As the parent or guardian of a high school student-athlete in Maine, you know first-hand how hard your student-athlete works to stay on top of their studies while at the same time keeping in shape, practicing, and competing in their chosen sport or sports. Participating in high school sports can be one of the most rewarding and challenging things a student can do, and student-athletes who make the commitment to high school sports are truly special people. Whether or not they go on to play in college, by making that extra effort to compete in interscholastic sports they distinguish themselves as hard-working individuals who will go the extra mile to do more than the minimum required to graduate. That's a quality that colleges and future employers are always going to be interested in.
Because your student-athlete has made the choice to do something that requires such a high level of commitment, it's important to make sure that they stay eligible to compete. This is an area where you can help, making sure you have an understanding of what the important eligibility requirements are and keeping track of how your student-athlete is doing in school so they don't suddenly learn that they are at risk of losing eligibility for a semester or longer. The Maine Principals' Association (MPA) is the organization that regulates interscholastic sporting competition in Maine, covering some 21 different sports (as well as activities such as drama and e-sports) in roughly 150 high schools across the state. While the MPA publishes a comprehensive handbook that includes its bylaws for student-athlete eligibility, it can be difficult to wade through its many pages to find the information you need.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has put together this summary to help you and others interested in learning about some of the more important high school sports eligibility requirements in Maine. If you have questions about your student's situation and can't find the answer here, give us a call at 888.535.3686 or contact us online We're here to help you and your student continue to compete, and our team has experience with high school eligibility requirements, waiver requests, and eligibility appeals.
Age-Limit and Semester-Limit Restrictions and Waiver Requests
Student-athletes who are otherwise eligible can continue to compete in high school sports in Maine until they turn 20. Once they turn 20, they are no longer eligible and must stop competing. In limited cases, the age-limit requirement may be waived; the waiver must be submitted to the MPA's Committee on Eligibility by the student-athlete's principal, and needs to be submitted by August 1 for a first-semester waiver, or by November 1 for a second-semester waiver. For a waiver request to be effective, there must be “statements of support” from “school staff members, parents, medical personnel, and/or other verifying parties” in favor of the requested waiver.
Assuming that they are otherwise eligible, student-athletes are eligible to compete for eight consecutive semesters beginning with their first semester of 9th grade.
Waivers of the semester-limit requirements may be available in situations where a student-athlete was unable to attend school and compete for a semester due to unusual circumstances, such as illness, injury, serious economic issues, or other unusual circumstances. Only one waiver may be granted, for a maximum of 18 weeks, which is essentially one semester.
Waiver requests must be made by the principal of your student-athlete's school, and are filed with the MPA's Committee on Eligibility. With any waiver request of this type, it's important to provide detailed and convincing support for the waiver request. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team understands what's required to support semester-limit waiver requests, and can help you and your student-athlete make sure that the information their principal has for the waiver request is as complete and convincing as possible.
Academic Eligibility Waiver Requests and Appeals
Beginning with their second semester of 9th grade, student-athletes must have passed at least four full-time subjects during the previous semester to continue to be eligible to compete. Unlike many other states, Maine has no minimum GPA requirement for high school athletics.
How long the student can lose eligibility is up to the individual school; the MPA does not impose a specific period of ineligibility if a student-athlete fails to meet the four-course minimum. Failed courses can be made up during the summer, and incomplete courses can be finished within the first five weeks of the next quarter. Successful completion of summer school courses or incomplete courses within the deadline will reverse the student-athlete's ineligibility situation.
As with other eligibility requirements, these may be waived by the MPA. The request must be submitted by the principal, and mustinclude supporting statements showing why the waiver should be issued.
Academics is one area where it may also be possible to work at the school level to help your student-athlete. By paying close attention to grades and your student-athlete's progress, you can often catch problems before they become irreversible. For example, late homework can often be made up; failed tests may be able to be retaken; extra credit can sometimes be used to bring up a failing grade to a passing one.
Sometimes, poor grades are the result of unfair treatment by school personnel. In these unusual situations, if talking with the teacher doesn't cure the situation, it can often be helpful to have an experienced student defense team contact the school to discuss the situation. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team understands how sensitive these kinds of contacts can be, and we're experienced at representing students' interests in a way that respects their rights as well as the rights of teachers and the school. If you feel your student-athlete is being unfairly discriminated against by the school or a teacher in the school, contact us to discuss the situation; we may be able to help.
