Athletics

A student entering Grade 7 for the first time will be eligible during the first grading period of the school year regardless of previous academic achievement. To be eligible throughout the rest of the 7th grade year and as an 8th grader, students must be currently enrolled in school and receive a passing grade in at least five of those subjects in which the student received grades during the immediately preceding grading period. Note: There is no provision for academic probation for students who do not meet the minimum requirements for academic eligibility during their 7th & 8th grade years. Student eligibility will be established for each of the four quarterly grading periods during the school year.

Note: Summer school grades cannot be used to determine eligibility. Eligibility for the first quarter of the school year for 8th graders is based on quarterly grades received during the fourth quarter of their 7th grade school year.

Students entering Grade 7 or 8 in the Cincinnati Public Schools should be aware of the following requirements to be eligible to participate in athletics. These are requirements of the Cincinnati Public Schools and cannot be waived. Parent(s) or guardian(s) should make sure that they are aware of these rules. Please call the Athletic Office (363-7533) if you have any questions.

Each student in Grades 7 or 8 who wishes to participate in a sport must have the proper forms on file prior to being allowed to participate in any athletic programs offered by the Cincinnati Public Schools. These forms consist of:

1. Parental Medical Authorization to Participate Form/Physical: It must be completed and signed by the student's parent(s)/guardian(s) prior to participation.
2. Physical Examination Form: We strongly recommend and encourage students to get an annual pre-participation physical examination. However, they are no longer mandatory for students in Grades 7 & 8 provided the parents complete and sign the Parental Medical Authorization to Participate Form.
3. Parental Release of Liability/Assumption of Risk Waiver: This form is signed by both the student and his/her parent/guardian and must be on file for each team member.
4. Ohio Department of Health's Concussion Information Form: Parents and athletes have to read, sign and submit the Ohio Department of Health's Concussion Information Form prior to the start of each session.

These forms are available from your coach, from the office at your school or online. Make sure that you have this information completed prior to the start of practice.

Note: The school district has purchased insurance coverage for those who participate in our athletic programs. Medical expenses for accidental bodily injuries incurred during our supervised school athletic programs are considered. The insurance policy does not cover illnesses or conditions unrelated to an accidental injury. Our coverage is “excess only” coverage, meaning that benefits are paid only after any insurance carried by the family has reached its maximum levels. If no medical insurance is currently available for your family, our policy will consider medical bills up to the limits of the policy.

Students who turn 15 years of age or older prior to August 1 are ineligible for that school year in Grades 7 & 8. They may, however, participate in athletics, if they choose to do so, at the high school they would normally attend. 5th & 6th graders are not allowed to participate regardless of the grade they should be in.

Provided the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) reside within the boundaries of the Cincinnati Public School District, a student is eligible at a CPS school which has allowed them to enroll assuming all other eligibility standards are met. Where there has been a change of legal custody, a student must live in the same school district with their legal guardian.

School District-sponsored athletic programs available for students in Grades 7 & 8 include Football and Girls Volleyball during the Fall season, Boys & Girls Basketball during the Winter season and Track and Field for boys & girls and Baseball during the Spring season.

Note: Students may participate in athletic teams for their school and also participate on other recreation teams offered outside the school district during the same season unless specifically prohibited to do so by their League or Conference.

Please call the athletic office (513) 363-9205 for information on when practice and/or conditioning will begin. We strongly encourage your children to participate in our athletic programs.

Residence: Provided the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) reside within the boundaries of the Cincinnati Public School District, a student is eligible at a CPS school which has allowed them to enroll assuming all other eligibility standards are met. Where there has been a change of legal custody, a student must live in the same school district with their legal guardian.

Transfer Policy: If a student transfers after the fifth day of the student's ninth-grade year from a non-public to a public school, from a public school to a public school within the Cincinnati Public School District or from a non-public school to a non-public school, the student will be ineligible for one year from the date of enrollment in the new school. There are exceptions to this rule, so check with your school's Athletic Director for more information about this important OHSAA transfer rule.

