Bethlehem Central School District

Department of Athletics

Interscholastic Athletic Handbook

2014-15

BETHLEHEM CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Department of Athletics • 700 Delaware Ave. • Delmar, NY 12054 (518) 439-4921, ext. 22113 • http://bcsd.k12.ny.us BETHLEHEM CENTRAL CODE OF CONDUCT FORM 2014-15

All Students & Parents MUST Read, Sign and Return this Form to their Dear Parents and Student Athletes, Coach at the Beginning of the Sports Season

This brochure is presented to you because you or your son or daughter has indicated a desire to participate in interscholas- ATHLETE - NAME: ______tic athletics at Bethlehem Central. Your family’s interest in this (last name, first name) phase of our school program is gratifying. We believe that participation in sports provides a wealth of opportunities and SPORT: ______LEVEL: ______experiences that enhance students’ education.

A properly controlled, well-organized sports program pro- GRADE: ______HR.: ______motes the educational development of boys and girls and meets students’ needs for self-expression, mental alertness and physical growth. It is our intent to maintain a program that DATE OF BIRTH: ______is sound in purpose and will further each student’s education- al maturity. PARENT/GUARDIAN NAME: ______When you and your child sign up for our athletic program, your family is committing to certain responsibilities. The pro- PHONE: gram is governed by the regulations established by the Com- missioner of Education’s basic code for extra-class athletic HOME: ______activities. In addition, league, district and school procedures have been established to protect and guide student athletes. WORK: ______This handbook will acquaint you with some of the specific policies that are part of our well-organized interscholastic CELL: ______athletics program.

Bethlehem Central is a member of the State Athlet- I have read and understand the guidelines, procedures, training rules and ic Association, competing as a Class A school in Section II. consequences. I give my son/ daughter permission to participate. Our league affiliation is with the Suburban Scholastic Council (SSC). We are currently competing in the SSC’s South Divi- I have read and reviewed the rules and regulations with my child. sion Parent Signature: ______If there is anything I can do to make your participation in inter- scholastic athletics a better learning experience, please feel Date: ______free to contact me at the High School, 439-4921, ext. 22113.

Sincerely, I acknowledge that I have read the guidelines, procedures, training rules and consequences and I agree to comply with the terms and conditions set Len Kies forth in order that I may participate. Director of Athletics Athlete Signature: ______23 Date: ______

PRINCIPLES OF THE INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS Get Registered on HighSchoolSports.net to: set your favor- PROGRAM ite schools and teams and receive notifications of changes (cancellations/postponements), stats or photos and videos. In sports, winning games is often considered the only meas- ure of success; but not at Bethlehem Central. Interscholastic Go to: www.HighSchoolSports.net athletics serve as a miniature model of life, providing opportu- nities for students to learn responsibility, fair play, coopera- Click on Login if you already have an account or tion, concern for others, leadership, respect for authority, good citizenship, loyalty and tolerance. This is not to say that Register here to create an account the will to win is not important. It is very much a part of an individual’s personal development and provides opportunities Select Parent, Student Athlete, Fan/Other, Coach, to fulfill one’s potential. Thus, the athletics program, which is Student or Media centered on the welfare of students, is a vital part of a Bethle- hem Central education. Fill in all fields and click Create My Account To fully realize its potential for educational enrichment, You will see that your account has been created the interscholastic athletic program:  Is an integral part of the district’s educational program Click on Alert Settings and verify your email address and conducted so that it is worthy of such regard;  Supplements rather than serves as a substitute for Click Add to select or deselect Email, Phone/Text or Twitter basic physical education and intramural athletic pro- grams; Click on send a test message if you would like a  Is subject to the same administrative control as the educational program; test message sent to you  Is conducted by adults who have adequate training in

physical education or through coaching certification Click Manage Favorites to add a specific team or programs; add another school  Fosters the physical welfare and safety of participants; and Click Add Team, select the gender, level and sport  Is conducted in accordance with the letter and spirit of then click Add the rules and regulations of the league, state and na- tional athletic associations. Click Edit and select Notifications, Stats or Photos and Videos Participation in interscholastic athletics at Bethlehem Central Click Member Info to edit your information or log out to exit is a privilege. This participation should elicit great pride among all school community members. Part of the responsi- If you have further questions, or need assistance, please bility that goes with the participation in school sports is the call HighSchoolSports.net’s Support Department at need to maintain satisfactory standards of behavior. This In- 800-258-8550. terscholastic Athletics Handbook clearly defines the stand- ards for student athlete behavior. It is the responsibility of