School Disciplinary Defense
School discipline is one area where a student-athlete can lose eligibility even if their grades are stellar. Schools have broad discretion when it comes to maintaining student discipline and can revoke a student-athlete's eligibility as punishment for school-related misconduct. With student-athletes spending a lot more time in school than they do practicing or competing, school discipline is often one of the most likely causes of student-athlete ineligibility.
Most schools have a student handbook or code of conduct that describes in some detail what happens if a student is accused of misconduct. This may include, for more serious allegations, an investigation, charges against the student, and a hearing to determine whether the student committed the alleged violation and whether they should be disciplined.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has years of experience helping students and student-athletes defend themselves in school disciplinary situations. In cases where there is an allegation of serious misconduct, we can conduct our own investigation into what happened, one that is in many cases more comprehensive than the one schools make and that can often yield information helpful to your student. We also know enough about the school disciplinary process that we can often suggest alternative consequences that respect the school's need to discipline students while protecting the student-athlete's ability to compete.
Very often, we find that the school's investigation of the allegations is less than thorough, and that our own investigation reveals that there is more to the story than what the school is claiming. We also understand the hearing process that applies in many disciplinary cases, and can help defend your student-athlete throughout all of it. If a decision is not in your student's favor, we can help evaluate whether an appeal may be effective and can help bring that appeal on behalf of your student-athlete.
Discipline Defense for Behavior During Games
A student-athlete ejected from a competition must sit out the next competition. According to the MPA's Coaches handbook, a player who intentionally “strikes, shoves, kicks, or makes other physical contact with an official” will be ineligible to compete in any sport for one full year. While there is no provision in the MPA bylaws, in certain circumstances – such as where an official mistakenly identifies one player as being involved in an unsportsmanlike situation when, in fact, it was another player who was responsible – it may be possible to file an appeal to the MPA Committee on Eligibility, provided there is sufficient proof (such as a video) showing that the official made a mistake.
Transfer Eligibility Issues
One of the most complicated areas of the MPA eligibility bylaws relates to situations where a student-athlete transfers from one school to another and wants to continue competing at the new school in a varsity sport that they competed in at the old school.
Generally speaking, if the student-athlete's family moves from a residence in one school district to another residence in another school district, the student-athlete will be eligible to compete at the school in the new school district. It's when the student-athlete transfers to a new school without a family change of residence that things can become complicated.
Student-athletes who want to transfer from one high school to another without a change in residence need to submit a Transfer Waiver Approval Form to the MPA. The form asks more than a dozen questions, including whether the school superintendent approves of the student-athlete attending the new school; whether the student-athlete has been contacted by “coaches, boosters, or school staff” at the new school; and whether the student, their parents or guardians, and the school administrators at both the old school and the new school agree that the transfer is “not for athletic purposes.”
It's important when considering a school transfer to take these questions into consideration before making the move and enrolling at the new school. If the MPA or MPA Eligibility Committee rejects the transfer request, the rejection can be appealed to the Eligibility Committee and then to the MPA's Interscholastic Management Committee. If a transfer request is denied, the student-athlete will be ineligible to compete at the new school for one full year from the date they begin to attend the new school.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help you evaluate your student-athlete transfer situation to make sure that your student-athlete has the best chance of having their transfer waiver request approved. We can review your particular situation and help with discussions with both present and future administrators so that your request faces as few obstacles as possible. Where necessary, we can help you appeal adverse decisions of transfer requests. But again, this is all best done before any school transfer is final.
The Lento Law Firm Can Help Keep Your Student-Athlete Competing
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has helped student-athletes all over the country stay eligible to compete in their sports of choice, and to regain that eligibility in cases where it was lost. Our team understands the sometimes complicated eligibility rules that apply to student-athletes competing in Maine, and we can help you and your student-athlete do what it takes to stay on the field, court, track, rink, mat, course, hill, or whatever surface your student-athlete competes on. We can also help you evaluate your student-athlete's situation in cases where their eligibility is in danger or has already been taken away. When the eligibility issue is with the MPA, we know the bylaws and procedures that apply and can work with you and your student-athlete to give them the best chance of continued eligibility.
When the school is involved, we understand how sensitive the relationship can be between parents and schools, and in cases where we get involved, we are careful to respect that – while making sure that your student-athlete's rights are respected and protected.
If your student-athlete is facing loss of eligibility, or has lost it already, call us at 888.535.3686 today or use our online contact form to set up a confidential consultation. We know how important this is to you and to your student-athlete, and we're here to listen and to help!
