Athletic Handbook Policies and Procedures 2021-2022
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Athletic Handbook Policies and Procedures 2021-2022 Mitriel Vinzant, Athletic Director 12535 Perthshire Road Houston, Texas 77024 (713) 468-5138, ext. 284 www.hses.org Table of Contents 1. MISSION STATEMENT ..............................................................................................1 2. PHILOSOPHY ............................................................................................................1 3. GOALS .......................................................................................................................1 4. ATHLETIC PROGRAM FOR FIFTH-EIGHTH GRADE .................................................1 5. SUPERVISION ........................................................................................................... 4 6. TRANSPORTATION .................................................................................................. 5 7. COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................. 5 8. GIFT POLICY ............................................................................................................. 5 9. MEDICAL POLICIES .................................................................................................. 5 10. RESPONSIBILITIES.................................................................................................... 6 11. GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP ........................................................................................ 9 12. UNIFORMS AND TEAM EQUIPMENT ..................................................................... 9 13. BOOSTER CLUB ........................................................................................................ 9 14. RECEIPT OF ATHLETIC HANDBOOK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................... 10 1. MISSION STATEMENT In congruence with the School’s mission to transform hearts and minds to serve and lead in the modern world, our athletes learn to serve within a team while developing leadership skills that can be used on and off the court or playing field. The Holy Spirit Episcopal School Athletic Program strives to build each student’s strength of mind, body, and spirit. We are also dedicated to developing and maintaining a competitive Athletic Program without compromising our Christian values. Every student athlete is a valued part of our community and we pride ourselves in seeing them succeed within the Athletic Program and beyond. 2. PHILOSOPHY We believe that athletics are an important part of the student’s physical, mental, and spiritual education. Student athletes learn the importance of hard work and determination while demonstrating his or her personal best. Developing athletic skills, sportsmanship, and leadership qualities are major objectives of the Holy Spirit Episcopal School Athletic Program. We strive for our athletes to enjoy the athletic experience with the goal to foster a continued involvement in athletics as a life-long pursuit. 3. GOALS The athletic program is designed to: • Develops sport-specific skills. • Develops knowledge of game strategies and rules. • Provides the opportunity to work cooperatively towards team goals. • Develops a positive attitude towards teammates and opponents. • Promotes sportsmanship on and off the court at all times. • Encourages the development of leadership qualities. • Provide the opportunity to work towards a healthy and physically-fit body. • Enhance mental and spiritual wellbeing. 4. ATHLETIC PROGRAM FOR FIFTH-EIGHTH GRADE Fall Sports • Volleyball (Girls) — Practice begins in August. There are usually two games per week in September and October. Athletes provide their own court shoes. • Soccer (Coed) – Practice begins in August. There are usually two games per week during September and October. Athletes provide their own cleats and shin guards. Goalies are responsible for providing their own gloves. • Cheer (Girls) – Practice begins in August. There will be opportunities and events throughout the year to cheer. Cheerleaders provide their own shoes and bloomers. Winter Sports Revised 8/23/21 1 • Basketball (Boys and Girls) – Practice begins in late October. There are usually two games per week during mid-November, December, and January. Athletes provide their own court shoes. • Cheer (Girls) – Practice begins in October and runs through January. There will be opportunities and events throughout the year to cheer. Cheerleaders provide their own shoes and will be responsible for the purchase of uniforms and accessories. Spring Sports • Tennis (Coed) – Practice begins in February. There is one practice a week and match dates TBD. Athletes provide their own court shoes. • Track and Field (Coed) – Practice begins in February. There are meets during the months of February, March and April. Athletes provide their own track spikes or running shoes. • Cheer (Girls) – Practice begins in February and runs through May. There will be opportunities and events throughout the year to cheer. Cheerleaders provide their own shoes and will be responsible for the purchase of uniforms and accessories. • Golf (Coed) – Practice will begin in February, days and times TBD. There will be tournaments between February through April TBD. The Conference Tournament will be April 6, 2022 (Girls) and April 8, 2022 (Boys). HSES is proud to offer a full athletic program at the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels. Core competitive teams teach and enhance fundamental athletic skills, sportsmanship, and competitiveness. Fifth through Seventh grade students are eligible to play at the Junior Varsity level. Eighth graders are not eligible for Junior Varsity play as written in the Greater Houston Athletic Conference (GHAC) by- laws. Though not governed by GHAC, the by-laws are used as a guideline for the Junior Varsity program. Varsity level sports at HSES are more competitive than Junior Varsity and are governed by GHAC by- laws. Fifth through Eighth grade are eligible to compete at this level. Athletic Awards will be awarded for GHAC sanctioned competitions only. To qualify for any athletic team, students will participate in tryouts to determine the make up of the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. Parents are urged to not attend tryouts as their presence may serve as a distraction for the young athletes. Letterman Jackets Letterman jackets are available for purchase for those students that compete on a GHAC conference Varsity team. Jackets are typically ordered in February. Playing Time Protocol Junior Varsity team members are expected to know the basics but still lack some development and experience to be on the Varsity squad. Junior Varsity players will receive even playing time throughout the course of the season. Student-athletes are expected to be at every practice. Revised 8/23/2021 2 The coaches will determine playing time at their discretion for Varsity level. Student-athletes at this level earn their playing time by: • Attending practice. • Effort (practice and competitions). • Positive attitude. • Being coachable. Parents of players interested in participating in the sports program must attend the sports meeting prior to the start of the season. Sports meetings will be held prior to the beginning of the season. Once the regular season has started, a student may not move to another team. For tournament play, coaches will seek approval from the Athletic Director to offer Junior Varsity players the opportunity to participate with the Varsity team. Parents will be notified of such changes prior to implementation. Exception to team placement: A new student who joins the school after tryouts or a student who was ill during tryouts will have the opportunity to be evaluated for team placement. Team Captains Teams may have captains or co-captains chosen by the coaches, elected by teammates, or selected by rotation at the coach’s discretion. Team captains may lead team in warm-up stretches, report to officials when required during games, and encourage team unity. Student Managers The HSES athletics program encourages students in fifth through eighth grade who are not involved in sports to consider being student managers for the teams of their choice. These students are expected to attend both home and away games, and will travel with the team to away games. Student managers help keep the scorebooks and scoreboards, record statistics, help the coaches with equipment, and assist with specific team needs. Team managers can be awarded up to 30 community service hours at the end of the season. The number of hours awarded will be determined by the Athletic Director and Head Coach based on performance, dedication to the team, and work ethic. Team managers for a varsity team will be allowed to purchase a letterman jacket at the end of the year. Practices And Competitions All practices, except for tennis and swimming (when offered), take place at HSES facilities. Generally, Junior Varsity teams practice three to four times per week for 45 to 60 minutes. Varsity teams practice minutes three to four days per week for 60 to 90 minutes. Practice days are set at the discretion of the Athletic Director and will depend on the sport, team size, and other factors. Tardiness And Absences Revised 8/23/2021 3 Tardiness and unexcused absences will be addressed individually by the coach. A student may not start the game if they miss a practice the day before a game. A student missing school due to illness will not be able to return to school the same day to participate in tryouts, practice, or competition. Tournaments Some teams may participate