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each student athlete and his/her parents) to be familiar with MAJOR DATES FOR THE 2013-14 SCHOOL YEAR the contents of this handbook. Before a student is permitted to participate on an athletic team, both the student and parent First Day of School, Grades Thursday, Sept. 4 must sign an Interscholastic Athletics Participation form K-12 (located at the back of this handbook) and return it to either their coach or the Athletic Director. The signatures of both the Thursday, Sept. 25 No School – Rosh Hashanah student athlete and the parent indicate that each agrees to respect and abide by these rules and behavior expectations in order to participate in interscholastic athletics at Bethlehem Monday, Oct. 13 No School - Columbus Day Central.

HS Homecoming Football Friday, Oct. 10 SECTION II SPORTSMANSHIP Game POLICY FOR SPECTATORS Tuesday, Nov. 11 No School - Veterans Day 1. Spectators are an important part of the games and are encouraged to conform to accepted standards of good Wednesday, Nov. 26- No School - Thanksgiving sportsmanship and behavior. Friday, Nov. 29 Recess

2. Spectators should at all times respect officials, visiting Wednesday Dec. 24- No School - Holiday Recess coaches, players, and cheerleaders as guests in the Friday, Jan. 02 community and extend all courtesies to them. No School - Martin Luther King Monday, Jan. 19 3. Enthusiastic cheering for one’s own team is encouraged. Jr. Day

4. Booing, whistling, stamping of the feet, and disrespectful Monday, Feb. 16 - No School - President’s Day remarks shall be avoided. Friday, Feb. 20 (Monday) & Winter Recess

5. There will be no ringing of bells, sounds of horns, or oth- Friday, April 3- No School - April Recess er noisemakers at indoor contests during play. Anyone Friday, April 10 who does not abide by this rule will be asked to leave the premises. Monday May 25 No School - Memorial Day 6. Pep bands or school bands, under the supervision of the school personnel, may play during time outs, between Tuesday, June 16- Thursday, HS Regents Exams periods, or at half time. Bands must coordinate their play June 25 so as not to interfere with a squad on the floor or field. Last Day of School, Wednesday, June 24 Grades K-5 7. The throwing of debris, confetti, or other objects from the stands is prohibited. Offending individuals will be asked Last Day of School: to leave the premises. Thursday, June 25 MS - HALF DAY 8th grade Moving Up

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IMPORTANT DATES 2014-15 8. During a free throw in , all courtesies should be (subject to change) extended.

STARTING DATES: 9. Spectators should encourage each other to observe courteous behavior. Improper behavior should be report- Fall Sports: ed to the school authorities. All Sports (Except Modified): Monday, August 18 2014 Modified Football: Monday, August 25, 2014 10. Spectators will observe the rules of the local school con- Modified Sports: Wednesday, September 3, 2014 cerning smoking, food and drinking consumption, litter- ing, and parking procedures. Winter Sports: All sports: Monday, November 10, 2014 11. Spectators will respect and obey all school officials and supervisors at athletic contests. Spring Sports: JV/Varsity Sports: Monday, March 9, 2015 Anyone who does not abide by these rules will be asked Freshman Sports: Monday, March 16, 2015 to leave the premises. Modified Sports: Monday, March 23, 2015

SECTION II SPORTSMANSHIP POLICY FOR MEET THE COACHES NIGHT (V/F/JV Teams): STUDENT ATHLETES BCHS - 6:30 PM Learn and understand the rules of your sport. Play hard, play Fall Sports: to win, but play fairly within the rules. Thursday, August 28, 2014 Do not allow your temper to distract you from the fundamen- Winter Sports: tals of good sportsmanship. Maintain self-control. Respect Thursday, November 20, 2014 your opponent. Never taunt. Congratulate him or her at game’s end. Acknowledge good play. Respect the integrity Spring Sports: and judgment of the officials. Never question the decision of Monday, March 16, 2015 an official.

HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME: Be an example for your school, team mates and opponents. A player who is disqualified from a contest for unsportsman- Friday, October 10, 2014- 7:00 PM like behavior by an official is prohibited from playing in the next regularly scheduled contest game.

A player who strikes or otherwise physically assaults an offi- FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ONTO: cial will be subject to an extended suspension from athletic competition. A physical confrontation with an official is any http://www.bethlehemschools.org/Athletics/athletics.html incident in which a player either strikes, bumps, or otherwise physically intimidates an official prior to, during or after a con- HighSchoolSports.net test or game.

20 5 BETHLEHEM CSD INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS SPORTS OFFERED STUDENT ATHLETE TRAINING RULES FALL SPORTS As students in the Bethlehem Central School District, all stu- SPORT LEVEL B/G dent athletes are required to abide by the District Code of Conduct. Any violation of the Code of Conduct that results in CHEERLEADING V G a student’s external suspension from school (including, but CROSS COUNTRY V/JV/F B not limited to, the use or possession of alcohol, tobacco prod- CROSS COUNTRY V/JV/F G ucts and illegal drugs, vandalism, theft, assault, hazing and participation in drinking/drug parties) during the season of FIELD HOCKEY V/JV/7-8-9 MOD G participation in any sport will result in the imposition of addi- FOOTBALL V/JV/F/MOD B tional penalties as follows. V/JV B

SOCCER V/JV/F/MOD B Penalties Upon verification by a school official of a student athlete’s SOCCER V/JV/F/MOD G violation of the District Code of Conduct as described above, / VARSITY G the penalties outlined below will take effect after any school V/JV G suspension is applied. V/JV B First offense VOLLEYBALL V/JV/F G A minimum game suspension of 2 games for a 12 game WINTER SPORTS schedule or 4 for over a 12 game schedule and a one year probationary period. Counseling will be suggested and if ac- SPORT LEVEL B/G cepted and continued to completion, the game suspension BASKETBALL V/JV/F/MOD B will be reduced by half. BASKETBALL V/JV/F/MOD G Second Offense V/JV B An immediate suspension for the remainder of the season BOWLING V/JV G and a one year probation form that date. IN ORDER TO TRY CHEERLEADING V G OUT FOR A SPORT DURING THIS PROBATIONARY PERIOD, A STUDENT MUST BE INVOLVED IN A COUN- V G SELING PROGRAM. ICE HOCKEY V B INDOOR TRACK V/JV B Third Offense INDOOR TRACK V/JV G One year suspension from all Athletics. SWIMMING V/MOD B-V/ Co-ed Mod Self Referral V/JV/MOD B An athlete who requests assistance with a problem prior to SPRING SPORTS any violation will be directed to appropriate resources for as- SPORT LEVEL B/G sistance. He/she will not be suspended from competition but will serve a one-year probationary period. Any future violation V/JV/F/MOD B will be handled as a second offense. V/JV/MOD B LACROSSE V/JV/MOD G TRACK & FIELD V/JV B TRACK & FIELD V/JV G 6 V/JV/F/MOD19 G TENNIS V/JV B

