THOMASBORO

CCSD #130

EXTRA-CURRICULAR CODE OF CONDUCT

2016-2017
The Extra-Curricular Code of Conduct for sports and IESA activities pertains to the following: baseball, basketball, volleyball, and track. This program is coordinated and administered under rules established by the Thomasboro Board of Education and the governing body which rules the particular activity in which the student is involved (ex. Illinois Elementary School Association - IESA). It is the consensus of the Board of Education, administration, and staff that participation in extra-curricular activities is a privilege. It is not a right of students to participate in school governed extra-curricular activity. If a student should fail to comply with the rules and requirements set forth in this policy, the privilege to participate in extra-curricular activities may be withdrawn from the student in accordance with the policy.

Regarding athletics, we would like to make it known to parents and student that there is a risk of injury, paralysis, and even death in virtually every activity. The benefits and joys of physical activity are tremendous. Statistics show that the rate of injury in athletes is far lower than those caused on a highway. By following the rules and regulations of the activities and/or the school, students themselves will greatly aid in the prevention of injury.

The Thomasboro Grade School Extra-Curricular Participation Contract must be signed by the coach(es), student, and parent before the student participates in an activity. This is required to only be signed one time per school year. It will be signed for the first activity that the student participates in.

For the remainder of this handbook, whenever the word “parent/s” is used, we are also referring to guardian/s.

Requirements

Attend the organization meeting held by the coachwithin the first two weeks of the each season to receive the paperwork listed below. Must have on file in the office before any participation in the activity/practice/game/event:

Complete only once and kept in office:

  1. “Parents/Spectators Code of Conduct” form signed by parent(s)
  2. “Student Athlete Participant Code of Conduct” form signed by student
  3. “Student Spectator Code of Conduct” form signed by parent and student
  4. Concussion form signed by parent and student/Concussion lesson completed
  5. The 3R’s agreement form signed by both parents and students, typically completed at school registration.

Complete/submit for each sport:

1. Activity fee of $50 for each sport

  • All students, regardless of their free/reduced lunch status, must pay the $50 sports fee for each sport. The sports fee must be paid by the second day of practice or the student will be withheld until the fee is paid. If not paid by the first game, the students will no longer be able to practice or participate in games.
  • If this fee is a hardship, the parent must contact administration to set up a payment plan.

2. “Athletic Medical, Insurance & Contact” form. Yearly medical exam and physical form (valid for one

calendar year) completed and signed by a physician

Eligibility

1. Eligibility will be determined each week for all students who are involved in extra-curricular activities.

2. A student receiving an accumulative grade of “F” in any subject will be ineligible to participate in any game/event from midnight Sundays to midnight of the following Saturday. Letters are emailed home to parents on Fridays and students are informed by the coach or athletic director/principal in writing by the end of the day on Fridays.

4. If a student is ineligible at the time of break, he/she is not allowed to participate in games/events over break since school is not in session and there is not an opportunity to raise the grade until school resumes.

5. When starting a new quarter, eligibility will begin on the THIRD THURSDAY of the quarter.

6. Ineligible students are expected to attend practice and home games.

6. If a student is ineligible 3 times during the Volleyball or Track season, that student is removed from the team for the remainder of the season. The seasons are very short for these two sports. If a student is ineligible 6 times during the Basketball season, that student is removed from the team for the remainder of the season.

Parent/Athlete Orientation Meeting

An orientation meeting will be scheduled by the coach within the first two weeks of each season so that all parents are fully informed of the guidelines and expectations for membership in each extra-curricular program. All parents and participants are required to attend this meeting. The coaches and administration will be on hand to answer questions.

Expectations of Coaches

Coaches represent Thomasboro CCSD #130. Coaches must be aware that their actions have an effect on the personal, as well as the development of their students. Knowing that students emulate the actions of coaches, the following expectations are set forth:

