THE OHIO HIGH SCHOOLATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Information for 2015-16 Preseason Meetings

Photos Courtesy of Cindy Facemyer and Stacie Pullins (Mostly)

Basic OHSAARules & Regulations

Must be officially enrolled in an OHSAA member school AND you must have both parents living in Ohio (or the parent with custody, due to divorce or having never been married, lives in Ohio)

You will not be eligible if you are competing under a false name or have provided your school with an incorrect home address.

No recruitment

•  General OHSAA Eligibility Standards •

7th, 8th, and High School Students: 5 (one credit course) passing grades in the immediately preceding grading period.

All incoming seventh and ninth graders are eligible insofar as the scholarship bylaw regardless of previous academic achievement.

•  OHSAA Scholarship Standards •

Summer school grades may NOT be used to substitute for failing grades received in the final grading period or to count for the 5 credit hours

College-Credit Plus, Home School, Community School, etc. student must comply with OHSAA

Semester and Yearly grades do not count

Please check with your building principal or myself before dropping courses

•  OHSAA Scholarship Standards •

No high school student will be eligible if he or she has been enrolled in high school for more than eight semesters.

No 7th-8th grade student will be eligible if he or she has been enrolled in 7th-8th grade for more than four semesters.

•  OHSAA Semester Standards •

High school students will be ineligible whenever they turn 20 years old.

Seventh- and eighth-grade students who turn 15 before August 1st are also ineligible for 7th and 8th grade sports but ARE eligible to participate in high school athletics.

•  OHSAA Age Standards •

You can not compete on a non-school team in the same sport during your school team’s season

Coaches and schools cannot require open gym/open facility OR in a conditioning

Athletes may NOT participate during open gym if they are currently playing a school sport

•  OHSAA Non-School Team & Out-of-Season Standards •

You could lose your amateur status and forfeit your eligibility if you compete for money or other monetary compensation OR capitalize on your athletic fame by receiving money, merchandise or services or by entering into an agreement with a professional team or agent.

•  OHSAA Amateur Standards •

If you transfer: you will be ineligible for all contests until the first 50 percent of the maximum allowable regular season contests in any sport in which you took part for the previous 12 months

If you transferred here: Ensure all paperwork has been submitted to OHSAA AND the state office has granted approval for eligibility

•  OHSAA Transfer Standards •

Your Health & Safety

Must have a physical OHSAA Authorization Form OHSAA Eligibility & Authorization Statement Ohio Department of Health’s concussion form

◦ Concussions are NOT just a problem in football

◦ A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that interferes with normal function of the brain. “Dings” and “bell ringers” are SERIOUS brain injuries and you do NOT have to have loss of consciousness for it to be considered serious. Young athletes are at increased risk for serious problems.

◦ In Ohio, any athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion . . . such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems . . . shall be IMMEDIATELY removed from the contest or practice and shall not return to play that same day.

◦ Thereafter, the student shall not return to practice or competition until cleared with WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION from a physician or health care provider approved by the local board in accordance with state law.

•  Your Health & Safety •

The OHSAA does not permit the use of any form of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs.

Another prominent issue is the use of performance enhancing supplements.

Beyond performance enhancing supplements, there are additional issues related to illicit drugs, such as anabolic steroids and some prescription drugs used with the goal of aiding performance.

•  Additional Health & Safety Guidelines •

Sporting Behavior

The OHSAA’s vision for positive sporting behavior is built on expectations. It calls on the schools to strive for positive sporting behavior.

As a student-athlete, you must always remember to Respect The Game

Treat opponents, coaches and officials with respect

Ensure that your actions do no incite fans or other players

For more information and additional resources, visit the OHSAA website (www.OHSAA.org) and follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/OHSAASports) and Facebook (facebook.com/OHSAA).

•  Respect The Game •

Thank you for coming to the OHSAA Preseason

Meeting. If you have not already done so, please be sure to sign in on one

of the papers in the lobby.