Texas Fishing Forum

Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity

Posted By: FishyB

Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 04:41 PM

We home school. Talked with Keller High School Bass Fishing Team; all cool to allow our son to participate with his best friend in the 2017 - 2018 season. Even went as far to raise money for our son to meet the cost, etc.... The Keller team ran this up the flagpole to the KISD board to get approval after the fact, which in turn told the team President that a home school kid couldn't participate. Needless to say my son is not happy about it but is big enough of young man to understand things aren't fair. I have nothing against the Keller High School Bass Fishing Team, so don't take it that way.

I do have heartburn with the KISD board over the situation; I pay KISD taxes and have zero benefit. All of the items the board says are the reasons for not allowing participation are easy to overcome and can be verified; simply put they don't want to have to deal with it. Still thinking about reaching out to the Texas Home School Coalition and speak with their legal counsel about the matter, perhaps there is some educating to be done at the ISD level...not sure what the rights truly are but willing to fight for my son to 1) carry on his passion to fish, 2) spend time on the water with his buddy and 3) set precedence for future kids if there is a path of resolution.

Okay off my soapbox.
Posted By: Cast

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 04:49 PM

Bad decision they made.
Posted By: SweetRay

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 05:15 PM

Contact HSLDA. Homeschool legal defense association. I believe the school is required to allow your son to compete.
Posted By: Douglas J

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 05:41 PM

Simply have him participate as team home schooler. No reason he cannot be an independent
Posted By: Tim Haugh

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 05:46 PM

This came from HSLDA:

Because Texas does not have a law granting homeschooled students the right to participate in public school classes and activities, individual schools and schools districts have the authority to decide whether to allow homeschool students to participate. Policies vary according to district. On the other hand, Texas’ athletic association, the University Interscholastic League, prohibits homeschool student’s participation in UIL sports at the local public school. See the UIL’s eligibility policy: http://www.uiltexas.org/policy/eligibility


Looks as though Keller ISD can call the shots as they please.

If your son wants to compete, y'all can make your own club team and join the THSBA. Now, if your son's best friend attends Keller, he will have to fish for them, per our rules. If he is also homeschooled, simply fill out the membership packet for your own club. The membership packet can be found on the THSBA website, www.texashighschobassassn.com and send it in to the address within the packet.

If you do in fact form your own club, you will still be required to follow all the academic eligibility rules, just as the rest of the teams that fish in the THSBA.

Hope this helps.

Tim Haugh
President, THSBA
Posted By: TripletsFish

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 05:58 PM

Colleyville-Heritage and Grapevine have teams.
Posted By: SweetRay

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 05:59 PM

Tim,
Thank you for clearing that up. It is nice to see a president of an organization giving the information and showing how a homeschooler can still compete.
Thank you
Posted By: FishyB

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 06:11 PM

Tim,

I have read the same thing, however, the statements made by the board circle back on themselves and contradict their reasoning.

If a homeschooler can participate in UIL events per the Tebow Bill, they should certainly be able to participate in a club or extracurricular activities; saying they follow the guidelines set forth in the bill. The guidelines of course deal with the ability of providing academic eligibility, which is actually not a problem for homeschoolers to provide.

Also, you and I have had a conversation on the phone in the past about homeschool participation, which you deemed to be not a problem, which is the same thing that we were told at the initial meeting for the 2017-2018. Now we get to hear about school board approval per the THSBA and find out that it's at the boards discretion.

At the end of the day it's probably not worth fighting but it is the principle of the matter.
Posted By: FishyB

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/19/17 06:18 PM

To follow up.....this was a rant. Frustrated dad trying to do right for his kid.

We can fish regardless.
Posted By: Txduckhunter

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/20/17 09:47 PM

Sorry you've had problems.
We have a homeschool student that wishes to fish with our team this year. THSBA says no problem so we're going with it. Not asking school board, just going with it.
Posted By: DuctsZX250

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/21/17 06:13 PM

Guess I am not clear on any of this. I thought THSBA was not even recognized by the UIL or any School district in Texas?

If that is the case, how can they dictate who and who cannot fish?
Posted By: cbeathard

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/22/17 10:06 AM

THSBA isnt a UIL sport. However if the school doesnt want him on the team then so be it. However, my little brother and I started one up in Pilot Point and it is not funded or carried by the school. I'll give the team a shout and it it's ok with them and if ya'll are interested the kid can come join us. It's a bit of a drive for you but it could be an opportunity
Posted By: Catching Air

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/23/17 04:32 AM

I feel your pain and understand your aggravation. I had this similar problem last year with our district. Our district only fishes SETX and there rules allow 7th - 12th grades to fish. However our district only allows 9th-12th. This year my daughter will be in 9th and not sure what's gonna happen this year cause my daughter wants to fish the THSBA Houston and SETX this spring provide no dates over lap. Not sure if the school will sign off on fishing THSBA.
Posted By: C130

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/23/17 12:32 PM

Originally Posted By: Catching Air
I feel your pain and understand your aggravation. I had this similar problem last year with our district. Our district only fishes SETX and there rules allow 7th - 12th grades to fish. However our district only allows 9th-12th. This year my daughter will be in 9th and not sure what's gonna happen this year cause my daughter wants to fish the THSBA Houston and SETX this spring provide no dates over lap. Not sure if the school will sign off on fishing THSBA.


