Athletics
Athletic Placement Process
New York State Education Department (NYSED) permits physically and emotionally appropriate students to try out for an athletic team that is outside of their grade placement which is called the Athletic Placement Process (APP). The number of students who are allowed to compete outside of their grade levels should be few and far between. The program is intended only for the athlete who has the physical maturity, physical fitness, and sport skills to be placed with other athletes outside of his/her grade level.
Students do not mature at the same rate, and there can be tremendous developmental differences between students of the same age. The APP is not to be used to fill positions on teams, provide additional experience, provide an opportunity for middle school or junior high students when no modified program is offered, or to reward a student. Instead, it is aimed at the few, select students who can benefit from such placement because of their level of readiness.
The Parent/Guardian or student-athlete will contact the Athletic Director (AD) about the process. The AD will notify the Varsity Coach and provide the necessary forms to the Parent/Guardian, see below:
The Following steps must be followed to proceed:
1. Parent/Guardian Permission: All students who are to be evaluated must first obtain written parent/guardian permission before any evaluation may begin.
2. Administrative Approval: The athletic administrator will confirm that the student is suitable for consideration, which includes the likelihood that the student would play in at least 50% of the games. Additionally, because of the increased time demands of participation at the high school level, the student's academic performance should be at or above grade level. Behavioral referrals will also be taken into consideration. If the student is not academically or socially ready, the student should not proceed through the APP.
3. Medical Clearance: (Must be completed BEFORE the physical fitness portion of the process) The student is assessed by the medical director to determine whether if he/she has reached a stage of physical development that will lessen the likelihood of the student being injured by participating in the level and sport desired. If a student has attained an appropriate level of physical maturity, and has a height and weight that are comparable to those of the proposed team members as determined by the medical director, the medical director approves the student to proceed to the next step in the process. If the student is not approved by the medical director to proceed the process stops.
4. Sport Skill Evaluation: The sport coach will rely on past personal observations and may consider input from the student's former coaches to complete the evaluation. If the coach is unfamiliar with the student, the sport coach may wish to observe the student in physical education class and/or perform a skills and fitness training session.
5. Physical Fitness Testing: This must be done by a certified physical education teacher who is not a coach of the sport for which the student will be trying out. The President's Physical Fitness test has been selected as the test for this process, and the student must meet the 85th percentile level for their age in 4 out of 5 test components.
EXCEPTION to the physical fitness test requirement: Students who desire to try out for bowling or golf teams are not required to complete the physical fitness testing.
6. Qualification Determination: The results of the three evaluations will be sent to the director of physical education/athletics. Only students who pass all parts of the APP are permitted to try out.
7. Try outs: The student is allowed to try out for the sport and level requested or the student must return to the modified level of competition
Without the signed “Parent Permission Form” from you this process cannot legally begin.