2019-20 Blue Mountain College Student-Athlete Handbook Softball ~ Baseball Women’s Basketball ~ Men’s Basketball Women’s Cross Country ~ Men’s Cross Country Women’s Golf ~ Men’s Golf Women’s Bowling ~ Men’s Bowling Women’s Tennis ~ Men’s Tennis Women’s Volleyball - Powerlifting Archery ~ Bass Fishing JV Softball ~ JV Baseball JV Women’s Cross Country ~ JV Men’s Cross Country JV Women’s Basketball ~ JV Men’s Basketball www.bmc.edu www.bmcsports.com Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Will Lowrey Administrative Assistant to Intercollegiate Athletics Nathan Gilliard 1 BLUE MOUNTAIN COLLEGE STUDENT- ATHLETE HANDBOOK You have been selected to be a part of Blue Mountain College and our intercollegiate athletics program during the fall of 2019 and/or spring of 2020. You must understand this opportunity is a privilege and not a right that you have been awarded. You have earned this privilege through your past efforts, but your past efforts will not sustain you from this point forward. It is what you do now and in the future that counts at Blue Mountain College. Your actions, whether positive or negative, affect the College, The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, and your team. Also, your actions bring with them certain consequences, either positive or negative. Because you, the student athletes, come from different backgrounds and upbringings, you will bring various values to our campus. Because you are at Blue Mountain College, we have a set of values and you will be expected to embrace those values, therefore, you will be held to a high standard. Our fan base expects you to entertain them in a wholesome, family environment. We desire to lead and guide you in a manner that develops you for all things bigger than the game. The coaches, staff, and administrators want your athletic and academic experiences at Blue Mountain College to be ultimately rewarding as you become better educated while preparing for life beyond your collegiate years. Our desire is that you will develop your leadership qualities due to your experiences both in the classroom and on the field or arena of competition. To assist you in this endeavor, The Blue Mountain College Student-Athlete Handbook will serve as a reference regarding various policies and procedures. The policies and procedures have been established to successfully operate the athletics program within the rules and regulations of Blue Mountain College, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Southern States Athletic Conference. Should you have additional questions relating to items not addressed in the handbook, please contact a member of the coaching staff or Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. Will Lowrey Will Lowrey Director of Intercollegiate Athletics 2 Slogan Blue Mountain College assists students in pursuing truth, knowledge, and virtue in service to God and the community College Mission: Blue Mountain College assists students in developing intellectual integrity, academic excellence, civility and Christian character. Unit Mission: The mission of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is to provide an environment which will enable the student-athlete to successfully complete all academic requirements for their field(s) of study and will provide extracurricular activities that will be extremely competitive and enhance the educational and social experiences for all participants. Goals of the Program: This educational experience should assist student athletes as they build academic majors and minors, develop skills to compete successfully in athletic competition, embrace the five core values of the Champions of Character Program and pursue meaningful careers in service to God and man. Vision for the Program: The vision of the BMC Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is to be a program of excellence in academics and athletics by emphasizing the importance of class attendance, grades, the five core values of the Champions of Character Program and a commitment to their sport and Blue Mountain College. Athletics Mission Statement: Blue Mountain College Athletics strives to develop the characteristics of their athletes to live Christianly and to develop their God given mental and physical talents to the highest level possible. Objectives to Be Measured in 2019-20: 1. The academic achievement of each intercollegiate athletic team will be equal to or greater than the general student population. 2. The core values of the NAIA Champions of Character Program will be readily seen in the behavior of the student athlete. 3. An athlete from each team will earn regional and/or national recognition either academically and/or athletically. 3 ATHLETIC INSURANCE In order to play and/or practice, each student-athlete must provide a copy - front and back - of their health insurance card. In the case of an injury sustained during practice or a sanctioned athletic event, All grant in aid recipients must have a proof of medical insurance on file in the Athletic Director’s office. If a student athlete does not provide proof of medical insurance or allows the medical insurance to lapse, BMC is not responsible for any medical related costs. The student athlete will be responsible for all charges. Student athletes injured during participation in intercollegiate athletics are covered with insurance for medical care and treatment allowed by the NAIA which includes a disappearing deductible. The secondary insurance is considered secondary to all other insurance under which the student athlete is covered. The secondary insurance will cover after the student athlete’s primary insurance payment on claims has been determined and all deductibles have been met. The student athlete’s personal insurance is primary and the college-provided insurance is secondary. The student athlete is responsible for any balance due after the two insurance policies have been processed. ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP: In order to have your athletic scholarship become valid and monies applied to your account, a signed scholarship must be on file in the Athletic Director’s Office. If you elect to quit your sport or you are dismissed from your sport, you must go to the Registrar’s Office and officially drop the class. Your sport is a 1 hour non-academic activity class. Failure to do so, will result in an F in the sport. Coaches are required to notify the Athletic Director when a student athlete quits or is dismissed from their respective sport. Once you quit or you are dismissed from a sport, your scholarship will be prorated on the date you cease participation and you will be responsible for all remaining charges from BMC. NOTE: IF YOU DROP BELOW 15 HOURS PER SEMESTER, YOU WILL LOSE YOUR STATE AID, SUCH AS MTAG OR TUITION ASSISTANCE, AND/OR FAFSA, ETC. BEING A STUDENT ATHLETE AT BLUE MOUNTAIN COLLEGE As a student athlete at BMC, you are very close to graduating and being in the “real world”. Our goal is to prepare you for that day. We want you to be prepared to be a contributing member of society. You cannot be sloppy, just get by, not uphold your commitments and expect to be prepared. Therefore, we hold to the following expectations: 1. We expect you to be committed to your academics, to go to class, to go to chapel, to study and communicate with your professors. 2. We expect you to treat professors, coaches, trainers, support staff, chapel workers, dining hall workers, etc. and all you meet with respect. 4 3. We expect you to abide by the rules and policies of BMC and to do what is right. 4. We expect you to be committed to BMC and to our athletic program by accepting the fact that your reputation and the way you represent BMC carries great responsibility and expectation. Also, hard work done with excellence is the foundation of success. 5. We expect you to be a team player and always put We before Me in all decisions and choices. 6. We expect you to be eager to learn and accept that you do not know everything and to be open to things being done differently than how you may have always done them. 7. We expect you to not be a part of mindless complaining, but to bring your valid complaints, with suggestions for a solution to the problem, to your head coach and communicate rather than complain. 8. We expect you to be positive in your words and actions, to be an encourager and not a whiner or complainer. Communicate, don’t complain. 9. We expect you to have pride in the fact that you are at Blue Mountain College and a part of our athletic program. We do uphold the 5 core values of the NAIA Champions of Character and expect you to as well. 10.If you do not believe you can live up to the above expectations, we expect you to politely and respectfully remove yourself from Blue Mountain College and our athletic program and find the college and athletic program that is a better fit for you. NAIA Academic Eligibility Rules: Initial Eligibility: An entering Freshman must meet 2 of the 3 following requirements: 1. 18 on ACT or 970 on SAT (Critical Reading and Math only) 2. 2.00 overall high school GPA on a 4.00 GPA scale 3. Top 50% of high school graduating class 4. Home-schooled Students: For tests taken beginning May 2019, home- schooled students who complete a home schooling program conducted in accordance with the laws of the student’s state of residence and achieve a minimum score of 20 on the ACT or 1040 (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math) on the SAT will meet entering freshmen requirements. For ACT tests taken prior to March 2016, a minimum score of 20 is required. For ACT tests taken beginning. March 2016 through April 2019, a minimum score of 18 will satisfy this requirement.