OHSAA/CPS Eligibility Guidelines

Each student in grades 9-12 who wishes to participate in a sport must be aware of the following requirements in order to be eligible to participate. These rules are requirements of the Ohio High School Athletic Association and cannot be waived. Each student in grades 9-12 who wishes to participate in a sport must have the proper forms on file prior to the beginning of conditioning or practice of any sport. These forms consist of:

1. Athletic Medical History/Consent & Physical Examination Form: Each student in grades 9-12 must have a Physical Examination Form signed by a physician that provides proof of your individual physical fitness to participate. This physical is valid for one year from the date it is given.
2. Athletic Release of Liability, the Emergency Information Form, OHSAA Consent Forms and the Concussion Information Form: These forms must be on file for each team member. Parent(s)/ guardian(s) will be asked for information on what to do in case of injury or if your child ever needs to be taken to a hospital. Students and parents must also acknowledge the risks associated with athletic participation. Parents and athletes have to read, sign and submit the Ohio Department of Health’s Concussion Information Form prior to the start of each season.

*These forms are available from your coach, from the office at the high school, online or on our website under Forms. Make sure that you have this information completed prior to the start of practice.

Note: The school district has purchased insurance coverage for those who participate in our extracurricular programs. Medical expenses for accidental bodily injuries incurred during our supervised school extracurricular programs are considered. The insurance policy does not cover illnesses or conditions unrelated to an accidental injury. Our coverage is "in excess only" coverage, which means that benefits are paid only after any insurance carried by your family has reached its maximum levels. If no medical insurance is currently available to your family, our policy will consider medical bills up to the limits of the policy.

Eligibility is established on a quarterly basis and is determined by grades received during the preceding quarterly grading period. Semester, final grades, “fifth quarter” or rubric scores are NOT used to determine eligibility. Summer school grades may NOT be used to substitute for failing grades from the previous grading period or for lack of enough subjects taken during the previous grading period.

Grades 10-12: Students in grades 9-12 must be currently enrolled and enrolled in school during the immediately preceding grading period. To be eligible by OHSAA standards, students must receive a passing grade in a minimum of five (5) one credit courses or the equivalent, which count toward graduation. Student-Athletes in Grades 9-12 must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average, or higher, on a 4.0 scale. Any student eligible by O.H.S.A.A. standards with a cumulative G.P.A. of less than 2.0 during the immediately preceding grading period will remain eligible provided they actively participate in identified academic intervention programs as formally established by his or her school. In order to be eligible, each student must maintain a minimum grade point average (G.P.A.) of no less than 1.0. These intervention measures may include weekly eligibility checks, tutoring sessions, study tables, etc. Failure to participate in these intervention programs will result in ineligibility until the conclusion of the quarterly grading period. (All courses are to be counted in the cumulative average and quarterly eligibility is independent of the eligibility status of previous quarters).

Grade 9: Students entering the ninth grade for the first time may participate in extracurricular activities for the first quarter of the school year provided they were enrolled in school during the immediately preceding grading period and received passing grades during that grading period in a minimum of five of those subjects in which the student received grades. After the first quarter, continued eligibility will be determined by the criteria outlined above pertaining to all other high school students. Eligibility or ineligibility is based solely on quarterly grades from the immediately preceding grading period. Semester, final, rubric, “fifth quarter” or summer school grades have no effect on establishing eligibility.

Note: Home-schooled students wishing to participate in our athletic programs must be enrolled in at least one official course at their CPS high school of choice in order to establish their eligibility

If you turn 19 years of age or older prior to August 1 of the current school year, you are ineligible for the following school year.

Note: When you enroll in Grade 9 for the first time, you have eight (8) semesters of eligibility from that point, whether you participate or not.

NCAA College Eligibility Requirements

Coaches and Athletic Administrators — A complete breakdown of the NCAA Divisions I and II initial-eligibility standards.

NCAA New Academic Standards — This page discusses the new academic standards for student-athletes enrolling at a college or university on or after August 1, 2016. 

Initial-Eligibility Online Course — This free course is designed to educate coaches, parents, and counselors about the NCAA's initial-eligibility requirements.  After completing the course, you will be more prepared to advise your student-athletes about the necessary steps to become certified to compete in NCAA Divisions I and II athletics. 

Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete — The guide is a highly comprehensive tool that has been designed to help you understand the NCAA initial-eligibility process and to prepare student-athletes for transitioning from high school to becoming an NCAA Division I or II student-athlete.

Prospective Student-Athletes Initial-Eligibility Brochure — A quick guide to the standards and steps that it takes to become an NCAA Division I or II student-athlete.