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May 16, 2006

High School Recruiting, Florida Style

For those of you who feel that private schools sometimes bend the rules in their attempt to attract the state's best student-athletes, take a look at how bad it has gotten down in Florida.

Feeling that present transfer rules had resulted in the state’s most talented athletes being turned into ``free agents,’’ the Florida High School Athletic Association adopted a new policy in January that would tie a student’s athletic eligibility to the school they initially entered as a ninth grader, Buddy Collings writes in the Orlando Sentinel.

Those who transfer to another school for a reason other than their family’s change of address -- or for any other situation not covered under the 10 exceptions that allow transfers for legitimate academic reasons -- ``would be limited to sub-varsity competition (JV or ninth-grade teams) for one calendar year unless granted varsity eligibility upon appeal.’’

However, that new policy, which was supposed to have taken effect in July, has been put on hold because of a bill sponsored by former high school football coach-turned Republican Representative Ralph Arza, who is calling for ``a 13-member task force to study the issue of athletic recruiting and present recommendations to the governor and legislature by Jan. 1, 2007,’’ Collings writes.

Cheryl Golden, athletic director for public schools in Miami-Dade County, which updated its athletic transfer rules in 1999, told the Sentinel that she hopes ``something forceful will be left intact’’ of the policy, adding that the FHSAA’s January vote (with 44 out of 52 school delegates in favor) set off a recruiting frenzy as schools attempted to lure students before they entered the ninth grade.

``I've never seen so many private school coaches watching our eighth-grade basketball championships in my life,’’ Golden said. ``It was humorous.’’

Click below to see the R.I. Interscholastic League's policy on transfers.

R.I. Interscholastic League Rules and Regulations
Article 3 ELIGIBILITY
Section 5. TRANSFER RULE

If a student transfers from one secondary school to another without a corresponding change of address, the student shall be ineligible for 50% of the total League schedule in each sport that s/he participated in at the varsity level during the previous school year. In all transfers without a corresponding change of address, a Transfer Rule Affidavit must be completed and submitted to the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League prior to the student-athlete’s participation in the sport.
"Varsity level participation" is defined as any appearance, as a competitor, in a varsity inter-school contest other than a scrimmage.

If the student transfers into a new school with less than 50% of the sport season remaining, the number of games for which s/he is ineligible will carry over to the next school year (per sport/per season) until 50% of the total League schedule requirements has been satisfied. If the total number of the League games is an odd number, it will be rounded up to the next higher number; i.e., if the League schedule is 9 games, the student is ineligible for 5 League games. Playoffs, non-league games, junior varsity games, exhibition games, and/or tournaments do not count toward the required number of league games in which the student is ineligible to participate. In addition, s/he may not participate in non-league games, junior varsity games, and/or tournaments during the period of ineligibility.

A. A student who transfers enrollment without a corresponding change of residence may be declared immediately eligible provided:
1. The student has not participated on a varsity level (see varsity level participation), has met all other eligibility requirements, and the Transfer Rule Affidavit has been completed and submitted to the RIIL Executive Director.

B. A student shall be declared immediately eligible provided:
1. There is a corresponding move into a new district by his/her parent(s) or guardian(s) and all other eligibility requirements are met. [Student-athletes who attend a parochial or private school and who move into a new public school district may also transfer to another parochial or private school or into the public school in the district of the new residence at the time of the corresponding move and be immediately eligible to participate in athletics. If the student-athlete remains enrolled in the (previous) parochial or private school after a change of residence and later decides to transfer to another parochial or private school or to the public school in the district of his/her new residence, s/he will be subject to the Transfer Rule].
2. The transfer is the direct or necessary result of a family court custody decree.
3. The transfer is a direct and necessary result of a residence by a guardian whose position is elsewhere herein recognized and the Executive Director has so confirmed in writing.
4. The transfer is a direct result of emancipation and said emancipation was recognized and approved by the Committee, pursuant to the waiver provisions of Article 1, Section 16, and both principals agree; in which case the student shall be eligible at once, provided the student's record conforms with the other eligibility requirements of the RIIL. The Committee at its discretion may extend the 50% rule and the decision in such cases shall be final. If more than one transfer occurs (in the
absence of a Family Court custody order) and results in a student establishing occupancy at a former residence, such student shall be ineligible until s/he has been living continuously for one year at said residence.
5. The transfer is to a vocational school at the student's first opportunity to begin a program.

