By Mac Fogler
Oak Hall’s historic athletic programs have had a lot of success over the years, some of which can be attributed to the special opportunity for students who are homeschooled or dual enrolled and participate in athletics for the school. This can sometimes cause confusion in the stands, as people wonder aloud, “Who is No. 4 on the football team?” No. 4 is Logan Fogler, a sophomore who is homeschooled and will start at Oak Hall in January. “It’s cool to make friends before I go to school there later in the year,” Fogler stated. “It’s a lot more relaxed and less intense than playing while attending school,” he continued.
Logan Fogler, homeschooled athlete, plays football for OHS.
Other students used to attend Oak Hall and now are dual-enrolled. They can choose, however, to continue to participate in athletics. Kathryn Wishart is a junior cheerleader who attended Oak Hall for her first two years of high school. This past year, she decided to dual enroll at Santa Fe College, but wanted to continue cheerleading for the Eagles. “Doing Oak Hall athletics without going to school there allows me to spend time with my friends that I can’t see on an everyday basis,” she said. Wishart was a student at Oak Hall for 10 years prior to changing her student status to dual enrollment. “It’s different because I am not surrounded with the people I grew up with anymore,” she explained. This change has helped Wishart have great success in the classroom and in cheerleading.
Kathryn Wishart (top row, third from left) cheers for OHS, even though she is dual-enrolled.
Evan Fleming is also a former Eagle who is dual enrolled at Santa Fe College and runs cross country for Oak Hall. “I really like doing athletics for Oak Hall, since I know everyone, it is fun, and Coach Mac [Edwin McTureous] is amazing,” Fleming said. “It’s a little different because [dual enrollment] is much more flexible, but it definitely helps me because it’s a great stress reliever and I love my team,” he elaborated.
Evan Fleming (left) runs cross country for the Eagles.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is the governing body for high school sports in Florida. It defines a “Non-Traditional” student as “one who doesn’t physically attend the school at which he/she wishes to participate.” These students are required to fill out a special form called an EL7 form, which is reviewed by the FHSAA before the student is allowed to participate. This opportunity to participate in a high school’s athletic program while having a flexible school life outside of Oak Hall is a win-win for both the Eagles and these athletes.