If you’re a homeschooling parent and are looking for sports opportunities, this is the right place!
In this article, we will answer the big question, can homeschoolers participate in sports?
Part of your children being educated in a public or private school is having access to sports and even dreaming of playing professionally when they grow up.
This is a pending issue for all families who have decided to do homeschooling with their children and know it is essential for their integral education.
Stay with us to find out about the options available, and read some tips we have prepared for families looking to engage in sports.
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Common Concerns About Homeschooling Sports
While we’re sure there are many benefits for homeschoolers who play sports, there are also some challenges they must overcome.
Even though the student population in the homeschooling area is 10% of the students in the country, the administrative logistics still don’t reach the necessary management level.
The legislation in the United States regarding sports in the area of education is not the same in all states. So, in some, it will be easy to do the paperwork, while in others, it will not.
In some states, access to sports in schools is not even allowed to those students who do homeschooling, regardless of the educational level they have reached or their proficiency level in the sport.
But in general, there are two big concerns that most families and students have when considering a sport during their homeschooling:
Is it possible for homeschoolers to play sports in high school and to integrate into college athletics?
The answer is yes.
Although the road to achieving it can be complicated due to the requirements in each state, it is not impossible to achieve the goal of being a high-performance athlete and competing.
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Legal Requirements for Homeschooling Sports
Although homeschoolers are allowed to play public school sports, participation depends on state or local board policies.
In 2020, 33 states passed the Tom Tebow Bill. However, some of those states require part-time enrollment in public schools or special permission from the local district.
To understand more, you should know who Tim Tebow is and his involvement in sports for homeschoolers.
Tim Tebow was a homeschooled student-athlete that became an NFL quarterback.
His path to becoming a professional player began in Pennsylvania when he was granted clearance to play at a public high school.
He later led the Florida Gators team to win two national championships.
Following this case, many states passed legislation allowing homeschoolers access to public school sports.
However, despite passing the Tim Tebow Bill, some states have requirements that make the process more complicated for homeschooling families.
Each state determines whether homeschoolers are eligible to participate in public school sports.
According to the HSLDA, some of the qualifications that homeschoolers need to fulfill to play sports in public schools that don’t have the Tim Tebow Bill are:
“Although specific requirements vary from state to state, they generally include:
1) Complying with the state homeschool law
2) Meeting the same eligibility requirements (residence, age, etc.) as public school students, and
3) Submitting verification that the student is passing their core subjects.”
If you want to know in detail the requirements in each state, see this guide.
Benefits of Participating in Sports for Homeschoolers
Variety of Sports to Choose From
One of the great benefits of choosing a program to play sports as a homeschooler is that they have a broader list of sports available.
Generally, a public school has a list of 5 to 8 sports their students can choose from, but a homeschooler has at its disposal the sports of all public schools, or at least most.
In addition, homeschooling families have more budget to pay for a less crowded sport like water polo, horse riding, or archery.
More Time Available
Homeschooling allows children to dream of becoming great athletes in their favorite sport since they can arrange their schedules as needed.
This ease of training at the best time for them will give them more motivation and interest in completing their schoolwork, whether in the morning, afternoon, or night.
Also, the more they train, the better they will be at the sport.
Ease of Traveling and Racing
If children get serious about the sport they practice, they can become proficient athletes or simply develop discipline that will help them for the rest of their lives.
Homeschooling helps children continue learning while traveling and competing.
The flexibility of adapting the curriculum according to the place they are and the time they have available to learn is one of the reasons why many families choose this type of teaching.
Promote Health and Success
Families who homeschool their children allow them to have greater control of their athletic children’s physical and mental health.
They can prepare the necessary foods for their children’s diet according to the sport they practice and ensure complete nutrition.
In addition, they can modify their schedule to encourage proper sleep and use post-workout energy levels to benefit their educational activities.
This will give them excellent performance in their studies and sports, becoming successful students.
Read also: 9 Free Homeschool Curriculum Options with Daily Lesson Plans
How to Engage Your Homeschoolers in Sports
A wide variety of options are available for your children to start engaging in sports, practicing, and gaining more experience.
But how to find those places with sports activities for your children?
Here we will mention some ideas for you to start the search.
Homeschool Teams
Some families do homeschooling and have taken the initiative to create their own homeschooling sports program.
Parents become managers, and they put together teams so their children can practice sports.
In some cases, they play against other homeschool teams or even against traditional school teams.
Community Leagues
In your community, you can also find community sporting leagues that offer sports programs for children and teenagers.
It is an ideal place for your children to take advantage of training and sports competitions to have social interaction and physical activity.
Individual or group private training
In your town, you will surely find an academy or coach with a spot open on their squad. These coaches might even offer individual lessons on the sport your children wish to practice.
This is an excellent option for them to get physical activity and training and start mastering their chosen sport.
Although it is a little more expensive than the other options since you must pay registration and a monthly fee, this can give you more personalized training.
School Sports Program
As we mentioned before, depending on the state in which you live, you can apply to the sports program of a local school even if you have homeschooled students.
You must ensure that the online school where your child studies is fully accredited to apply and that your child is considered a full-time student.
By being in these official programs, your children can participate in interscholastic competitions that, over time, can become regional, state, and even national competitions.
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Incorporate Sports into Homeschool Curriculum
First, your children must choose the sport they want to start training.
You can guide them by having them watch videos of the Olympics. Exposing them to various sports and athletes from around the world will help them get inspired and help them choose one.
It’s okay if they change their option later. If they try different approaches, finding their favorite sport will eventually become easier.
Incorporating a daily exercise routine may be enough to get your child interested in sports. You can try walks, floor exercises, bicycle rides, etc.
You can also choose a more relaxed and common sport that does not require a team to get out of the routine at home.
For example, one day, you can teach them how to bowl. This is a great sport that doesn’t require a lot of training and is a lot of fun!
These small activities can also be an excellent option to create stronger family bonds and let your children know that their decisions are considered.
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Pick a Sport, and Let the Fun Begin!
Finding the perfect place for your kids to play sports can be challenging.
But all it takes is finding a space to slowly develop their athletic skills to eventually get called up by recruiters for big sports teams.
Remember that perseverance is vital for them to develop a passion for the sport they choose. The unconditional support of parents also plays an important role in their performance.
After they achieve a goal, you can reward them with private lessons. Or you can even challenge them to learn a new language which in the future can broaden their professional and academic possibilities.
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