Shrine Catholic Schools Athletic Department Student-Athlete/Parent Handbook 2018-19

1 Revised 7/12/2018

Faith • Family • Future

Dear Parents, Students, and Coaches, Welcome to Shrine Catholic High School! In choosing to attend Shrine Catholic High School, you have elected a Christ-centered Catholic education and academic excellence. Many wonderful opportunities await you. One of those opportunities is the availability of interscholastic athletics. As a Catholic school community, we all must consider the appropriate role of athletics here at Shrine. It is our belief that athletics at Shrine is an integral part of our overall ministry to students. Consequently, athletics is viewed as a program that plays its part in the development of the whole child at Shrine. By keeping in mind that athletics is indeed a form of youth ministry, we hope to foster a spirit of hard work, fair play, sportsmanship, teamwork, and camaraderie in all of our Shrine athletes, coaches, and parents. While we encourage all of our students to join and participate in athletics, we also encourage our student athletes to participate in the many other opportunities that Shrine has to offer, like the fall play, spring musical, before school choirs, pep band. Shrine is a place where students can contribute to a wide number of groups. This handbook outlines the philosophy and reflects the policies of the Shrine Catholic High School Athletic Program. Just as those who create a document such as this are a work in progress, so is this Athletic Handbook. If you have questions or comments, please contact us

Sincerely,

Ben Kerfoot, Shrine Catholic High School Athletic Director [email protected]

2 Revised 7/12/2018 Athletic Advisory Council 2018-19

Ben Kerfoot, Chair and Athletic Director James R. Mio, Ex Officio; Principal, Shrine Catholic High School & Academy Meg Armstrong, Director of Admissions, CYO parent Rep Jennifer Bero, Assistant Principal, Shrine Catholic Grade School, Parent, Steve Carpenter, CYO Athletic Director, Parent and Girls Sports Rep Mike Massucci, Parent and Educator Fr. Joe Lang, Pastor Representative

Purpose of the Athletic Council: The athletic council serves in an advisory capacity. The group meets with Athletic Director and Principal and serves as a sounding board for ideas that are presented to the AD and Principal. The council is not a decision making group, but only aides in presenting a variety of perspectives on different issues.

Shrine Catholic High School Athletic Vision Shrine Catholic Schools is a premiere athletic program. Our core values of faith, sportsmanship, leadership, and teamwork are the cornerstones of our mission.

Shrine Catholic High School Athletic Philosophy Shrine Catholic Schools are co-educational, Pre-K-12 parish schools committed to faith- based education, academic excellence and a comprehensive experience that develops the character and potential of every student-athlete.

We form a foundation of success of our scholar athletes by focusing on academics first, then developing the student-athlete. Our athletic opportunities allow our students to participate in sports year round. Our coaches encourage our athletes to participate in a variety of sports, not specializing in just one.

Shrine Catholic High School athletics have a long-standing commitment of developing Catholic role models and leaders. Shrine athletes will promote an industrious work ethic, goal setting, conflict resolution, personal responsibility, and growth. Our scholar athletes are leaders both in the classroom and in competition.

Shrine Catholic Schools Athletic Mission Statement Shrine Catholic Schools Athletics, exemplifies Christ, through its sportsmanship, leadership and teamwork in all competitive arenas.

Shrine Conference Affiliations and Sports Offered Shrine is a member of the Catholic High School League http://chsl.com/ with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Michigan High School Athletic Association https://www.mhsaa.com/

3 Revised 7/12/2018 Girls Sports and Season Boys Sports and Season

Cross-Country (Fall) Football (Fall) Golf (Fall) Soccer (Fall) Volleyball (Fall) Cross-Country (Fall) Basketball (Winter) Basketball (Winter) Dance (Winter) Golf (Spring) Softball (Spring) Baseball (Spring) Track (Spring) Track( Spring) Tennis (Spring) Lacrosse (Spring) Soccer (Spring)

Awards

• Certificates shall be awarded to all athletes. • Varsity letters-awarded vary from sport to sport. Varsity jackets are purchase by the families • The Dirty Dozen Award is presented to graduating Seniors. These are a special group of student-athletes who played a Shrine sport, at any level, for 12 straight seasons. These student-athletes have dedicated countless hours on weeknights, weekends, and even through the summer, all while completing a rigorous curriculum at Shrine. Their work-ethic, and school pride has been a textbook example of what it means to be s Shrine Knight.

