The Cooperstown school board adopted a modified version of Selection Classification at its meeting on Aug. 16.

Selection Classification determines the level of competition at which a student/ athlete may participate. In past years at CCS, seventh and eighth grade students were not eligible to play on junior varsity or varsity teams, regardless of their talent level.

But beginning this school year, eighth grade students only will be eligible to play on junior varsity teams only. The eighth grade students would become eligible for junior varsity if they are recommended by athletic director Mike Cring, a physical education teacher or coach.

The decision will not be made by the students or parents, Cring emphasized.

"We are the only team in the Center State Conference which does not offer some form of Selection Classification," Cring said. "I've been athletic director for 11 years, and there have been times when not being able to move a gifted athlete to the next level was a disservice to that athlete."

Cring used the examples of basketball players Billy Hribar and Samantha Fox, who both were well over six feet in the eighth grade, as good examples of players who could have easily moved to the next level.

"What we don't want to do is push kids to a level they may not be ready to compete at, and we won't move kids up just to full roster spots," Cring said. "We need to make sure we keep kids at the right social and emotional level as well."

Once athletes are recommended for Selection Classification, they must pass some athletic performance and display a physical maturity consistent with the other athletes at that level.

Cring added that eighth grade student/athletes will be eligible to compete at the varsity level in boys and girls cross country, boys and girls track and boys and girls swim.

"I think we have put together a policy that will work well," said Jessie Ravage, who has coached cross country at CCS for 14 seasons. "In the time I've coached, I can only think of one time when I would have wanted to use it, but I'm glad we have the option for that rare circumstance."

Cring agreed that Selection Classification would be used sparingly at Cooperstown.

"On a heavy year you might be talking about three kids," he said. "Sometimes there might be one or none at all."

The Selection Classification policy will be reviewed every year, and Cring said depending on how it goes this year the policy could be dropped, added to or remain the same for next year.

Cooperstown had Selection Classification until 12 years ago, when it was dropped after some complaints were made about young players moving to the varsity level.

In the early 1990s, golfer Mike Pugliese played varsity golf as a seventh grader, and boys soccer player Ryan Miosek played varsity soccer as an eighth grader. Both went on to play at the Division I level in college.

"There are going to be those athletes or parents who are disappointed that they don't move to the next level," Cring said. "But overall, this policy is what is best for the kids and that's why we went ahead with it."