Below you will find details on the Pelham Athletic Placement Process (APP) that include a brief overview of the program as well as the steps we use here at Pelham Public Schools.
APP Submission Dates
Varsity Head Coaches must submit all APP paperwork for students they want to go through the APP to the Athletic Office prior to the following dates:
- Fall 2025 - June 1, 2025 (June of the previous year)
- Winter 2025- October 1, 2025
- Spring 2026- February 1, 2026
- Fall 2026- June 1, 2026
Parents need to discuss the APP process with their respective coach prior to these dates. Late submission may not be considered.
What is the Athletic Placement Process (APP)?
The APP is a non-mandatory process that the New York State Education Department (NYSED) created to assess a student’s physical and emotional maturation, physical fitness, and sport skill, so that a student may try-out for an athletic team that is outside of their grade placement. The APP is typically used for 7th or 8th grade students who are exceptionally talented and wish to ‘play up’ at the Junior Varsity or Varsity levels of competition.
What the APP is not
The APP is not meant to evaluate all students and should be reserved only for students with the appropriate physical and emotional readiness, and whose athletic abilities are outside of those of their age-related peers. 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.
What are the steps?
Step 1
Prior to the scheduled APP physical fitness test, Varsity Head Coaches will inform the Athletic Office (AO) of any students that they have identified as meeting all the required criteria to begin the APP. The AO must work with appropriate school officials to determine if the recommended student is performing academically at or above their grade level AND to determine if the student is ready to socialize with high school-aged students.
Step 2
The Athletic Office will contact the parents/ guardians of students that have been identified for the APP. Parents/guardians will be asked to fill out the Permission Form and have their physician complete the Physical Maturity Form.
Furthermore, parents of the sports below are asked to consider the following additional qualifications to ensure they strongly believe their child is able to compete at the advanced level:
- Girls Swimming - Must achieve 9 minutes or better on 500 Meter swim during tryout
- Boys Swimming - Must achieve 8 minutes and 30 seconds or better on 500 Meter swim during tryout
- Girls Golf - Must average a sub-60 on 9 holes during the tryout period and rank in top 8 golfers on team
- Boys Golf - Must average a sub-50 on 9 holes during the tryout period and rank in top 8 golfers on team
- Boys & Girls Tennis - Must rank in top 3 singles or top 2 doubles teams on varsity by the end of the tryout period
Step 3
Medical Clearance - The District Medical Director (MD) will determine if a student has attained an appropriate level of physical maturity, and has a height and weight that are comparable to those of the proposed team members. Pelham adheres to NYSED recommendations, please see Form H.
Step 4
If all criteria to this point have been met, the student will take the physical fitness test to be administered by a certified school official. We strongly encourage families to familiarize themselves with the components and standards of the test and ensure your children are prepared to meet the criteria (please see Forms E & F).
Step 5
After the entire APP process has been completed, the AO will communicate the results to the parent/ guardians. Students that have met all of the criteria will then be allowed to try-out for the team. Please note that this only an opportunity to try-out and completion of the criteria does not mean a particular student-athlete will make the team.
Other Considerations
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The APP takes several weeks to complete and includes insight from several groups. It is strongly suggested that coaches inform the Athletic Office of a potential APP-student 8 weeks prior to the start of the particular season.
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Students will not be allowed to go through the APP process once try-outs are completed in the respective sport, unless a coach makes an off-cycle request to the AO.
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If a student has undergone the APP evaluation procedure and participated in the 7th grade, the process would not have to be repeated in the 8th grade provided they remain at the same level of athletic competition in the same sport. If the student changes levels or sports, the student’s scores should be reviewed to see if they meet the requirements for the desired level and sport.
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Parents/ guardians of students who are new to the district and can not be recommended by the Varsity Head Coach, can request a consultation meeting with the AD and the Varsity Head Coach.
