Accuracy is Vital on Previous Athletic Participation Forms
By Sheila Henderson | Wednesday, September 09, 2009 12:58 PM
I would like to take a few moments to express my gratitude to everyone for their support and well wishes since I started last February. I have gained valuable experience these past few months that will continue to help me as we go forward in the new school year.
Now that we have had a solid start to the school year, I would like to revisit a “coach’s favorite,” the Previous Athletic Participation Form (PAPF). The athletic staff continues to revise and tweak the form in an effort to have a document that is clear, concise and easy to follow.
The latest revisions to the PAPF were made July 2009. It is important to pay particular attention to the items in red bold print on both pages of the form. These are usually areas that get overlooked and cause the PAPF form to be incomplete.
It is also important to know which students actually need the form. Before participation at the VARSITY level at a new school, all NEW STUDENTS in grades 9-12 who have ever practiced or participated in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball or wrestling in grades 8-12 at another school in the United States or Mexico before, during (in school athletic period) or outside the school day must complete a PAPF. The form must be sent back to the last school of participation for that individual student-athlete. However, it is the recommendation of UIL that the PAPF form is completed the first day a new student steps onto your campus.
The PAPF form, which can be found on the UIL Web site, consists of two pages. Page one is the Eligibility Questionnaire that must be completed for any new students in grades 9-12 prior to any level of athletic participation. If question #1 of the eligibility questionnaire is answered yes, then page two of the form must be completed in addition to page one. If question #1 is answered no, then only page one needs to be completed and filed with the new school.
If there are any “yes” answers on page two of the PAPF, Section III, #1-6, requires a full hearing of the District Executive committee (DEC) to determine the eligibility status of the student. The student would be ineligible for varsity athletic participation until the DEC hears testimony from the previous school, the student/parent and the new school and makes an eligibility determination.
Whether there is an actual hearing or not, the DEC chair must sign off on the PAPF. The signature by the DEC chair determines the student’s eligibility for varsity or subvarsity competition as it relates to the question of changing schools for athletic purposes. It is still the responsibility of the school the student is attending to verify compliance with all eligibility rules prior to participation. The DEC chair is also required to send the PAPF to the UIL office, which serves as a safety net to verify completion of the PAPF form.
An athletic staff member reviews each PAPF that is sent to the UIL office before it is placed in the school’s file. If the forms are not complete, or if there is a question that needs further clarification, the form will be sent back to the school.
A returned PAPF does not automatically mean a student-athlete is eligible or ineligible but rather additional documentation may be needed. By the time the forms reach the UIL office, an ineligible student could have possibly played in a game or contest thus causing a school to forfeit games and/or contests.
Once UIL has accepted the completed PAPF and placed it in the appropriate school file, the principal of the school receives an e-mail containing the following information:
• The UIL has received the Previous Athletic Participation Form (PAPF) for John Doe representing XYZ HS.
• Based on the information provided, the UIL has accepted and filed the PAPF on behalf of the above named student.
• Be aware, however, that it is still the responsibility of the school to verify compliance with all applicable eligibility rules for varsity athletic participation prior to the student taking part in any competition.
• This notification does not override a decision made by a District Executive Committee that determined a student changed schools for athletic purposes, or would only be approved/eligible for subvarsity athletic participation.
It is not necessary to respond to this e-mail. If you have any further questions, please send message to uilath@uts.cc.utexas.edu.
To avoid any costly mistakes, coaches must carefully verify all information concerning any new student to their school. All coaches must understand that the PAPF for each of their student-athletes belongs to them. It is up to each individual coach to do their due diligence in verifying all information for eligibility.
It is not our intent to cause any additional work for any of our coaches, but it is our responsibility to help ensure that all students are eligible to participate in UIL athletic activities. By taking the time to properly fill out the necessary forms, we can accomplish this goal.