pass, take exit for Rt. 7 West. The school complex is approxi- NOTE: It is school district policy that a coach may sup- mately 1 1/2 miles on the left. plement sanctions for the defined student athlete training rules. The Athletic Director and High School Principal must NISKAYUNA HIGH SCHOOL - 382-2531 approve these sanctions prior to the start of the season. A Northway - Exit 6 West (Toward Schenectady) to Balltown Rd. student/parent-signed notification of these sanctions will need (about 8 miles). Right on Balltown Rd. (Rt. 146). Pass WRGB to be returned to the coach and will be filed in the athletic studio and a traffic light. The school is on the right. office prior to the first practice. A student who self-refers when a team is employing supplemental sanctions will still SARATOGA HIGH SCHOOL - 583-4780 follow the procedures outlined in the self-referral process. Northway - Exit 13N. At first traffic light past Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) turn left onto W. Fenlon Street. Turn right at second traffic light onto West Ave. At first traffic light, turn right TEAM STANDARDS into school entrance. In addition to observing regular school policies that are SHAKER HIGH SCHOOL - 785-5511 in effect at all times, Northway to exit 5 to Rt. 155. Take a left. Cross Rt. 9. Go about student athletes must: one mile. The school is on the left.  Attend all practices and contests unless excused by the coach. SHENENDEHOWA HIGH SCHOOL - 881-0390 Northway to Exit 9. Left onto Rt. 146 West. At third traffic light,  Never provoke, cause or engage in a fight or turn left onto Moe Road. Take right into the school complex. hazing.  Never engage in any activity which may cause

criticism of his/ her team or school.

 Never be disrespectful to officials or coaches.  Never run on the roads. Now Receive BC Athletics News Through SNN  Never wear jewelry (exceptions must be approved by School Doctor). Stay current with BC athletics by signing up to receive  Follow specific rules set up by the coach. notifications through SNN. Penalties: Coaches will impose an appropriate penalty and notify the By signing up, you will receive regarding information Athletic Director. Continued violations may result in dismissal upcoming athletic events, game cancellations and from the team. other important news and announcements. ATTENDANCE POLICY

Sign Up At: Participation in an activity or sport is but one part of a stu- https://snn.neric.org/bcsd/ dent’s educational program. It is understood that students will be present in school in order to participate in a practice, game or activity that day for 4 or more consecutive class periods. Any student missing more than four periods in a day for medical reasons, religious obser- vances, court appearances or other legal reasons must have

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the absence substantiated by a written notice from the parent HOW TO GET THERE and bring the note to the main office upon the student’s arri- val at school. Any student missing a full day of school may The majority of BC interscholastic athletic contests are played not participate in a practice, game or activity unless the within the Suburban Scholastic Council, although some sports absence was due to being part of a school district sanc- compete against schools in other leagues. The directions that tioned field trip. follow are to the high schools within the SSC.

Team and activity members on suspension for any discipli- nary infraction will not be allowed to practice or participate in You may also get directions on the athletic department web any event for the day. In the case of assignment to detention, page on the district web site. students will be expected to attend this assignment before reporting for an extracurricular activity. All student athletes AVERILL PARK HIGH SCHOOL - 674-3826 are required to be prepared for and participate in I-90 East to Exit 8 (Deefreetsville). Ramp becomes Rt. 43. School is approximately 8 miles on left. Physical Education classes on days of scheduled team practices or contests. BALLSTON SPA HIGH SCHOOL - 884-7150 From the Northway Rte. I-87: Exit 12 Turn right if you are coming GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION from the north, left if you are coming from the south. (If you come IN VARSITY ATHLETICS to Route 9, you went the wrong way). Go about 3 miles to the traffic light at the intersection of Route 50. Go straight across the In order for students to participate in BC varsity level intersection. The school is on the left, about .1 mile. athletics it is necessary for student athletes to attend all practices and contests. Dedicated participation on the part BURNT HILLS / BALLSTON LAKE HS - 399-9141 of each student athlete is essential to the morale and perfor- Northway Exit 9. Left onto Rt. 146 West. Take a right onto Rt. mance of the entire team. Athletes and their families are 146A. Five miles to the village of Ballston Lake. At the flashing strongly encouraged to plan trips and other foreseeable light, take a left onto Lakehill Rd. The school entrances approxi- family obligations around the athletic calendar. mately 1 mile on the right (there is a white church on the left across form school entrance). If student athletes are unable to fulfill their obligations to the team, they may choose not to participate for the season. COLONIE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL - 459-1220 Northway - Exit 2E (Albany). Right on Central Ave. Take your first Should extenuating circumstances be known prior to the left just past Colonie Center onto Hackett Ave. School is straight season beginning, the student should communicate this ahead. information to the coach or the Athletic Director before the first day of try outs. COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL - 207-2080 787 to I-90 East. Take Exit 9. Take right (Rt. 4) to traffic light (one Student athletes who miss a scheduled contest(s) during block). Left at the light (Luther Rd.). Go under bridge. Columbia the season shall be deemed ineligible for an equal num- High is on the left. Genet MS—Rts. 2 & 20. ber of contest(s). The Athletic Director shall determine all matters of student eligibility. Appeals for special circumstanc- GUILDERLAND HIGH SCHOOL - 861-8591 es may be submitted to the Athletic Director and the High New Scotland Rd. Take right onto 85A at Stonewell Plaza. Turn School Principal. right onto Rt. 156 West. At “Y”, bear right onto Rt. 208. When Rt. 208 ends, bear left onto Rt. 201. Take first right past Arsenal onto Rt. 202 (School Rd.). The school is on the right.

