GENERAL BROWN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | ATHLETICS
ATHLETIC PLACEMENT PROCESS (APP)
General Brown Procedure Chart | Grade 8 Student Seeking a Junior Varsity or Varsity Team
KEY DISTINCTION: A coach request or recommendation may begin consideration, but the official APP begins only when the Athletic Director issues a formal invitation. APP qualification permits a tryout; it does not guarantee team selection. The APP process is designed to identify exceptional 8th grade student-athletes who demonstrate the physical readiness, skill, and maturity to safely compete at a higher level than their grade. |
Step | Action | Responsible Party | Required Action / Evidence | Decision or Endpoint |
BEGIN | Request for consideration | Head Coach | A request may be made to the Athletic Director by the Head Coach. | Proceed to Athletic Director review |
1 | Initial review and formal invitation | Athletic Director | Determines whether the student is an appropriate candidate. Only the athletic director may formally invite an 8th grade student into APP. | No invitation: process ends |
2 | Parent/guardian; collected by Athletics | Signed consent explains the process, eligibility implications, and that qualification does not guarantee a roster position. | No consent: process stops | |
3 | Medical clearance | Parent/guardian and School Health Office | Current NYS health examination must explicitly clear athletic participation. Updated health history is required when applicable. | Not cleared: process stops |
4 | Athletic Director with school staff input | Reviews student records for evidence of behavior, teamwork, academics, attendance, communication, sportsmanship, reliability, and readiness to participate with older students. | Insufficient readiness: process stops | |
5 | Coach and/or qualified district evaluator | Determines sport/skill readiness, rule readiness, decision-making, and understanding of the requested sport and level. | Insufficient readiness: process stops | |
6 | Certified physical education teacher designated by the district in collaboration with the Athletic Director | A locally developed school team reviews to determine level of physical-fitness readiness. Team may additionally include: Athletic Coordinator, Sport Coach, Boys Sports Rep, Girls Sport Rep | Does not meet local standard: process stops | |
7 | APP qualification decision | Athletic Director | Reviews all four readiness areas and confirms that the student has successfully completed General Brown’s APP requirements for the specific sport and level. Notification made to head coach and parent. | Qualified: eligible to try out |
8 | Team tryout and selection | Coach | Student participates in the regular tryout. The same team-selection criteria must be applied to every student who qualified to try out. | Selected or not selected |
END | Final notice and records | Athletic Director | Notifies the family of the outcome, maintains APP documentation, and completes any required Section/opponent notification for students selected through APP. | Process complete |
NYSED Guidance/requirements | General Brown procedure |
APP is optional and must be authorized locally. | The Board of Education authorizes consideration for eligible 8th grade students through district policy. This is further reinforced in Athletic Procedure (Jr/Sr High Handbook). |
NYSED regulations allow eligible student-athletes to qualify for the opportunity to try out for a high school athletic team, provided all applicable eligibility requirements are met. | APP requests must come from the coach, but the official process begins with the athletic director’s written invitation. |
Informed parental consent is required. | A signed district APP consent form is obtained before assessments begin. |
A current athletic health examination and, when applicable, updated health history are required. | The School Health Office verifies medical eligibility before review or participation in tryouts. |
The Tanner Sexual Maturity Rating is eliminated. | No Tanner assessment or physiological-maturity examination is used. |
Readiness must include responsibility, sport-specific skill, game knowledge, and physical fitness. | Each area is documented before the athletic director determines APP qualification. |
NYSED no longer prescribes a particular fitness test. | School Team members will review physical fitness readiness based on athletic history and performance in physical education. The team may include the athletic director, a coach, a physical education teacher, athletic coordinator, and one or more additional school staff members (certified coach(s)). |
The invitation/APP decision does not guarantee team placement. | After APP qualification, the student enters the ordinary team tryout and is judged using the same selection standards as all other candidates. |
Informal beginning: A coach asks the athletic director to consider a student.
Official beginning: The athletic director issues the formal APP invitation.
APP qualification point: The Athletic Director confirms that the student has demonstrated all four readiness factors. At that point, the student is eligible to try out.
Final endpoint: The student completes the tryout and is selected or not selected; the family is notified, and records are retained. The process may also end earlier whenever a required step is not completed, or the student does not demonstrate sufficient readiness.
procedure aligned with Commissioner’s Regulation §135.4(c)(7)(ii)(a)(4), effective July 29, 2026