The Athletic Placement Process is ONLY for 7th and 8th graders who are challenging to participate at a JV or Varsity level.

The NYS Education Department has implemented the new Athletic Placement Process (APP) which began for the Fall 2015 season. This has replaced the former Selection Classification Assessment.

The APP is a program for evaluating students who want to participate in sports at a higher level as approved by the Board of Regents as a part of the school eligibility rules in 1980, and is aligned with Learning Standards 1 and 2. These standards state that students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity, maintain personal health, and acquire both the knowledge and ability to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment.

The APP represents the shared belief of the NYSAAA, the NYSPHSAA, medical directors, directors of physical education/athletics, and the NYSED that physical education and interscholastic athletics competition are important to the development of the whole child, and that students benefit when they can participate in such activities at a pace that is consistent with their physical and emotional maturity, size, fitness level, and athletic skill.

The APP is NOT to be used to fill positions on teams, provide additional experience, provide an opportunity for middle school or junior high students when no modified program is offered, or to reward a student. Instead, it is aimed at the few, select students who can benefit from such placement because of their level of readiness.

The APP is to be used only when an individual athlete’s athletic skills warrant moving to the higher level of competition and therefore, ideally, it should be initiated by the district’s physical education director and/or athletic director and physical education staff, who recognize the student’s skill.

Normally, a student is eligible for senior high athletic competition in a sport during each of four consecutive seasons, beginning with entry into the ninth grade. However, by satisfying the requirements of the APP, a student may receive extended eligibility that permits:

a) participation during five consecutive season in the approved sport, after entry into the eighth grade; or
b) participation during six consecutive seasons in the approved sport, after entry into the seventh grade.

The President’s Physical Fitness Test has been selected as the test for this process. The components of the fitness test include the following:

• Curl ups for one minute (measure strength and endurance). Partner holds the feet, arms are crossed, elbows touch knees, then scapulas (shoulder blades) touch floor for one curl up. Bouncing not permitted.
• Shuttle run (measures speed and agility). Two parallel lines marked 30 feet apart, student picks up 2 blocks or similar, cross starting line.
• One mile run/walk (measures heart/lung endurance). Times are recorded in minutes and seconds.
• Note: For swimming – may alternate 500 yard swim for this component.
• Upper Body Strength & Endurance Testing (2 options)
  • 1. Pull-ups – Can use either overhand grasp (palms facing away from the body) or underhand grasp (palm facing toward the body). Chin must clear the bar to count as a pull up.
  • 2. Right Angle Push-ups – Keeping knees and back straight, lower body until 90-degree angle.
• Sit and reach testing (2 options – measures flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings) – legs must remain straight; fingertips of both hands should reach evenly along the measuring line.
  • 1. V-Sit & Reach in inches
  • 2. Sit & Reach in centimeters

Procedure

Step 1

Request/permission form submitted to the Director of Athletics. The process for athletic placement of a student will start when a request form is filled out and submitted by a parent/guardian to the Athletic Office. (form can be found at the top of this page or to the right under ‘forms.’)

Step 2

The head varsity coach of each sport must collaborate with coaches from the various levels and submit the names of students participating in the APP to the athletic director. No student will be considered who has not been recommended by the head coach to the athletic director.

Step 3

The athletic director must approve the students wishing to go through the process. The athletic director will confer with middle school counselors and administrators to further assess each student’s emotional, social and academic status.

Step 4

Medical clearance – A valid physical with tanner level must be submitted to the district. This must be completed BEFORE the physical fitness portion of the process. If the student is determined to have attained the appropriate physical maturity level and comparable physical size for the desired sport and level, the student may proceed. Please use the form below to have your personal physician complete the tanner information and then must be approved by the school district’s medical director (Dr. Sgambati).

Step 5

The coach needs to have a sport skill evaluation on file for the student.

Step 6

Physical fitness testing (by season). This must be done by a certified physical education teacher who is NOT a coach of the sport for which the student will be trying out. The student must meet the 85th percentile level for their age in 4 out of 5 test components. The athlete gets one try at each test component, no second chances. Students who desire to try out for bowling or golf teams are not required to complete the physical fitness test.

Once these requirements have been met, the student can participate in the physical fitness assessment. Students must pass all but one of the standards. The athlete gets one try at each test component, no second chances.

If the student passes the physical fitness portion, the student is afforded a three-day try-out. If the student is selected for the higher level team, they stay. If they are not selected, they must return to modified by the fourth day.

Previous APP student:

If there is no change in the level of play, student does not need to retake the fitness portion. For a change in the level of play, student needs to meet standards for the age level. Student can use the scores from previous year if they meet the standard at the new age level.