a certain Hillsborough County school prior to his move to Lakeland. That comes directly from the plaeyr in question and a parent. There are way too many people with a burning desire to see Lakeland's reputation damaged. As usual, that type of mentality typically stems from insecurity and inadequacy. According to all of the message boards over the past few years Lakeland is responsible for basically every major world catastrophe and is recruiting plaeyrs from preschool to the NFL. My money is on almost no ruling until the season is over. The kids have to live at the new address for the entire school year anyway so why rule until then? In the mean time, Lakeland is still Lakeland and everyone else just isn't.
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