West PotomacSoftball – 2017
Team Policies, Rules and Regulations
Philosophy: As a member of the West Potomac Varsity or Junior Varsity Softball Team you represent not only yourself, but also your teammates, WestPotomacHigh School, your family and our community. Team membership is a privilege and not a right. With this privilege comes the responsibility to uphold the standards established by the Virginia High School League, WestPotomacHigh School and your coaches. These standards are based on the premise that you are in a position of school leadership. You must demonstrate respect for your teammates, your coaches and your opponents, exhibit professionalism, sportsmanship, citizenship, preparation and maximum effortboth academically and athletically. You are expected to uphold these standards of conduct at all times throughout the year.
Your success on the team requires that you:
- Be on time.
- Act as a responsible and respectful individual at all times.
- Realize that everywhere you go you represent yourself, your family, the school and the team.
You are also responsible for adhering to the Student Rights and Responsibilities policies of FairfaxCounty, to the West Potomac High School Department of Student Activities Athletic Team Policy,and to the policies explained in the FCPS Participation Policy – Extracurricular Activities and Athletic Programs which you have signed. It is your responsibility to understand and follow the rules laid out in the applicable policies. If there is a report of an incident where a violation of these policies has occurred, actions will be taken as described in these policies.
Team Specific Rules: You are expected to:
- Attend and be on time for all meetings, practices, games or other team activities such as fund raising or team building efforts.
- Exhibit good sportsmanship at all times.
- Refrain from any initiation or harassment of team members.
- Avoid any actions which could result in ejection from a game by an umpire.
- Maintain appropriate appearance at all times in accordance with school and team policies.
- Avoid conductdetrimental to the team as judged by the coaching staff.
- Act in a respectful way to players and coaches.
Disciplinary actions: Violations of these rules will result in disciplinary action ranging from field maintenance duties to suspension from games to dismissal from the team.
You must maintain grades which permit you to remain eligible to play for the team. Failure to maintain grades of C or better may result in additional study time being required during normal practice time.
You are required to participate in any softball fund raising, team building or community service event. These activities may include car washes or similar fund raising activities, any spring break tournament and community service activities. If you miss a fund raising event for an unauthorized reason you have one week to raise, make arrangements to raise or contribute your share of the funds raised by the other team members. If you’re obligation has not been met you will be given field maintenance duties. If you miss a team building or community service event for any reason you will be required to perform extra field maintenance duties as well. Unauthorized absences will result in a minimum one game suspension.
Anti-Hazing Policy:General Statement of Policy
No student athlete, coach or volunteer shall plan, direct, encourage, aid, engage in, condone or tolerate hazing.
Definition of Hazing:
The National Federation of High School Coaches defines hazing as any humiliating or dangerous activity expected of a student to belong to a group, regardless of their willingness to participate.
Fact: Hazing is in violation of Virginia state law.
§ 18.2-56. Hazing unlawful; civil and criminal liability; duty of school, etc., officials
It shall be unlawful to haze, or otherwise mistreat so as to cause bodily injury, any student at any school, college, or university.
Hazing Prohibition
Purpose - The purpose of this policy is to maintain a safe learning environment that is free from hazing for students and staff members, Hazing activities of any type are inconsistent with the educational goals of the school district and are prohibited at all times.
Practice:
Our practices are highly structured and run on a schedule. For this reason, timelinessto practice and advance notice of necessary absences is expected. JV and Varsity will practice together (in the beginning for a short period). Once everyone is accustomed to the drills we will split the two teams. Junior varsity practice will run from 6:30 to8:00daily and Varsity practice will run from 4:00 to 6:30 whenever practice is held outside. This will be our normal schedule except for game days orinside practice resulting from inclement weather or special practices. Completing practice on time requires that players and coaches be ready to go promptly as scheduled. Unexcused tardiness will result in extra field maintenance duties. If you are habitually late, you may not be permitted to participate in practice and you could be suspended from one or more games. If you are late due to meeting with an instructor, you must bring a note from your instructor showing the time you were dismissed. We will follow up. I would appreciate advance notice of meetings or appointments if possible. Your unexpected absence, even when excused after the fact, will disrupt our planned practice routines.
Attendance at practices and games must take priority over family vacations and non-school events. If an absence is necessary, it must be discussed with the head coach (varsity or JV as appropriate) in advance except in an emergency. If you are absent as a result of an emergency, you must notify the head coach as soon as possible. As a member of the team you must understand that missing or arriving late for practice may affect playing time. Any player who misses practice or a game for an unexcused activity may be suspended from playing in the following game. Two or more unexcused absences may result in dismissal from the team. Family related, non-emergency absences maybe excused if the absence is discussed and approved beforehand. However, the absence could still impact playing time. Absence from practices or games for school sponsored activities must be discussed with the head coach beforehand. These will be excused and will not affect playing time, but could open the door to your competition.
Playing time is earned on the practice field and kept on the playing field. Hustle on and off the field at all times regardless of whether it is a practice or a game or whether we are winning or losing.
In order to participate in practice or a game on a given day, you must be in school for the entire day unless you have been excused for a medical appointment or other school authorized reason.
If you are injured, you must report the injury to both the head coach and to one of our athletic trainers. This must be done as soon as possible after the injury occurs.
Equipment and uniforms issued to you at the beginning of the season must be returned clean and in good repair at the end of the season. Failure to return or pay for lost equipment will prevent you from participating the following season or, in the event you are a senior, the school will not permit you to participate in the graduation ceremony. Players are expected to wash their uniforms after every game and take any necessary steps to remove stains.
Only varsity players are eligible to earn a letter. In order to receive a varsity letter, the general rule is that you must participate in at least one third of our games. Participation is defined as entering the game for any amount of time in any capacity. You must also finish the season in good standing, and turn in or pay forall equipment issued to you within two weeks of completion of the season. The coaching staff may also award a letter based on the following additional considerations: practice performance, post season play or other contributions to the team.
Junior Varsity players are eligible for participation awards which will be detailed separately.
Field and bus rules:
You are expected to keep the field in a first class condition. All trash must be properly discarded. No cleats may be worn in any part of the school building at any time.You are expected to ride the bus to and from games unless your parents have made other arrangements with the head coachin advance.Under no circumstances are you permitted to ride home from an away game with anyone other than the team or your own parents.
College Recruitment:
If you are interested in playing collegiate softball, I encourage you to set up a meeting with me and your parents. These individual meetings will cover (1) meeting NCAA eligibility requirements through the NCAA clearinghouse, and (2) what can be done to get exposed to college coaches. The main point is to be proactive and start early.
West Potomac Sports Website: The school maintains a website at where you can find additional information specific to our softball teams such as forms your may need, game schedules, coaches contact information, rosters and various camps and clinics which may be of interest to you. This site also contains information on all other sports at West Potomac.
Craig Maniglia
West Potomac SoftballHead Coach
703.283.7608 c
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We certify that we have read and understand the West Potomac High School Softball Team policies, cautions, considerations, and responsibilities required for participation in the softball program and agree to abide by each of them. We have also read and agree to abide by the policies stated in the West Potomac High School Department of Student Activities Athletic Team Policies and the Fairfax County Public Schools Participation Policy – Extracurricular Activities and Athletic Programs 2014-2015
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Athlete’s Printed Name Printed Parent/Guardian Name
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Athlete’s signature/date Parent/Guardian’s signature/Date
Remove and return this part to the head coach