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Home-schoolers allowed one sport, 11 July 2007, Valencia County News Bulletin, Belen, New Mexico

A new law passed by the New Mexico Legislature in its 2007 regular session allows home-schooled athletes to participate in one sport per school year.

Senate bill 1098 permits home-schooled athletes to participate in “one school district athletic activity at the public school in the attendance zone in which the student resides,” in accordance with New Mexico Activities Association guidelines, the bill states.

…

On the NMAA’s Web site, a page called “Handbooks and Forms” contains the NMAA handbook, which devotes Section 10 to issues regarding home-schooled, alternative and charter school students.

Marquez said NMAA administration would explain the new law at an athletic directors’ meeting in late July or early August, and then again at the association’s annual meeting in October.

Marquez, like Chavez, said only so much planning can go into the new arrangement. Changes and adjustments will have to be dealt with on the fly.

“At this time, we do not know what impact home school students will have on the NMAA,” she said. “Most coaches and athletic directors are not aware of the new law.”

New Mexico Senate Bill 1098

New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA): Section X Charter School/Alternative School/Home School Student Participation

posted by Valerie

Science expo results, 21 April 2007, Billings Gazette, Billings, Montana On March 23-24, more than 400 students particiapted (sic) in the Billings Clinic Research Center Science Expo.

More than $12,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to students who placed in the top 10 percent of their age group as well as those who met criteria for the special award areas such as Industry, Art, Craftsmanship, Future Scientist and Montana State University Scholarships. …

Grade 2: Katelyn Upchurch, Upchurch Home School, Hardin …

Grade 8: Robin Byron, Byron Home School, Hardin

Coterie’s Young Playwrights’ Festival, 21 April 2007, Kansas City Infozine, Kansas City, Missouri

The Coterie Theatre, is proud to present the 14th Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival: A Celebration of New Works April 26. During the festival, each short play or monologue is given a staged reading by professional actors, directors and designers. …

Boy Meets Girl, by Andi Enns (Home schooled) . . . These two “tweens” at the school bus stop are the same age, yet one is on the teenager side of 13 and the other is on the little boy side.

Cologne, by Zachary James Van Benthusen (Home schooled) . . . A suspense play taking place on a car trip near the Belgium/German border.

HEAT burns up Region 4-1A track meet, 21 April 2007, Miami Herald, Miami, Florida

With a sweep of the 100 (12.95), 100 hurdles (15.83), 200 (PR 26.40) and triple jump (34-2) at the Westminster Academy Sports Complex, Sims led the upstart home school program to its first region title in school history.

“In the beginning I dreaded today,” said Sims, who was buoyed by a vocal HEAT cheering section. …

The HEAT — which stands for Home Education Athletic Teams — scored 99 points to edge perennial track power Dade Christian (97). Westminster Academy, won the 1,600 meter relay and finished second in the 3,200 meter relay to finish third with 58 points.

Sims said she hopes the HEAT’s rapid ascent under coach Bob Bemis will help erase some of the stereotypes of home school programs.

“It definitely puts us on the map, it puts us out there,” said Sims. “It says that home-schoolers are not some social freaks or something. We have talent and we have drive and do whatever we can with emphasis. So many people feel that we are bogus. We are here to win.”

posted by Valerie

Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, 21 February 2007, Bill on sports for home-schooled students under debate

ATLANTA – A bill [Senate Bill 85]
that would allow home-schooled children to join public-school sports teams sparked debate Tuesday. Proponents argued that all families pay school taxes, and opponents pointed to a myriad of potential problems that they say the change would bring.

Yes, all families pay taxes, including those adults without children. If that’s the criterion, then I’m out in the cold, as are my grown kids who aren’t parents.

The differences between the two ‘systems’ (if homeschooling can be called a system), are also in conflict.

Athletes could use the new law to circumvent the system, Swearingin said, because it would be difficult to ascertain whether home-schooled children meet the state’s no-pass, no-play grade requirements.

