The Illinois High School Association has ruled that a 16-year-old German student is ineligible to play basketball and tennis for Urbana High School.

Reports indicate the association made the decision Monday at a board meeting in Bloomington. The board ruled that Niklas Bals is ineligible because he is studying in the U.S. independently and not as part of an approved foreign exchange program. Bals is from Hanover, Germany. He has practiced with the basketball team all season and sat on the bench for games.

IHSA associate executive director Kurt Gibson says Bals is "not considered a foreign exchange student."

Bals says instead of sports he will pursue photography and theater.