Athletics

The middle schools and high schools that comprise the Beaufort County School District secondary schools all belong to the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL). This is the governing body for interscholastic athletics among the public schools of the state. The District is proud of the comprehensive array of athletic opportunities offered to students and of the long history of athletic success that is part of the District’s past.

In addition to the eligibility regulations of the SCHSL, Beaufort County middle and high schools also must abide by the Guidelines for Extracurricular Participation which outlines the roles and expectations for coaches, student-athletes and parents as well as the responsibilities of the schools in providing athletic and other extracurricular activities. Most prominent in this set of guidelines is the Contract for Participation which is reviewed each year and must be signed by the student participant, parent/guardian, and the coach or advisor. The Contract sets the tone for the behavior for those who represent the schools of the District. Additionally, the recently adopted Board Policy and Administrative Regulations Academic Eligibility for Extracurricular Participation establishes a higher level of academic performance for those who wish to participate in the District’s extracurricular programs. A key component of this administrative practice is the establishment of regular study halls and academic tutoring to help support students. The component goal is two-fold. First, to make sure that participating students are also successful academically, and second, to ensure that students who may have exceptional athletic or artistic abilities that qualify them for college scholarships are not disqualified because of poor academics. For specific questions about individual school, please contact the school's athletic director.

The athletic opportunities offered at the schools of the District are:

  • High schools: baseball, basketball, competitive cheerleading, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, track, and wrestling
  • Middle schools: baseball, basketball, cheerleading, softball, volleyball, track, and wrestling
  • Middle school students in the 7th and 8th grade are also eligible to play at the high school level as determined by the SCHSL and local regulations.

Random Drug Testing of Students

The BCSD strongly believes that drug use and substance abuse can be detrimental to the physical and emotional health and the academic performance of its students. It is from this belief and out of concern for students’ well-being that the BCSD initiates a random drug-testing program. The purpose of this drug testing program is to help students and not to be punitive. Policy Information and Forms
Counseling Resource Guide

Athletics Guidelines

Purpose
The purpose of this set of guidelines is to provide students, parents, coaches/advisors and the community with a resource for answering questions about the Athletic programs of the BCSD.

Philosophy
It is the philosophy of the BCSD that a well-administered and comprehensive program of athletics is essential to the overall development of young people.  A well-designed program features a wide variety of opportunities to meet the needs of a diverse student population, well-prepared and student-oriented coaches and advisors and clearly articulated expectations and regulations regarding participation.  Well-defined roles for coaches, students and parents are essential to assuring that programs are operated for the benefit of students and serve as a source of pride for the schools and community.

BCSD Athletic Parent Handbook
BCSD Athletic Parent Handbook Charter/Homeschool
BCSD Athletic Parent Handbook (Spanish)
BCSD Athletic Parent Handbook Charter/Homeschool (Spanish)
Beaufort County School District Athletic Guidelines

2.0 GPA Policy
BCSD's 2.0 GPA Policy clearly states that in order for any student to participate in any athletic team or competition, a GPA of 2.0 must exist. All classes are counted in the overall GPA.

Fall semester eligibility for participation in athletics will be determined by the student's GPA earned during the preceding school year's final semester, including grades earned during the intervening summer school session. Athletes not meeting the 2.0 GPA requirement will not be allowed to participate in any athletic activities.

Spring semester eligibility for participation in athletics will be determined by the student's GPA earned during the first semester of the same school year. Athletes not meeting the 2.0 GPA requirement will not be allowed to participate in any athletic activities.

Charter School, Home School and Governor's School Student Participation in Extracurricular Activities

Two new laws concerning participation in District activities were recently passed and signed into law by the Governor that allow charter school, home school, and governor's school students to try out for and, if selected, participate in extracurricular activities at their residence-zoned school. Our efforts are to support this new law and in doing so, we want to ensure a seamless transition into our programs at our schools.

Extracurricular activities in our schools are defined as those activities sponsored solely by the resident school, carry no academic credit, do not fall within the scope of the regular curriculum, and have no requirement for enrollment in a class during the regular academic day at the resident school. To participate in an activity, students will be asked to complete the application packet (see below). Although the application is self-explanatory we will be glad to assist with any questions that you may have.

Amended Charter School Act Provision
BCSD Athletic Parent Handbook Charter/Homeschool

Off-Campus Student Pick-Up and Student Driver Permission Form
Students who have traveled to a school district-sponsored event with the team, squad, club, or organization involved in the event, must have prior written permission to pick up the child from the event site. The parent/guardian must acknowledge that the child will not be transported back with the team, squad, club, or organization involved in the event and accept full, complete, and sole responsibility for the supervision, protection, care and custody of the child.

Off Campus Student Pick- Up Form
Student Driver Permission Form

Concussion Management
South Carolina High School League Suggested Guidelines for Concussion Management in Sports
South Carolina High School League Concussion Return to Play Form
Beaufort County School District Concussion Protocol
Beaufort County School District Concussion Protocol in Spanish
Beaufort County School District Concussion Management Information
Athletes Fact Sheet for Concussion

NCAA Division I Academic Requirements for High School Athletes
Students who enroll full time at an NCAA Division I school this fall must graduate high school and meet ALL the following 16 core course requirements:

  • Four years of English
  • Three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
  • Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it)
  • One additional year of English, math or natural/physical science
  • Two years of social science
  • Four additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
  • Complete 10 core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before the start of the seventh semester. Once students begin their seventh semester, they must have more than 10 core courses completed to be able to repeat or replace any of the 10 courses used in the preliminary academic certification.
  • Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in their core courses.
  • Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching their core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale, which balances their test score and core-course GPA. If students have a low test score, they will need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If they have a low core-course GPA, they will need a higher test score to be eligible. 

For more resources regarding these changes, visit NCAA.org/student-athletes/play-division-i-sports or the Division I Academic Requirements Guide.

Test Score Submissions

In order for a student's academic certification to be processed, the student must have ACT or SAT scores submitted to the NCAA Eligibility Center directly from the testing agency.  Step-by-step instructions on how students can request to have their test scores sent.

Test scores on a high school transcript will not be used. Students may take the ACT or the SAT an unlimited number of times prior to full-time collegiate enrollment, and the best score will be used in the final academic certification. Test scores are matched to the student's NCAA Eligibility Center account by name, date of birth and address.

Note: If a student takes the current SAT before March 2016 and then takes the redesigned SAT, which will be offered beginning March 2016, the NCAA Eligibility Center will not combine section scores from the current and redesigned SAT when determining a student's initial eligibility. The NCAA Eligibility Center will only combine section scores from the same version of the test. Because the redesigned SAT varies in design and measures different academic concepts than the current SAT, a numerical score on the current test may not be equivalent to the same numerical score on the redesigned test.

Update Your Core-Course List

The start of a new semester is always a great time to update your school's list of NCAA courses. A list that has not been updated recently could delay your graduating seniors' academic certification or prevent them from meeting the academic requirements.

You may add courses, archive those no longer taught and change titles quickly and easily on the High School Portal. Additional information on updating your course list including a step-by-step tutorial.

If your list is accurate, please log in to the High School Portal to verify you have no updates; this will confirm your list is accurate for your school in our system.

Updated April 2019