•  CATTARAUGUS-LITTLE VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL

    GUIDELINES FOR ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION

     

    INTRODUCTION       CODE OF CONDUCT 

                The interscholastic program at Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School aims to meet the needs and interest of those students who either have exceptional athletic abilities and/or wish to develop and express those abilities on an individual or team basis.

                All students are encouraged to participate in interscholastic athletics.  Athletics is an important part of the school program.  Students should realize that it is a privilege to participate in athletics and represent Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School.  The student athlete should always be aware of the fact that you represent not only yourself but also your family, coach, team, school, and community.

                The student-athlete should be motivated toward representing the school on an athletic team through his sense of self-pride, self-direction and awareness of good citizenship.  Ideally, this awareness should include a strong desire to attain acceptable academic standards, good attendance in school and understand that they are constantly being judged by their conduct in the classroom, halls, locker room and during competition.

     

    HEALTH AND MEDICAL

    a.         Warning-Participation in athletics does involve some risks.  Physical injury can occur in any type of sports activity.  By volunteering to participate in school-sponsored athletic activity, a student and his/her parent(s) acknowledge the potential risk for physical injury to occur. 

    b.         Physicals are scheduled in the spring prior to the next school year.  Every athlete must pass a physical exam prior to practice or participation in any interscholastic sport.  The athlete is responsible for reporting for the physical examination at the scheduled time, or obtaining their own with their own physician, using the school form to be turned in to the school nurse. 

    c.         The athlete is to report all injuries, no matter how minor, to the coach.  The coach and the athlete are both asked to report the injury to the medical office for recording.

    d.         Injury/Sickness.

    1.         Any participant who receives medical attention at a hospital or doctor's office must get a written release from his attending physician to return as an active team member.

    2.         Any participant who is absent from school for more than five (5) days due to illness must report to the school nurse and the athletic director to return as an active member.

     

    ELIGIBILITY

    a.         Each athlete will participate under the eligibility requirements, rules, and regulations of the NYS Commissioner of Education and the NYS Public High School Athletic Association, as well as the Cattaraugus-Little Valley Board of Education.

    b.         Participants must start within 5 school days after school starts for the sports season.  Due to extenuating circumstances, exceptions to this will be considered on an individual basis by the Coach and Athletic Director. 

    c.                A student athlete must maintain eligibility as per the "Eligibility Policy for Participation in Extra Curricular Activities."


     
    ELIGIBILITY POLICY FOR PARTICIPATION IN ATHLETICS
     

    Academic Ineligibility

    The successful completion of high school and receiving a high school diploma depends on the small, incremental steps along the way. Successful academic performance on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis all add up to the one moment the last week of June where students are handed NYS Regents Diplomas. It is the goal of every teacher and educator in this District to provide each student with an opportunity to walk off the stage diploma in hand.

    It is for that reason the District supports and upholds Academic Ineligibility as follows:

    Academic Expectations: June - September

    Students who are failing two (2) or more subjects at the end of the year will be ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities the following year (sports, drama club, ecos, FFA, FCCLA, Chess Club, etc.) unless they successfully complete the following:

    a)      Attend summer school and receive at least a 75% in the two (2) courses that were failed (or a score that when combined with the end of year score averages to be 65% or greater). Students are only allowed to take two (2) courses at summer school.

    b)      Students must follow all summer school rules and expectations.

    c)      Students must have received at least a 55% in the failed course during the academic year.

    d)      NOTE:  If students have failed more than three (3) courses at the end of the academic year, and meet the above requirements, they are still ineligible at the beginning of the new school year until five-week grades are posted.

    Academic Expectations: September - June

    a)      Any student failing two (2) or more subjects at the end of quarter 1, 2, or 3 will be ineligible for extracurricular activities for a period of two (2) weeks. At the end of two (2) school weeks, it is the responsibility of each student to have a grade verification report signed by each teacher of ALL courses in the student's schedule to determine the grade. 

    b)      Any student failing two (2) or more subjects at each 5 week grading period (progress report) will be ineligible for extracurricular activities for a period of up to two (2) weeks.  It is the responsibility of each student to have a grade verification report signed by each teacher of ALL courses in the student’s schedule to determine the grade. 

    c)  If a student is passing all courses within the 2-week mark, he/she is eligible to participate in extracurricular activities and his/her name will be removed from the ineligibility list.

    d)      If the student is still failing two (2) or more courses at the 2-week mark, he/she is ineligible for the entire five-week period.

    e)   If a student can demonstrate passing grades in ALL courses he/she is failing at the 3-week mark with at least a 75%, his/her participation in extracurricular activities will be considered by the Principal and his/her teachers.

    f)    Any student failing one (1) subject will be placed on academic probation, but may still participate in all activities. Remediation will be determined by administration.

