“Transfers” in high school and college, although the same word, have completely different meanings. In high school, schools are prohibited from transferring and recruiting students with the intent of them playing on their school team. In college, however, “The college system is very much like a free agent, and students can transfer kind of at will to find the best fit for themselves athletically.” says Mr. Englund. He explained how many people get confused with understanding the difference.
Rule 27.0.0 in the WIAA (Washington Interscholastic Activities Association) rulebook states: “Recruiting of students or attempted recruiting of students for athletic purposes is prohibited, regardless of their residence.” Last year in November, this rule was violated when Roosevelt high school had students “transfer” to play football. Roosevelt faced accusations of recruiting from many schools, but it wasn’t until WIAA held an investigation where they discovered that the school had recruited at least 18 players. Roosevelt suffered the consequences. The head coach of the team, a former Seahawks player, was fined $2,500 and banned from coaching for a year. Along with him, Roosevelt was fined a total of $17,500 and was forced to forfeit the football season.
Tyran Stokes, a basketball player who currently holds the no.1 national rank for his class (2026) has recently transferred to Rainier Beach high school. He enrolled mid-November and has already begun practicing with the basketball team. At 6-foot-7, Stokes is a versatile basketball player (small forward) and essential on the court. He averaged 21 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game last season, with only more success to come. This transfer to some may seem like a recruitment, but because he withdrew from his previous school due to disciplinary issues and decided to find opportunities elsewhere, his transfer was fair and not considered a violation of rule 27.
Along with Stokes, JJ Crawford (the son of former NBA player– Jamal Crawford) is new on the Rainier Beach basketball team. Not only does Rainier Beach have these two but they also gained 3 athletes from Garfield’s ‘24-’25 team this season. Last year Rainier Beach won the 2024 3A championship, and with this lineup, it is likely the Rainier Beach Vikings will go straight to the 3A championships as competitors again.
With Garfield having a majority underclassman team and as the under-dawgs of 3A basketball this season, it’s important to not lose hope and support the comeback of this year’s team. Go bulldogs!
