When it comes to kids sports, parents can get a little too invested in the teams. This will often result in some sort of over the top outrage that is just unfounded. In the case of Sidney Bouvier Gilstrap-Portley, parents have every right to be outraged because of what this high-school freshman did. The reason why this 25-year-old man posed as a high school freshman will shock you. What he did as a student with classmates on page 5 will infuriate you.
The story of Sidney Bouvier Gilstrap-Portley
Gilstrap-Portley enrolled in Skyline High School at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year. He had enrolled under the name Rashun Richardson. He was able to enroll in the school easily because he took advantage of the schools offer to displaced Hurricane Harvey victims. But he didn’t stay in that school for very long.
Gilstrap-Portley wanted to play basketball
In October 2017, Richardson transferred to Hillcrest High School. The reason he transferred was that he needed to have a physical to play basketball for Skyline. The Dallas Independent School District is the second largest in the state of Texas. When Richardson transferred over to Hillcrest, proof of his eligibility to enroll and play basketball was well developed since he had been registered at Skyline, as well as South Houston high schools where he claimed to come from.
He became the offensive player of the year
For nine months, Richardson was a superstar basketball player. He was beloved by his coaches and the lead scorer. He did so well, coaches declared him to be the No.1 offensive player of the year not realizing that he was 8 years older than he claimed to be. Hillcrest ended up going for an 11-10 basketball season.
His former coach recognized him at a tournament
The rouse was finally up when he was spotted at a tournament in April 2018. Gilstrap-Portley graduated from North Mesquite High School in 2011. His former coach saw him and immediately reported it to the coaches at Hillcrest. Gilstrap-Portley was eventually arrested for tampering with government records. But he could end up getting charged with much more serious crimes.
Gilstrap-Portley dated a 14-year-old girl
Being the star basketball player in high-school generally means you are going to have a lot of … fans. Gilstrap-Portley was no different and took advantage of that. During his time at Hillcrest, he began dating a 14-year-old student. Her own mother expressed concern about an age difference of three years, but everyone spoke the student’s praises. As it turns out, that mothers intuition was right. Only there was an 11-year age difference and not a three-year difference.
People have been lying about their age in sports for a while
Students posing younger than they are isn’t anything new. Danny Almonte posed as a 12-year-old when he was 14 to play in the Little League World Series to please his father. Guerdwich Montimere posed as a high school student to play Basketball in Florida when he was 22-years-old. The thing that makes Gilstrap-Portley’s offense so heinous is the involvement of the 14-year-old girl.
Children’s sports are a $15 billion dollar industry
Kid’s sports leagues generate a lot of money. Leagues for youth sports are now a $15 billion dollar industry. The kids who play the game also get the opportunity to make a very lucrative career out of it. For a would-be scammer, that money could entice them to try and cash-in and fake their way to glory. Sooner or later, their age will show and they get caught.
Source: The Cheat Sheet
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