Eligibility Requirements
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CYO of Long Island is a parish-based organization serving the youth of Nassau and Suffolk counties. To be eligible to participate in a parish program, the following requirements must be met:
- Live within your parish boundary. If a participant does not live within your parish boundary, he/she is eligible to play at your parish if the following applies:
- Parents are registered parishioners (for at least 2 years) and participant attends Faith Formation classes in your parish (for at least 2 years).
- Participant attends parish school (does not include Regional Catholic schools)
c. Participant lives in an adjoining parish* that does not have a program.
d. Participant has previously been granted a waiver and participated in your
program.
- Proper age/grade level. A participant may play up one grade level.
If the participant does not live within your parish boundary and does not meet the criteria noted above, PLEASE DIRECT THE PARTICIPANT TO THE PARISH WHERE HE/SHE RESIDES. If you have any questions regarding parish boundaries please check our website, www.cyoli.org, call or email the CYO Office.
If the participant’s parish program does not have instructional level teams, 3rd or 4th grade, the participant may play at an adjoining parish for that level however, the participant must return to their parish to play once they reach the grade level where the parish program has a team. The coordinator, coach and parent of the participant must fill out the CYO non-waiver request form and forward to the CYO Office. Forms are located on the CYO Website, www.cyoli.org, under Rules/Forms. Participants will not be approved on a roster without signing this form.
*If a participant lives in a parish that does not have a program, that participant may request to play in an adjoining parish that does have a program. The adjoining parish chosen will become that participant’s designated parish. If in the future their home parish organizes a program, they may return to their home parish or remain in the designated parish. Participating at a different adjoining parish is not an option.
Roster Information
Official CYO Roster forms are located on the CYO website, www.cyoli.org, under Rules/Forms. To ensure that rosters are approved and returned in a timely manner, please submit the official CYO roster form with all the required information filled out:
- First and last name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Grade as of September
- School attending as of September
- Email address
When registering participants, please make sure all eligibility requirements are met in order to participate in your program. All roster forms must be typed, handwritten rosters will not be accepted. The Parish Coordinator must sign the rosters. The signature of the coordinator represents his/her certification that each participant named meets all eligibility requirements. Only those names on file at the CYO office will be recognized as official participants. Each Coach must have a copy of the team’s approved roster in the scorebook.
Roster changes are accomplished by the coordinator submitting a new roster with the additions filled in and deletions lined out. Changes may be submitted to the CYO office up to the date determined by the CYO office (see Program Schedule).
The composition of a parish’s roster is expected to reflect the community that exists within the parish boundary. As such, it is required that at least 51% of each parish roster be comprised of players who reside within the parish boundaries of that parish.
Maximum number of participants per team: Basketball (15) Soccer (20) Volleyball (15)
Waiver Information
CYO of Long Island requires ALL participants play for the parish in which they reside. However, due to extenuating circumstances, this may not always be possible. These guidelines have been established to provide guidance to coordinators for requesting a waiver from the CYO Eligibility Committee.
Waiver Guidelines:- The official “CYO Eligibility Waiver Request” form can be found on the CYO website www.cyoli.org. All requests for waivers should be submitted using the official waiver form as soon as possible but no later than the CYO registration due date for each sport.
- Waiver requests must be initiated by the coordinator of the requesting parish. After all necessary information is filled out and signed the request should be forwarded to the CYO office. Parents should not be involved in this process.
- Once reviewed by the Eligibility Committee, the parish program coordinator will be notified if the waiver has been approved or denied.
- Submitting a waiver DOES NOT constitute an approval.
- No one may participate in a game until the Eligibility Committee has approved the waiver and an approved roster has been received.
- If tryouts are held and children from your parish are cut from the travel team, you are not permitted to request a waiver for a child from another parish to join your program.
- Level of play is not considered an extenuating circumstance.
- A participant can only receive one waiver per sport during their CYO tenure.