School & Sports.

[stealth2]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NJ

My child attends a science-specialized county-run academy. Our home school district provides busing for students attending that academy, and all students are permitted to participate in extra-curricular activities at their "home" HS.

Both during summer league and during conditioning training, I asked repeatedly how her attendance at the academy would affect her playing with the team, especially regarding transportation to away games. Every time, I have been assured that it would be taken care of.

Said child has been given a slot on the team she tried out for. I was assured by the athletic director of the school that the team bus would be held for her (she gets back to the HS ~45 after the team bus would normally leave) and games rescheduled to accommodate her academic schedule. On the afternoon of the first game, she was informed upon her return to the "home" HS that the team bus had left, it would not be held for her in the future, and it was up to her to provide transportation. Her coach has contacted me personally and told me that she was told to back off on holding the bus for this team member.

I'm wading through the NJSIAA website as well as the NJ DOE website to see what the policy actually is. Assuming I can find it. I plan to call the Superintendent tomorrow. Anyone have some other good ideas for me?

 

[tranquility]

I think it is unlikely you will find it reasonable for a league schedule to be redone and a bus to be held for 45 minutes for one player. Schedules are made long in advance. When I coached we had to turn in our contracts before the end of the season for the next year. To change a schedule for 45 minutes would be impossible no matter how motivated I was.

 

[stealth2]

I don't disagree. And I was surprised when the AD stated that would happen. However, since he did... I plan to try and hold him to his commitment. Her coach contacted me and said that she intended to back me up - she was there when he made the commitment. They don't need to hold the team bus - they can send her in a short bus, when she gets back.

 

[las365]

Is there any way to get her to the "home" school early enough to catch the bus with the rest of the team on game days? It sounds sad to have her alone on a bus (a short bus ) trailing after the rest of the team.

 

[CdwJava]

I think the best that you can hope for is that someone stays behind with their personal vehicle. They are almost certainly NOT going to pay a second driver and for the expense of a second bus (small or not) just for one person.

The coach should never have made that promise. Depending on her sport, it may be possible that the delay will cause her to be ineligible to compete if there are check-in or weigh-ins for her sport, she may miss those. The coach's promise will hold zero weight with anyone outside the school involved, and even then, it's possible they will take the position that the coach 'oopsed' by making the promise and they cannot do anything about it.

So, if it were my child, I would ask about the possibility of a coach or other staffer with a personal vehicle who could make the transport.

- Carl

 

[tranquility]

I don't think any promise by the AD or coach will hold any legal significance in a situation like this.

 

[stealth2]

I think the best that you can hope for is that someone stays behind with their personal vehicle. They are almost certainly NOT going to pay a second driver and for the expense of a second bus (small or not) just for one person.

The coach should never have made that promise. Depending on her sport, it may be possible that the delay will cause her to be ineligible to compete if there are check-in or weigh-ins for her sport, she may miss those. The coach's promise will hold zero weight with anyone outside the school involved, and even then, it's possible they will take the position that the coach 'oopsed' by making the promise and they cannot do anything about it.

So, if it were my child, I would ask about the possibility of a coach or other staffer with a personal vehicle who could make the transport.

- Carl

And that would be an acceptable solution. And I'm not unwilling to provide some sort of transport - but I can't do 3 games/week. Not if I expect to pay bills.

The coach did not make a promise - the AD did. There are no weigh-ins or check-ins for this sport. In reality, for close games, they could easily hold the bus for her as the team gets to the host school and then sits in a classroom until 30 minutes before game time. At most, those games would need to be pushed back 10-15 minutes.

At the end of the day, my kid will get to her games one way or another. What I'd like to see happen is for a clear policy to be formulated so that other players/kids don't get blindsided like we were. (And let's be realistic - there's something fundamentally wrong with waiting until the bus has already left to tell a 14yo "too bad, so sad - you figure it out" after being told all along that it would be worked out.)

Is there any way to get her to the "home" school early enough to catch the bus with the rest of the team on game days? It sounds sad to have her alone on a bus (a short bus ) trailing after the rest of the team.

Uuuuhhh.... no. For starters, I'm not going to pull her out of an academic class to make the team bus. Especially when it's one of her weaker subjects. She actually wouldn't be bothered being alone on a bus/in a vehicle - that's good homework time. And - if I can arrange transport from her school to the "home" school, then there's no problem with getting her to the games anyway.

 

[CdwJava]

I don't think any promise by the AD or coach will hold any legal significance in a situation like this.

I tend to agree. I think that any accommodation they might make will be simply a way of their trying to mediate the situation without it becoming a big stink.

- Carl