Homeschool Sports Access in Virginia

 

Once again a bill is making its way through the General Assembly in Richmond (HB 511) to permit homeschool sports access.  These bills are commonly referred to as Tebow bills after Tim Tebow, who famously was permitted to play high school sports in Florida as a homeschooler.  Often this bill will make it through the General Assembly and on to the governor, but the last couple of Democratic governors have vetoed them without even researching the issue as a nod to the VEA, who remains steadfastly opposed to it.  During the last session of the General Assembly, I'm not even sure the bill was introduced, and if it had been, the Democrats wouldn't even have let it get out of the education committee.  This year is different though, and it has a chance to get signed into law.  Read on for why this particular bill is necessary and worthy of passage.

According to a VCU Commonwealth Education poll more than two-thirds of Virginians (67%) favor allowing homeschooled students to participate on public school teams. In fact, when my son was playing baseball and was looking for a more competitive environment in which to play, his friends from church and Scouts couldn't understand why he was not even allowed to try out for the team at the local high school.

Some additional facts to consider: School-based sports teams are often the only opportunities available at the high school level in rural areas of the state, and they allow uncommonly talented athletes the chance to be considered for college scholarships. School boards should have a choice about whether or not to allow homeschoolers to try out. These bills would allow local school boards to set the policy that is right for their communities and does not place a mandate on public schools. Homeschool sports access is working smoothly in 29 states. No state that has enacted homeschool sports access has repealed it. In fact, some states have increased the scope of that access over time. HB 511 would only allow bona-fide homeschooled students to try out at the public school in their attendance zone, and the bill allows public schools to charge reasonable fees. The impact on public schools and public school students would be small. There are fewer than 6,000 homeschooled high school students in Virginia. This averages to about 19 homeschoolers in the attendance zone of each of VHSL’s 311 member schools. Most would not even try out for public school programs; those who do would be trying out for a variety of different programs. Many who try out would not have the skills to make the team.

Homeschooled students in Virginia need legislative support in order to be allowed to try out for their local high school interscholastic programs. Despite significant effort by homeschooling organizations since 1997 to work with members of VHSL to develop fair, reasonable and practical eligibility guidelines for homeschooled students, VHSL has refused to consider any change. Virginia’s homeschooled students are depending on the General Assembly for a chance to try out. Homeschooled students are already involved members of their local communities, playing recreational league sports at younger ages, participating in local Scouting organizations, and maybe even rooting on their local high schools at football and basketball games.

We homeschooled our children for 18 years.  My older son graduated in 2014 and attended college at VCU, studying mechanical engineering. My younger son graduated in 2019 and is taking classes at Northern Virginia Community College and working. Even though we no longer homeschool, I still support this bill and will continue to lobby for it until it becomes law in Virginia.