Shoreham-Wading River High School is at a new low in student population at the start of the 2023-24 school year. This leads to the school incorporating a dual participation rule for students.
In order for a district in Section XI (New York State Public High School Athletic Association) to use this rule, their BEDS (Basic Educational Data System) numbers must be below 500, and SWR is part of that group since their BED numbers are at 498.
“BEDS numbers are figured out by taking the total number of 9th graders and adding them to the total number of 10th graders,” Mr. Mark Passamonte, the Athletic Director at Shoreham-Wading RIver High School, said. “Then, take the average of that number and add all three together.”
SWR has joined a group of schools in Section XI that have incorporated this rule, including Center Moriches and Port Jefferson.
Whether or not a school can use the dual participation rule is dependent on the population of the underclassmen. This is very important because, in the district of Shoreham-Wading River, the population of each new freshman class has been decreasing throughout the last several years. If enrollment keeps decreasing, it’s likely the rule will stay in place.
High School Principal, Mr. Frank Pugliese, has good things to say about the Dual Participation Rule.
“Overall, this rule helps small schools maintain athletic programs that they may not be able to without it,” Mr. Pugliese said. “It also provides students with the opportunity to be multi-sport athletes and explore multiple avenues.”
There are many positives in this rule that makes this a win for small schools across Suffolk County. However, there are limits. For example, the student must choose a primary sport out of the two in case there is a conflict with games being on the same day. This causes the student to have to commit to one sport more than the other in some cases.
Also, there are only certain sports that athletes can participate in during the same season. Students can not play on two different team sports. They can do two individual sports or one individual sport and one team sport, but can’t do two team sports simultaneously.
The individual sports include cross country, golf, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, indoor track/field, outdoor track/field, and wrestling, while the team sports are soccer, volleyball, football, field hockey, basketball, competitive cheerleading, lacrosse, baseball, and softball. For instance, a student can not participate in soccer and volleyball, but they can participate in soccer and cross country.
One student in particular, Patrick Shea, a junior, is doing both cross country and soccer this fall season. His opinion, just like Mr. Pugliese’s, is that this was a great addition to the school’s athletic program.
“Ever since I was a little kid I have loved soccer. So, that was the sport I played during the fall school season up until high school,” Shea said. “Once I began running track in the winter and fall, I knew that I had a future in long distance running. This season, I am allowed to do the two sports I love without having to make a hard decision.”
