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.
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 AO 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.
Step 3
Medical Clearance- Prior to the physical fitness test, 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.
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.
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.
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.
