By James Cullum
alexandrianews.org
High scorer T.C. Senior Tyrell Sitton (Photo: Artis Mooney)
Virginia high school sports may never be the same. Soon, the Virginia General Assembly will convene in Richmond and will decide if homeschooled students can participate in public high school sports. If the General Assembly passes House Bill 926, nonprofits could direct and organize interscholastic programs among the Commonwealth’s public high schools to allow homeschoolers play for sports teams that are now unavailable to them.
“I would prefer that all our athletes attend school full-time, but I can understand that there would be a small number of home schooled students who would like to participate in extracurricular activities,” said Suzanne Maxey, principal of T.C. Williams High School. “I am concerned that it presents some logistical concerns for the school's staff. However, I support this initiative for the following reasons: It is the right thing to do for homeschooled students who genuinely want to participate. Their parents pay taxes and should be able to benefit from some of the opportunities and these students may add their special talents to our extracurricular program.”
Last October, Ken Tilley, Executive Director of the Virginia High School League, wrote a memo to all VHSL principals, athletic directors and division superintendents. “HB926 was defeated in the House Education Committee by a 9-12 vote last year and was later continued [carried over] to the 2011 session for further consideration. The bill’s sponsor and the home school lobby hoped ‘to negotiate a workable solution’ that would modify League rules to allow access by home school students,” the memo said. “The VHSL Committee, however, voted 25-1-1 last month not to modify its rules for homeschooled students or any other nonpublic school students. The position has been strongly sponsored by the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, the Virginia School Boards Association, the Virginia State PTA and the Virginia Education Coalition.”
Tilley urged action from the community. “School people – administrators, teachers, coaches, school board representatives, need to make their feelings known to their legislators,” he wrote. “Now is the time to act. Make your voice heard. Encourage other citizens and influential community leaders to do the same.”
T.C. running back Zaquan Sanders runs it in for a touchdown. (Photo: James Cullum)
Steve Colantuoni is the Executive Associate Principal for Athletics and Student Activities at T.C. “I think a lot of people don’t like change and a lot of people may look or fight against the bill. But eventually it will just be an accepted practice, and once they get the bugs out, it will be just fine,” he said. “That means that a lot of rules at the Virginia High School league have to be altered. We have, for instance, at the end of the month, every school in the State restates the eligibility of its students athletes to the VHSL, because students have to be passing in five classes while they are competing. So, we have to keep up with our kids’ grades, and that naturally takes a lot of effort for teachers and coaches and staff. Now, how will we assess homeschooled kids? Our rules are based on grades.”
Alexandrian John Collingsworth wasn’t homeschooled and has no children. “The socialization would be good,” Collingsworth said. “Getting the kids to hang out with friends and socializing and being with peers is something they probably miss out on.”