High School Girls playing travel ball before High School Season is Over

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I overheard two young ladies (both JV) indicating that they were going to play with their respective travel teams this upcoming weekend even though their High School season is not done. Both girls knew that the rules have changed and they no longer could get a release from their high school coach. What happens in this situation....to the school....to the girls?? Does it matter if they are playing in a tournament out of state?

 

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Len

 

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Will be interested to hear what the experts say, but my understanding is that if they're not on the playoff roster and never dress for or play in one of those tournament games, then they should be fine. What rules have changed? Don't think it matters if their travel team is in our out of state. They can't practice with the travel team either if they are still on the playoff roster or may end up dressing or playing.

 

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What rules have changed? Your post could be read to say that a school coach can't release a player before June 5, and I'm pretty sure I'd have heard if that's the case.

 

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JV season is over - only Varsity girls are playing at this point, unless these JV girls are rostered for the post season tournament on Varsity and have been dressed and benched for the playoffs and the team is still playing. If the team is done - then everyone can do what they want - the date itself is not significant, it is the particular player and the particular schools situation.

On any travel team you can have every girl in a different school, different level or JV, varsity, etc., and once "thier" team is done - they can play travel ball - they do not have to wait for thier varsity team to stop if they are not rostered for post season play and they do not have to wait for any particular date.

 

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megasportsmom:

Your interpretation makes for a good practical result, but I'm not sure OHSAA has ever signed off on that. I do think that the question whether the JV player can be released if the varsity is still playing remains open.

 

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If what you say is true then all the girls that played this past weekend that were rostered for school on JV were illegal - which obviously is not the case - sorry - this rule is very clear.

 

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Later today I will post the regulations and tell you why I think that the question is open. I am NOT saying that any JV girls playing this past weekend were illegal: I am saying that, as with so many other things involving the OHSAA, the question is open as to JV girls whose varsity team is still in the State HS Tourney. If you have an analysis of those regs, which I have read more times that I would wish, that proves that these girls were legal, please post it.

 

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The rule states that you are not released until your school season is over, even if you play JV you can not go to a travel team until your Varsity season is done.

 

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There is no such thing as a formal release. We have debated this subject every year at this time. JV girls are OK to play travel.

 

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I agree and would say they are illegal and they could be punished,( if rostered on the Varsity for playoffs), but the school team would only forfeit any games in which they participated in after the players became ineligible.

 

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Dan:

Hate to say it, but I disagree that JV players are clearly free to play travel ball if their varsity team is still in the State HS Tourney. And if your position is that the HS coach can't release those JV players, because there is no "release" provided in the regs, then I think it is even harder to argue that they are eligible for travel ball.

 

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What would be the punishment for a girl who played on JV for a team that is still in the State HS tournament, who hasn't and won't dress for the varsity team and has been practicing/playing for her summer team once the last JV game was completed? The only punishment you can enforce would be to make her ineligible for next year, make the team ineligble for the playoffs the next year or disqualify the team now in the playoffs. All this because a girl doesn't want to sit on her duff while her varsity team is playing?! Wow!!

 

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If a girl has never played Varsity, and the varsity coach has told her she can play anywhere she wants. She can play travel ball. Been there and done this for many years. AD has covered that topic with OHSAA. If she has played a game with the varsity different story.

 

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It all boils down to whether someone reported the supposedly illegal participation and if OHSAA takes the time to investigate. Schools and teams do things in the gray area all the time, it all boils down to if someone reports them or not.

 

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Dan:

See that's the problem. Individual ADs may have received the clearance but our friendly OHSAA doesn't bother to put anything in writing. I am 100% behind the interpretation that lets the JV-only girl play. I just don't think that the result is clear from the written regs.

 

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SO they are not on the roster for the Dist. they can travel this week? Next week they are on the roster for the Reg. they can play HS???

 

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Here is my little 2 cents on interpretation.. Correct there is no written release from highschool coaches( maybe there should be and that would cause less problems) but the player still needs to be released by rule none the less. If you are solely a JV player and are not playing with varsity at end of season then simply ask you coach if you are done. If they say yes, ten you are clear to play Travel. I had one player this year that her coach said, No you are not realeased until team is done. She did not play practice or travel with the team, but she was rostered and was not released! Thankfully she is now. But that is how the rule is interpreted by me and I dont see many holes in it..

Ask your highschool coach if you are released and should not be a problem? See and if you are afraid to ask, cause you already know the answer is NO, but you really want to play Travel still.. then you are probably in that illegal boat and you are just hoping ignorance is the key.. Just ask and then you know if you have that, " release" or not..It's that simple

 

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I'm not sure whether either of these girls are rostered or if they played varsity at all this season. These young ladies sat behind me while I was at Ohio State watching the NCAA games. I do know that both were freshman but went to different highschools. The one young lady indicated that the rule had changed regarding getting a release- that you could not play travel ball until your highschool season was officially over. She seemed to suggest that there was a possibility that she could get "called up" to play varsity in case there was an injury.

 

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Simple, if your HS program is still playing you can't play or practice with travel teams.. Why are so many travel coaches so selfish? Wait your turn! I'm not saying all travel coaches. But a few bad apples spoil the barrel. Like other sports (VB & BB) we share atheletes, please let us have our HS season.