  1. Demonstrate good sportsmanship
  • Teach players, by actions/conduct and example, respect for school authorities and game/event officials, providing support for them in cases of adverse decisions and refraining from critical comments in public.
  • Appropriately acknowledge opponent before and after event regardless of the outcome of the event
  • Coach the entire event regardless of how the team is competing
  • Develop fair, unprejudiced relationships with all squad members
  1. Ensure the safety of all athletes
  • Provide appropriate supervision at all times
  • Ensure that equipment is in proper working condition
  • Complete Concussion Training
  1. Participation
  • Schedule appropriate practice sessions to begin at the date determined by IESA
  • All scheduling must be approved by the Athletic Director/Principal (athletics only)
  • Attempt to involve all team members in events
  • Attempt to make all players feel a part of the team
  1. Knowledge
  • Up-to-date IESA rules and regulations
  • Hierarchy of skill progression
  • Fundamentals will be taught to all players
  1. All coaches will develop, communicate and model policies for athletes’ conduct to follow including actions, dress, and language at all times, including practice, competition, locker room, etc.
  2. Present privately, through proper school authorities, evidence of rules violations by opponents; and counteract rumors and unproven allegations of questionable practice by opponents.
  3. All expenditures must be approved by the Athletic Director/Principal.
  4. All coaches will collect, inventory, and check all equipment and uniforms into storage at the end of the season
  5. All coaches will ensure that equipment and grounds are secure and accounted for at all times
  • Emergency kits must be accessible at all practices/competitions (portable AED for baseball) – athletics only
  • All equipment must be stored away and premises must be empty before leaving the facility
  1. All coaches need to be sensitive to the fact that parents make plans around the practice times given, especially the time given for the conclusion of practice.

Expectations of Parents

  1. Recognize that youth sports are first and foremost a disciplined play activity.
  2. Recognize that the motivations generally rated as most important for sports involvement are improving skills, having fun, being with friends, and experiencing thrills and excitement, developing fitness, and achieving success.
  3. Be positive: Do not let issues like playing time, etc., become such a negative that our focus sways from the positive messages that can be delivered.
  4. Be supportive of the coaches in front of our students and in the public. If you have concerns please call to make an appointment with the coach and do not approach them before/during/after an event or practice.
  5. Be part of a parent network: Parents need support also. Be positive and communicate in an appropriate manner to coaches and parents.
  6. Expectations: High expectations are always a sign of a solid athletic or academic program. We must, however, be realistic as parents, coaches, athletes and teams. A middle school athletic program is not meant to place the amount of pressure on athletes, coaches and parents that a high school or college program places on winning and individual accomplishments
  7. Only IESA certified and board approved volunteers or parents are allowed to assist, interrupt, or otherwise direct the students or coach during practice or events.

Expectations of Athletes

Accept and understand the seriousness of your responsibility, and the privilege of representing your school and your community.

  1. Equipment
  • Each athlete will be required to pay for equipment that they keep. The following is a list of equipment and items that are required to be purchased by individual team members (not all inclusive):
  • Basketball – shoes, socks
  • Volleyball – shoes, socks, spandex (knee pads if needed)
  • Track – shoes, socks, black sweatpants
  • Players are responsible for uniforms and equipment issued to them
  • Players will be required to pay for any lost or damaged uniforms and equipment
  • Players are not allowed to wear uniforms to school unless given permission by the coach or AD/Principal.
  1. Grade level participation in each sport can change year to year based on student involvement
  2. Conduct – Follow all rules and regulations outlined in Thomasboro CCSD #130 3R’s (Rules, Rights and Responsibilities) and Student/Parent Handbook.
  3. Accept seriously the responsibility and privilege of representing your school and community. Display positive public action at all times.
  4. Respect fellow teammates, coaches, officials, and opposing players at all times.
  5. Treat opponents with respect. Shake hands prior to and after games/events.
  6. Refrain from behavior that could incite the fans
  7. When not participating in games/events, students are expected to remain in areas designated by the coach
  8. Participants shall not leave the site of an event when participating in a sport. Participants should not leave the gym (basketball, volleyball) or school grounds (baseball, track). No student should be allowed to remain within the school after hours unless he/she is directly supervised by a coach or faculty member.
  9. Accept their role as a member of a team, not an individual
  10. Follow all directions and guidance given by the coach
  11. Serve as a role model and a leader for younger students to follow
  12. Leave the host schools’ facilities in good order
  13. On game days in which the student leaves during or immediately following school, students are expected to dress in “game day clothing” which means clean, acceptable clothing – no sweatpants or clothes/pants with holes. Nice jeans and shirt are acceptable (except track). If the student goes home between school and a game/event, there is no requirement to follow “game day clothing” rules.
  14. Lockers
  15. All lockers, including gym lockers, are assigned to all students for their use. As school lockers are the property of the school and not the student, lockers are subject to inspection without notification or permission.
  16. Rough-housing and throwing towels or other objects are not allowed.
  17. If it doesn’t belong to you do not touch it.
  18. No one except coaches and assigned players are allowed in the locker room.
  19. All students are given a lock and need to use them to keep lockers locked during practices and events. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Failure to follow the above statements may result in disciplinary action and/or removal from athletics. The athletic director/principal and superintendent will be responsible for removing players from athletics.

