Eligibility

A. Academic Eligibility
B. Medical Clearance

A. Academic Eligibility

To be eligible to practice/compete, the student-athlete must:

• Have been admitted as a regularly enrolled, degree seeking student according to the published entrance requirements of Mount Holyoke College;
• Be in good academic standing according to the standards of Mount Holyoke College; and
• Be enrolled in at least a minimum full-time baccalaureate degree program (not less than 12 semester or quarter hours) and maintain satisfactory progress towards that degree, be enrolled in a full-time graduate or professional degree program (not less than eight semester or quarter hours) or be enrolled and seeking a second baccalaureate degree at your institution. [Bylaws 14.01.2, 14.1.6.1, 14.1.7.2 and 14.1.7.2.1.4]

If you are enrolled in less than a full-time program, you are eligible to practice/compete only if you are enrolled in the last term of your degree program and are carrying credits necessary to finish your degree. [Bylaw 14.1.7.2.1.1]

You are eligible to compete between terms if you are continuing enrollment, provided you have been registered for the required minimum full-time load at the conclusion of the term immediately preceding the date of competition, or if you are either continuing enrollment or beginning enrollment, provided you have been accepted for enrollment as a regular full-time student for the regular term immediately following the date of competition [Bylaw 14.1.7.2.1.2]

B. Medical Clearance

All student-athletes who wish to try out for a team must be cleared through the Athletic Training Staff prior to trying out. For the fall teams, this will be done during pre-season on a pre-determined day. Winter and spring coaches are expected to schedule a time with the Head Athletic Trainer for medical clearance of their teams. Any student-athletes who miss this meeting must be seen in the Training Room and fill out the necessary forms PRIOR to trying out. Winter or Spring student-athletes who participated in the season immediately preceding the one they are currently trying out for are exempt from medical clearance, i.e., if a swimmer is trying out for softball, she does not need to be cleared again for softball.

The following materials will be completed at this meeting:

• medical history forms
• acknowledgement of risk forms
• emergency information sheets
• Training Room contract

An introduction to the Training Room is given and safety/health concerns are reviewed. In addition, any pertinent orthopedic exams will be performed. Student-athletes will need to bring insurance information with them to this meeting.

If student-athletes fail to bring the necessary insurance information (or any other relevant information) to the meeting, they will have two days to bring the missing information to the Athletic Training Staff. After that time, they will be unable to practice until the information is turned in.

The Health Center does a chart review and a limited physical examination with each student-athlete who makes a team and is officially on the roster. These dates are established prior to the start of the season. It should be noted that every effort is made to have a team’s Medical Clearance completed prior to the first contest. Coaches must pick up a “Sign-Up Sheet” from the Head Athletic Trainer and have each person on their team sign-up (name and year). These “Sign-up Sheets” need to be returned to the Head Athletic Trainer at least 24 hours prior to the clearances.

Medical Clearance at the Health Center is required on an annual basis only. If the student-athletes have been previously medically cleared at the Health Center for a previous season in the same academic year, they do not need to be cleared again. If the student-athletes fail to make their medical clearance appointment at the Health Center, they are not cleared to practice or compete until they are able to make up their appointment with the Health Center staff.