Athletics
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SPORTS PACKET
VUSD SPORTS HANDBOOK
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Vallecito Union School District may provide several extracurricular activities.
Extracurricular activities are those programs that have all the following characteristics:
- The program is supervised or financed by the school district.
- Students participating in the program represent the school district.
- The program may include both preparation for performances and performances before an audience or spectators.
- Participation in any extracurricular activity is voluntary. Extracurricular activities are not part of the regular school curriculum, are not graded, do not offer credit, and do not take place during classroom time, without proper authorization.
- Not included is any form of intramural program which may take place during the school day.
Extracurricular activities may include, but are not limited to, after school sports.
ATHLETICS PHILOSOPHY:
The Vallecito Union School District athletic program aspires to train "Student-Athletes" in individual and team skills. The goals of the athletic program are building self-confidence, self-worth, sportsmanship, and a spirit of cooperation through teamwork. Even though winning is a desired end of competitive sports; winning should not take precedence over the goals stated above. Over a season, each student-athlete on a team should have had an opportunity to improve his or her skills through organized practice. All eligible, "qualified" student-athletes should have the opportunity to participate in both practice and competitive games. This does not mean that all student-athletes must participate equally in all games, nor does it compel the coaching staff to play all team members in every game. Specifically, this means the coach will play all qualified, eligible team members in both practice and competitive games in a fair and reasonable manner at the Athletic Director's discretion. "Qualified" means the student-athlete has met the academic and behavioral requirements set forth in this handbook, and has been verified to be qualified by both the school and the coach. Student-athletes involved in our extra-curricular athletic programs must uphold and maintain a high level of academic and behavioral standards in order to become/remain eligible throughout their respective athletic seasons.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
In an effort to encourage and promote academic excellence, all student-athletes participating in extracurricular activities must maintain exemplary levels of academics and behavior. All eligible student-athletes who elect to participate and join a team are strongly encouraged to complete the season. Dropouts negatively impact the entire team.
1. Eligibility based on academics: Student-Athletes must demonstrate exemplary academic achievement. Academic eligibility is based upon marks earned during each grading period; a grading period is defined by both the mid-trimester progress report and the trimester report card, totaling 6 grading periods in all during a school year. Grade-checks will occur at the end of each grading period. To encourage and support academic excellence, the Board requires student-athletes in grads 6-8 to meet the following requirements:
- Earn and maintain a minimum 2.0 or "C"grade point average with no "F" grades (on a 4.0 scale) during the respective grading period in order to participate in extracurricular activities/sports. It is the responsibility of the student-athlete to maintain his/her academic eligibility for continued participation in the respective extra-curricular activity/sport.
- Student-athletes must be eligible on the first day of tryouts or the start of the extra-curricular activity. Any "F" grades during the most recent grading period will eliminate student-athletes from eligibility/tryouts. Student-athletes who become academically ineligible during any grading period/grade-check will be removed from the team to allow the student-athlete to focus their efforts on academic achievement.
- If a student-athlete has a commitment that cannot be broken that causes him or her to miss tryouts, that student-athlete must communicate with the coach and AD before tryouts begin to see if an arrangement can be made. A student-athlete shall not join an activity/sport already in progress. However, at the coaches' discretion, a newly enrolled student-athlete may participate in a sport program already in progress ONLY if there were no cuts made at the time of tryouts.
- Eligibility Grade-Check Points:* Cross-Country & Girls' Basketball: Student-athletes will have academic eligibility determined by the trimester 3 report card from the previous school year and the mid-trimester 1 progress report from the current school year. * Boy's Basketball: Student-athletes will have academic eligibility determined by the mid-trimester 1 progress report, trimester 1 report card, and mid-trimester 2 progress report.
* Girls Volleyball: Student-athletes will have academic eligibility determined by the mid-trimester 2 progress report and trimester 2 report card.
*Track: Student-athletes will have academic eligibility determined by the trimester 2 report card and trimester 3 progress report.
2. Eligibility based on behavior: Student-Athletes must demonstrate exemplary behavior. Inappropriate behavior will result in consequences impacting participation. Below is a list of possible behavioral infractions and their consequences:
- Suspensions (days accumulated during the season) =
** 5+ days = Removal from team
** 2-4 days= 1 week suspension from team
** 1 day = Game suspension from team
- Detention or disciplinary referral = loss of playing time (coach's decision)
3. Eligibility based on attendance: Each of the student-athlete must attend a minimum of 3 full academic periods on the day of the extracurricular event to be eligible for the extracurricular event. Exceptions may be approved ONLY by the Site Administrator on a case-by-case basis.
4. Waiver, Release, and Indemnity Agreement Assumption of Risk: Before student-athletes may participate in any extracurricular activity, a parent or legal guardian must sign and return the Waiver of Liability Form. (See attachment form "A")
5. Team Participation Agreement: Student-athletes sign a Team Participation Agreement as set forth by coaches and approved by the school Athletic Director and the school Principal.