C. If a student transfers to another school without a corresponding change of residence, s/he may return to her/his original school and may immediately become eligible provided:
1. The student returns prior to the 15th day of said date of transfer.
2. The student has not participated in any interscholastic varsity contest (see varsity level participation) as a representative of that school.
3. The Transfer Rule Affidavit has been completed and submitted to the RIIL Executive Director.

D. Unless there is a Family Court decision awarding custody to another, the residence of the mother shall be judged to be the residence of the student. The student, however, must actually reside at the mother's home. If the student neither resides at the mother's home nor in the home of the person awarded custody by the Family Court, the student shall be subject to a waiting period of 50% of the League schedule before becoming eligible for RIIL competition. Students who are wards of the state shall become immediately eligible upon being assigned by the proper state authorities to a foster home or equivalent facility.

E. An athlete who is in good standing scholastically at the time of the transfer and who is changing from a school operating on a semi-annual promotion plan to one operating an annual plan, is placed, through no fault of his/her own, in a position where the
work for the first half year is a repetition of the work that the athlete has already passed, is to be considered as a special case and the facts of the case must be presented to the Committee for a decision.

F. A student transferring because of an order from the office of the School Superintendent effecting administrative adjustment of school population shall become immediately eligible to play in the receiving school, if the student is eligible in all other
particulars.

G. A student in any school system operating more than one high school, who is transferred by the administrative office for disciplinary or attendance reasons shall be subject to the waiting period of 50% of the League schedule before becoming eligible to play for RIIL competition in the receiving school in each sport of which s/he shall have participated on a 9th grade, junior varsity, or varsity level in any secondary school not terminating with the 9th grade.

H. A student not eligible for athletics under Article 3, Section 3 cannot become eligible until nine calendar weeks have elapsed. During this time the student shall have done passing work in at least three subjects, each involving at least four periods of work per week or an aggregate of fifteen periods of work per week. In all cases, students must be passing 60% of their program.

I. Probate Court guardianship, while either parent is living within the State of Rhode Island, is not recognized for eligibility purposes unless such guardianship was petitioned by a state agency for the welfare of the student. Guardianship is recognized for eligibility purposes when both parents are deceased, or when both parents are physically absent from the State of Rhode Island, or when both parents or the surviving parent has been decreed incompetent or unfit by court order, or when a specific waiver has been obtained pursuant to Article 1, Section 16. No student under guardianship is eligible without a written eligibility finding confirming compliance with the above and issued by the Executive Director. The use of a student-athlete under guardianship before such written confirmation shall constitute the use of an ineligible player. Such eligibility finding will be given after the student under Probate Court guardianship has been subject to the waiting period of 50% of the League schedule in each sport of which s/he participated on a varsity level in any secondary school not terminating with the 9th grade.

J. If the athlete severs connection with any school for a period of two weeks or more, the athlete cannot become eligible for varsity athletics until the athlete has completed the waiting period of 50% of the League schedule in each sport of which s/he participated on a 9th grade, junior varsity or varsity level from the date of the athlete’s return to school and then only if the other eligibility requirements are met. This section shall not be interpreted to apply to students absent from school because of illness.

K. No school shall allow the participation of any student who is ineligible in any regard. This participation applies to junior varsity and so-called “B” games and school-sponsored club teams just as strictly as it applies to varsity contests, both league and nonleague.
During the time a student-athlete is ineligible because of the Transfer Rule, s/he is permitted to practice with the team.

Penalty for an Eligibility Violation: Loss of eligibility in the sport involved for a number of RIIL games equal to the number of games in which the athlete ineligible participated. Such loss of eligibility shall commence with the date of the last infraction and, if necessary, shall extend into the RIIL games of the same sport for the following year.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton at 11:19 AM | Comment