The HCPSS athletic participation form is completed entirely online through HCPSS Connect, where a parent or guardian uploads a current physical, proof of residency, and insurance details, then signs the state-required safety acknowledgments before the student can try out or practice. The portal itself takes only a few minutes once your documents are ready. The school will not clear your child until every required item in the dashboard shows a “Complete” status.
What to Gather Before You Log In
Pulling the paperwork together first is the difference between a short registration and a frustrating back-and-forth. Have four things ready:
- A completed Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form signed by a licensed physician, certified physician assistant, or certified nurse practitioner.
- Proof of residency: a current utility bill (cell phone bills do not count), a lease or rental agreement, or a deed of trust.
- Your health insurance company name and policy number. Coverage must be in effect by the first day of practice.
- Emergency contacts and any relevant medical history or medications.
Scan or photograph the physical and residency documents so you have digital files to upload. The portal accepts PDF, JPG, and DOC formats.
Physical Exam Rules
The physical holds up more registrations than any other item because the timing window is strict. Maryland regulation requires the exam be performed by a licensed physician, a certified physician assistant under physician supervision, or a certified nurse practitioner.
An HCPSS physical covers one school year. It must be completed after April 1 or within 12 months of the tryout date for the sport, and a new verification is required each academic year the student participates. A physical that cleared your child for fall sports may fall outside the 12-month window by the time a spring tryout rolls around, so check the date against the tryout, not against the school year.
Your child’s regular pediatrician or family doctor can perform the evaluation at a routine visit. Book early. Offices fill up with sports physical requests in late summer, and a delayed appointment can cost the first week of tryouts.
How to Register in HCPSS Connect
Athletic registration is only accessible through a parent or guardian account. Logging in with your student’s credentials will not show the registration option.
- Log in to HCPSS Connect at the district’s portal page.
- In the left-hand panel, click More Options (labeled “Family File, Report Cards, etc.”).
- Click the Athletic Registration link on the right-hand menu.
- Select the correct season (Fall, Winter, or Spring) from the Athletic Registration Dashboard.
- In Section V, enter your insurance company name and policy number.
- Complete each form the dashboard lists. The system tracks which show “Complete” and which still need attention.
- Upload the signed physical exam form and your proof of residency when prompted.
- Review everything, then submit.
Do not leave fields blank. Incomplete submissions get flagged during review and delay clearance.
The Signature Forms Built Into Registration
Maryland law requires two safety acknowledgments before any student participates in school athletics, and HCPSS adds a parent authorization. All three live inside the registration dashboard and require electronic signatures from both parent and student.
Concussion Information Sheet
Under Maryland Education Code Section 7-433, the school provides a concussion and head injury information sheet, and both the student and a parent or guardian must sign a statement confirming they received and read it.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Form
Maryland Education Code Section 7-436 imposes a parallel requirement for sudden cardiac arrest awareness. You read the information sheet in the portal and enter your name and your child’s name in the e-signature fields at the bottom.
Parent Authorization Form
This grants permission for the student to participate. Complete every signature field. The dashboard will not mark the registration complete until all three forms are signed.
Academic Eligibility
Paperwork is only half the equation. High school student athletes in Howard County must also meet academic standards under HCPSS Policy 9070. A full-time student needs a minimum 2.0 grade-point average and no more than two failing grades, calculated from marking period grades. Coaches verify eligibility before tryouts, and a student must earn eligibility before the activity starts. There is no grace period. If your child’s GPA is borderline, check the grades before registration opens.
After You Submit
A successful submission is not clearance. The school’s athletic administration reviews each packet to confirm the physical’s dates, signatures, residency match, and completed boxes. The portal accepting your upload only means the system received it.
During peak periods, especially before fall sports, the review takes longer. Check the registration dashboard in HCPSS Connect to see whether your child’s status has moved. If something is missing, the school typically contacts you through the portal or by email. Until the registration shows full clearance, your child should not attend tryouts or practice.
Mistakes That Delay Clearance
- An expired physical. Check the date against the tryout date, not the school year.
- Logging in with the student account instead of a parent account.
- Submitting a cell phone bill as proof of residency. It does not qualify.
- Skipping a signature field. Each acknowledgment needs both a parent and a student e-signature.
- Waiting until the last minute. If review turns up a problem, you may not have time to fix it before tryouts.
A Note for Transfer Students
Students who transfer into an HCPSS school face additional eligibility considerations under Maryland interscholastic athletics regulations. COMAR 13A.06.03 governs eligibility for students changing schools, and restrictions can apply depending on whether the transfer involved a change in the family’s residence. If your child recently transferred, contact the school’s athletic department before starting registration to confirm eligibility.