From Bryan Yockers, Jenks High School

Postseason Competition Rule

This is what I'm sending out to Jenks parents.  Just wanted to let you know.  If you know of any other coaches to forward this to, please do, if you feel it would be helpful.  Let me know if you have any questions.

This is Coach Yockers and Coach Fernandez.  We want to be sure that all Jenks student-athletes and parents are aware of the postseason competition rule below.

This is not a Jenks rule.  This is an OSSAA rule.  We have been made aware that this rule will be strictly enforced from this time.  Coach Fernandez and I have been approached by numerous coaches from other schools about this rule.  Being concerned not only for the welfare of our own student-athletes but also the student-athletes of fellow schools across the state, the OSSAA has been contacted for their interpretation of the rule.  Now that we have a "ruling" we wanted to let everyone know as soon as possible.

From p. 33 of the OSSAA rulebook

( http://www.ossaa.com/handbook/handbook_rules.pdf ) concerning postseason competition.

f. An individual who has represented his school in a sport during the current season shall not represent his school in that sport after the season closes. Students may participate unattached; however, students shall not be absent from school while practicing, traveling, or participating in any meet, tournament, or contest, including all-star games.

Section 6. Rule Violation: Student violating the end of the season rule shall be ineligible for further competition in any sport until reinstated by the Board of Directors. The student's ineligibility may continue into the next academic year if the Board so determines it appropriate.

OSSAA Interpretation

...students running unattached means students are not to wear school uniforms and are not to be transported in school vehicles or by school personnel.

...students may run unattached (or for a club).

...however, students shall not be absent from school while practicing, traveling or participating in any meet,...  (There's no interpretation needed for this!)

Even if parents "call athletes out", the student-athlete is missing school.

Unattached (club) student-athlete competition is fine, as long as they don't miss school.

If they do, they violate OSSAA policy and they become ineligible to compete in any sport for a length of time to be determined by the OSSAA Board of Directors.

Students should not think that would mean that if they participated in one meet, they would have to miss one school meet.  They should expect that if they violate the rule once, they will be declared ineligible for the next season.

The OSSAA expectation is that if we become aware of students violating this policy we are to declare them ineligible and to contact the OSSAA with the infraction for their guidance as to the length of the student's ineligibility.