    TRAINING  RULES

    a.         The use of/or possession of alcohol, illegal drugs and tobacco products:

                1.  ARE PROHIBITED ON OR OFF SCHOOL GROUNDS.

                2.  The penalties will be:

                            First Offense: 

    Coach, teacher, administrator and/or police notification.  The student/athlete will be suspended for 2 weeks.  It will be mandatory that 5 counseling sessions will be scheduled with the Substance Abuse Counselor.  A parental conference and/or Athletic Council hearing will be held in order to make final disciplinary determination.

                            Second Offense:

    The athlete will lose the privilege of representing our school athletically for the remainder of the school year.  It will be mandatory that 5 counseling sessions will be scheduled with the Substance Abuse Counselor.  A parent conference and/or Athletic Council hearing will be held in order to make final disciplinary determination.                  

    a.  The number of offenses are calculated by the school year. (not per season)

    b.  These rules/penalties are applicable to inactive members due to injury.

     b.         Absent from Practice or Games:

    1.         A boy or girl who skips or cuts a practice or game without notifying the coach may be dropped from the team.

    2.         Penalty left to discretion of Coach/Advisor.

      c.         Tardiness to Practice to Game:

                  1.         Penalty left to the discretion of Coach/Advisor.

      d.         Quitting a Team:

                 1.         Cannot join another sports team for that season.

            2.         Must return all school issued equipment to the Coach/Advisor personally.

            3.         Must pay for all school issued equipment not returned or ruined prior to participating in another extra-curricular activity.

      e.         Transferring from One Sport to Another Within a Given Season:

                 1.         Only by mutual agreement of both Coaches/Advisors/A.D.

      f.          School Issued Equipment/Uniforms:

    1.         Players are not permitted to use school equipment and uniforms for their own personal use, other than scheduled games, practice sessions, and team related activities.

    2.         School equipment and uniforms may not be loaned to another individual without specific permission from the Coach/Advisor.

      g.         Absent From School:

    1.         Any student missing half of the school day due to illness or illegal absence cannot participate in extra-curricular activities on that day.

    2.         This also applies to any player who is absent the school day prior to a school holiday or weekend where their respective team is practicing or playing a game, unless a legal excuse is presented to the coach prior to participation.

    3.         If the Athlete is absent or tardy to school the day following an event in which he/she participated, he/she could be denied the privilege to participate in the next scheduled event.  Should the student provide a reasonable excuse, that can be verified, he/she will not be denied the privilege to participate.

    4.         Any boy or girl violating this rule will be suspended for one (1) game.  (Legal excuses are as follows:  Appointments with doctors, dentists, orthodontists, etc; sickness or death in the family; required to be in court; and, of course sickness of participant.)

    h.         Special Events

     1.         On the day of a concert or a play, there will be no required after school practices for students who are participating in that evening's event.  Coaches may still run practice for other team members. 

    2.         Students participating in the evening concert or play WILL NOT be penalized in any way by their coach for having missed the practice.  They will not, for example, be prevented from "starting" if they usually start or would have started had there not been a concert or play that week. 

    3.         If a concert or dramatic presentation date conflicts with an unexpected sports playoff date at the end of the season, it will be the joint responsibility of the particular coach(es), Athletic Director and music or drama teachers to work out a plan of action.

    *          The exception here is the legal requirement for numbers of initial practices students' need, by law, before participating in their first game or match.

    TRANSPORTATION

    a.         A player must travel to and from the game under the direct supervision of the Coach/Advisor.

    b.         It is the responsibility of the school to transport all participants to the event and back to the school.

    c.         Any deviation from this must accompany a written request, in advance, from parent or guardian of the participant and receive written permission from the Athletic Director, or administrator in Athletic Directors absence.

    d.         A Parent or guardian of the participant may transport their child home from an athletic event by making a written request to the coach/advisor in charge at the site.

    e.         A player, who travels to the game in an illegal fashion, cannot participate in the game.

    f.          A player, who travels home form the game in an illegal fashion, will be suspended for one (1) game.

    PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING DISCIPLINARY ACTION

    a.         In case of violation, the athlete will be notified personally by his Coach and the parent will be notified by administration.  They will be informed of the rules, the facts of the violation, the penalty, and the procedure for appeal.

    b.         A hearing will be conducted, if requested by members of the Athletic Council.

    c.      The results of the hearing will be put in writing and a copy sent to the athlete and the athlete's parents.  Included in the letter will be the procedure for requesting a second hearing, if they are not satisfied with the findings of the first appeal.  The appeal will be before the Board of Education.

    The starting date for a sports season shall be determined by the day on which the team has its first practice.