Stories & Commentaries

Oakwood Adventist Academy - "Bigger Than Basketball" Part 2

Oakwood Adventist Academy boys basketball team, after having to forfeit the 2022 semi-final game scheduled on Sabbath, heads back to the tournament in 2023 and plays in the final.

November 3, 2023 | Columbia, Md. | North American Division Office of Communication

The Oakwood Adventist Academy Mustangs boys varsity basketball team, after being denied a Sabbath accommodation in the finals for the 2021-2022 state championships, forfeited their semi-final game.

On Sept. 27, 2022, the Oakwood Adventist Academy’s case against the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSSA) was resolved with a promise by AHSAA that moving forward it would reschedule all games that conflict with the Sabbath. OAA brought the suit against AHSSA this past spring after OAA was unable to play in the AHSAA state tournament for basketball this past February when accommodation for Sabbath was denied.

Fast forward to the 2022-2023 season and the team is back in the tournament and able to play. Watch what happens at the March 2023 finals when they do make it to the final game; and what lessons the team learned. And for more information, including the story of the support and legal help that provided religious accommodation for OAA (any team in the future), check out this story.

Click here to read more the first reports of the story; and watch their story from 2022.

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