MOHONASEN HIGH SCHOOL - 356-5062 NYS Thruway to exit 25 (Schenectady). Just beyond the over- 8 17

ATHLETIC AWARDS STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

General Requirements For All Awards: According to NYSPHSAA Regulation, a pupil shall be eligible To be eligible for an athletic award, a student athlete must for interscholastic competition, provided that he/she is a bona complete the season, although the coach may make excep- fide pupil, enrolled during the first 15 days of the semester, is tions (pending approval by the Athletic Director) in unusual registered in the equivalent of three regular courses, is meet- ing the Physical Education requirements, and has been in cases. The student athlete must be a good representative of regular attendance 80 percent of the time. Bona fide absenc- the school and team and abide by all of the rules and regula- es caused by personal illness are accepted. The State sets tions outlined in this Interscholastic Athletic Handbook. Letter regulations concerning daily attendance at practices, and the awards will be made only upon the recommendation of the minimum number of practices before being eligible for com- coach. petition for each sport. Your coach will inform you of these rules.

Letters: Dropping off a team An athlete may receive one felt Varsity “B”, J.V. “B”, and/or If you quit a team (after teams have been selected), you can white “B” during their athletic career. not go out for another team that season, unless permis- sion is gained from both coaches and the Athletic Director. Emblem: Mixed Competition A student athlete will receive an emblem pin with their first The deadline for those signing up for a team of the opposite letter in a particular sport. sex is two months prior to the first day of practice. A letter of interest must be submitted to the Athletic Director. Service Bar: Transfer Rule A service bar is given to a student athlete who has already A student transferring into the Bethlehem Central School Dis- received a Varsity felt “B” and emblem. A student will earn trict or from the District must be approved for competition one additional bar each year they participate. according to the Section II rules. Violations may result in the forfeiture of athletic contests. Freshman Numerals: Graduation numerals will be awarded to 9th grade student NCAA REQUIREMENTS athletes in freshman level sports only. Student athletes must be registered and certified by the Requirements by Sport: NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse prior to participation in Each individual coach will establish criteria for earning a var- college-level sports. Please contact your school counselor at sity letter in his/ her sport. A varsity letter is not given for par- the end of your junior year for the proper clearinghouse regis- ticipation and attendance alone. It must be earned in ac- tration materials and information or call the NCAA Hotline at cordance with coaching criteria. 1-800-638-3731.

Award Banquets: Alcohol and alcoholic consumption of Bethlehem Central Ath- Any student enrolling in a Division I or II college or university letic events and awards banquets are against school district who is interested in participating in athletics at the collegiate policy. Whenever possible, banquets should be held in a facil- level must meet specific eligibility requirements. The general ity where alcohol cannot be sold during the function and at no requirements are as follows: time can alcohol be available in the banquet room.  Graduation from an accredited High School.