Expectations of Spectators/Fans

  1. Realize that a ticket is a privilege to watch a game/event and support school activities, not a license to verbally assault others or be generally obnoxious
  2. Remember that school athletics are learning experiences for students and mistakes are sometimes made.
  3. Respect decisions made by officials
  4. Respect fans, coaches, and players of both teams. Use only those cheers that support and uplift the teams involved. Be a FAN, not a FANATIC.
  5. PROFANITY is NOT allowed. Fans may be removed from a competition for use of profanity and obnoxious behavior. Fans removed from an event because of behavior will not be entitled to a refund of admission fees.
  6. Smoking on school grounds is against the law. Please refrain from smoking on school grounds including outside the gym and in the parking lot.

Spectator’s Admission Fees:

  1. Prices: Students = $1 Adults = $3 H.S./Senior Citizens= $2 Pre-K and TGS staff & family= free
  2. There are no season ticket packages, nor is there reserved seating.
  3. Regional and Sectional ticket prices will be determined by IESA.

Practices:

  1. The office will likely be closed during practices which means no available phone.
  2. Parents should drop off and pick up students at the west gym doors, using the back parking lot. Please do not use the front doors to drop off and pick up your student. The office may not be open to let you through the security doors.
  3. Students should be picked in a timely manner. If a player is not picked up on time repeatedly, he/she may be removed from the team. A coach will let the player and parent know if a problem exists before taking this step.
  4. Practice or open gyms are not held on snow days or school days that are closed early due to weather (possible exceptions tournament, regional/sectional or state competitions). It is the responsibility of the coach to contact the players and parents in the event of a cancellation, unless it is an announced snow day or weather closure.
  5. Practice Rules:
  6. The directions from physicians regarding injured athletes will be closely followed.
  7. After arriving at a practice area, students should not go into any other area of the school or school grounds unless supervised or told to do so.
  8. Athletes will be told of the week’s practice schedule in advance and must take the schedule home to parents.
  9. Other individuals not associated with the school will not be used in any capacity in practice sessions or events unless approved by the AD/principal, in which background checks will be conducted prior to any involvement.

Attendance

1.A student must be in attendance for a portion of the school day before he/she can participate in an extra-curricular activity that afternoon or evening. An exception may be made if the student has an approved and excused reason with permission from the principal.

2.Students are required to be in school on school days following a game/event. Illness is an exception. However, if a pattern of absences or excessive tardies develop on days following games/events, the coach may require the participant to not participate in all or a portion of the next game/event.

3.Unexcused absences at practice or events will result in a reasonable consequence to be determined by the coach.

4.Students are expected to attend practice and events/games over the breaks.

5.If a player is habitually absent from practices/events for any reason, the coach will set up a conference with the student and parent. If attendance does not improve, then, the player may face dismissal from the team/activity.

Transportation

1.Transportation is not provided by the district for away games/meets. Parents must provide transportation for their child. Weekday track meets will have school bus transportation.

2.Students must arrive to away games 30 minutes before the game begins (IESA regulations).

3.We highly encourage all 5-7th graders remain for the 8th grade games to support the team.

4.Students will remain with the team and under the supervision of the coach while attending away games/events until the parent takes them home.

Chain of Command

As a parent you have the right to open communication with your child’s coach. That being said, it is imperative that the lines of communication be open and respected. If there are any questions regarding participation or if there are concerns/complaints, parents must first contact the coach. Please follow the format provided below:

  1. Set up a time with the head coach to discuss concerns. Please allow 24 hours for the call to be returned. The meeting should be at a mutually convenient time. The coach will not be available after events or practices for such discussions as the coach is responsible for monitoring all students as they leave the building/board the bus.
  2. If a resolution is not made after meeting with the coach then the parent should contact the athletic director/principal to set up a time in which the coach and parent can discuss the parent concerns.
  3. If a resolution is not met, then the parent should request a meeting with the superintendent.
  4. If after all these options have been exhausted, and the parent is not satisfied, the parent can request to speak to the board of education. This request should be made to the superintendent prior to the board meeting if possible so it can be added to the agenda.

Appeals

Any student participant and/or parent shall have the right to appeal any action taken pursuant to this policy by contacting the administration within 3 days of receiving notice of the imposition of any sanction of penalty. Please refer to the Student/Parent Handbook for further details.