You are correct, the "Tim Tebow" law was passed this summer. It is great for home schoolers, it opens up many opportunities not only in athletics but in other extra curricular activities that we have never had before and had it been passed three years ago PAC never would have been formed. My concern then was only for my son and giving him a place to play, he would have made any public school team without a doubt. Today my concern is for the other kids that play PAC soccer and the close to two hundred kids that participate in the other PAC sports as well as the other home school sports organizations. Do we pack it up and say go try out for your local public school? The fact of the matter is most of the kids would not make the public school team for a variety of reasons. If you are a "Tim Tebow", of course you will make it, but if it is between a home schooler and a public school kid with equal talent that has been a part of the program since 7th grade, who is going to make the team?
Back then I would have said "it is what it is, either you have what it takes or you don't". Today I see how much our organization benefits these kids who would otherwise not play high school athletics. We have been blessed with great coaches that put their heart and soul into these kids and have brought them to the point that they can compete well with most jv and varsity programs at the A-AAA level. This year I will not even have child playing PAC full time (daughter plays club still in spring and my son won't be eligible), but I could never shut it down because of that or because of the law that was passed that may allow a fraction of our participants to play at the local high school.
Is there not room for our teams? If the SCHSL doesn't care that we play region games, why would it matter that we play in a couple tournaments? I'm trying to understand, but frankly it makes no sense and is actually putting more restrictions on independant organizations than were there to begin with. I feel as though we have taken a huge step backwards instead of forwards. I don't believe that is what was intended when the equal access law was passed.