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 Additional academic eligibility requirements. What Items are Appropriate for Fundraisers? Athletes should see their school counselor or  General consensus was that if a company is making visit http://www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. more profit than the group fundraising, it would be better to consider something else SPORTS TRY-OUTS  Candy, soda and the like should not be sold for fundrais-

ing. Instead, we should be selling water, fruit juice, pret- Regarding Team Selection: zels, granola bars, goldfish, baked snack chips etc.  All athletes will be guaranteed a minimum of three days  Fundraisers that are student centered, rather than having of tryouts for those particular sports that have to cut. to buy items are preferred (socials, dances, sport nights  Some sports do require cuts due to the number of ath- etc.) letes that are interested in participating on that team.

 Every student is evaluated in a fair and impartial manner. ISSUING OF SCHOOL CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT  Attendance is mandatory during the tryout period. The only exceptions are: It is the responsibility of the athlete to return back to the -Medical reasons coach all clothing and equipment issued. Failure to do so -Extension of a school sport season (post-season) will result in an athlete paying for the missing articles. Ath- letes not paying for the missing articles will forfeit their right to PHILOSOPHY BY SPORT LEVEL receive any school equipment or clothing in the next sports season, be ineligible for any certification, pin or letter and Modified (grades 7 & 8): have their report card held until payment is received. A list of This program is available to all students in the 7th and 8th all violators will be sent to the director of athletics. grades. One is ineligible when the 16th birthday is attained, however, if a student attains the 16th birthday during a sport Lockers: season, he/she may complete that sport season. Sport activi- It should be understood that locker is the property of the ties offered are determined by existence of leagues, student school and the administration reserves the right to examine it, interest, relationship to the high school program and board and its contents at any time with reasonable cause. Each approval. At this level the focus in on learning athletic skills student is encouraged to make sure that the locker is kept and game rules, fundamentals of team play, socio-emotional securely locked at all times and to share the combination with growth, physiologically appropriate demands on the adoles- no other student. cent body and healthy competition. This program is designed to offer students the opportunity to engage in a more highly The school and district are NOT responsible for lost or organized competitive experience than what is found in intra- stolen items left in lockers. The athletic team room lockers mural or recreation programs, but not as involved as those are for athletic practices and not for physical education class. found in varsity and junior varsity interscholastic competition. An attempt will be made to give all team members meaningful These lockers are cleaned out promptly at the end of each contest participation or the course of a season. season.

Junior Varsity (JV) & Freshman: This program is intended for those who display the potential of continued development into productive varsity level per- formers. Team membership varies according to the structure of each sport, but sophomores and freshmen occupy the ma- jority of the roster positions. In certain situation, juniors who

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SPORTS MEDICINE are expected to make contributions at the varsity level will be considered for JV participation. Also, 7th and 8th graders Athletic training services will be provided to students through who have satisfied all selection classification requirements, a certified Athletic Trainer who will be available on a regular may be included. At this level increased emphasis is placed basis at the high school next to the Nurse’s office. The Train- upon elements and strategies of team play, physical condi- er’s hours will be posted on the Athletic Trainer’s room door. tioning, refinement of fundamental skills and socio-emotional development. The JV program works towards achieving a BOOSTERS balance between continued team and player development and striving for victory. The outcome of the contest becomes The Bethlehem Central Athletic Association (BCAA) compris- a consideration at this level. An attempt will be made to play es representatives from the individual sports booster clubs. all participants, however, equal playing time is never guaran- The goal of the BCAA is to provide a margin of excellence for teed nor is it required. With the goal of becoming a varsity district interscholastic athletic programs. Summer camp athlete clearly in sight, a high level of dedication and commit- ment is expected at the junior varsity and freshman level. scholarships, college scholarships, awards, the sports book and equipment are just some of the services that are provid- Varsity: ed. Any student athlete except graduating seniors can apply The varsity level of interscholastic athletic competition is the for a summer camp scholarship. Applications are accepted culmination of the high school athletic program. Normally, each year through the last day of school. seniors and juniors make up the majority of the roster, howev- er, gifted sophomores and sometimes freshmen may be in- FUNDRAISING GUIDELINES cluded. It is also possible for 7th or 8th grader, who has met the selection classification requirements to be included on the Any group wishing to run a fundraiser must complete a Fund- varsity roster. This occurs more in sports commonly classi- raising Guidelines and Request form from the Athletic Office fied as “individual” (track, swimming, golf, etc.). Team play, sportsmanship, individual physical ability, motivation of men- and return it to the Athletic Office to be submitted to the HS tal attitude are very important aspects of competition at this building Principal for approval. No fundraiser activity may level. While contest participation over the course of the sea- begin until the form is approved and returned to you. son is desirable, a specified amount of playing time is never guaranteed. It is vital that each team member have a role Managing Fundraising Activities: and know its importance. Preparing to win and striving for  Prior approval from Athletic Director and HS building victory in each contest are worthy goals of a varsity level principal must be obtained team. The varsity coach is the leader of his/her sport pro-  Create a master calendar to organize fundraising efforts (no overlaps)  How many student athletes are actually participating in SELECTION CLASSIFICATION the fundraiser?  Limit fundraising to companies that do not take a majority Students in grades 7 and 8 who are exceptional athletes may of the profits try out for freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams. These  Outside organizations should not be asking the school to exceptional athletes must follow guidelines set by the Com- raise money for them; clubs/groups should decide what missioner of Education and Bethlehem Central pertaining to organizations they would like to raise funds for Selection Classification. By satisfying the requirements of Selection Classification, a student may receive extended eli- gibility to participate during:

