Academic Qualifications

1. Homeschool Requirement
   Every athlete must be homeschooled. “Homeschooled” means the player’s primary academic instruction is directed through the home under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian. See Explanation of How Pure Grind Elite Interprets Homeschooling below.

2. Residence
   Athletes must live at home with a parent or legal guardian.

3. Dual Credit / College Coursework
   A player becomes ineligible if enrolled in more than nine (9) hours of dual-credit or college-level courses within a single semester.

4. Graduation Status
   Players who have participated in any high school graduation ceremony (homeschool, public, or private) prior to the start of the season are ineligible to compete.

5. Academic Standing
   Athletes must remain in good academic standing and pass all current courses to be eligible for practices, contests, and tournaments. The parent or guardian, as the student’s homeschool administrator, is solely responsible for monitoring and enforcing this rule.

 

Athletic Grade Classifications and Designations

Pure Grind Elite is a grade-based athletic program serving middle school and high school homeschool students.

• Middle School: Grades 6–8

• High School: Grades 9–12

1. Grade classification must be declared prior to tryouts and must comply with the program’s age and eligibility standards.

2. Once an athlete begins participation at the high school level, reclassification is not permitted.

3. A player becomes ineligible after four (4) years of high school participation.

   • Exception: If an 8th grader is approved by the Pure Grind Elite administration to join a high school sub-varsity team, that player may have up to five (5) years of eligibility.

4. High school players (9th–12th grade) cannot compete on middle school teams.

5. Middle school players may not play on high school teams unless age restrictions prevent them from competing at the middle school level.

6. No 12th grader may play on a sub-varsity team regardless of age.

 

Maximum Age Qualifications

• A player is ineligible for any team on the September 1st following their 19th birthday.

• A player is ineligible for a middle school team on the September 1st following their 15th birthday.

 

Minimum Grade/Age Qualifications

To participate on a middle school team, a player must:

• Be enrolled in at least the 6th grade

• Be 11 years old or older on September 1st of the current school year

Note: Certain competitive divisions may require players to be in 7th grade and at least 12 years old as of September 1st.

 

Transfers and Expulsions

1. Players who begin a season with another homeschool, public, or private school team may not transfer to Pure Grind Elite during the same season without approval from the Program Director.

2. Players expelled from a school within the past academic year may only join Pure Grind Elite with administrative approval.

3. Athletes may not play for another homeschool, public, or private school team in the same sport while participating with Pure Grind Elite.

   • Participation on Parks & Recreation or select/travel teams is permitted but must be communicated clearly to ensure it does not interfere with team scheduling or commitments.

 

Age-Based Participation

In certain tournaments or invitational events (such as regional or national homeschool championships), Pure Grind Elite may reconfigure teams based on age divisions rather than grade levels. This will be at the discretion of program leadership.

 

Exceptions

Exceptions to these eligibility requirements (other than age restrictions) may be made only with written approval from the Pure Grind Elite Administrative Board. No exceptions are permitted to the maximum age limitations.

 

Explanation of How Pure Grind Elite Interprets Homeschooling (The 50% Rule)

For a student to qualify as “homeschooled,” at least 50% of their total academic instruction must come from one or more of the following sources:

• Classes taught at home by a parent, grandparent, guardian, or adult sibling (may include online, CD, or video instruction).

• Classes taught by a tutor or instructor designated by the parent, whether at home or another location.

• Participation in a homeschool co-op or educational group where parents manage the transcript and diploma.

• Distance learning or correspondence programs (e.g., Abeka, Bob Jones, Texas Tech High School, K12.com) managed under parental supervision.

• Participation on a Pure Grind Elite athletic team counts as one homeschool course per semester.

Note: If a student is enrolled part-time in a private or charter school that deems them eligible for its athletic program, that student is not eligible to participate with Pure Grind Elite. This ensures compliance with homeschool athletic standards and avoids dual-school athletic participation.

 

Revision History

• August 2025: Adopted by the Pure Grind Elite Administrative Board based on HSAA model standards and tailored for program use