We sometimes forget how special high school athletes are. On top of all of their academic responsibilities, they choose to take the time to get in shape, train in their chosen sport or sports, practice with their teams, and compete in front of their friends, family, and fans. No one is paying them to do this, and in fact, in many cases, they may be giving up the chance to take on a part-time job and earn money.
There are, of course, many benefits to playing sports in high school, even apart from staying in shape. Student-athletes have to discipline themselves in ways that go beyond what students need to do, and they develop life-long friendships with their teammates. They also learn to test and expand their limits. For some, high school sports can lead to a collegiate sports career, and for a really lucky few, a professional one as well.
All of this time and energy devoted to sports on top of schoolwork makes it important that your student-athlete stays eligible to play for their entire high school career. This is where you can help. By learning a bit about what the main eligibility requirements are in Arkansas for high school athletes, you can be a resource for your student-athlete, making sure that they do everything they can to stay eligible to compete.
The Arkansas Athletic Association (AAA) is the governing body for high school athletics in more than 300 high schools all across Arkansas. The AAA publishes a comprehensive handbook with the rules and regulations that apply to schools, coaches, officials, players, and fans. At more than 120 pages, however, it can sometimes be difficult to find the information you need. That's why the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has put together this summary – to help you stay on top of the main eligibility issues that can affect a student-athlete in Arkansas. If after reading this you have questions, contact attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team to learn more about how they can help you keep your student-athlete eligible to compete in the sport (or sports) that they love.
Age-Limit and Semester-Limit Restrictions and Hardship Exception Requests
Student-athletes in Arkansas can compete in high school sports until they turn 19 years of age. If they turn 19 on or before August 1 of any given year, they are not eligible to compete during that next school year.
There is also a consecutive semester requirement. Student-athletes have eight consecutive semesters of eligibility, beginning with their first semester of ninth grade.
While the age rule may not be waived, the consecutive semester requirement can be. The student-athlete school administrator needs to file a petition with the AAA Executive Director for a hardship exception. Generally speaking, a successful hardship petition will show that through no fault of the student or the parents, the student-athlete was prevented from attending school and competing for an extended period of time (such as a semester or a year or more). In many hardship cases, the student has been ill and unable to attend school, or a close family member has been extremely ill.
If you believe you have a situation that would support a hardship exception to the consecutive semester eligibility rule, contact the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team for help. They have experience advising student-athletes all over the US who are in similar situations, and they can review your situation and help you and your student-athlete's school administrator prepare and submit a compelling hardship request.
Academic Eligibility Requirements and Hardship Exceptions
Student-athletes must pass at least four academic courses per semester and maintain a 2.0 (out of 4.0) GPA for the previous semester in order to be eligible to compete during the next semester. Student-athletes whose GPA drops below 2.0 at the end of a semester must enroll in a Supplemental Instruction Program (SIP) if they wish to continue to compete during the next semester. They must show progress in the SIP by improving their GPA by at least 1/10 of one point during the semester enrolled in the SIP; if they do so, they can continue to compete even if their GPA continues to fall under the 2.0 minimum. Student-athletes can participate in the SIP for a maximum of two consecutive semesters. If, after the second semester in the SIP, their GPA is still below 2.0, they will be ineligible to compete in sports until their GPA is at least 2.0.
The SIP has other requirements; students may have no unexcused absences and no disciplinary actions against them. In addition, student-athletes must enroll in the SIP before the school semester begins and must notify the AAA that they've done so.
In addition to enrolling in the SIP, student-athletes may also apply approved summer school courses to their grades for the previous semester.
Hardship exceptions may also be available in cases where, through no fault of the student or their family, the student-athlete was unable to meet the academic requirements for a particular semester. Here too, the student-athlete school administrator must file the hardship exception request with the AAA's Executive Director. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help you and your student-athlete prepare the information needed for your school administrator to file a hardship exception request and can even work with your school's administrator to help them with the filing.
In addition to helping with hardship requests, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help you and your student-athlete face more everyday situations – such as when a particular teacher is being unfair when it comes to grades for homework, projects, and tests. They have years of experience discussing student issues with teachers and school administrators, and they can help you make sure your student-athlete is receiving the fair treatment that they deserve.
School Disciplinary Defense
Student-athletes spend much more time in classes and in school than they do in practice or competing. As a result, they're more likely to run into disciplinary problems in the school setting that can have a serious impact on their eligibility. All schools have a code of conduct or honor code that applies to students, and that can result in student-athletes losing eligibility to play interscholastic sports.
These disciplinary codes typically give the school a lot of latitude when it comes to punishing student misconduct. Even if a student-athlete isn't suspended from school for a particular incident, the school can still restrict them from participating in extracurricular activities – including sports.
The problem in these situations is frequently caused by busy school administrators who don't have the time or expertise to thoroughly investigate misconduct claims. And if you combine a less-than-thorough investigation with an unfair penalty, things can get even worse. This is where the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can make a significant difference. They understand the importance of conducting a complete investigation of misconduct claims and have helped many students across the country defend themselves by uncovering and presenting "the rest of the story" to school officials.
In addition, even where misconduct is found to have occurred, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has the experience to be able to suggest alternative forms of discipline to school authorities – alternative forms that will allow the student-athlete to continue to compete while still respecting the need for the school to maintain discipline and order.
Discipline Defense for Behavior During Games
The AAA imposes sanctions on student-athletes who are ejected from competitions due to unsportsmanlike conduct. A football player who is ejected from a game is ineligible to compete during the next four consecutive quarters (so that a player ejected from the second quarter of a game will not be allowed to play until the third quarter of the next game). In other sports, the ejected student-athlete is prohibited from competing in the next event.
A second ejection during the same season will result in an eight-consecutive-quarter ban in football and a two-game suspension in other sports. A third suspension in any sport will result in the student-athlete being ineligible for the remainder of the season and for at least 3 games into the next season if there are fewer than 3 games left when the student-athlete is ejected.
Unlike in many other states, ejections in Arkansas can be appealed. The appeal must come from the school, not the student-athlete, and is made to the AAA Executive Director. The appeal must be based on video evidence, and only ejections based on "physical actions" (as opposed to verbal ones) can be appealed. An appeal need to be done quickly because the penalty remains in effect until it's been reviewed and decided by the Executive Director.
If your student-athlete has been ejected from a competition due to a mistake made by an official, contact attorney-advisor the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team for help as soon as possible. They can help you quickly pull together the information your school administrator needs to file the ejection appeal and can even help the administrator file an effective and timely appeal.
Residential Eligibility and Transfer Issues
Student-athletes in Arkansas are eligible to compete at a high school located where their parents live. If the family moves to a new residence in a new district, the student-athlete is generally eligible to compete at a school in the new district, no matter when the move is made. Otherwise, a student-athlete must transfer to the new school by July 1, or they will not be eligible to compete at the new school for 365 days after the transfer.
Student-athletes changing schools must also complete a Changing Schools/Athletic Participation (CSAP) form and submit it to the new school district and the AAA. This form must be signed by the superintendent of the old school, the superintendent of the new school, and the student-athlete's parents or guardians. It confirms that the student-athlete is not changing schools "for athletic purposes."
The AAA has a number of rules for transfer situations that can make deciding what the consequences might be of a planned school transfer very difficult to figure out in advance. On top of this, when the AAA makes a determination that a student-athlete is ineligible to compete after a transfer, the decision may be appealed.
This is why it can be so helpful to reach out to the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team before you and your student-athlete take any serious steps to move from one school to another. Whether the transfer is the result of you moving to a new home or for some other reason, it makes sense to check ahead of time to determine what effect the transfer is likely to have on your student-athletes eligibility. And where an appeal is necessary, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team is ready to help you review your situation and submit the strongest appeal possible.
We Can Help Keep Your Student-Athlete Competing
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team have helped student-athletes all across the country maintain their eligibility to compete in the sports that they love and to protect their rights as students and as athletes in disciplinary and other school-related situations. If your student-athletes eligibility is being threatened, call today at 888.535.3686, or click the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team's online contact form link to set up a confidential consultation.
High school moves by in the blink of an eye. Your student-athlete deserves every chance they can get to compete in their chosen sport or sports during this special time in their lives. The Lento Law Firm Team can help make sure that happens. Don't delay; contact them today!
