Copyright 2017 Philadelphia Newspapers, LLC
All Rights Reserved
The Philadelphia Inquirer
It may become more difficult for a PIAA student-athlete to transfer from one school to another and continue participation in one or more sports.
As first reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association has drafted a hard-hitting transfer rule that it plans to present at the PIAA board of directors meeting next month in Mechanicsburg.
Amy Scheuneman, the athletic director at North Hills in suburban Pittsburgh, passed along a summary of the proposal via email:
"Students shall be allowed to enroll/attend any high school without penalty prior to beginning their first day of their initial ninth grade year. After the first day of student's initial ninth grade year, receiving schools must complete the athletic transfer form and submit to the district committee for filing and/or exception consideration.
"If a student transfers at any time after the first day of the student's initial ninth grade year, the student shall be ineligible to compete in varsity level competition for a period of one calendar year from date of transfer in those sports in which the student participated (participation being defined as playing in a scrimmage or contest) during the 12 months immediately preceding the date of transfer."
Scheuneman, a member of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association board of directors, listed the five exceptions to the proposed one-year ban:
A "bona fide" move by parents, legal guardians, or foster parents from one school district to a different school district.
A legal change of custody as appointed by order of a court of common pleas.
Closure of a school.
A hardship request, including but not limited to anti-intimidation, harassment, bullying, administrative transfers, or court assigned schools.
Transfer to a residential public high school.
A public school student-athlete who transfers to a private or parochial school would not be eligible for a year.
"I would like this to serve as a starting ground for discussion," Scheuneman wrote in the email. "If people feel something else needs to be included or changed, they should contact their local PIAA district representative."
Currently, a student-athlete who transfers from one school to another is eligible if there is a "principal to principal sign-off" and athletic intent is not discovered or proven by a district committee.
Across the river, under current NJSIAA transfer rules, student-athletes who participated at the varsity level at their old school are required to sit out 30 days unless they can show a "bona fide change of address."Hall of Fame honors
Longtime Pottsgrove boss Rich Pennypacker will be honored by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame for his "contributions to amateur football" at a May 24 dinner at Villanova.
Donald "Big Doc" Dougherty, who coached St. Genevieve's CYO football squad for three decades, will receive a youth league award. Dougherty was an all-Catholic League defensive lineman for Bishop McDevitt in 1985.Around the area
Karrington Wallace, a 6-foot-7 junior forward who helped Archbishop Wood win the PIAA Class 5A basketball title, picked up scholarship offers Saturday from Binghamton and Towson. Classmate Seth Pinkney, a 6-11 center, also received an offer from Towson. . . . The second annual Bucks-Mont all-star football game is set for 7:30 p.m. May 5 at Neshaminy. . . . Math, Civics, and Sciences forward Ahmad Wimbush and Father Judge guard Matt O'Connor will continue their basketball careers at Clarion and Moravian, respectively. . . . Former Neumann-Goretti baseball standout Josh Ockimey was batting .404 with a .692 slugging percentage and 1.169 OPS through Friday for the Salem Red Sox, Boston's high-A affiliate in the Carolina League. The 21-year-old first baseman was drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 first-year player draft. . . . Wood junior tight end Kyle Pitts (6-5, 230) added scholarship offers from Alabama and Ohio State last week.
@ozoneinq
Read More of Today's AB Headlines
Subscribe to Our Daily E-Newsletter
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy
