what do you think about homeschool basketball???

Question:
Does anybody know whether a homeschooled child in the state of Wisconsin can or can't participate in public school sports? what do you think about homeschool basketball???

Answer:
I don't know how many of you follow the "family updates" Dalene sends, but if you do, you'll note that 2 of our daughters are on the local homeschool basketball teams. Getting this association to be functional has been a struggle (what, getting 50 homeschool families to agree on something a struggle?). But we seemed to have turned the corner and now have 4 teams that not only are surviving, but are succeeding in being competitive. For example, last year our boys Jr High (14 & under) team won 1st place at the nationals tournament held in Oklahoma City.

But we have a problem. Seems that one of the local private Christian schools likes to recruit their players from the cream of the homeschool crop. Full fledged recruiting - giving scholarships so that the kids do not have to pay the rather pricey tution rates charged by this private school. What's worse, they let these kids play even if they don't attend classes at the school (ie. the kids still homeschool).

Now I am the first to admit that I am biased. I don't like to see the cream of our players going somewhere else and playing against us. And this on 2 fronts: 1) I would rather that the parents choose to homeschool these kids and help our program become a dominate (sports) force. After all, the lack of sports has for too long been one of the excuses parents would use in choosing to not-homeschool their kids. It would be nice to have something to point to in answer. 2) We've worked our butts off trying to get quality coaches and an organization that supports the players, coaches, & parents. I don't like to have my work go for naught.

The logical side of me recognizes that if a parent wants to choose to put their kid in a private (or public) school - for whatever reason - that is their right to do so. So if a private school wants to give a scholarship for the kid to play, I don't mind SO LONG as the kid attends school there. Side note: If I were a parent who was paying full tuition at that private school, I would be looking for someone's head on a platter if I found out they were letting other kids in for free. They are using MY MONEY to pay for that other kid.

But if there are homeschool extra-cirricular activites that are a viable option, then I firmly, Staunchly, EMPHATICALLY believe that schools (public or private) need to keep their hands off. If a player is found on that team that is homeschooled (where a homeschooling alternative existis), the school should face the same repurcussions as if they had a player who was in their 3rd senior year (or anyother illegal player) - that is, they forfiet all games played in which that player was on the team and give up any and all awards earned during that time.