Homeschoolers and Public School Sports Teams

Q: Is it true that my homeschooled son can't play for the local public high school football team? The school says there's nothing they can do about it. Is this correct?

A: Yes, it's true. Homeschoolers in Virginia are not allowed to play on public high school interscholastic sports teams. Here's why:

Public high school interscholastic sports are regulated by the Virginia High School League (VHSL). The VHSL writes athletic eligibility rules and guidelines that all public high schools in the state must follow. Schools which fail to follow these rules lose their ability to compete against other schools.

The VHSL eligibility guidelines say that in order to compete on an interscholastic team, students must "take five, pass five". In other words, students must be currently enrolled in five classes in the current semester, and have successfully passed five classes the previous semester. This effectively eliminates homeschoolers from participating in high school interscholastic sports, as well as other VHSL-regulated interscholastic activities.

The VHSL eligibility regulations are intended to create a level playing field and prevent schools from recruiting top athletes from schools outside their residential boundaries. The regulations also prevent athletes from transferring from one school to another after flunking out of the first school. Unfortunately, these regulations also penalize homeschoolers who would like to play sports for their local school.

Q: Does this apply to all sports teams, or just certain ones?

A: The VHSL regulations only apply to high school interscholastic activities, where the team from one school competes against a team from another school. This includes interscholastic school sports, plus some additional non-athletic interscholastic activities like debate and the state creative writing contest. Click here for complete list of VHSL-regulated activities.

Local school districts may make their own policies about intrascholastic sports (like a recreational wrestling club where the participants only wrestle against each other), middle school interscholastic sports, and elementary school sports teams. Local policy varies greatly across the state; most school divisions in Virginia continue to restrict or ban homeschool access to extracurricular activities in general.

Q: Which homeschooling families are most affected by the VHSL regulations?

A: Homeschoolers who live in rural or less-populated parts of the state find the VHSL regulations especially problematic. Often the local public schools are the only place in these communities which offers an opportunity for teen athletes.

Q: What is The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers doing about this problem?

A: The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers supports homeschool access to public school programs and services, and has worked to increase access at the state and local level. We have lobbied on behalf of sports access legislation, and have helped to craft legislation and regulations to address this issue. In both 1997 and 2007, we collaborated with VHSL and other agencies and organizations to draft new eligibility guidelines which would have permitted homeschoolers to play sports on public school teams. Unfortunately, these proposed guidelines were not accepted by the VHSL Executive Committee.

VaHomeschoolers has also dialogued recently with representatives from the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) about the possibility of revamping their eligibility guidelines to accommodate homeschooled athletes.

Q: So, what about my son? He really wants to play football.

A: Virginia homeschooling families with aspiring teen athletes have many options, including:

Exploring alternative recreational or competitive opportunities in their community
Establishing a homeschool sports team at the appropriate level in their community
Contacting local private schools to see if they allow homeschoolers on their teams
Enrolling in local AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) sports teams
Enrolling full time in public school and trying out for the school team

The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers can help you sort through your options and decide on the best course of action for your family.

Q: Is there anything I can do about this state of affairs?

A: Yes. Here are some different possible courses of actions for you:

Join and support The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers. Your member dues and tax deductible contributions support our advocacy efforts and help us represent you more effectively at the state and local level.
Contact the VHSL directly. Express your concerns about the eligibility guidelines and how they affect your family.
Work with your local school board or school employees to improve public school access policies for homeschoolers in your community.
Talk with your local state delegate or senator about this issue and how it affects your family.

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