Alabama high school softball "outside participation rule"

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Apr 7, 2014
4
0
I know I'll take some heat for this but I think the time has come to remove sports from public schools. There may have been a time for team sports in the past, but now we live in an era when most sports are well organized outside the context of school.

After moving to an area that has poorly run public school athletics... I would agree.
 
Mar 31, 2014
144
16
yeah it sucks, some of the city schools here in Huntsville aren't really sanctioned by the AHSAA and their kids can do both but for the most part you cant. It is quite funny to talk to other travel ball parents during the season and they all say the same thing, they can't wait for the school season to be over.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
I know I'll take some heat for this but I think the time has come to remove sports from public schools. There may have been a time for team sports in the past, but now we live in an era when most sports are well organized outside the context of school.

The public sector is inherently inept at whatever they do. Public schools are not well suited to educate or run athletic programs. Maybe if the focus was solely on education they could someday do that well.
 
Dec 8, 2013
10
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My DD's middle school is sanctioned. She can have no contact with her travel team during school ball season. We play under the Ohio High School (OHSSA) rules except pitching distance is 40 feet.

Bamadad, Ohio has the additional rule that no more than 4 girls from the same school can play on the same Travelball team.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
I just don't get how some are against these types of rules. When in the world would you find time, and the energy, to do both? From mid March to mid May we play 50 games, and that's varsity alone. Non-game days, we're practicing 2-3 hours. I love ball probably more than most, but I couldn't imagine running our HS schedule and a travel at the same time.

If it is too much, don't do it. But shouldn't that be YOUR decision? Who is calling the shots regarding your DD, you or the school system? How much of your parental authority are you prepared to relinquish?
 
Dec 25, 2010
242
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If it is too much, don't do it. But shouldn't that be YOUR decision? Who is calling the shots regarding your DD, you or the school system? How much of your parental authority are you prepared to relinquish?

This

Not to mention, northern states don't play anywhere near 50 games in school ball, not even half. Especially this yr with the weather
 
Mar 31, 2014
144
16
My DD's middle school is sanctioned. She can have no contact with her travel team during school ball season. We play under the Ohio High School (OHSSA) rules except pitching distance is 40 feet.

Bamadad, Ohio has the additional rule that no more than 4 girls from the same school can play on the same Travelball team.
We have the same rule of no more than 4 girls can play on the same travel team, the wrinkle in this is they can be on the same team as long as school isn't in session.
 
Oct 19, 2009
1,827
0
bamadad
Alabama high school softball "outside participation rule"

For those of you who live outside the state of Alabama and have the freedom for your children to play travel, club, recreational, or church softball at any time you want them to then be assured that those of us that are held hostage by the Alabama High School Athletic Association are envious of your freedom. Below is the text of the actual rule taken from the AHSAA web site;

A student who is a member of any school athletic team (grades 7-12) may not participate (includes practice) on a non-school team in the same sport during the school season of that sport. A student who is a member of any high school athletic team may not participate in an outside sport activity in the same sport during the school season of that sport.

Note: Olympic Development programs are exempted from the Outside Participation
Rule. One evaluation per month has been approved by the AHSAA.

Note: Private individual instruction is not considered an outside sports activity. Private
individual instruction is one-on-one instruction between one athlete and one
instructor and cannot be instruction with another player or groups of players.

A student who violates this rule becomes ineligible to compete on that school team or in that school sports activity for the remainder of that school season. Any student who participates on an outside team after the school sport season begins is ineligible to join that school team for the remainder of that season.

A team’s season begins the day of that team’s first contest and ends when that team’s season has been completed. An ineligible student cannot participate with an outside team after the school team’s season starts and then join the school team upon becoming eligible.

I have been told that Georgia, Florida and South Carolina do not have such a rule. Is there any other state that has such a rule in place? I would like to hear from any of you with children that play high school sports in other state about what, if any, rules there are in your state restricting participation on teams other then the high school team.

I’ve searched the GHSA rules for Georgia and did not find a rule on playing outside school during the season, maybe it does not exist. I know DD wanted to play with her summer team in a exposure tournament and her coach said she could not even though her team was off that weekend, can’t say for sure.

Softball | GHSA.net

Doug Romrell
I know I'll take some heat for this but I think the time has come to remove sports from public schools. There may have been a time for team sports in the past, but now we live in an era when most sports are well organized outside the context of school.

I’ve made this argument for some time, the schools should educate and the rec-centers should take care of all the sports. You could still have school sports it would be under rec-centers and not the schools JMO.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
If it is too much, don't do it. But shouldn't that be YOUR decision? Who is calling the shots regarding your DD, you or the school system? How much of your parental authority are you prepared to relinquish?

Everyone does understand the rule is in place to protect the athlete, not punish. Many moon ago highly competitive HS coaches here would require his/her athletes to play organized ball along with HS, those schedules were pretty grueling. Since March 11th, our HS has played exactly 25 games, that's intense enough without adding in the possibility of TB. The body does need rest to rebuild and repair. Most rules are put in place because of only a few who abuse freedom.
 

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