If you are the parent or guardian of a high school athlete in Minnesota, you know how hard your student-athlete is working – both to compete in their chosen sport or sports and to stay on top of their schoolwork. It's impressive to watch them devote themselves to getting and staying in shape, learning and improving their athletic skills, and continuing to grow as students. The good habits they develop from all of this hard work will follow them throughout their lives.
Of course, they don't do all of this on their own. Teachers, coaches, trainers, and teammates all play a helpful role – as do parents and guardians. You've seen this first-hand, as they probably depend on you to get them to many of their practices and training sessions, look to see you in the stands cheering them, and are thankful for making sure they have the clothes and gear that they need to compete. Then there are those times when they need help with their homework, a school project, or test preparation.
There is one more way you can help your student-athlete, and that is to learn what the student-athlete eligibility rules are in Minnesota and do your best to make sure your student-athlete follows them so they can compete in their chosen sport (or sports) throughout their high school career. While the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), which governs school sports in Minnesota, has a comprehensive set of eligibility rules for student-athletes, the MSHSL handbook runs for more than 150 pages and wading through it to find the information that's relevant to your student can be a painful exercise.
That's why student-athlete attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team have compiled this summary of some of the most important eligibility rules that apply to student-athletes in Minnesota. If you have questions about any of these rules or about your student-athletes particular situation, you can reach out to the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team using the contact information at the bottom of this post.
Age-Limit and Semester-Limit Restrictions and Waivers
Assuming they meet all other eligibility requirements, student-athletes in Minnesota can continue to compete in high school sports until they turn 20, provided they turn 20 during what would normally be their senior year.
In addition, students participating in an Adapted Athletics Program can continue to compete until they turn 21, and if they turn 22 during a sport season they'll be allowed to continue to compete through the end of that season.
Student-athletes are eligible to compete in high school sports for four consecutive years, beginning with 9th grade.
Students who have experienced a “substantial disruption” to their education that was “beyond their control” can ask the MSHSL to grant them one or more additional semesters of eligibility. Applications can be submitted by the student's parents or guardians or by their school.
There is no provision in the MSHSL bylaws for a waiver of the age-limit rule; that said, Minnesota has one of the most liberal age-requirement policies in the country, and as a result, in most cases – even where student-athletes are granted additional semesters of eligibility – the age-limit rule should not be an issue.
If your student-athlete has experienced a situation that you believe would entitle them to additional semesters of eligibility, contact student-athlete attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team for help. They can review the situation with you and help prepare a request to the MSHSL for one or more additional semesters, depending on your student-athletes situation.
Academic Eligibility Standards
Unlike athletic associations in many states, the MSHSL does not have strict grade-point or number-of-credit requirements for students participating in high school sports. Each school is permitted to enforce its own academic eligibility standards consistent with the MSHSL requirement that student-athletes “must be making satisfactory progress” towards meeting the school's graduation requirements within six years (12 consecutive semesters) of entering 7th grade. Student-athletes must also be “fully enrolled” in the school in order to compete.
Because the MSHSL leaves the determination of “satisfactory progress” to the local schools, the academic eligibility standards for student-athletes may vary from one school (or school district) to another. In addition, procedures for restoring eligibility if a student-athlete fails to meet their school's standards may vary as well.
Student-athlete attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team have helped student-athletes across the country who are facing academic eligibility issues, and they have the experience to quickly understand eligibility rules, determine how they may apply to their student-athlete clients and implement the most effective strategies to restore a student-athletes eligibility. They can work with your student-athletes school to make sure your student-athlete is certified as eligible.
In cases where that is not successful, and the school restricts your student-athlete from competing for whatever reason (academic or otherwise), the MSHSL has a comprehensive appeal process that applies to a school's determination of student-athlete eligibility. It begins at the school level, with the school administrator establishing a hearing panel that will conduct a hearing on the appeal. The decision of the hearing panel is sent to the Executive Director of the league in question, who can agree with the decision or overrule it.
The Executive Director's decision may also be appealed; these appeals go to the MSHSL Board of Directors, which will conduct their own hearing on the matter. Their decision is final.
Where the situation cannot be resolved at the school level, student-athlete attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team can help with this appeal process. Their experience advising and representing student-athletes across the country with eligibility appeal issues makes them uniquely poised to help your student-athlete when these critical situations arise.
School Disciplinary Defense
As with academic eligibility issues, individual schools in Minnesota are responsible for setting the standards that apply to student conduct. All schools have some sort of code of conduct that applies to their students, with procedures and penalties for various types of misconduct situations. And because student-athletes spend many more hours in the classroom than they do practicing or competing, they are more likely to lose eligibility as a result of in-school misconduct than they are for their actions on the field.
Schools typically reserve the right to impose a range of penalties for student misbehavior, ranging from simple verbal warnings and detention to actions that may appear on a student's permanent record, such as suspending a student from extracurricular activities (including sports) or from school itself, to expulsion. And while having and enforcing behavior standards is very important when you are running a high school with hundreds of students present every school day, the fact is that school policies are not always enforced in a fair or effective way.
