5280.1-R-Interscholastic Athletics-Athletic Placement Process (APP) Regulation

The Guilderland Central School District does allow students, in some circumstances, to compete under the Athletic Placement Process. Physical education teachers, coaches, students, or parents/guardians may ask the Director of Health, Physical Education & Athletics to evaluate a student, using the APP. Students will not be processed through the evaluation procedures without a request from the Director of Health, Physical Education & Athletics and parent/guardian written permission. It is not the intent to evaluate all modified students, and evaluation should be considered only for those students with the appropriate physical and emotional readiness, and whose athletic abilities are outside of those of their age-related peers.

Working in this capacity, the Director of Health, Physical Education & Athletics is required to implement the following procedural steps:

Step 1 District Policy: Confirm that the school district has approved a resolution to allow students to participate in the APP (and/or revise the language in existing “Selection/ Classification” policies to include the new process). If no such resolution exists, proper steps should be taken to ensure that this first requirement is met.

Step 2 Parent/Guardian Permission: All students who are to be evaluated must first obtain written parent/guardian permission before any evaluation may begin.

Step 3 Administrative Approval: The athletic administrator should 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 (as determined at the local level) should be at or above grade level. Furthermore, administration should assess the student’s emotional readiness to socialize with high school-aged students. If the student is not academically or socially ready, the student should not proceed through the APP.

Step 4 Medical Clearance: (Must be completed BEFORE the physical fitness portion of the process) The district medical director will determine a student’s physical maturity level, and compare the physical size of the student in relation to that of the students against whom the student wishes to compete. If the student is determined to have attained the appropriate physical maturity level and comparable physical size for the desired sport and level the student may proceed with step 5. If the medical director determines that the student has not attained an appropriate physical maturity level for the desired sport and level, the process stops.

Step 5 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 a physical education class.

Step 6 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 (see Appendix E, I, and J). For students trying out for swimming, see Appendix J for an alternate fitness test to the 1 mile walk/run- students trying out for swimming may choose to either do the 1 mile walk/ run or the 500 yard swim. (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).

Step 7 Qualification Determination: The results of the three evaluations will be sent to the Director of Health, Physical Education & Athletics. Only students who pass all parts of the APP are permitted to try out.

Step 8 Tryouts: The student is allowed to try out for the sport and level requested or the student must return to the modified level of competition. For students trying out for bowling or golf, there is a separate set of instructions.

Step 9 Records: The Director of Health, Physical Education & Athletics must maintain all records of students who have successfully completed the APP. Items to be kept in the student’s file are: Parent/Guardian Permission and Result letters; Maturity Evaluation and Medical Director Form; Physical Fitness results; Coach’s Sport Skill Evaluation.

Step 10 Notifications: A Notification List of the scores of all athletes who have successfully completed the process and have been approved through the APP after the try-out period has been completed must be sent to:

  • The physical education director and/or athletic director of competitor schools
  • Athletic governing board or section office

Exceptions

If a student in grade 7 or 8 has reached the chronological age of 15 years old prior to July 1, he or she is eligible to participate on high school athletics without undergoing the APP; only medical approval by the district medical director is required, as these students are already at an advanced age and would otherwise lose eligibility due to aging out.

Reviewed December 8, 2015
Reviewed January 23, 2018

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