Athletic Participation Requirements for 2026-27
The Virginia High School League AND Prince William County Public Schools set requirements and standards for students to be eligible to participate in high school athletics. It is important for student-athletes and their families to be familiar with these requirements. Below you will find information on 2026-27 tryouts, as well as details on the requirements that MUST be completed by ALL student-athletes that plan on participating in school athletics during the 2026-27 school year.
Below is a list of athletic tryout start dates for the 2026-27 school year. Please note that Fall sports begin prior to the start of the school year.
| FALL SPORTS | WINTER SPORTS | SPRING SPORTS |
| Cheer - Sideline May 19-21 |
Boys Basketball November 9 |
Baseball February 22 |
| Cross Country August 3 |
Girls Basketball November 9 |
Boys Lacrosse February 22 |
| Field Hockey August 3 |
Cheer - Sideline November 9 |
Girls Lacrosse February 22 |
| Football July 30 |
Gymnastics November 9 |
Boys Soccer February 22 |
| Girls Flag Football August 3 |
Indoor Track November 9 |
Girls Soccer February 22 |
| Golf July 27 |
Swim November 9 |
Outdoor Track February 22 |
| Boys Volleyball August 3 |
Wrestling November 9 |
Softball February 22 |
| Girls Volleyball August 3 |
Tennis February 22 |
|
| Step Team August 3 |
Student athletes MUST meet ALL requirements listed below prior to any athletic team participation – this includes off-season workouts and team tryouts:
- ARBITER ACCOUNT REGISTRATION - ALL student-athletes MUST create an Arbiter account for participation in school athletics. All sections of the Unity Reed High School Athletic Registration section MUST be completed. More details and full instructions can be found HERE.
- SPORTS PHYSICAL – Effective immediately, paper copies of sports physicals will no longer be accepted. Sports physicals are now valid for 14 months from the date that they are signed by the doctor. Page 3 of your current sports physical MUST be uploaded to your Arbiter account - schools will no longer accept paper sports physical exam forms. The VHSL sports physical has been revised as of April 2025. A blank copy can be downloaded here - VHSL Sports Physical Form. If you have a sports physical from the 2025-26 school year that is still valid, page 3 must still be uploaded to your 2026-27 Arbiter registration page.
- STUDENT ATHLETE EDUCATION – Once your Arbiter account has been created, you must complete the entire "Agreements" section of your registration.
- GRADE REQUIREMENTS – All student athletes MUST meet current academic eligibility requirements:
- Must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 classes/credits.
- Must have passed a minimum of 5 classes/credits last semester (for 10-12th graders participating in Fall and Winter sports, this is your final grades from the previous school year).
- More information on PWCS and VHSL (Virginia State High School League) eligibility requirements can be found online at the PWCS Participation Guidelines For High School Activities And Interscholastic Athletics page.
- AGE REQUIREMENT – The student must not have reached the age of 19 on or before August 1, 2026.
*Student Athlete Registration MUST complete by the end of the school day in order to participate in tryouts that day.
We encourage students and parents to reach out our coaches with questions! A full list of our head coaches can be found on our main Athletics page.