Heritage Academy’s decision to bar several students from other charter schools from its football program has left parents and players angry, confused and worried about the upcoming season.

At least six players, including some seniors, were told this month they could no longer play with the team, despite already paying fees, attending summer camp and practicing with teammates for weeks. After an outcry, those students are practicing with the team again, but their future is unclear. Arizona law allows students to join another school’s athletic program if their home school doesn’t offer the sport. 

“It was a devastating hit to my son,” said parent Mike Matagrano, whose son attends A+ Charter School. The Archers do not have a football team of their own. 

“For the past couple of months, these kids have been attending practices, have gone to football camp, built friendships and have been a part of building a strong team,” Matagrano said. “This sudden change … not only disrupts the season, it has a negative effect on students’ morale.” 

Parents say they were first blindsided by a steep fee structure: a $400 participation cost for all players, plus an additional $1,000 charged only to non-Heritage students. Then came word that those athletes would be cut from the roster altogether.

“It’s like singling out certain kids,” Matagrano said. “My son poured his heart into this. He wants to play his senior year. He was really upset and a little depressed.” 

Heritage players themselves say the policy is already hurting team morale. Heritage student Page Pedersen said the team feels like “a family” and doesn’t want to lose its non-Heritage teammates.

“It’s basically like they’re trying to take away some of our brothers,” Pedersen, 17, told InMaricopa. “Two of them are seniors who gave up their summer to practice with us. Now they’re being told it’s not guaranteed they’ll even play.”

She added that the team even helped raise money to cover the $1,000 fee through a banner drive. “My coach wrote them a check, and they declined it. Then they came out with that rule that none of them could play at all,” she explained.

Parents argue the school is ignoring state law. Hillary Pedersen, Page’s mom, said she wrote to Heritage athletic director Jeff Miller citing Arizona Revised Statutes that require public schools, including charter schools funded with public money, to permit outside students to try out if their own school doesn’t field a team. 

“The response was dismissive,” said Hillary Pedersen. “They’re saying they’re not excluding kids, but also not letting them play. That doesn’t make sense. These kids have already invested time and money, and now they’re being jerked back and forth.” 

In an Aug. 12 email to parents reviewed by InMaricopa, Miller acknowledged the pause, writing that Heritage is “working through best practices with legal aid” and that only enrolled Heritage students will be allowed to participate until the policy review is complete. 

“We will work with each family of non-Heritage students … We do not have a set timeline for this as of today,” Miller wrote in the email.

Asked for further comment, Miller declined, citing the ongoing legal review of the new policy.  

Parents say the uncertainty has left their children anxious about both their senior seasons and possible college opportunities. “Keep them on the team,” Matagrano said. “If it’s just the dollars, that’s a problem we can handle behind the scenes. Don’t involve the kids.” 

Players, meanwhile, say the sudden disruption has left them questioning the school’s priorities. “The ones being hurt are the kids,” said Hillary Pedersen. “They should be having fun, bonding as a team, practicing … not worrying about this.