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TRANSPORTATION  5 consecutive seasons in the approved sport after entry into the 8th grade Students will be transported to and form all away athletic contests by school authorized vehicles. Parents may get  6 consecutive seasons in the approved sport after entry prior approval to transport their own child home if there are into the 7th grade extenuating circumstances.

In order to participate in Selection Classification and try SPORTS PHYSICALS out for a HS level team, students in grades 7 and 8 must: RISK FACTORS IN SPORTS

 Be approved by the School District’s Selection Classifica- Participation in sports involves a certain degree of risk for tion Committee. injury. Such physical injury can occur in any type of sports  Have a current physical exam, which can be performed activity and can vary in nature. Athletic injuries can run from by the district physician or by the student’s primary care minor injuries, such as bruises and scrapes, to more serious physician (after which it will be reviewed by the district injuries such as fractures, dislocations, concussions, paraly- physician). The physician must approve the student ath- sis and even death. lete for participation at the requested level of competition.  Meet or exceed the criteria set in the Selection Classifi- Sports physicals must be performed and/or approved by our cation fitness performance tests. school physician before a student is allowed to practice. The sports physical is in force for one calendar year and, in The fitness performance test [see your physical education some instances, for the season following the one-year teacher for fitness criteria] comprises of six physical compo- anniversary of that physical. Copies of all physicals per- nents and is administered prior to each season. Physical Ed- formed by family doctors (not at school) need to be turned ucation Department personnel will administer the fitness per- into the school nurse. Parents must fill out a medical sports formance test. Students who do not meet the criteria during update form and return it to the school nurse just prior to each the test will have an opportunity to try again the following season. week. All injured athletes who have been seen by a physician must Any student in grades 7 or 8 who is unable to attend the be released by that physician (with a signed statement) in testing or who does not pass the Commissioner’s criteria order to resume participation with their team. This release is ineligible to participate on teams other than at the must be filed with the school nurse. In cases of a long-term or Modified level. severe injury, clearance by the school physician may also be necessary prior to a student athlete’s return to practice and DURATION OF COMPETITION competition.

A student is eligible for high school athletic competition in a A concussion management mandate became effective on sport during each of four consecutive seasons of such sport, July 1, 2012 for all NYS schools. In following with it and as commencing with the student’s entry into grade 9 and ending part of the district’s concussion management policy, those with the student’s graduation. A student reaching age 19 be- who participate in a freshman, JV or varsity level contact fore September 1 may not participate during that school year. sports will have the option to take a pre-concussion cognitive assessment test before the team’s sports season begins.

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