TSSAA Transfer Rule

[VolunteerGeneral]

Great example ... here in Williamson Co. one year it's closed the next year depending on numbers or construction it's not. There are ten high schools in Williamson County now ( I count CPA). 6 public 4 private soon to be 5 private with Ensworth building on the border. I think a family should have the liberty to make a change if they think it is warranted w/o having to adhere to the transfer rule. And if a kid is so good that one of the private schools wants to offer him a free ride, then that's great for the kid, great for his family and it doesn't hurt TN High School football one iota. If Ensworth wants to become The New York Yankees ... let them. As a Red Sox fan since 1967 I can tell you that George Steinbrener's check book has raised the level of play for all teams. You just have to raise your level to meet it.

 

Rebel Level Baby....I Believe!!!

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And if the kid spent a year there at Ensworth and abolutely hated the school or had trouble with his academics and wanted to leave, then just let him return to his old school with no questions asked. Having the kid sit out a year benefits no one.

[ELA]

As we have discussed many times before this is how it is in every athletic association in the UNITED STATES! All states play under some established rules that must be maintained. If you take away all transfer rules you will see wide-open recruiting wars all across America!

 

What I propose is empowering families to transfer without the strict adherence of the TSSAA. A few months ago you said you liked my idea. Don't worry, I ran it by my friends in Nashville and they hated the idea so it won't happen anytime soon. My ideas makes sense to a lot of coaches I have shared it with because it takes the TSSAA out of the loop to some extent.

 

Your son plays for JCM, therefore, they do "own him" (your words) to some extent. If you chose to transfer him to another school in the county without a valid change of address he will have to sit out one year. This is the rule and nothing will change. My proposal came after the problems that arose in Gallatin last fall. Let the schools authorize all transfers (with the assumption that the local school board approves the student's registration in their district). This takes the TSSAA out of the approval process and they are only a collector of paperwork. The only time they would come into play would be if a dispute arises outside of the two schools involved.

 

What you suggest would never work. Even the Mississippi Private school association requires transfer guidelines. All private school associations do what I'm suggesting. It is a solid plan that is in place in associations around the nation.

 

General, I know you don't like the idea of any school limiting the choices of student-athletes but that is the reality in every college in America. It is the reality in every high school in America. And it is even at the youth and middle school level in most communities. If you live in Williamson County, your son is required to play in the ZONE he resides in. This is how it is in life.

[ksgovols]

Where did you get the idea that transfer rules are different for private schools?  Same 1 year ineligibility.  No difference.

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Right you are. I suppose all TSSAA members abide by the same set of rules. I guess that's why the transfer takes place in the 8th or 9th grade. My point is that if the two schools are agreeable and adhere to 'transfer rules' that the kid shouldn't be penalized if certain guidelines are followed. The athletes should be treated the same as non-athletes. If 'recruiting' is charged and substantiated, then the TSSAA should get involved and meter out any penalties to the school(s) involved. At least the rules should be the same across the board. How are student-athletes at a school that doesn't offer a sport that the athlete participates in to be addressed? Do they go to the closest school that offers the sport and attend the school they're zoned for or can they pick and choose which school they want to compete for? Should they have to transfer or be able to choose which school they attend? This is particularly applicable to counties that might have one or two schools that participate in a sport, but several in-county schools that do not offer that sport. What then? How about kids that live just over county lines that want to play for a school with a bigger program? It happens......I just think some uniformity in regards to transfer rules should be applied with the student-athlete in mind rather than how the competition is affected in the district.

 

School zones for public schools are based on a geographical basis with population restrictions accounted for. Private schools have more leeway in regards to geography, though I suppose they may opt to restrict the number of students attending their school in some form or fashion. No matter. The question I have is whether a student can choose to participate in a sport at another school that their zoned school may not offer any more than they can choose to attend a school that offers pre-college Calculus that they are not zoned for because their school doesn't offer that course. What address is used to determine where a child attends school? Will a post office box suffice?.......or a grandparents?.......or a non-custodial parent's address?..........or a 'second home'? You guys don't think some parents are looking for a loop-hole to get their kid in the school of their choosing? Think again........

[bdog3741]

The biggest problem you will come into if you allow school systems to decide and AD's approve transfers (without a valid move). Any coach worth anything is not going to let his AD approve a transfer of a student who is anygood at all. Therefore the only kids who will be allowed to transfer are the ones who arent 1st or potentially 1st string down the road material. Then after the transfer you run into the same problem. The parent is mad cause their son/daughter is not playing and then what? transfer back?

[ksgovols]

One transfer every 4 years if living at the same address. School shopping should be discouraged if possible. It's not as black and white as it might seem in some cases........

[futbolfan]

They at least do a little. A couple of years ago Anderson County had to ruin a 9-1 season because a student transfered to Campbell County and when he transfered he had an incomplete on one of his grades. He may have seen the field once or twice a game on special teams but they had to forfit the games he played in.

[recruitguru]

I dont understand how any of this works, I see kids who live in bloomingdale going to db because they pay tuition, or use someone elses address and vice versa, why isnt any of this enforced around here, I just wondered, not saying anything bad about the schools, just asking a question to something i see quite frequently, kids are all out of zone around here.

[oskie]

I believe in the right of parents to put their kids in school where they want. But if you don't have some guidelines about transfers, there would be chaos. There are plenty of ways for kids to legitimately change schools and stillnot lose eligibility. Do your homework before you enroll in a school.

[Black&Blue]

Let`s take for instance a kid in Jackson TN (entering the 9th grade)that is zoned for Southside. His parents really want him to go to Liberty Tech Magnet where they have one of the best technologyprograms in the stae. After one year, the kid says I really don`t like Liberty. I`d rather go back to Southside where all my old friends are. The parents, realizing how much trouble it is just getting their kid from one side of the county to the other, agree. The kid asks the school board for a transfer back to his zoned school and the grant it. Now there is no way that the TSSAA should punish this kid . The transfer rule is horrible.

 

Just let kids go where their school systems says its OK for them to go and forget about it.

 

 

VG, I know of a real life situation that really shows how bad the rule is. (You may know of it) This one kid transferred to a particular school during 9th grade. Being he transferred, he sat out football season in 10th grade which is what was expected. While there, he discovered he didn't enjoy the surrondings and in 11th grade, transferred to another school. He was lead to believe that everything was ok, but 2 days before football season started, TSSAA ruled him ineligible for 11th grade as well. Why? Because he wanted to keep in shape and played JV basketball in 10th grade. Playing on the JV level in a totally different sport rules him ineligible? 2 years the TSSAA kept him from playing football. Was the transfer rule enforced here to actually serve the purpose that it was intended for? I think not. All's he has left is his Senior year to maybe earn a scholarship which we know is very hard to do. Now if this kid was a marginal athlete it would be a terrible thing to have happen. What makes it worse, this kid is the best reciever I have ever seen (6' 3 1/2, 180, 4.5-40) and I don't throw compliments out that often.

[ELA]

You can't have kids transfering anytime they want to without some guidelines. Maybe the guidlines need to be changed somewhat but you can't possibly do away with them!

[HTV]

You can't have kids transfering anytime they want to without some guidelines. Maybe the guidlines need to be changed somewhat but you can't possibly do away with them!

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Agreed. Whatever the guidlines are they need to be consistent and applicable to every school in the state equally. The playing field needs to be level.

[wingman10]

Ela is right. If you had kids transfering from yr to yr without guidelines, it would be chaos.