Busy school administrators may not have time or the training to fully investigate claims of student misconduct, and in many cases, hearings and other disciplinary proceedings are not conducted in a way that fully respects the student's rights. As a result, a student-athlete caught up in a misconduct allegation may lose their eligibility based on unfounded misconduct claims or after a poorly-managed hearing.
Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team have years of experience advising and representing high school students all over the country in school disciplinary proceedings. They can help investigate the claims, uncover evidence that can help the student-athlete, work with school authorities to try to resolve the situation in a way that is fair to the student, and where necessary will represent the student in any disciplinary hearings. In many cases, they are able to resolve disciplinary issues in a way that either exonerates the student or keeps any discipline off of the student-athletes permanent record, and that allows the student-athlete to continue to compete.
Discipline Defense for In-Game Misconduct
Student-athletes who are ejected from competitions due to unsportsmanlike conduct in Minnesota are ineligible to compete in the next scheduled competition. If they are ejected again during the same season, they are ineligible to participate in the next four scheduled competitions.
Student-athletes who attempt to “inflict bodily harm” on an official will be ineligible to compete for at least four weeks while making physical contact with an official that is the result of “disrespectful and/or unsporting behavior” will result in a loss of eligibility for the next two competitions or 14 calendar days, whichever is greater.
Student-athletes who are found to have used, consumed, or possessed tobacco, alcohol or controlled substances can also be disciplined. A first violation will result in a loss of eligibility for two weeks or the next two competitions, whichever is greater. A second violation means a six-game or three-week loss of eligibility, whichever is greater. And any further violations will result in a 12-game or four-week loss of eligibility, again whichever is greater.
These penalties may be appealed, though as a practical matter, an appeal of a single-game loss of eligibility is unlikely to be heard before the next game takes place. The MSHSL has a comprehensive appeal procedure that applies in these cases, and student-athlete attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team can help you and your student-athlete appeal the more extended eligibility penalties where there are circumstances that would support an appeal.
School Transfer Issues
The MSHSL has a very comprehensive set of bylaws that apply to situations where a student-athlete transfers from one high school to another. It's important to have an understanding of how a school transfer can affect your student-athletes eligibility before making any move.
Generally speaking, if your family moves from one school district to another school district and that move is permanent, your student-athlete will be eligible to compete at the high school in the new school district immediately. Alternatively, your student-athlete can stay enrolled at their old school for the remainder of their high school career, and (assuming they meet all other eligibility requirements) they will be allowed to compete for their old school during that entire time. Or, your student-athlete can choose to finish out the school year at their old school and then move to the school in your new school district at the beginning of the next school year, and they will be immediately eligible to compete at the new school.
There is a sort of “trial period” option available for students who are transferring from one MSHSL school to another. This is a 15-day period after the student-athlete transfers to the new school, during which they may practice but not compete at the new school. If during that period they decide they want to return to their former school, they can do so with no loss of eligibility at their old school. Student-athletes can also opt out of this 15-day trial period, in which case they will immediately be eligible at their new school, assuming they meet the other requirements for immediate eligibility, but lose the right to return to their old school and compete there.
Minnesota also has the “Minnesota 124D.03 Enrollment Options Program,” which allows students to enroll in high schools outside of their residence district under certain circumstances. The MSHSL recognizes this by allowing student-athletes who are transferring to a new high school under this program either to continue to compete for their old school for a one-year period, or to be eligible only at the non-varsity level at their new school for a one-year period.
Students moving to Minnesota from out of state with their families are also immediately eligible to compete for their new school.
Otherwise, a student who transfers to a new school will not be eligible to compete at the varsity level for a period of one year after their first day at the new school. Waivers of this requirement may be available in cases of family financial hardship, student bullying or harassment, or administrative errors in determining eligibility. In addition, if there are other circumstances that would support an exception, both the new school and the old school can ask the MSHSL to review the eligibility determination and allow the transferring student to compete without having to wait a year.
The school that the student-athlete is transferring to is the one responsible for certifying whether or not the student-athlete is eligible to compete at the new school. In cases where a student or their family disagrees with the determination, they can ask the MSHSL Eligibility Committee to review it. The MSHSL will then involve the student's old school, and if the old school agrees that further review is necessary, the MSHSL Eligibility Committee will consider the matter. The student may be represented by counsel at the Eligibility Committee meeting and will have 15 minutes to present their case. The student-athlete may ask the MSHSL Executive Committee to review the decisions of the Eligibility Committee.
This is an area where student-athlete attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team can be particularly helpful. They understand how the complex transfer rules in Minnesota work and are familiar with waiver request and appeal procedures and the kinds of information that are needed for those types of requests to be successful.
Joseph D. Lento Can Keep Your Student-Athlete Competing
If your student-athlete is facing a situation where their eligibility to compete in the sport that they love is threatened – whether as a result of grades, disciplinary reasons, transfer issues, or otherwise – contact student-athlete attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Student-Athlete Team for help. They have years of experience helping student-athletes all over the country maintain or restore their eligibility, and they are ready to help you.
Call Joseph D. Lento today at 888.535.3686 or use the Lento Law Firm's contact form to set up a consultation.
