Policy on Summer Athletic Participation

The The Board of Directors has established the following guidelines relative to athletic participation by member schools during the summer:

A. Policy
    1. The FHSAA does not regulate the athletic activities of member schools during the summer as defined herein with the exception of football. The individual member school principal, district school superintendent, district school board or private school governing body are totally responsible for adopting regulations governing the activities of their respective schools during this period of time.
    2. A member school shall not permit student-athletes in its football programs to wear helmets or pads or engage in physical contact in any activity sponsored by or under the supervision of the school during the summer. This shall not preclude the school from issuing school-owned equipment to a student-athlete for his/her use at a summer football camp, provided the camp is organized, operated and conducted by a third-party entity.

B. Summer Defined
    The summer season is defined as that period of time outside the FHSAA Sports Year. This period for each member school is defined as beginning the day following the school’s last day of classes for the spring semester or the day following the school’s last day of spring athletic activities (including spring football practice), whichever is later, or June 1 for schools whose last day of classes for the spring semester occurs on May 31 or thereafter, and concluding with the Saturday of Week 4 in the FHSAA standardized calendar for the following school year.

C. Rationale for Policy
    Over the past several years many outside agencies promoting summer athletic participation opportunities have evolved in various sports such as:
    Baseball – Babe Ruth, American Legion, City/County leagues
    Basketball – AAU, USA, USOC
    Golf – USGA, AJGA
    Soccer – FIFA, Youth leagues
    Softball – ASA, USSSA
    Swimming & Diving – USS, NISCA, ASCA, CSCAA, AAU
    Tennis – FTA, USTA, USOC, ITF
    Volleyball – USVBA, USOC, USA, AVA
    Wrestling – USA, AAU
    Depending upon the location and facilities of member schools, the above opportunities are made available to students in varying degrees. However, summer participation opportunities are virtually non-existent in sports such as football, track and field and cross country.
    Many member schools adhered to previous FHSAA summer regulations. Others, however, did not. It is unreasonable to assume that the FHSAA has either the resources or personnel to monitor all summer activities participated in by its membership.

D. Intent of Policy
    It is not the intent of this policy to deregulate summer activities in order to allow member schools to promote interscholastic athletic competition during the summer. To the contrary, interscholastic athletic competition during the summer is highly discouraged. School involvement may range from a highly developed program to no involvement at all as the district school board, district school superintendent, governing body or principal so choose.
The intent of this policy is to allow those directly responsible for the school more flexibility in providing opportunities for students to become involved in activities of their choice under adult supervision.

E. Questions Raised by Summer Athletics
    Each district school board or governing body of a private school is encouraged to consider the following questions relative to participation in athletics during the summer by students enrolled in its schools (this list is certainly not all inclusive):
    (a) Does the school have on file the parents’ written permission for the student to participate in summer athletics?
    (b) Has the student undergone a physical examination within the last calendar year?
    (c) Does the student, while participating in summer athletics, have catastrophic insurance coverage?
    (d) Should the student be allowed to use school-owned equipment while participating in summer athletics?
    (e) Should the student be allowed the use of school facilities for participation while participating in summer athletics?
    (f) Should the school or head coach require the student to participate in summer athletics or should such participation be strictly voluntary?
    (g) How should conflicts which may arise between various sports programs and head coaches within a school relative to summer participation by students be resolved?
    (h) Will pressure to participate in summer athletics encourage students to specialize in a particular sport rather than encourage them to participate in a variety of sports?

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