WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — More than 30 states allow homeschool athletes to compete in state-sanctioned competition, but Kentucky is not one of those. Parents are hoping a new bill would change the requirements so their kids can compete in future state events.
Currently, KHSAA requires student-athletes to be enrolled in courses as a full-time student at the school they are competing with. That law impacts these athletes because homeschool students are not enrolled full-time at a member school, so they cannot participate in state-sanctioned events and tournaments.
“My oldest daughter that we homeschooled had to return to public high school this year in order to continue to compete with her peers for both wrestling and softball,” said Jessica Svec.
Her daughter, Aaliyah, was a state champion in wrestling this year.
“She wouldn't have even been able to see the match if she didn't go to school," Svec said.
“I would love to swim high school,” said Ben Barnes-Israel, who is a sophomore homeschool swimmer. “I was the only high school boy on my team who couldn't swim high school this year. I had to stick with the YMCA club.”
“His teammates got to train for regionals and then for state and all of them made finals,” his mom, Rebekah, added. “Ben was the only one who wasn't able to, and he just continued training at the Y.”
These parents hope Kentucky will soon be added to the list of states that allow homeschool students to participate in state sporting events.
“We moved from Colorado where home schoolers were allowed access to doing sports with the public school system,” said Allie Sutula. “We just had to pay their fees and the insurance.”
“To be told that they can't do cross country or soccer or baseball even, it's really disheartening for them,” she said.
Leslie Franklin lives in Calloway County. Her son Joshua currently plays football for the public school.
“Joshua suffers from epilepsy and non-epileptic seizures. His anxiety induces the seizures,” she said.
Because of this, Franklin believes Joshua would benefit from a private school education. However, private schools in their area are small and lack programs like football. This bill could help her son play the sport he loves while attending a school that fits his needs.
“He could go to a school that he would thrive in and be able to go back to the district that loves him and he loves and still be able to play the sports that he wants," Franklin said.
Parents and advocates say they’ve been pushing for this sort of change in Kentucky for 15 years now, but have been unsuccessful so far. More than 2,000 parents from 111 counties have signed a petition supporting HB 421, hoping to make their voices heard.