“We have never seen anybody fail home school,” Swearingin said.

And that’s a difference. Homeschooling parents aren’t often in the business of providing failing situations for their kids. We also don’t often pit our kids against each other to provide ‘winning teams’ for the glory of our family.

The tying of publicly-funded sports to school activities is not necessarily a ‘natural’ connection. I’m guessing that it may have something to do with our linguistic connection to England, and their affection for boarding schools. At a boarding school, all activities would be expected, which would probably include sports.

If our schools were indeed linked to the development of schooling in Germany, we probably wouldn’t have the twinning of sports and school. German kids’ sporting teams are all separate from school, as are musical activities. (I haven’t got a clue about schools in France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Liechtenstein, etc.)

Of course, whatever the influence, it’s all water under the bridge. Our system is our system, and that is what people are accustomed to. If alternate systems develop because taxpayers want to provide sport opportunities for their children regardless of where they are being schooled, an entirely different system could develop in which all the children are eligible to participate, not just those who qualify. Some communities already have this system for baseball, softball, tennis, or soccer.

posted by Valerie

Daily Herad, Provo, Utah, 20 February 2007, Home-schooled children may soon play on district school sports teams

Students who are educated at home, or who attend private or charter schools, would be eligible to play on sports teams and participate in other extracurricular activities at regular public schools in the districts where they reside under a proposal that passed a final Senate vote Monday.

Apparently the story caught the eye of others because there is discussion at Sean Hannity.

The thing that catches my eye at the original report is:

Households pay taxes for public schools regardless of where their children go to school, he said.

“Parents have paid for the cake, and if they want to eat a little piece of that cake, they should be able to.”

In that case, I, as an empty-nester, want my piece of the cake, too. I bet my tax-paying kids want some cake too.

posted by Valerie

In January, the following publications published sporting reports about homeschooling or about homeschooled athletes.

• Gaylord Herald Times, Gaylord, Michigan, 5 January 2007, Sports Edge: Wrestling opener tonight
• Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, 5 January 2007, There’s no place like home for talented Mero hoopsters
• Pahrump Valley Times, Pahrump, Nevada, 6 January 2007, Home School Bowling
• Midland Daily News, Midland, Michigan, 6 January 2007, Flames top Midland Academy
• Kalamazoo Gazette, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 6 January 2007, Cougars continue to build program
• Augusta Chronicle, Augusta, Georgia, 18 January 2007, Finding a home
• Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas, 18 January 2007, Home-school athletes: They changed my mind
• Bartlett Express, Memphis, Tennessee, 19 January 2007, BRC hosts Shelby County Swim Meet
• Midland Daily News, Midland, Michigan, 20 January 2007, Flames come up short in Flint
• Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 20 January 2007, Keystone to add baseball team for ’07 spring season
• Gwinnett Daily Post, Griffin, Georgia, 21 January 2007, Gwinnett figure skater to compete at 2007 US Nationals
• Journal Times Online, Racine, Wisconsin, 24 January 2007, Boys’ Basketball Highlights
• Midland Daily News, Midland, Michigan, 24 January 2007, High school hoops roundup
• Newton Kansan, Newton, Kansas, 25 January 2007, Newton Panthers 61, Wichita Warriors 40 …
• Bryan College Station Eagle, Bryan-College Station, Texas, 30 January 2007, Girls Basketball Roundup: Brazos Christian tops BV Home School
• Midland Daily News, Midland, Michigan, 31 January 2007, High school hoops roundup

posted by Valerie

The Durham News, Durham, North Carolina, 16 December 2006, At home on the basketball court: Big wins, good friends for homeschool team

Durham Flight is one of 11 homeschool basketball teams in the state and one of only two in the Triangle. With so few teams, Flight players travel up to an hour and a half to practices in Bahama and Durham.

