Athletic Eligibility & PIAA Forms

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Eligibility

For the purpose of this paper, eligibility is defined as being qualified to participate. Eligibility standards apply to Kennett High School students in grades nine through twelve who participate on athletic teams including cheer-leading squads and club sports.

Academic Eligibility

The Kennett Consolidated School District places emphasis on its sports program. Even with this emphasis, it is understood that a student’s primary responsibility is to the academic program. It is with this understanding that certain academic eligibility standards have been set higher than the minimum P.I.A.A. (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) standards.

Weekly Academic Eligibility

The Athletic Director will monitor the eligibility weekly.
If a student receives 2 or more failures for the week (i.e., at the close of each Friday), he/she will be ineligible for the following week (the period of ineligibility is from Monday to Sunday). If, by the following Monday, a student is no longer failing 2 or more courses, he/she becomes eligible at once.
The principal may exclude an athlete from participation for the remainder of the season if he/she becomes ineligible on 2 or more separate occasions.

Marking Period Academic Eligibility

Any student who receives 2 or more failing marks at the end of a marking period will be ineligible for a period of 15 school days.
The period of ineligibility begins the day report cards are distributed and ends 15 school days later. If, by this time, a student is not failing, he/she becomes eligible at once (determined by the weekly checks).

Beginning of School Year Academic Eligibility

Any student who receives 2 or more failing marks at the end of the school year (i.e., final grade for a course and not the 4th marking period grade) will be ineligible for a period of 15 school days.
The period of ineligibility begins on the first day of school and ends 15 school days later. If, by this time, the student is not failing, he/she becomes eligible at once.

General Academic Eligibility Information

Ineligibility, as defined by the Kennett Consolidated School District, means not being allowed to participate in practices or games.
A student is not permitted to drop a subject to become eligible.
The eligibility requirements apply to all subjects.

P.I.A.A. Minimum Eligibility Academic Standards

In addition to the academic standards previously mentioned, Kennett High School adheres to the minimum P.I.A.A. standards listed below:

To be eligible for interscholastic athletic competition, a pupil must pursue a curriculum defined and approved by the principal as a full-time curriculum. Where required, this curriculum or its equivalent must be approved by, and conform to, the regulations of the State Board of Education and the Pennsylvania School Code, as well as any local policies established by the local school board. The pupil must maintain an acceptable grade in such approved curriculum, as certified by the principal. Eligibility shall be cumulative from the beginning of the grading period, and shall be reported on a weekly basis. Make up work may be provided in accordance with the regular rules of the school.
In cases where a student’s work in any preceding grading period does not meet the standards provided for in this article, said student shall be ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics for the first fifteen school days of the next grading period.

Attendance

A student must be regularly enrolled in Kennett High School and have full-time attendance.
Any member of an athletic/club team not in school by 11:00 a.m. is not eligible to participate in a scheduled contest (practice/game) on that day without special permission of the principal. This rule is waived only for college/university visits, school field trips, doctor/dentist appointments, and funerals.
Any student on Out of School Suspension or Saturday School will not be permitted to participate in any contest or practice during the suspension period (i.e., the day(s) that the student is actually serving the OSS or SS). The student can resume participating once he/she has been readmitted to school.
If a student serves an Out of School Suspension on the last day of school before a weekend (Friday), holiday break, in-service, etc., the student will not be permitted to participate in any contest or practice until he/she has been readmitted to school. For example, a student would not be allowed to participate in any scheduled contest or practice during Christmas break if the student served an Out of School Suspension on the last day of school before the break began. Another example is: a student would not be able to participate in a practice or contest on Saturday if the student served an Out of School Suspension on Friday.
If a student receives a Saturday School, the student cannot participate in a practice or contest on the Saturday that the student is assigned and/or serving the Saturday School. If a student is assigned to Saturday School on a Saturday and the student does not actually serve the SS and is reassigned another SS, the student still cannot participate in a practice or contest on the original date the SS was assigned. Furthermore, the student cannot participate in a practice or contest on the date when the SS is made-up (reassigned).
If a student receives more than 3 (i.e., begins on the 4th occurrence) Out of School Suspensions, or Saturday Schools, or any combination of Out of School Suspensions and Saturday Schools (e.g., 3 S.S. & 1 O.S.S.) during the time the student is participating on a team (i.e., during the season), the student will be dismissed from the team.
Any student in attendance more than eight semesters beyond 8th grade shall not be eligible. In other words, a student is allowed a maximum of 8 semesters to participate in high school athletics.
A student who has been absent from school during a semester for a period of 20 or more school days, shall not be eligible to participate in any athletic contest until he/she has been in attendance for a total of sixty school days following his twentieth day of absence. An exception can occur when there is an excused absence due to a death in the immediate family or near relative, court subpoena, quarantine, or religious activity/function, or an excused absence of 5 or more school days due to a confining illness or injury. The P.I.A.A. district committee may waive this rule if any of the described absence(s) occurs.

