TSSAA Rules vs. Club Practice

[REGal4]

Can some of you big posters out there explain the TSSAA rule of not competing/playing/practicing in club sports while playing in high school? My understanding is that an athlete who does so risks forfeiting games for his/her high school. As you can see, I have only a few posts and don't know much. Maybe MustCoach can help me clear this up as he appears to coach a club team? Wouldn't doing this along with playing high school be against regulations?

[chances R]

The Q&A below were taken from the TSSAA web-site. They apply to about all HS sports even though the question states baseball and softball. For the complete set of rules see : http://www.tssaa.org/Handbook/handbook.pdf

 

 

 

"Q. May a player participate in a scrimmage, practice game or game with an independent team after being registered with TSSAA in that sport?

A. No. The student shall be ineligible immediately in the sport in which the violation occurs.

4.

Q. Is it a violation for a registered athlete in baseball or softball to practice with an independent team?

A. No, provided he/she participates in practice situations only (batting practice, infield practice, etc.), provided no game situations are involved"

[BigG]

From my conversations with the TSSAA, my understanding of the rule is that they can practice all they want with their club team during season, but are not allowed to play ANY scrimmage or game with any team other than their highschool team (that includes organized indoor 5 on 5)

[mustcoach]

Chances R and BigG have it correct.

[REGal4]

From my conversations with the TSSAA, my understanding of the rule is that they can practice all they want with their club team during season, but are not allowed to play ANY scrimmage or game with any team other than their highschool team (that includes organized indoor 5 on 5)

 

Thanks so much for clearing this up. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

[DonCChatt]

Just to stir the pot some, how does this rule compare to rules in other states?

[MVM]

Just to stir the pot some, how does this rule compare to rules in other states?

 

I know Georgia has no such rule. /ph34r.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ph34r:" border="0" alt="ph34r.gif" />

[BigG]

I both like this rule, and don't like this rule:

 

Point

 

1. By having this rule, highschools don't have to compete with club during the same season, around tournaments and practices (something which we deal with all the time in middleschool soccer). This is a HUGE benefit to the highschool coach.

2. Since most clubs don't have a season during a highschool season, kids aren't put in the middle of the two to have to choose (I will come back to this one in the counter point).

 

Counter point

 

1. I have somewhat of a hard time in the TSSAA regulating what a kid does with his time. While I think playing two is too much, I don't know if they should be the ones deciding.

 

2. Clubs are the #1 recruiting tool for a future college soccer player. Since you can't play both, I think we will start to see kids choosing to play club ball INSTEAD of highschool ball for this reason (plus there are many good tournaments that occur in highschool seasons that the kids can't play in... Atlanta Cup for girls, Dallas Cup for boys)

 

3. I beleive that club soccer is one of the major reasons why TN soccer has gotten so good recently, and has received some national attention. The coaches (for the most part) really know what they are doing, and do a fabulous job on technique and tactics. I, for one, have benefitted from that on my team, where my practices don't have to focus as much on technique, since they did that so much in club). So PART of me wouldn't mind seeing them work with their club.

 

Conclusion:

 

Not having to compete for practice time or game schedules with a club team is the biggest reason why I am glad that this rule is in effect. It is so hard to schedule things in middle school soccer, since the team has girls on 4-5 different clubs, going to different tournaments. I can't imagine dealing with that in the highschool season. It is hard enough dealing with the highschool academic/extra curricular activities calendar!

[wcsoccernut]

1. By having this rule, highschools don't have to compete with club during the same season, around tournaments and practices (something which we deal with all the time in middleschool soccer). This is a HUGE benefit to the highschool coach.

 

 

BigG

The same rules apply to middle schools. . . I think tmsaa says to follow tssaa handbook. . . If you have kids playing both school and club soccer you risk forfiting your middle school season

[BigG]

BigG

The same rules apply to middle schools. . . I think tmsaa says to follow tssaa handbook. . . If you have kids playing both school and club soccer you risk forfiting your middle school season

 

You are correct, but we are not members of the TMSAA (and intrestingly enough most Knoxville middle schools are not as well).

[kickgrass]

Well said Big G. I am a big proponent of club soccer, yet I like the way that it is currently set-up. The kids have a chance to do both. There is something special about the kids being able to suit up and play for their school in front of their peers.

 

If both club and school were allowed in the same season you would see kids leaving school practice and going straight to club practice. Playing school games during the week and club games/tournaments on weekends. The result would be 2 things: a dramatic increase in overuse injuries, and more kids getting burned out and quitting 1 team or the other or both.

 

At the same time I'm also against the TSSAA being able to legislate what and when kids can do things on theri own time.

[MVM]

Big G...All good points from a school coach.

 

However from a club coach of Middle school age players this is what I run into in the Chatt. area.

 

1st- Hamilton Co. public schools season runs Oct-Nov Boys & Girls

2nd-Private school season runs from Aug-Oct. for girls, Boys are in the spring

3rd- Every surrounding county has different dates of when they have their Middle School season

 

It's hard to get your whole team together for the season.

 

I would like TSSAA to set soild dates for all Middle school teams. /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />