"Athletic Attendance Zones" addressed @ 2014 LHSAA Meeting

[whssoccermom]

Can someone explain to me how the new athletic attendance zones will apply to the 2014-2015 school year.

[whssoccermom]

Did any of you coaches out there attend the recent annual LHSAA meeting where this was discussed? I need to verify that a local coach is giving parents correct information.

[kevin]

My understanding is that the big change is that anyone is eligible right away at their first choice of high school in their own parish. That doesn't (necessarily) apply if a student attends an elementary school in one parish and then goes to a high school in a different parish.

[edit]--I know there is other stuff in the new rules, but I don't know what exactly you're asking about. There was a lot of discussion in the boys' forum, but there weren't always answers. See this thread: laprepsoccer.proboards.com/thread/18065/lhsaa-convention-agenda-dealing-soccer?page=6

[whssoccermom]

Thanks for the info Kevin. I have a better understanding of the new ruling. Confirms my suspicions. We have two middle schools that feed into our high school. One middle school is 100% feeder, the other is, maybe, 15-20% feeder. Only one middle school has a soccer program, the latter mentioned. So, majority of soccer players we get at our HS have no soccer experience. If given the option, the few players we get from other middle school will choose the other high school to play soccer there because it is a strong program with all of its players having previous soccer experience. We are already on the losing end of soccer in our town and now this rule may seal our fate all together.

[rlb2024]

Mar 26, 2014 20:38:54 GMT -6 whssoccermom said:

Thanks for the info Kevin. I have a better understanding of the new ruling. Confirms my suspicions. We have two middle schools that feed into our high school. One middle school is 100% feeder, the other is, maybe, 15-20% feeder. Only one middle school has a soccer program, the latter mentioned. So, majority of soccer players we get at our HS have no soccer experience. If given the option, the few players we get from other middle school will choose the other high school to play soccer there because it is a strong program with all of its players having previous soccer experience. We are already on the losing end of soccer in our town and now this rule may seal our fate all together.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is what is allowed by the local school board.  (I'm assuming you're talking about public schools here; if you're not then this probably wouldn't apply).  Some public school districts mandate that students attend the school in their home attendance district unless they get permission from the school board.  In our area that permission is not easy to get, and we do not have magnet or charter schools that accept students from anywhere in the parish.  Our only alternative to the public high school in our attendance zone is to attend private school.

The rule change did make it legal to attend ANY private school in the parish, rather than just the one that is located in the same attendance zone as the public high school, as an incoming freshman and still retain varsity eligibility in your freshman year.  We have 5 LHSAA-member private high schools in our parish, so this will help them at the (potential) expense of the public high schools.

[whssoccermom]

I am referring to public high school. The coach of the other hs is really excited about this new rule. He seems to think, from what his parents have told me, that he will have no trouble getting those 9th graders who would be coming to our high school over to his team. It is just very frustrating, we are holding our program together, year to year, with duct-tape and super glue! I am not even sure I will tell me daughter, who is the only player on her hs team to play club. Ironically, she plays on club team with players from other hs.

[wmrebsoccer]

I would be very surprised if any school board just starts letting the middle school students just pick what HS they wish to attend. If the school doesn't have a failing grade academically, then the only other reason to switch would be for athletics. I just don't see public school boards allowing this.