Lighthouse Home School Athletics Eligibility

Lighthouse Lions

LHSA is guided by the following by-laws and regulations.

Registration for the Athletic Program of Lighthouse is reserved for members of Lighthouse Homeschool Support.

Before requesting membership in the organization, please be familiar with and willing to comply with its homeschool eligibility, regulations, statement of faith, and mission.

Read each segment here.

If you would like to register for our athletic program, please complete the membership application and join the community of homeschoolers working together to provide opportunities for homeschool families in Southeast Texas.

LHSA Eligibility Requirements Player Requirements

*A player must be homeschooled. "Homeschooled" means that a player must be receiving his or her primary educational direction through the home and instruction or supervision through an at-home teacher/facilitator is at least 50% (see eligibility chart below for high school eligibility. Students playing in a middle school sport may have the exception for # 5 on the chart regarding the 4 course rule only.)

*A player must be living at home with a parent or guardian.

*A player is ineligible if that player has gone through a homeschool, public school, or private school high school graduation ceremony prior to that season's first game.

*A player must be passing all courses in order to participate in a contest or tournament. In performing the role of administrator for the homeschool, the parent is solely responsible for enforcing this rule.

Athletic Grade Classifications and Designations

LHSA, a grade-based athletic program, is designed for Middle School and High School homeschooled students. Middle School includes grades 6 through 8; High School includes grades 9 through 12.
An athletic grade designation must be declared upon registration and must conform to LHSA maximum age qualifications.
After or during the tryout of the first year of high school participation (whether participation took place at LHSA/STEP or another homeschool, public, or private school team), an athletic grade re-classification is not allowed.
A player shall become ineligible after 4 years of high school participation. Note: An exception is if the LHSA/STEP Board approves the participation of an 8th grade student on an LHSA high school sub-varsity team, in which case that player is granted 5 years of high school participation. This approval is based solely upon mixed level playing on a team for the purposes of sufficient participation or the benefit of the player due to lack of registration at the middle school level.
A high school player is ineligible to play on a middle school team. In other words, a ninth grade student is prohibited from playing on a middle school team regardless of his or her age, unless the team is designated as a mixed level team by the program administrators for the purposes of sufficient participation.
A middle school player is ineligible to play on a high school team, unless the middle school player is prevented from playing on a middle school team due to the age requirement, in which case the middle school player is considered a 9th grader for sports eligibility purposes. Note: An exception is if the LHSA Board approves the participation of an 8th grader on an LHSA high school sub-varsity team based upon need to satisfy sufficient participation or lack of sufficient registration for the middle school age team.
A 12th grader is prohibited from playing on a sub-varsity team regardless of his or her age unless that student has no previous competetive sports expererience or has an impairment that prevents him/her from safely playing at the varsity competitive level AND agrees that he or she would be best served in participating on a sub-varsity team.

Maximum Grade/Age Qualifications

A player is ineligible to play on any team on the next September 1st following that player’s 19th birthday.
A player is ineligible to play on a middle school team on the next September 1st following that player’s 15th birthday.

Minimum Grade/Age Qualifications

A player must be in at least the 5th grade AND must be at least 10 years old on September 1st of the current school year in order to participate on a middle school team unless that team has been designated by coaches and administrators as a mixed-level team for the purposes of that sport and sufficient enrollment..
A player must be in at least the 9th grade AND must be at least 14 years of age on September 1st of the current school year in order to participate on a high school team unless that team has been designated by coaches and administrators as a mixed-level team for the purposes of that sport and sufficient enrollment.
Bowling participants are not regulated by Lighthouse player requirements, but by the USBC Youth Bowling League requirements. All school-age children are eligible to participate.
For competitions or tournaments LHSA registers with or hosts, any player having won any or medaled in tournaments within a grade or classification division becomes ineligible to compete in that same division the following year regardless of age qualification unless the division eligibility is age-based and not grade or classification based.

Transfers and Expulsions

If a player started the season on another homeschool, public, or private school team, no transfer shall be allowed during the season without the approval of the LHSA program administrators and/or STEP Board.

If a player was expelled from a public or private school during the academic school year or in the year prior, no transfer shall be allowed without the approval of the LHSA program administrators and or STEP Board.

A player cannot play on another homeschool, public, or private school team in the same sport at the same time as playing on an LHSA-sponsored team. Playing on a parks and rec team or a select team is allowed, but clear communication with coaches is necessary to make sure that LHSA’s ability to field a team is not impacted.

Age based Classifications

Periodically, , an LHSA team may have the opportunity to participate in a pure, age-based contest or tournament, such as the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships. In those cases, teams may, at the discretion of the program adminstrators or STEP Board, be re-configured in such a way as to disregard grade classifications and adhere to only age guidelines.

Exceptions

Exceptions to any eligibility requirement (except age limitations) may be made only by express approval of the LHSA/STEP Board. No exceptions will be permitted to the age limitations.

Sort	Type	Description	Homeschool Status
1	Public ISD (including Homebound Education and Online Courses)	Educational Program dictated by the local ISD under the State direction and oversight of the UIL	Ineligible
2	Local Charter School	Educational Program dictated by a local Charter School, under the direction of the Charter School Board, oversight of the UIL	Ineligible
3	Community College (including Dual Credit Hours)	Educational Program dictated by Community College under direction and oversight of the state, monitored by Parent	Use 50% rule (maximum 9 hours/spring of fall semester)
4	Private School (e.g. Legacy, Veritas, Community, Kelly, etc.)	Educational Program dictated by the School, under the direction and oversight of TAPPS, SPC, etc.	Use 50% Rule (full-time* students disallowed)
5	Hybrid School (e.g. Veritas)	Educational Program dictated by the School and Parent, under part-time direction of school and part time direction of parent	Use 50% Rule (more than 2 days/week disallowed)
6	University Model School	Educational Program dictated by the School, under direction and oversight of TAPPS, SPC, etc.	Use 50% Rule (full-time* students disallowed)
7	Distance Learning Program (e.g. Bob Jones, Abeka, Monarch, etc.)	Educational Program dictated by a non-local sponsor and classes monitored by parent at home. (Public school distance learning programs not eligible.)	Eligible
8	Hired Instructor or Tutor (at home or another location)	Educational Program dictated by Parent and classes partially monitored by Parent at Home	Eligible
9	Enrichment Co-ops (CHSEL, Hearway, MCCHS, etc.)	Educational Program dictated by Parent with participation in enrichment classes	Eligible
10	Contracted Services/Course-level Co-ops (CHSEL+, Grace, CAFA, Parkview, etc.)	Educational Program dictated by Parent and conducted by “hired” teachers under the direction of the Parent	Eligible
11	Parent-taught Classes (may include DVD’s, online, video school, etc.)	Educational Program directed wholly by the Parent using purchased or developed curriculums	Eligible

*Full-time is defined as 4 or more courses taken at a private or university model school and attending the school for academics more than 2 days per week.