Academic and Conduct Eligibility

Academic Eligibility and Violations

• Shrine Catholic High School holds its student-athletes to a high academic standard. The minimum academic standards for co-curricular participation are: o If an athlete is below a 2.0 at the end of each quarter they are put on academic probation. Students must comply by turning in grey eligibility sheets. o The Administration and Athletic Department, in cooperation with the teachers, will monitor eligibility and notify coaches § Academic standing will be monitored throughout the school year and eligibility for participation may be determined throughout each marking period. § The above departments reserve the right to remove or reinstate any student-athlete at any time of the marking period.

4 Revised 7/12/2018 § Ineligible student-athletes will not be allowed to practice or participate in any contest until reinstated. § Students who are enrolled in some form of formal Learning Disability classes will be deemed eligible at the discretion of the teachers and principal. § The principal may grant a waiver as necessary for any student.

Conduct Violations The expectation of School Administration, Teachers, Coaches, and Club Moderators follows:

• Conduct violations of school rules may result in the athlete being ineligible until the disciplinary action is complete. • Athletes may only be reinstated after approval from school administration. The coach may never reinstate an athlete for violation of school rules. • An athlete will not be allowed to practice or compete, while serving an in-school suspension.

Discipline

• Coaches are responsible for enforcing school and team rules. • Athletes will not be allowed to dress for home games or board the bus for away games if they do not adhere to school and team policies. • Reasons for team discipline could be, but are not limited to the following: o Poor sportsmanship o Poor attitude o Missing practice, games, or meets o Fighting or encouraging a fight o Improper language o Not respecting authority

Poor sportsmanship is a direct reflection on the athlete and his or her family, Shrine Catholic High School, our coaches, the administration, the entire student body, and Shrine Parish. Sportsmanship is why we play the games. It is the responsibility of the coach to submit a written report on any incidents that occur during a contest in which a player is removed from competition. This report is to be submitted the next day to the Athletic Director, the Catholic High School League, and the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Athletes removed from competition for poor conduct are subject to discipline set forth by all three entities.

5 Revised 7/12/2018 School Attendance

• The first three tardies are considered “free.” There is no consequence for these tardies to account for unforeseen circumstances such as weather, car trouble etc. • 4th Tardy – Student receives a detention. Parents will be notified via email with the tardy policy attached. • For each additional tardy (numbers 5-9) students will receive an additional detention. • 8th tardy – Parents will be required to come in for a meeting with Administrators. Student and Parent will sign an Attendance Contract. • 10th Tardy – Student is ineligible for extracurricular activities each day that they are tardy to school. • 5 “counted” ABSENCES: Parents will receive an email from teacher. Assistant Principal meets with student. • 8 “counted” ABSENCES: Parents are asked to come in for a meeting with Principal and/or Assistant Principal. Attendance contract is signed. Contract states that if student reaches 10 “counted” absences they will be ineligible to participate in Shrine extracurricular activities (sports, sweet harmony, musical, dances etc.) for the remainder of the quarter/semester. • 10 “counted” ABSENCES: Attendance Contract is enforced.

“COUNTED” vs “NOT COUNTED” absences.

All absences are “COUNTED” except in the following cases:

• The day that the student returns to school they bring the Assistant Principal a doctor’s note stating that the absence(s) were medically necessary. • The student was attending the funeral of a family member. • The student was attending a school sponsored event (e.g. Kairos, Goliard field trip, sports) College visits, Family Vacations and other personal absences are COUNTED. A parent phone call alone is not sufficient for an absence to be considered NOT COUNTED. Only a doctor’s note will cause the absence to be seen as NOT COUNTED.

Parent and Athlete Responsibilities and Expectations

Shrine Catholic Schools coaches and administrators respect the primacy of the parents as the first teachers of their sons and daughters, and will partner with parents in the formation of student-athletes. Parents and other members of the community play a vital role in the holistic education of children including students’ participation in school- sponsored athletics. Together, all stakeholders should actively work to ensure that the