Maximum Age

A student must be less than 19 years of age prior to July 1 to be eligible. If a student attained the age of 19 on or after July 1, the student shall be eligible for the entire school year.

Amateur Status

A pupil must be an amateur in the sport involved in order to be eligible to participate in any P.I.A.A. sponsored interscholastic athletic contest. An athlete loses amateur status for purposes of participation in any P.I.A.A. sponsored interscholastic sport whenever:

The student competes in an athletic contest in which he/she, the school or organization which he/she represents, or his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) receives compensation, other consideration, or an award not permitted according to P.I.A.A. for his/her athletic ability, performance, participation, or services.
He/she participates on a professional team or as an individual professional.
He/she receives consideration or compensation for becoming a member of an athletic organization or school.
He/she signs a contract whereby he/she agrees to compete in any athletic competition for considerations or compensations.
He/she sells or pawns their athletic achievement awards.
He/she competes under a false name.
He/she accepts compensation or considerations for teaching, training or coaching in a sport.

Hazing

Hazing in any form is not condoned in any way by KHS and is prohibited at all times from occurring in any and/or all forms/ways by KHS. Hazing is considered as grounds for dismissal from the team.
Hazing is defined as any activity that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental health, physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or membership in or affiliation with any athletic teams at Kennett High School including cheerleading squads and club sports.
Endanger the physical health shall include, but not be limited to any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping; beating; branding; forced calisthenics; exposure to the elements; forced consumption of any food, alcoholic beverage, drug, or controlled substance; or other forced physical activity that could adversely affect the physical health or safety of the individual.
Endanger the mental health shall include any activity that would subject an individual to extreme mental stress, such as prolonged sleep deprivation, forced prolonged exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual.
Any hazing activity, whether by an individual or a group, shall be presumed to be a forced activity, even if a student willingly participates.

Tobacco, Alcohol & Drug Use

The use and possession of tobacco products, illegal controlled substances and performance enhancers shall be prohibited at all times. “Possession” shall include “constructive possession” (such as could arise from attendance at a party where minors were consuming alcohol). A student’s violation of this prohibition may result in suspension or dismissal from a team.
Pending investigation of a charge of a violation of this policy, the accused athlete will be allowed to participate on a team. If the District determines that a violation has occurred, the student shall be suspended or dismissed from the team.

PRE-PARTICIPATION/TEAM REQUIREMENTS

Physical Requirements

In order for a student to participate in a sport, he/she must have received, prior to the first day of practice/tryouts, a medical physical performed by a licensed physician, a certified registered nurse practitioner, or a certified physician assistant.
The medical physical must be performed on or after June 1.
Only 1 medical physical is required for the entire school year. However, if an athlete became injured during the year to the extent that he/she needed to seek or was referred for medical care to a medical provider (i.e., doctor), then a new physical or a note from the doctor clearing the athlete is needed to resume participating in any sport again.

