Homeschooler Not Allowed To Play Football On High School Team

[matcom]

:popcorn:

<snip>

A northwest suburban school district again denied a home-schooled teen's request to try out for a high school football team.

After being turned down by school officials two seasons in a row, Eric Bender, 16, hoped his request to play for the Hampshire High School Whip-Purs might get more consideration this year because it was put before a school board committee in Carpentersville-based District 300. But after consulting with the district's attorneys, the Policy/Legislative Committee denied the request this week. John Ryan, chairman of the committee and parent of a home-schooled student, passed along the decision to the Benders on Tuesday, conceding that he, too, found the situation frustrating.

'We have to follow the , and therein lies the rub,' Ryan said. 'As much as we'd like to accommodate Eric in this instance, we can't put our entire public program at risk when that student would not be following guidelines put out by IHSA.' 'Illinois courts have consistently held that participation in extracurricular activities is a 'privilege' and not a 'right,' ' district legal counsel Darcy Kriha wrote in a letter detailing the IHSA's requirements.

Ryan noted that approving and monitoring a home-schooler's program runs contrary to the notion of home schooling. The district has no policy or methodology in place to evaluate such programs.

'Home-school programs are as different as the stars in the sky,' Ryan said. 'My argument is that the IHSA does not even have the right to require a public school to do that.' Bender said he understood the district's decision but he, too, felt that his rights were violated. 'The part that I don't get or understand is it feels like the IHSA is infringing on my rights as an American citizen,' he said.

http://www.topix.net/content/trb/2007/07/home-schoolers-dream-of-playing-football-rejected

[LeftyMom]

1. Clarification: Most homeschoolers don't want this. nt

[CottonBear]

2. If he wants to play he needs to attend a public school or a private school.

If his parents want him homeschooled then he doesn't get to play high school sports.

[Dinger]

4. My Sentiments EXACTLY (nt)

[KitchenWitch]

13. Yes, one cannot have it both ways.

[Hugin]

3. ...

*shakes head slowly* :eyes:

Even though I'm homechurching my kid... I still want him to sing in the choir.

[realisticphish]

5. This seems pretty open and shut to me

they can't allow someone who doesn't have to meet IHSA guidelines to play.

'The part that I don't get or understand is it feels like the IHSA is infringing on my rights as an American citizen,' he said.

Since when do we have a right, as an American citizen, to play high school football? You have to try out as it is, so some people are rejected. Would that violate their rights as American citizens?

He has the right to be home schooled; I fully support that. He doesn't have the right to participate in academically limited public school extracurriculars when his education is not overseen by the state.

[cobalt1999]

6. It would open up a huge loophole too.

Every kid who wanted to play but didn't meet the qualifications could just quit school, say they are being home-schooled, and then continue to play.

Home schooled kids can participate in HS athletics here in Florida though.

[Tyler Durden]

9. Ahhhh, FLORIDA.

And they call CALIFORNIA nutty.

Present company excluded of course. Deb wanted to live there, so I sent her to visit her parents. In August.

She said "I've changed my mind."

[liontamer]

18. excellent point

Some states require homeschoolers to keep to some guidelines, there it would make sense to let them play. But if you can flunk out of school/drop out and just say you're homeschooled you're putting kids in a screwed up situation where a school could let them onto the team, but have no responsibility to actually educate them.

[tammywammy]

16. I agree

The school must follow IHSA guidelines, but they wouldn't be able to enforce those on a home schooler. Very open and shut to me as well.

[flying rabbit]

7. What's a Whip-Pur?

and who would want to be one?

[mikeytherat]

14. I had to check that out, too. The best I could come up with was this:

It's called a Whip-pur Chime and it is described as an "indestructible dog toy." Now I'm even more confused.

mikey_the_rat

[flying rabbit]

15. The fierce "chiming Whip-Purs"

:rofl: No... it still doesn't make sense. Perhaps it is an obscure S&M reference.

[slj0101]

8. What the hell ever.

Maybe all the homeschooled kids in the area should form their own football team.

[Tyler Durden]

11. Who would they PLAY? They STILL can't meet IHSA

This is sort of a moot point.

I do have to admit that I have never "got" home schooling, but that's my problem.

[Caution]

10. Completely ridiculous.

Home schooling may be the single most absurd "trend" of the last decade. And I say this in a world where Britney Spears is a superstar.

[skygazer]

12. I home schooled my daughter for her 8th grade year

For a number of reasons, none of which was religious. As I recall, I had to meet the same guidelines that the public schools did and cover the same material. It also seems to me that she was allowed - and even encouraged - to participate in extra-curricular activities at the school which makes a certain amount of sense to me since one of the objections to home schooling is that the kid has no real social contact with peers.

But all this was ten years ago in Vermont so my memory may be faulty.

[WinkyDink]

17. 100% or nothing, IMHO.