Athletic Placement Process

The Athletic Placement Process is a process for screening students to determine their readiness to compete in high school level interscholastic athletic competition by evaluating their physical maturity, fitness and skill. The student may be placed at the appropriate level of competition which should result in increased opportunity, a fairer competitive environment, reduced injury and greater personal satisfaction. Students going out for modified teams DO NOT need to go through this process.
The Hornell City School District encourages students to participate in interscholastic athletics for which they are suited, appropriate to their physiological maturity, physical fitness, and skills in relationship to other members on those teams, as well as their psychological and emotional maturity. In the vast majority of circumstances, a high school student-athlete shall be placed on a high school team (varsity or junior varsity) and a 7th and 8th grade student-athlete shall be placed on a (modified) interscholastic team.

In exceptional circumstances, a 7th and 8th grade student-athlete may be so physically, athletically, socially and emotionally advanced that he or she would most appropriately be placed on a high school interscholastic team. Only in such circumstances shall a 7th and 8th grade student-athlete be permitted to “play up” to a high school interscholastic team. Each student-athlete shall be considered individually for this option, and a student-athlete shall not be considered for “playing up” for the purpose of ensuring a sufficient number of members of a high school team or because of the desires of a member of the coaching staff that the student be added to a high school team.


Fall 2021

  • June 18, 2021 Referrals due to Athletic Directors Office (NO EXCEPTIONS)
  • June 23, 2021 Lists of students approved for screening sent to the school nurses for physical/maturity screenings
  • TBA Physical/maturity screenings completed and results forwarded to AD’s office
  • TBA Lists of students to be tested (fitness) and appropriate forms sent to test administrators
  • TBA Selection/Classification testing completed at the high school
  • Notification of results and recommendations for placement
  • August 23, 2021 Fall sports practices begin

Note: Summer referrals & screenings for new students may be done at the discretion of the Hornell Director of Athletics.

Winter 2021-22

  • September 24, 2021 Referrals due to Athletic Directors Office (NO EXCEPTIONS)
  • October 1, 2021 Lists of students approved for screenings sent to middle school nurses for physical/maturity screenings
  • October 8, 2021 Physical/ maturity screenings completed and results forwarded to district office
  • October 25, 2021 Lists of students to be tested (fitness) and appropriate forms sent to test administrators
  • TBA Selection/Classification testing completed at the high school
  • Notification of results and recommendations for placement
  • November 15, 2021 Winter sports practices begin

Spring 2022

  • January 7, 2021 Referrals due to Athletic Directors Office (NO EXCEPTIONS)
  • January 14, 2021 Lists of students approved for screenings sent to middle school nurses for physical/maturity screenings
  • January 28, 2021 Physical/ maturity screenings completed and results forwarded to district office
  • February 4, 2021 Lists of students to be tested (fitness) and appropriate forms sent to test administrators
  • TBA Selection/Classification testing completed at the high school Notification of results and recommendations for placement
  • March 14, 2022 Spring sports practices begin

Failure to adhere to the APP/Mixed Competition timeline posted on the Hornell City School District website will result in the APP/Mixed Competition process not being started.

A student will not be allowed to make-up the physical fitness test due to illness, injury, or a physical not being completed on time.

The academic component of the process will be based on the most recent progress report or marking period grades at Hornell High School.