Is your club an "after school club"? Our school isn't involved in what tournaments we fish and I tell the members they can fish what tournaments they want as long as they have a boat captain willing to help them out. Is it the school that won't alllow it or the club advisor? I'd like to do some of the SETX this year but it depends on my schedule. I think one tournament overlaps with THSBA.
Posted By: WAWI

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/23/17 10:22 PM

There is always the option of putting the kid in public school.
Posted By: Big Red 12

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/24/17 04:27 PM

Originally Posted By: FishyB
Tim,

I have read the same thing, however, the statements made by the board circle back on themselves and contradict their reasoning.

If a homeschooler can participate in UIL events per the Tebow Bill, they should certainly be able to participate in a club or extracurricular activities; saying they follow the guidelines set forth in the bill. The guidelines of course deal with the ability of providing academic eligibility, which is actually not a problem for homeschoolers to provide.

Also, you and I have had a conversation on the phone in the past about homeschool participation, which you deemed to be not a problem, which is the same thing that we were told at the initial meeting for the 2017-2018. Now we get to hear about school board approval per the THSBA and find out that it's at the boards discretion.

At the of the day it's probably not worth fighting but it is the principle of the matter.

The Tebow Bill Rule is affect in 34 states. Texas has fought any kind of private schools playing in UIL and home school kids participating in UIL events. This is a big agenda push for THSCA (Texas High School Coaches Assoc.) Having coached for 33 years in public school systems. This is to try and prevent cheating that can take place in recruiting kids in Texas to other High Schools, which is illegal by UIL rules. It hurts the good kids, but it is try to prevent people from taking advantage of athletics.
Posted By: TripletsFish

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/24/17 05:45 PM

I am a big proponent of the club sport that is high school fishing. THSBA and SETX do not need UIL getting involved.

If the Yearbook Commitee, for example, at Keller doesn't want a homeschool student (or a student from another public school district) to participate, the school has the right to exclude them. Bass fishing is the same.

That being said, I hope Keller changes their policy.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/24/17 05:54 PM

Originally Posted By: Tim Haugh
This came from HSLDA:

Because Texas does not have a law granting homeschooled students the right to participate in public school classes and activities, individual schools and schools districts have the authority to decide whether to allow homeschool students to participate. Policies vary according to district. On the other hand, Texas’ athletic association, the University Interscholastic League, prohibits homeschool student’s participation in UIL sports at the local public school. See the UIL’s eligibility policy: http://www.uiltexas.org/policy/eligibility


Looks as though Keller ISD can call the shots as they please.

If your son wants to compete, y'all can make your own club team and join the THSBA. Now, if your son's best friend attends Keller, he will have to fish for them, per our rules. If he is also homeschooled, simply fill out the membership packet for your own club. The membership packet can be found on the THSBA website, www.texashighschobassassn.com and send it in to the address within the packet.

If you do in fact form your own club, you will still be required to follow all the academic eligibility rules, just as the rest of the teams that fish in the THSBA.

Hope this helps.

Tim Haugh
President, THSBA


Does the UIL govern THSBA?
Posted By: Tim Haugh

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/24/17 07:16 PM

No, the UIL does not govern the THSBA. We are our own separate 501c3 organization.
Posted By: ForkChamber

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/25/17 01:03 AM

There is a junior high/high school program in Texas for students whose schools do not have a fishing team it's called Weekenders team trail.
Posted By: McLovin’

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/25/17 07:10 PM

Sounds to me like you shouldn't have said anything to the ISD.
Tim and the THBA was fine with it...should still follow up on the options your son has to be able to fish. Like many have said, its a great experience for the kids and the dads/captains.

Hope things work out for you and your son so you can get in this year.
Please keep us posted
Posted By: Micheal

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/25/17 10:31 PM

You can fish the Lake Fork High School Tour. It is an open tour. We welcome homeschoolers. www.lakeforkopen.org
Posted By: Ken Starling

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/26/17 12:55 AM

There are several teams that are not associated with the schools, it really isnt about what Trail allows homeschoolers. Every HS Association out there allows home schoolers to fish that I am aware of. We have several that fish in the THSBA and I'm sure the Weekenders and SETX do as well. If you would like information on local schools in the area of Keller that have a team we can provide you the advisors contact number. If nothing else, join on your own , sign off on the grades and your good to go. No need to have a "School team" per say.
Posted By: Jamesche

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/27/17 01:03 PM

I have to weigh in here since I am the team advisor for Keller.

FishyB, when we had our first kick-off meeting this year and you asked me about a home-schooled angler fishing with us, I told you that I would have to check with the school board. I was told that you had already checked with them and it was approved, but as per the THSBA (I checked with Glenda), I have to get sign-off from the school board for a home-schooled student.

