With Jan. 16 marking the end of the first semester of the 2018-2019 school year, coaches and athletic directors at area middle and high schools will be checking the academic and attendance records of their students to determine whether students retain, lose or gain eligibility for athletic participation during the next academic semester.
Being the athletic director at Ellerbe Middle School, I am no different. When looking at the eligibility requirements for middle school students, I thought it may be pertinent to share these with the public so that everyone is aware of what constitutes a student who is eligible for athletics.
First, this will discuss middle school athletics. One looking for information on high school athletic eligibility should look on the North Carolina High School Athletic Association website. Middle school athletics is governed by the state Department of Public Instruction, with much less literature and guidance than the high schools.
It is assumed, however, that anything not specifically covered by the DPI manual is governed by either local school board policy, affiliate conference guidelines or the NCHSAA.
The middle school manual does cover athletic eligibility specifically. There are four areas that are monitored which could affect athletic eligibility: age, grades, attendance and legal issues.
Age
According to the DPI manual, “A student shall not participate on a sixth, seventh or eighth grade team if the student becomes 15 years of age on or before Aug. 31 of that school year.”
This is checked at the start of the school year, before the fall semester. Notice that the rule covers the entire year. If the student becomes 15 before Aug. 31, they are ineligible to participate in any athletics at the very start of the year as well, such as early year golf matches or football scrimmages.
Grades
In area middle schools, students have to pass three of their four core subject areas (math, English language arts, science, and social studies). This could affect eligibility at the start of either the fall or spring semesters. The manual states, “In grades six, seven and eight, the student must pass at least one less course than the number of required core courses each semester and meet promotion standards established by the LEA/Charter School.”
All students entering the sixth grade are eligible for their first semester in middle school. Most often this comes into play between the fall and spring semesters. It should be noted that eligibility is gained, lost or regained at the start of a semester only, and never during the semester.
Attendance
On this requirement, the manual states, “A player must have attended school at least 85 percent of the previous semester.”
I’m no math major, but 15 percent of 90 days is 13.5. If a student misses more than 13 days in the previous semester, they are ineligible for athletics the following one. The manual does not distinguish between excused, unexcused or disciplinary absences.
Hardship cases are included, but little detail is given about what is or isn’t a hardship. That appeal would begin with the athletic director and principal, and a decision would be made by the school system administration or possibly the school board.
Legal Issues
DPI instructs that, “Any student who is subject to the middle school six-semester rule who:
1. is convicted of a crime classified as a felony under North Carolina or federal law; or
2. is adjudicated delinquent for an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult, is not eligible to participate in the North Carolina Middle School Athletic sports program.
3. Such ineligibility shall be immediate and shall prohibit participation in the NC Middle School sports program from the date of conviction or adjudication of delinquency through the end of the student’s middle school career.”
The areas the middle schools deal with most at this time of year, based on my experience, is academic and attendance. If your child is a middle school athlete, their records are being checked at the present time to assure that those participating in the remainder of the winter season and spring seasons are indeed eligible.
There are other things that could affect eligibility, such as residence, custodial and transfer issues. These issues can be very simple or relatively complex. The DPI middle school manual covers a small amount of information on these issues, and each case is looked at on an individual basis.
There it is — what makes a middle school student eligible or ineligible for athletics. Age, grades, attendance and legal issues.
Allen Adeimy
Ellerbe Middle School athletic director and head baseball coach