6 Revised 7/12/2018 Catholic mission and identity of Shrine Catholic Schools permeates the athletics program.

• Varsity teams practice three to six times per week, in addition to games. Athletes should make full commitment to attending all practices, scrimmages, and games. • Some sports will hold tryouts and in some sports, cuts may need to be made. While a specific target is not used for varsity teams, and playing time is at the discretion of teams’ coach(es). • Athletes will complete and turn in uniform fees before uniforms are issued to the individual. An athlete is responsible for any uniform, practice gear, jacket etc. issued to them by their athletic team. They shall reimburse the school for the entire replacement cost of the lost or intentionally destroyed item. They may not participate in a sport in another season until their financial commitment has been resolved. Any personal additional team gear will be purchased through the team store. • Parents of athletes are expected to attend a parent meeting to start each season. • Ways to support your student-athlete o Be present – Show up to games, cheer, and support our teams! o Be positive – Children learn from modeling. When talking about the game, season, performances and decision-making, please share the gift of a positive outlook on life! Make sure that your child knows that, win or lose, it is important the he/she did his/her best and that he/she is loved and supported. o Encourage independence – Encourage student-athletes to be responsible for the care of their athletic gear and to be prepared for practices and games. In addition, student-athletes should speak directly with their coach about any questions and/or concerns. o We value positive communication with our coaches and student athletes. We are that parents and athletes follow the protocol outlined below when communicating with a coach. § Observe the “24 Hour Rule” – As do all good educators, Shrine Catholic Schools’ coaches will naturally and deliberately reflect on game situations and decisions. Please allow coaches the time they need to process their decisions before approaching them with any questions. Coaches need not discuss coaching strategies, specific plays, or information pertaining to other athletes. § When emailing a coach, please also adhere to this policy o Follow the proper professional protocol regarding questions or concerns in a particular athletic season. Only when a previous step has been exhausted with no reasonable resolution, should a parent or athlete move to the next step.

7 Revised 7/12/2018 § If possible the player should speak to the head coach § Parent contacts head coach; parent, player, and head coach shall determine if a meeting with all three parties is necessary. § Parent contacts Athletic Director; parent, player, head coach, and Athletic Director shall determine if a meeting with all four parties is necessary. o Model Shrine Catholic High School behavior expectations for opposing spectators – Take pride in our athletic program and model for other spectators how we… § Cheer for our team rather than against our opponents § Recognize and appreciate good play—from both teams § Respect the integrity and authority of game officials § Allow coaches to coach without criticism from the spectators § Help clean up at the end of athletic events

Student-Athletes Behavior- Student-athletes are expected to be on their best behavior when representing Shrine Catholic High School. This conduct is to be observed both on and off the field or court. “Best Behavior” is reflected in the following manner:

• Exhibit good sportsmanship at all times • Be respectful of those in authority • Show courtesy to visiting teams, officials, and fans • Respect officials and their decisions • Know and follow the rules of your game • Dress and act appropriately while representing Shrine Catholic Schools • Zero tolerance in regards to drugs (including steroids), tobacco, and alcohol use • Hazing is strictly prohibited

Parental Behavior- It is the expectation of Shrine Catholic Schools Athletics that parents will conduct themselves at all athletic events as representatives of our school— with enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and respect. Failure to do so, whether or not the behavior was cited by an official or school representative, will not be tolerated. Abusive, boorish, or obnoxious behavior will be subject to review by the Principal and Athletic Director. Parents who exhibit such behavior at Shrine Catholic High School athletic events may be prohibited from attendance at future athletic events. Failure to comply with such requests may result in the child being removed from the team.

8 Revised 7/12/2018 Changing Teams/Multiple Sports- Student athletes may choose to participate in any sport at the beginning of each season, Fall, Winter, or Spring. The MHSAA has specific start dates for each season: • Fall season begins the 16th Monday before Thanksgiving for Football and the 16th Wednesday before Thanksgiving for all other sports. • Winter season begins three Mondays before Thanksgiving for Boys' Basketball, and two Mondays before Thanksgiving for Girls' Basketball. • Spring season begins the 2nd Monday after March 1st.

Athletes should read and understand the following assumptions:

• Any athlete participating in a cut sport is considered part of the team once final cuts are made and is expected to participate for the duration of the season. All cuts are the decision of the Head Coach for that sport. • All tryout dates are to be posted at least one week in advance of the first tryout date. • Any athlete competing in a non-cut sport who has participated in any contest (scrimmage or game) is considered part of the team and expected to participate for the duration of that season. Exceptions to this guideline require a student- athlete/coach meeting. • Any athlete who has practiced with a team and decides to leave before a contest may not join another team that has already made cuts. If an athlete is cut from a team, we strongly encourage the athlete to join a non-cut sport. Exceptions to this guideline require a student-athlete/coach meeting. • An athlete may participate in more than one sport in the same season. This is only allowed when the athlete, his or her parents, the Athletic Director, and the Head Coach of both sports have come to an agreement prior to the start of the season. In these cases, the athlete must choose a primary sport and a secondary sport.