I initiated the approval process immediately, but since it was summer, the school board president had to wait until the proper people were in place to get the sign-off. Since I had been told that you had been given approval already, I didn't anticipate problems, but as it turns out, the Keller ISD has a policy against home-schooled students participating in these events. Personally, I don't agree with that policy, and I communicated with the district attorney, the school board president, and both the outgoing and the incoming superintendent about your son, all to no avail.

As soon as we found out about this, we returned your sponsorship check. Unfortunately, there was no other way for us to deal with this. I am always saddened when any kid who wants to fish can't fish. It's near and dear to my heart. However, we have to comply with the orders of the Keller ISD.

I'm truly sorry that you've had this experience, and I'm more saddened that your son now associates high school bass fishing with this experience. I hope that you can find some other way for him to fish.

Jim Cheshire
Keller ISD Varsity Bass Club
Posted By: FishyB

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/27/17 01:26 PM

Jim,

Now I will defend myself. At no point in time do I recall you or anyone else saying that they would have to check with the school board and certainly at no point did I say that I had already checked with the school board or that it was approved. I did say that the THSBA had no problem with a home school kid fishing with a school club. I didn't find out about the school board approval until you emailed me saying that my son was not allowed to participate.

In my initial post, I even said I had nothing against the Keller ISD Varsity Bass Club and in fact Jim, I feel that you went up to bat for us and I greatly appreciate your efforts. This was a rant about how jacked up the system is particularly for home school kids and that it was a bummer that my son couldn't fish with his good fishing buddy.

We have an option to participate via the Tarrant County club, which has sent us an open invite to fish the tournaments. Currently waiting to see if my son even has interest in competing now; kind of has a bad taste in his mouth.

As I said early; we will fish regardless. smile

Tight lines.
Posted By: Jamesche

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/27/17 01:35 PM

I'm glad that you are in contact with the Tarrant County Anglers. Their team advisor is a good guy and really focused on a great experience for the club. Even though your son has a bad taste, encourage him to fish with them! They also do other informal tournaments on their own throughout the year on area lakes, and that would give him a chance to get to know more folks and fish more.

Hope we do see you on the water!

Jim
Posted By: milkfisher

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/27/17 01:59 PM

Originally Posted By: Jamesche
I'm glad that you are in contact with the Tarrant County Anglers. Their team advisor is a good guy and really focused on a great experience for the club. Even though your son has a bad taste, encourage him to fish with them! They also do other informal tournaments on their own throughout the year on area lakes, and that would give him a chance to get to know more folks and fish more.

Hope we do see you on the water!

Jim


TC Anglers are sanctioned by KISD as well. They answer directly to the same ISD board that Keller Varsity Bass Team does. Why would he get a different answer because its TC anglers VS KVBT?

This isn't about the Keller team declaring that the home school kid cant fish. They want every kid to have the opportunity to fish. The ISD board is who kicked this back. The TC angler group (awesome group of anglers BTW) is going to get the same answer from the board. I hope he finds a wa to fish, But the bad taste in his mouth (and yours) shouldn't have anything to do with KVBT or the TC anglers when that idea gets squashed by the ISD board as well.
Posted By: FishyB

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/27/17 02:37 PM

Thank you Jim; again I truly appreciate all that you have done regarding the matter.

Milkfisher. You are not reading carefully what I have said at all. At no point am I attacking or down on any club. If in fact TC is sanctioned by the KISD school board then this is all a moot point; haven't reached out to the advisor to have a conversation.
Posted By: milkfisher

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/27/17 03:02 PM

Originally Posted By: FishyB
Thank you Jim; again I truly appreciate all that you have done regarding the matter.

Milkfisher. You are not reading carefully what I have said at all. At no point am I attacking or down on any club. If in fact TC is sanctioned by the KISD school board then this is all a moot point; haven't reached out to the advisor to have a conversation.


Maybe so, Im not upset in any way, thats just how i interpreted your discussion here. I really do hope your boy finds a way to fish. I personally think the Board should allow it.
Posted By: Shallow Waters

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/27/17 04:52 PM

I personally think the board should not be in the decision at all. The schools have nothing to do with THSBA or SETX. At best these "teams" could be considered clubs but that doesn't matter to THSBA or SETX. The grade requirements are in the rules from the fishing organizations but that is because they can put any rule in that they want. This would be like KISD saying your select baseball team couldn't have a home school kid on it. Or even saying that as a student of Keller ISD you are not able to associate athletically with anyone that is not a student as Keller ISD. The only legal ground I could see the board having is not allowing the home-schooler on school property, but the tournaments/events dont take place on school property (maybe a pre-tournament meeting but that can be done off grounds too).
Posted By: Jamesche

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 07/27/17 05:46 PM

Every team in the THSBA must be associated with a host school. In order for a home-schooled student to fish, you must submit a Home School & Out of District Student Roster to THSBA and that must be signed by the host school board of trustees. These are THSBA requirements.

Jim
Posted By: Rooster Cruiser

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 08/24/17 01:48 PM

ntxbasscats.com

ntxbasscats@gmail.com
Posted By: Jamesche

Re: Disappointment With High School Bass Fishing Opportunity - 08/29/17 08:07 PM

Thanks for posting this! We'll definitely make sure to keep you in mind if we see interest from another home-schooler.
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