Parental/Guardian Consent Forms

All students and parents/guardians must present a signed parent/guardian & student certification/waiver permission slip before participating.

Try-out Requirements

A student must participate in at least five (5) practices before they are eligible to participate in a scrimmage or game. A student whose previous sport season is extended may participate in a scrimmage or game prior to practicing five times.
A candidate for a team must receive at least a three (3) day tryout/practice period before being dropped/cut from the team.

Other

A student having met all the requirements mentioned above and therefore making a team, may be suspended for participation on the school team or dismissed from a team by the principal, athletic director and/or coach, for unbecoming conduct as an athlete, breaking training rules and/or team rules set by the coach, or lack of cooperation on the field/court and/or in the classroom (breaking school rules/KHS Code of Conduct). All suspensions are subject to review by the principal.
Seniors are not permitted to participate at the junior varsity level. If a senior does not make the varsity team, he/she will be dropped/cut from the team.

Transportation

All team members must ride the team bus to and from interscholastic athletic events unless the principal or the athletic director has granted a special travel request.
Written or email requests should be submitted to the athletic director prior to the scheduled contest.
The request should have the reason(s) for the exception, who will be driving the student, the event name and date of the event, parent/guardian signature and a phone number of the parent/guardian.

Equipment

Any student who has not returned equipment at the close of the season will be required to pay for its replacement.
A student may not be issued equipment or uniforms for another sport until all responsibilities from the previous season have been met.
A student’s letter/award may be held until all responsibilities have been met (equipment returned/payment).
A student’s report card may be held until all responsibilities have been met (equipment returned/payment).

Letters / Awards

Each team will have their own award ceremonies at the conclusion of their season. At these ceremonies (which will vary by team as decided upon by the individual coach), the athletes will receive their letters, sport pins, certificates, all-star recognition and any other awards the coach may give out.
At the end of the school year (end May/beginning of June), there will be an all-sports banquet. The banquet is a senior banquet where all senior letter-winners will be invited/honored (as well as their parents), along with all championship teams/individuals from throughout the past school year.
A varsity letter, sport pin, and certificate will be given to a student for the first year of participating at the varsity level of asport played by the student.
A service bar and certificate will be given to a student each subsequent varsity year in that sport.
A junior varsity letter and certificate will be given to a student for the first year of participating at the junior varsity level of a sport played by the student.
A certificate will be given to a student each subsequent junior varsity year in that sport.
Students will receive only one letter (1 JV and/or 1 Varsity) during their career at Kennett High School, regardless of the number of sports they participate in. The sport pins will distinguish the type of sport(s) they participated in and the bars will determine the number of years they have participated in each sport.
Special, year-end awards will be given at the all-sports banquet.
Any student who fails to complete the full season in a particular sport (quit, grades, etc.), including playoffs, will not receive any award or form of recognition. The student will not be permitted to attend any award ceremony that involves that particular sport.

Collegiate Athletics

All students interested in participating in intercollegiate athletics at a Division I or II college/university must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse during their senior year in high school. Forms and instructions may be obtained in the guidance office.
Any questions regarding athletics at a college/university should be addressed to your coach, athletic director or guidance counselor.

PARENT/GUARDIAN & STUDENT AGREEMENT

Based upon the recommendations of the Athletic Director and the Principal of Kennett High School, the Kennett Consolidated School District has approved the foregoing Athletic Eligibility Standards & General Information. The standards set by the District are in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (P.I.A.A.). In many instances, the District’s requirements are more stringent than the P.I.A.A. regulations, owing to the District’s long tradition of strong academic and athletic standards.

As a student and parent or guardian in the Kennett Consolidated School District, we hereby acknowledge that we have read the District’s Athletic Eligibility Standards & General Information and understand that a student’s participation on District athletic teams is conditioned upon adherence to such standards. We agree to comply with the District’s requirements and also understand that each coach or team, with the approval of the Administration, may establish additional written standards.