Why CHS athletics should be reserved for enrolled, full-time CHS students

 High school sports should be rooted in the classroom as much as on the field — otherwise, it is just a borrowed uniform. Photo credit: Caroline Menna

High school sports are about more than just winning. They are about teamwork, commitment, school spirit, and the shared experience of balancing academics and athletics. That is why it’s time we revisit a growing and deeply unfair loophole in our public-school athletic programs: allowing homeschooled students and those enrolled in Running Start to compete on high school sports teams. 

On the surface, this might seem inclusive or harmless. But in practice, it undermines the very spirit of high school athletics and creates a playing field that is anything but level. 

Let’s start with the obvious: homeschooled students and many Running Start participants are not living the same day-to-day reality and rigor as full-time students at Cascade High School (CHS). They are not in our hallways, classrooms, or lunch lines. They are not juggling a full CHS course load, participating in school clubs, navigating group projects, and managing all the shared social and academic pressures that come with being immersed in the CHS community. Yet they show up to wear Kodiak colors on the field, as if they were part of that same community. 

At CHS, like many schools across Washington, students work hard to balance a four consecutive period academic schedule with practice, homework, and other extracurriculars. The full-time students who suit up for CHS do so after a full day in school—not after a midday run and a nap. In some cases, homeschooled and Running Start athletes train twice a day—once in the morning while their teammates are in class, and again in the afternoon at practice. That is not grit; that is an exploitative advantage based on a schedule unavailable to the enrolled student. It is a fundamental departure from the ethic of the student-athlete, where all train and compete under the same time constraints and responsibilities. 

 It is a fundamental departure from the ethic of the student-athlete, where all train and compete under the same time constraints and responsibilities. 

Worse, this trend has financial consequences. School funding from the state is tied to enrollment. When students leave for Running Start or homeschool, the school loses money—but still bears the costs of fielding and coaching athletic teams those participants benefit from. In essence, public schools are subsidizing the extracurricular activities of students who have opted out of their classrooms. 

This publication previously examined the broader consequences of Running Start, noting how the program drains high schools of state funding, accelerates academic and extracurricular declines, exacerbates inequities, and undermines the social and educational fabric of traditional public education. You can read that story here. 

Athletics are no exception. The impacts ripple out into school communities, including the fields, courts, and tracks where our student-athletes strive to compete fairly. 

There is also the very real impact on team morale. When a teammate can train twice a day, skip the stress of full-time school, and show up to outperform others, it can be deeply demoralizing to those who are trying to juggle it all. These outside athletes often do not contribute to the school culture or team spirit in meaningful ways because they are simply not present for most of it. They come in to compete, but they are not truly part of the team community that forms in classrooms, passing periods, and shared challenges. 

At CHS, we take pride in Kodiak athletes not just because they compete hard, but because they represent our school in every sense—academically, socially, and athletically. That is what makes high school sports meaningful. 

And let’s not forget the spirit of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), which exists to foster equitable and educational athletic opportunities. The inclusion of students not fully participating in the public school system chips away at that mission. It sends the message that commitment to academics, community, and school life does not matter as much as raw athleticism or schedule flexibility. 

No one is saying that homeschoolers and Running Start students should not have access to sports. But if they want to compete in high school athletics, they should be enrolled full-time at the school they represent—just like everyone else on the team. Anything less is not just unfair; it is unsportsmanlike. 

High school sports should reward not just talent, but commitment—to the team, to the school, and to the shared experience of being an enrolled, full-time student. That is the kind of playing field CHS and all Washington students deserve.