Why (in some states) can home-schoolers not play high school sports?

Question

Does anyone know why in some states home-schooled high schoolers can not play baseball, softball etc.?

Answer 1

There are many reasons why this doesn't happen. In about 16 states, homeschool students are allowed to participate in publicschool extracurricular activities, but these states regulate homeschooling very closely. A couple more states allow their participation through part time attendance, but most highschool athletic associations frown on this and may remove a district from their league for allowing this. School districts also complain of this option stating it is just too hard to keep track of all the part time students for funding purposes.
This issue has made it to the Supreme Court, and the court upholds that the school districts have the right to set their own eligibility requirements for EC activities, and full time enrollment is not an outrageous request (haha, my wording not theirs!)
The school districts maintain that EC activities are a privelege and not a right, so they are not trampeling anyone's rights by denying access to Homeschool students, and the courts uphold that as well.
It's a tough situation. One the one hand, parents would like for their homeschooled children to have the exact same opportunities, and would like for those opportunites to be as effortless as they are in the public schools.
On the other hand, most homeschool families do not want the government interference in their lives as would come if they were given those opportunities.
Some states have had laws written up to allow homeschool students access to public school programs, only to have them thrown out because the cost in terms of parental freedom was too high.
But this is not a case of "oh, the poor homeschool students will never have the same opportunities as publicschool students, shame on those mean parents."
Not hardly. More and more homeschool families are coming together and forming homeschool sports leagues, bands, choirs, orchestras, you name it.
Every passing year brings more opportunities for homeschool students. I know we will see the time when the two sides are equal in opportunity.
It will happen.
Haha, probably more than you wanted! short answer is neither side wants the other involved in their business.

Answer 2

I would guess that in states where homeschoolers are looked upon as private schools that it just doesn't make technical sense--are you going to allow kids from private schools to go to public schools to participate in sports? Or somebody from one private school going to a different private school for sports? This might be what some places allow, but it definitely complicates things. It also affects team spirit in the sense that it's supposed to be representative of the school--when you've got members on the team who are not from the school, then...

I don't know how it works here, but I just don't see the point of approaching the schools for the most part. The community leagues for sports are so well developed, why have the hassle of dealing with a school?

Answer 3

The answer is about power. Homeschoolers pay property taxes and much of that goes to the schools, so why not allow them to participate in school sports which they help finance? Because the school districts say so. Kind of like, "it's my ball and you can't play". There is no good reason for it. They resent people who don't buy into their form of education, so they take their money and refuse to let them play. Sad, isn't it?

Answer 4

Money. Some, if not most of the money that is spent on sports comes from your local school corporation. True, parents shell out a great deal of money for their child to participate, but a big part of that is subsidized by the school. Your child is not subsidized...the school would have to pick up the bill for your child who does not pay fees to the local public school. One interesting note on that. YOU are a tax payer, and as such, you did pay for the public schools with your property tax dollars....a point you may try on your local school officials.

Answer 5

It's all about the money.
There is money in sports, and scholarships in sports. Yes, there are even professional scouts on the lookout for talent. The high school athletic associations fear homeschoolers because they think they will have unlimited time to "train" and that it would be an unfair advantage....leading to less money for them. Therefore, they lobby hard and effectively to keep us out.

They couch it in terms of "oh, the parents of homeschooled athletes will not educate them at all and allow them to only train and that is bad for their education" like they actually CARE about education, LOL.

Bottom line, it is pure discrimination, for the cash. Sound familiar?

Answer 6

There are different laws concerning this. Even in many places where homeschooled kids are allowed to participate, the local school will still not allow them to do so, even though they are in violation of the law.

Answer 7

Because you are NOT financing the school.

The school gets FEDERAL FUNDING (especially for sports and PE) from DAILY ATTENDENCE, which is why they take it.

They have to show Uncle Sam how many were in school that day to get as much funding as possible.

YOU homeschools are denying them ONE body worth of funding.

It also might volate intercollegiate or intermural programs. In other words they'd consider your kid a RINGER because they don't actually go to that school.

Answer 8

Because they're not enrolled in a state regulated public or private school and home schooled children can't take part in any sports unless they are enrolled and attending public or private school to be eligible for state and national competitions.

Answer 9

We made our homeschool high school soccer team are now ohio acsi state champions and naca national champions.

Answer 10

because they are not actually going to school so one is to assume how they are not part of "school" sports. bettyk