8th Grade Option to Dual Roster with High School
NVLS has worked with our coaches to offer the opportunity to 8th grade players to participate with their zoned public high school team.
This opportunity is open to all players in 8th grade for the 2025-2026 school year. Please see below for the terms of this opportunity. If you are interested in participating, please email administrator@nvls.org for the next steps.
Eligibility and Fees
This offer is extended to all 8th graders in the league, regardless of skill or experience.
If an 8th grade player wishes to play up on their zoned public high school team, that 8th grade player must also represent and participate with their zoned middle school program.
Players wishing to participate on both their middle school and high school teams will have an NVLS league fee of $300, instead of the middle school fee. This does not include any fees that their individual middle school and high school teams would charge.
Practice and Game Requirements
Middle school practices and games are the priority for dual-rostered players. Middle school games are played mainly on Saturdays so families should plan accordingly for this schedule.
Dual-rostered 8th graders must attend at least one middle school practice per week. Missing this weekly requirement will result in ineligibility for the next high school game.
Dual-rostered 8th graders are required to play in all middle school games each weekend. If a middle school game is missed, the player will be ineligible for the following high school game.
Extremely limited exceptions may be made in the case of illness or injury that causes a player to miss multiple events for both middle school and high school. Any situations that arise like this should be immediately brought to the attention of the board and administrator, and any decisions about this are at the discretion of the board.
In the situation wherein a middle school practice overlaps with a high school game, the high school game may take precedence over the middle school practice provided that the 8th grade player attends another practice that week, fulfilling the weekly requirement stated above.
Two-Strike Policy
If an 8th grader misses two middle school practices or games (or one of each totalling 2 missed MS events), they will be removed from the high school roster and will not be eligible for the remainder of the high school season.
If a player is deemed ineligible for high school play, they are still eligible to complete the middle school season.
In the event of illness or injury that causes a player to miss multiple events for both middle school and high school, they may return to high school play only after they have completed at least 1 practice or game for their middle school program.
No refund of fees will be issued if a player is removed under this policy.
Postseason Eligibility
No 8th grader will be eligible to participate in any postseason play, including NVLS playoffs, the NVLS Championship Game, or the State Championship Game. 8th graders are not permitted to compete in the State Championship, so this stipulation ensures that the most competitive high school-only team advances to the State game.
Coach Accountability
Middle school coaches must notify the 8th grader, their high school coach, and the league if the player misses a required practice or game.
To the best of their ability, high school coaches are responsible for confirming that any dual-rostered 8th graders have fulfilled their middle school requirements for the week before allowing them to participate in high school games.
If a high school coach knowingly plays an ineligible 8th grader, that high school game will be automatically forfeited and recorded as a loss for the high school team.