Student Eligibility

Eligibility of a student athlete, whether for the season or weekly, is determined by the Athletic Department. The basis of that determination can be found in, but is not limited to, Article 17 of the CHSAA by-laws. In determining transfer or other seasonal eligibility, the Athletics Director will consult with the league and with CHSAA.

Coaches will be updated weekly with eligibility information of their athletes. The head coach is responsible for the eligibility of the entire program. Only the Athletics Department can change the eligibility status of an athlete.

CHERRY CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICT INTERSCHOLASTIC PROGRAM

The Cherry Creek District High Schools, Cherokee Trail, Cherry Creek, Eaglecrest, Grandview, Overland and Smoky Hill, being members of the Colorado High School Activities Association, support the concept, Constitution and Bylaws of this organization as it pertains to high school athletic policy. Athletic procedures and regulations will be governed by Cherry Creek School District, Cherry Creek Schools Interscholastic Athletic Handbook, Centennial League Policies and the Colorado High School Activities Association Handbook.

CHSAA Administrative Procedures—Athletics-Activities

1. General Eligibility Rules for All Athletes and Activities as A student shall be eligible to represent his/her school in an interscholastic activity sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association if such student meets the following specific requirements:

A. The student is a bonafide undergraduate member of his/her high school.

B. In the judgment of the principal of the student's school he/she is representative of the school’s ideals in matters of citizenship, conduct and sportsmanship.

C. EXPULSIONS - A student who would be ineligible in any school because of expulsion, denial of admission or negotiated withdrawal may not become eligible for competition at any level by transferring. The period of ineligibility is determined by the school at which the ineligibility occurred. A transfer at the beginning of the school year does not decrease or eliminate the period of ineligibility caused by the expulsion. A student may not transfer schools to avoid expulsion time periods.

D. During the period of participation, the student must be enrolled in courses which offer, in aggregate. a minimum of 2 1/2 Carnegie units of credit per semester and must not be failing more than the equivalent of one-half Carnegie unit of credit.

E. (For purposes of this paragraph, academic eligibility shall be determined by the student's grade in progress from the beginning of the grading period of each class, as determined by the policy of the student's school, to the close of the certification day for the interscholastic activity in question. In all cases, the periods of eligibility and ineligibility must be equal and at no time may the two groups be eligible on the same day. )

F. He/she must have been eligible in accordance with paragraph “D” above at the close of his/her last prior semester of attendance.

G. During the semester preceding the semester in which the student wished to participate in any interscholastic activity, the student must not have failed more than the equivalent of one-half Carnegie unit of credit. (Note: For purposes of eligibility, a semester is considered to begin on the first pupil contact day, as defined by the Department of Education, following the completion of the preceding semester.)

H. Regaining Eligibility—Students who have not met the general eligibility requirements at the close of a semester may regain academic eligibility on the sixth Thursday following Labor Day for the first semester and on the Friday immediately prior to March 10th for the second semester.

I. In-season student athletes must be in attendance for at least one-half of their daily classes in order to be eligible to compete or practice on that day, unless an advanced approval for absence is on file in the Attendance office.

1) The number of credits failed or passed during a semester shall be determined from the student's school transcript and shall include all classes taken during the semester. Fractional credits awarded or not awarded by the school shall be arithmetically added at the end of each semester to determine eligibility for the succeeding semester If, after credits are totaled and failing credits total more than 1/2 credit, (.50), students will not be eligible according to Paragraphs (d) or (e) of Article 16- General Eligibility. For the purpose of athletic eligibility, an “I” (Incomplete) is considered an “F” (Failing).

2) A student who drops out of school after having been enrolled and in attendance fifteen days will not be eligible for the following semester of his/her attendance. If the student attends fifteen days or more during the semester he/she must complete the required number of credits for the whole of that semester to be considered for eligibility during the next semester.

3) Summer school courses completed after the close of the second semester may be used to replace any Carnegie units failed. Equivalent courses taken must be accepted by the school toward graduation. The equivalent credits must be completed by the Thursday prior to Labor Day. Credits made up through summer school must be in the same curricular area, be accepted to meet graduation requirements of classes previously failed and be recorded on the student’s transcript. A class in an area required for graduation may be taken to replace Carnegie units failed in an elective class. Written notification of a student(s) regaining eligibility, through summer school, must be included with the first semester eligibility report.

No make-up work shall be permitted after the close of the semester and/or the designated periodic eligibility check for the purpose of becoming eligible; and a “condition” (incomplete, unfulfilled outcome, etc.) shall, for the purpose of becoming eligible; and a “condition” (incomplete, unfulfilled outcome, etc.) shall, for the purpose of determine eligibility, count as a failure.

MANIFEST HARDSHIP FOR INCOMPLETE – A student failing to complete work during the normal semester because of a manifest hardship (injury, illness, or other circumstances beyond his/her control) may be permitted, at the discretion of his/her high school principal, to make up the work within a reasonable time following the student’s recovery. A “reasonable time” in most cases would be a like number of days which the student was absent from school. Notification must be filed with CHSAA.

Dropping out of school for work or financial reasons does not constitute manifest hardship. Note: Before enrolling in summer school classes, CONTACT the Registrar’s office to verify that the courses you are taking will be accepted by your school.

2. High School Weekly Eligibility for All Athletes

Teachers are required, through the guidance of the athletic office, to provide a weekly summary of all athletic participants who are doing failing work. Two failing grades during any reporting period constitute ineligibility for the following week and/or until at least one failure has been removed following a one week ineligibility. Also, two unsatisfactory behavior grades during any reporting period constitute ineligibility for the following week. Note: Individual sport coaches can require higher academic standards for their teams.

3. Age and Attendance Requirements for Athletes

A. You are eligible to enter interscholastic competition if your nineteenth birthday falls on or after August 1.

B. In a three year high school, you are eligible to compete for six consecutive semesters; in a four year school, you are allowed eight consecutive semesters. (Cases involving unusual circumstances should be submitted to your building athletic director)

4. See Athletic Director for Transfer Rule and visit Colorado High Activities Association at www.CHSAANow.com for transfer rules

Eligibility below the Varsity Level

A student declared ineligible based on “E”, may be granted Restricted Eligibility following the approval of a Restricted Residence Waiver by the CHSAA Commissioner. The waiver must be signed by the principals of the sending and receiving schools.

Undue Influence—Recruited Students

A student who transfers schools because of the recruiting efforts of school athletic staff members and/or school representatives of athletic interests (as defined in Article 18 of the CHSAA by-laws) shall be declared ineligible for a period of time to be determined by the commissioner. Such period may exceed one year.

HARDSHIP: If questions arise or you are in doubt, consult your building Athletic Administrator. Exception: The Commissioner, after receiving the recommendation of the school, the league and the losing school may grant eligibility for transfer due to hardship. A hardship is an unforeseeable, unavoidable AND uncorrectable act, condition or event which causes the imposition of severe and non- athletic burden upon the student or his/her family.

1) This is to include the case of orphans, children of overseas military transfers, foreign exchange students, children who are wards of the state or of a court and children from broken homes.

2) No consideration for waiver may be granted if by doing so the action will result in a student who was ineligible in the sending school becoming eligible in the receiving school.

3) Hardship appeals must be processed by the principal of the receiving school on the appropriate CHSAA form and in concert with the specific guidelines.

Check with your building athletic director for CHSAA Transfer rule updates.

All foreign students need to check in with the athletic director before going out for a sport. This includes Foreign Exchange Students.

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