THESA Eligibility Requirements

Note: THESA (Texas Home Educators Sports Association, Inc.) is an athletic program designed for Middle School and High School homeschooled students. Middle School includes grades 6 through 8; High School includes grades 9 through 12.

1. A player shall become ineligible to play on any THESA-sponsored sport on the next September 1st following that player’s 19th birthday (anyone age 19 or older on September 1 of the current school year).

2. For middle school teams, no middle school player shall be eligible who is 15 as of September 1 of the current school year. The minimum age requirement is 11 as of September 1 of the current school year. Note: A high school player is ineligible to play on a middle school team.

3. For High School teams, a player shall become ineligible after 4 years of Varsity team participation. Players must be 14 years old on the date of September 1 of the current school year to play on a Varsity team. Eighth grade students who are at least 12 years old on the date of August 1 of the Fall semester are eligible to play on a sub-varsity level team in the event there are not sufficient qualified players (exception- eighth grade players may participate in post season varsity activities as ‘reserve’ players in the event there are not sufficient numbers of varsity players for the post season event without effecting their 4 years of varsity eligibility). In no event can a player participate for more than 5 years on a High School level team (JV and Varsity combined).  

It should be further recognized by the parents and coaches that some regional or state sanctioning bodies, and their associated schools, may deem eligibility to begin the year a player first plays on a high school team, making an eighth grader ineligible to play his senior year in the event that such a student wishes to later play for a public or a private school governed by these rules.

4. A player must be living at home with a parent or guardian.

5. A player must be homeschooled. "Homeschooled" means that a player must be receiving his or her primary educational direction through the home (the majority of their teaching for the current year is being done at home).

6. A player is ineligible if that player has gone through a homeschool, public school, private school, or Christian school high school graduation ceremony prior to that season's first game.

7. A player is ineligible if that player is enrolled in more than 8 hours of college courses.

8. A player cannot play on another homeschool, public, private, or Christian school team in the same sport at the same time as playing on a THESA-sponsored team.

9. If a player started the season on another homeschool, public, private, or Christian school team, no transfer shall be allowed during the season without the approval of the THESA Board.             

10. A player must be a member of THESA.

11. Exceptions to any eligibility requirement may be made only by express approval of the THESA Board. No exceptions will be permitted to the upper age limitations.