There are a few limitations we homeschoolers have when it comes to playing team sports, mainly the number of participants. After all, I couldn’t have a baseball team with just my two sons and if you do have a large family, chances are not everyone is interested in playing the same sport. 🙂 If you are blessed to live in the Greater Cincinnati area there is a homeschool sports organization for your student to participate in team sports.

Cincinnati Trailblazers offers baseball, basketball, cross country, and volleyball for middle school and high school students. If you are interested and want to find out more information click here. If this option does not work out for you or you don’t live in Cincinnati, but you do live in Ohio, here is another option that just became available.

Ohio families who are looking for options for extracurricular activities (not just sports) are now afforded the opportunity to participate at the local public school. In the past it was a decision that each local school made, but now your student can participate in extracurricular activities such as: play on a team, be in a drama production, play in an orchestra, etc. Here is the information pertaining to the new bill that was passed. At this point, I do not know what type of requirements each school district would place upon homeschool families in order to participate. Be sure and investigate thoroughly before committing to participating. Please realize that it will take the schools time to put policies and procedures in place, so be patient and realize this may not happen this fall.

Story authored by Paula Bolyard: When Ohio Governor John Kasich signed the state’s $62 billion, two-year budget into law on Sunday night, June 30, 2013 (specific text, here), some homeschoolers were stunned to find out that tucked inside was language (3313.5312) expanding the rights of homeschooled and private school students. They will now be permitted to participate in extracurricular activities in the public schools in their home districts, including high school athletics. Without debate or fanfare, legislators added an amendment in the finance committee before the final vote giving homeschoolers (and private school students whose schools do not offer a particular activity) the right to join their local public schools for extracurricular activities:

“A student who is receiving home instruction…shall be afforded, by the superintendent of the school district in which the student is entitled to attend school…the opportunity to participate in any extracurricular activity offered at the district school to which the student otherwise would be assigned during that school year.”  Source: Ohioans for Educational Freedom