Strict guidelines eyed for student-athletes

By Dan King

Whitehall Central School District is considering a new policy that would establish more clear and strict guidelines for middle school athletes looking to move up to the JV or varsity.

The proposed “Athletic Placement Process Policy” sets the criteria for an athlete in grade 7 or 8 who might be ready to move to a higher level.

“The new policy is based more so now on physical, academic and emotional readiness,” said athletic director Keith Redmond.

“The intent of athletic placement is to provide the athlete levels of competition appropriate to their physiological maturity, physical fitness and skills in relation to other athletes based on their levels of readiness for the desired sport,” the policy states.

However, there will be strict restrictions placed on students who want to move up.

“There used to be waivers and ways to get around the policy,” Redmond said. “With this new policy you have to score in the 85th percentile in four of the five tests on the President’s Fitness Test.”

There are academic, emotional and physical guidelines for a student to move up, including that the athletic director deems there to be a “likelihood that the student would play in at least 50 percent of the contests,” and that because of the increased athletic rigor that comes with moving up the student is performing at or above grade level, academically.

The policy says that students moving up will need to exhibit “emotional readiness to socialize with high school-aged students.” That portion of the policy left some board members confused.

Board member Amy Austin pondered: “How do you determine emotional and physical readiness?”

The physical portion in the policy says that it will be determined by the school medical provider or the individual student’s doctor. As for the emotional portion, the policy says that the administration will assess it.

“We’ll determine the emotional readiness just through knowing the kids,” Redmond said. “We’ll be determining if they are emotionally ready to be hanging out with high school-aged kids.”

After the respective coach and Redmond communicate about moving a student up and assess the criteria, six forms will be sent to the student’s parents. The forms include a parental permission form, medical evaluation approval, coach’s sport skill evaluation, physical fitness testing results, try-out evaluation and notification of qualification to all opposing schools.

Any interested student will have to place in the 85th percentile or better in four out of five portions of the President’s Physical Fitness Test, which includes the shuttle run, v-sit or sit and reach, pull ups or right angle pushups, stomach curls, 50-yard dash and the 1.5 mile run.

Some 14-year-old ninth graders will still be allowed to move down to the modified level, but Redmond said the district has avoided that and will continue to do so, except in special instances, because “they don’t belong down there.”

Last Monday was first reading of the proposed policy. A required second reading will occur during the board’s meeting on Aug. 13.