Cross Country

If you intend to participate in TAIAO postseason play, you will need to register here starting April 1st and before July 31st.. After registering, your organization will need to pay the invoice sent to the billing contact on the registration form.

Cross Country fees can be referenced by visiting our fee schedule page.  All fees are due by September 1st.

Please read the information below regarding varsity roster submission, transfer athletes and player eligibility. 

Finally, each organization is responsible for reading and abiding by the General Rules as well as the cross country sports plan.

Information on the 2024 state meet will be published here.

It has come to our attention that programs are struggling with the classification of athletes.  It is very important all athletes are properly classified.  To this end please be sure you follow these guidelines:
 

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 2023-2024 season. 

  • No homeschool athletes born before Sept 1, 2005 should be playing in TAIAO without having received an exemption.
  • Athletes born between Aug 31, 2005 and Sept 1, 2006 should be classified as Seniors
  • Athletes born between Aug 31, 2006 and Sept 1, 2007 should be classified as Juniors
  • Athletes born between Aug 31, 2007 and June 1, 2008 can be classified as Sophomores (or Juniors if they have already played 2 years of varsity sports)
  • Athletes born between May 31,2008 and June 1, 2009  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.
 
Penalties for noncompliance have consistently been forfeits of games and the inability to participate in post season play.
 
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.
 
If you have any questions, please direct them to Brent Golemon on the Steering Committee.  He can be reached at bgolemon@gmail.com
 

TAIAO has policies restricting athlete transfers to maintain fair competition, prevent recruiting, and to uphold the integrity of the sport.

These policies aim to discourage organizations from gaining a competitive advantage by acquiring talented athletes from other organizations, ensuring a level playing field for all participants.  Furthermore, it prevents athletes from cherry picking the sports they want to play in with different organizations.

Transfer restrictions also promote loyalty and commitment to a particular team, fostering a sense of continuity and team cohesion.

Overall, these policies contribute to the overall fairness, stability, and ethical standards within the athletic community.

Subchapter H of TAIAO’s General Rules  govern transfers.  Please familiarize yourself with them before engaging in the process. The process requires a co-signed document (sent from TAIAO) which requires the signatures of the Athletle. Parent. Current Coach & AD,  the New Coach & AD as well as the TAIAO Chair of the sport(s).

Homeshool organizations please read: It is written in the General Rules: 

Home school students, by nature, have more options to affiliate with multiple organizations in respect to their athletic and academic objectives. Home school students are strongly encouraged to NOT transfer from one Member Organization to another for the purpose of gaining a competitive advantage in any given contest, event or activity.

An affiliation with another Member Organization involving any contest, event or activity shall be viewed as at least a “limited transfer” for that student. For example, if a student played baseball at Member Organization A and now desires to play football at Member Organization B; the student would need to submit a transfer request for Member Organization B from Member Organization A.

REQUEST A TRANSFER FORM

Finalized Roster for High School are due in Max Preps four weeks before the TAIAO meet.  Middle school does not submit rosters in Max preps.  Both High School and Middle School are required to submit DOB rosters to TAIAO. A roster form is available online

 

Committee Chair