Reminder for all Soccer playing schools:
Since there are many high schools that have club coaches on their coaching staff, either as a certified teacher or a lay coach, just a reminder of the GHSA Constitution and By-Law 2.69:
2.69 (c) A GHSA coach (certified teacher or community coach) may not coach a non-GHSA team in a competitive setting during the school year that includes any player(s) who participate in the sport he/she coaches at the member school. EXCEPTION: In a situation in which the child or step-child of the coach is the only player on a non-school team from the coach’s school, the coach would be exempted from this rule.
This rule states if a soccer coach is on the staff at a member high school (head, assistant, or lay coach) and coached club soccer in the fall, that coach can’t coach ANY player, male or female on any club team and that is also in the soccer program at your high school, INCLUDING THE OPPOSITE GENDER TEAM.
For example, if a coach were an assistant BOYS’ coach at your high school AND coached a U19 GIRLS’ team at a local club during the school year. If just ONE girl from your club team played on your high school GIRLS’ program, you would not be allowed to continue to coach on the BOYS’ staff at your high school.
A coach can’t coach the same player in club and on your high school team (same gender). However, there has been some confusion about coaching opposite gender teams in club and in high school when said teams have one or more players playing at the high school, even if the coach does not coach the same player at the high school.