Shrine Administration reserves the right to allow an athlete to join a team after the above deadlines, only after a meeting with the head coaches, the parents, the athlete and an administrator.

Transportation- Each varsity coach must coordinate a transportation schedule with the athletic department prior to the start of their season. The varsity coach must request early dismissal times for athletes at least 24 hours in advance of the contest. Only coaching staff and athletes are allowed to travel on the bus to or from an event. On regular school days, all team members should travel to, and return from away contests with the team, except with prior approval of the coach and athletic office. A travel release form (found on school website) must be completed prior to the date of the contest. To help protect the athlete, when a request to ride home with the parent is granted, the coach should meet with the parent before allowing the athlete to leave.

9 Revised 7/12/2018 Physical Examinations and Assumption of Risk Forms

All participating athletes must have a current physical examination record on file in the school office. (Current is defined as on, or after, April 15th of the previous school year).

All athletes, participants, and tryout candidates should be informed, in very specific terms, of the possibilities of injury. “Assumption of Risk” forms are available on the athletics page of the Shrine High School Website, must be completed for every athlete, and turned into the main office. **Football players must sign the “Football Specific” Assumption of Risk forms in order to participate. Forms can be found on http://shrineschools.com/ and shrineathletics.com

Concussions

A concussion is a mild brain injury, caused by a blow, bump or jolt to the head that can have serious consequences. It can occur in any sport or recreational activity. Michigan was the 39th U.S. state to enact a law that regulates sports concussions and return to athletic activity. The law went into full effect on June 30th, 2013. The sports concussion legislation requires all coaches, employees, volunteers, and other adults involved with a youth athletic activity to complete a concussion awareness on-line training program.

The organizing entity must provide educational materials on the signs/symptoms and consequences of concussions to each youth athlete and their parents/guardians and obtain a signed statement acknowledging receipt of the information for the organizing entity to keep on record.

The law also requires immediate removal of an athlete from physical participation in an athletic activity who is suspected of sustaining a concussion. The student athlete must then receive written clearance from an appropriate health professional before he or she can return to physical activity.

Students and parents must read and sign the Information Sheet available at http://shrineschools.com/ and shrineathletics.com

Before an athlete may return to practice or competition, he or she must provide the coach and school with signed copies of the MHSAA Return to Competition Form.

Revisions to Handbook

The Principal & the Pastor may make changes to any policies outlined in this handbook as needed, and has the final decision with regards to any policy.

10 Revised 7/12/2018 MHSAA Rules and Regulations

• Shrine High School Athletics are governed by the Michigan High School Athletics Association. For further information regarding the rules for eligibility and disqualification regulations please refer to the following links: o www.mhsaa.com

11 Revised 7/12/2018 Faith • Family • Future

Athletic Code of Conduct and Expectations Informed Consent Agreement

Student Name: ______Grade: ______Sport(s): ______

As a Student Athlete: I have read the Athletic Handbook available online at www.shrineschools.com I agree to abide by the athletic mission, philosophy and principles of Shrine Catholic High School Athletics. I understand and agree that participation in athletic activities is a privilege and any violations may result in my removal from further participation on any team(s).

Student Athlete Pledge: As a student athlete, I know I am a role model. I understand the spirit of fair play while playing hard. I will refrain from engaging in all types of disrespectful behavior, including inappropriate language, taunting, hazing, trash talking and unnecessary physical contact. I know the behavior expectations of my school. I hereby accept the responsibility and privilege of representing this school and community as a student athlete

Athlete Signature: ______Date: ______

12 Revised 7/12/2018 Faith • Family • Future

As a Parent/Guardian: I have read the Athletic Handbook available online at www.shrineschools.com I agree to abide by the athletic mission, philosophy and principles of Shrine Catholic High School Athletics. I understand and agree that participation in athletic activities is a privilege and any violations may result in my child and/or myself to be removed from further participation or involvement on any team(s) or any sport related activities.

Parent Pledge: As a parent, I acknowledge I am a role model. I will remember that school athletics are an extension of the classroom, offering learning experiences for the students. I will show respect for all players, coaches, administrators, spectators and support groups. This respect includes communication whether it is verbal, written or email. I will participate in cheers that support, encourage and uplift the teams involved. I understand the spirit of fair play and that good sportsmanship is expected by our school. I hereby accept my responsibility to be a model of good sportsmanship that comes with being the parent of a student athlete.

Parent Signature: ______Date: ______

Parent Signature: ______Date: ______

13 Revised 7/12/2018