The team started in 2002 with eight middle school boys who “literally practiced at the end of the street in someone’s cul de sac,” said head coach Doug Dahms. Practices moved to a gym the following year, and with that came more players and a full season. The team became Durham Flight in 2004, with one middle and high school squad. Now there are middle school and varsity teams for both sexes and a boys junior varsity squad.

Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 19 December 2006, Home-schooled team advantage

Banners recognizing the North Metro Blazers’ past two league championships cannot be found hanging in a gymnasium because the boys’ basketball team does not belong to a traditional school. All of the program’s 23 players are home-schooled.

The program, now in its sixth season, offers players the chance to socialize with others and learn the lessons of discipline and teamwork.

…

North Metro won the Christian Athletic League — made up of 12 boys’ basketball teams from various parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin — in each of the past two seasons. Last season, the Blazers’ fast-paced style led to a 25-3 record and an average of 90.6 points scored per game.

Newton Kansan, Newton, Kansas, 21 December 2006, PREP GIRLS Non League Ponca City Saints 37, Newton Panthers 31 … (subscription required)

Friday at Ponca City, Okla., the Panthers lost to the Ponca City Home School Saints 37-31.

Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, North Carolina, 21 December 2006, South Piedmont football honors out

Swimming

Boiling Springs Crest’s Saxon Simpson, a state meet qualifier, and Tory Bryant, a home-schooler from Charlotte, signed with Gardner-Webb.

Port Huron Times Herald, Port Huron, Michigan, 25 December 2006, Hojnacki eyes third straight bowling title

Fair Haven resident Clarence Spurr is off to a good start this season with the Sterling Heights Summit Home School. The 6-foot-8, 280-pound center helped Summit win the Springfield Invitational earlier this month.

In the finals, Summit earned a 72-65 win against Lansing Home School.

This summer, Spurr played in the junior national tournament in Ohio. He helped his team finish seventh in the event.

Traverse City Record Eagle, Traverse City, Michigan, 29 December 2006, Suttons Bay sails off with title

Leland went undefeated in pool play with wins over Glen Lake (21-11, 21-15), Pentwater (21-13, 21-10), Benzie Central (21-15, 21-14) and Traverse City Home School (21-7, 21-8) to reach the semifinals.

Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, Montana, Lady Crusaders whip N. Idaho, move to 10-0

MISSOULA Flathead Valley Home School wrapped up the 2006 portion of its girls basketball schedule with a 48-23 triumph over North Idaho Christian School on Saturday at the Missoula Holiday Classic.

posted by Valerie

Murfreesboro Post, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 17 December 2006, CAPE helps special needs athletes compete

It was baseball season, and [Rick] Ryan, a Murfreesboro resident, coached a special needs child. The mentally challenged child loved baseball but wasn’t going to be able to compete at a higher level. Ryan wanted the child to stay involved with baseball, so he inquired as to whether there was a league for special needs children.

…

He decided to see what he could do for special needs children in the area, and the organization Challenged Athletes Playing Equally was born.

…

Jennifer King’s son Tanner didn’t have a positive experience at school. The other children laughed at him and were mean because he’s autistic. Therefore, King decided to home-school her child. Home-schooling Tanner prevented other children from harassing him, but he needed a way to meet others.

King heard about the program and took Tanner to watch a baseball game.

“Rick took him off, talked to him,” said King, a paramedic with Rutherford County Ambulance Service. “Rick invited him to play for the travel league.”

posted by Valerie

Midland Daily News, Midland, Michigan, 6 December 2006, High school hoops roundup

Steven Pierce scored 24 points to lead Midland Home School to a 54-29 win over Owosso Home School in season-opening basketball action at Hangtime Sports on Tuesday.

Midland Daily News, Midland, Michigan, 13 December 2006, Midland Home School falls to Skeels Christian

GLADWIN — Skeels Christian School of Gladwin defeated Midland Home School 50-30 in basketball Tuesday.

Midland Home School is in the Michigan Freelance league.

posted by Valerie