If your athlete attended a traditional public or private school between K-8 then they should be classified with respect to the grade at which the athlete attended the school. To classify an athlete using the “traditional school method” the school must have been an accredited entity with the state of Texas (so Co-ops and micro schools do not count).
If an athlete is currently homeschooled then you need to follow these guidelines for the 2024-2025 season.Â
- No homeschool athletes born before Sept 1, 2006 should be playing in TAIAO without having received an exemption. (This is the last class grandfathered without the summer exemption)
- Athletes born between Sept 1, 2006 and August 31, 2007 should be classified as Seniors
- Athletes born between June 1, 2007 and May 31, 2008 can be classified as Juniors (or Seniors if they have already played 3 years of varsity sports)
- Athletes born between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009 can be classified as Sophomores (or Juniors if they have already played 2 years of varsity sports)
- Athletes born between June 1,2009 and May 31, 2010Â can be classified as Freshman (or Sophomores if they have already played 1 year of varsity sports).
If an athlete starts playing any varsity sport at any age then they may only play 4 consecutive years. Exemptions to play younger players are rarely granted and must be given before the player starts playing varsity sports.
If your athletes did not obtain an age exemption before they became a varsity athlete they CAN NOT apply for an exemption after the fact. For example, if an athlete turned 14 years old before the season and did not apply for an exemption, the athlete would be classified as a Sophomore when entering play the following year.
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Penalties for noncompliance have consistently been forfeits of games and the inability to participate in post season play.
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Eligibility requirements only apply to High School and Middle School athletes that compete in TAIAO. For example, an organization that only participates in TAIAO Football does not have to comply with eligibility rules for athletes which play a sport like soccer in a different league.Â
It is important to remember that an athlete who starts his or her varsity participation in any sport (regardless of the league) will not be granted more than four years of eligibility in TAIAO without an exemption. This means middle school athletes that compete in varsity sports in other leagues will need to apply for an exemption if they want to participate in a TAIAO varsity sport and not lose a year of eligibility.
Finally, it has come to our attention that some teams are not listing all their high school age eligible athletes on their varsity rosters. If your athletes are high school age (born after May 31, 2008) and have not received an exemption to play in junior high, then not reporting them will result in the inability to participate in post season play. You must report all varsity athletes regardless of what level of team (Freshman, JV, etc) they play on.
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If you have any questions, please direct them to Brent Golemon on the Steering Committee. He can be reached at
commissioner@taiao.orgÂ