6. Driving/Transportation Permission Forms: (See attachment form "C") To be completed for each event as needed.
7. Medical Treatment Release Form: (See attachment form "B")
8. Proof of current medical insurance or medical card.
(Note: Sports medical insurance is offered through the district Student Accident Insurance Company. Please check with the school office.) Medical coverage of some type is required to participate. (See attachment form "B")
ASSEMBLING TEAMS:
All team sports at Avery will be assembled as grade level teams.
- Each team sport must have a minimum of 6 student-athletes to participate in league play. In the event that a grade does not have enough student-athletes to participate, exceptions can be made to help field a team for that grade.
- Student-athletes will only be allowed to join a team of a different grade level if that team has a "need". "Need" is determined by the number of overall student-athletes desiring to play that sport. "Need" for each sport is as follows:
**Basketball - 6 or fewer athletes
**Volleyball - 7 or fewer athletes
- In the event that a grade level team does not have enough players to participate in league play, those players will be given the option to play on a different grade team, so long as:
** Joining that team does not displace another player in the appropriate grade.
** The coach for that team agrees to the adding of younger/older players.
** League rules are not violated (no more than 2 older players are allowed to play on a younger team and those older players will not be allowed in tournament play)
** NOTE: Under no circumstances will a student-athlete be forced to play on a different grade level team.
- In the event that a grade level team has an over-abundance of players trying out for the respective sport, there is the possibility of player "cuts" to be made by the participating coach after tryouts have been completed. All students (even those cut from teams) are encouraged to continually work on skill development, attend any available workshops/clinics for their sport/activity of choice, and to continue to tryout/participate in all given opportunities for their sport/activity of choice.
PARTICIPATION AND EXPECTATIONS:
Vallecito Union School District's extracurricular activities are voluntary. Your involvement is essential to the health and continuation of these activities. Team coaches/advisors will contact parents requesting assistance as needed during the school year, or parents can contact the coach or athletic director. A successful activity requires the support and efforts of coaches, players and parents. Positive efforts by all individuals produce positive results for the group and a more successful season. Ongoing communication between all participants is desirable and promotes understanding and growth. Please consider getting involved. It takes countless hours of work to keep a team going.
Assistance may be needed in one or more of the following areas:
- Coaching and/or assistant coaching
- Fundraising activities
- Transportation
The District may provide single-gender extra -curricular teams where selection for teams is based on competitive skills. When a school provides only one team in a sport for members of one gender but provides no team in the same sport for members of the other gender, and athletic opportunities in the total program for that gender have been previously limited, members of the excluded gender shall be allowed to try out for the team. (5 CCR 4921)
COACHES' RESPONSIBILITY:
All coaches will have the right to establish team rules, dress codes, practice procedures, and disciplinary procedures, as well as, make all decisions regarding their team and its members, subject to the following guidelines:
- All rules and regulations must be written within the guidelines of the district policies and not in any way in violation of policies.
- Each student-athlete will be provided a copy of the guidelines thereby giving both students and parents timely notice of what is expected of them.
- The school athletic director and the school principal, prior to distribution, must approve team Participation Agreements.
- A copy of the team participation guidelines must be signed by both the student-athlete and parent and returned to the coach prior to participation.
- The Coach shall determine the number of players required for each team with consideration given to sudden decrease of team members due to unforeseen circumstances, i.e. illnesses, injuries, etc.
PARENTS/COMMUNITY:
Families and friends cheering at games is very important, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Sideline cheering should be positive and supportive. Challenges to or confrontations with the referees and/or coaches are completely inappropriate. Hight spirits are great, but there is no place in youth sports for high tempers. Spectators violating this basic philosophy may be asked not to attend games or practices. Parents dissatisfied with any aspect of the district and/or team policy must follow the dispute resolution procedures. A game or practice is not the appropriate place for confrontation.
CONFLICT AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE:
The Vallecito Union School District Governing Board subscribes to the following foundational principles of the "pursuing Victory with Honor" models:
- The essential elements of character building and ethics are embodied in the concept of sportsmanship and six core principles: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship.
- It is the duty of the School Board, Superintendent, school administrators, program directors and game officials to promote sportsmanship and foster good character by teaching, enforcing, advocating, and modeling these "Six Pillars of Character."
- To promote sportsmanship and foster the development of good character, school programs must be conducted in a manner that enhances the academic, emotional, social, physical, and ethical development of student-athletes and teaches them positive life skills that will help them become personally successful and socially responsible.
- Participation in school programs is a privilege, not a right. To earn that privilege, all students must abide by the rules and they must conduct themselves prior, during, and after such activities as a positive role models who exemplify good character.
- The School Board, Superintendent, school administrators, parents and school leadership shall establish standards for participation by adopting and enforcing codes of conduct for coaches, student-athletes, parents, and spectators.
- All participants in District sponsored programs must consistently demonstrate and demand scrupulous integrity and observe and enforce the spirit, as well as the letter of the rules.
- The importance of character, ethics, and sportsmanship should be emphasized in all communications directed to student-athletes and parents.
- The School Board, Superintendent, school administrators, parents and program leadership must ensure that the priority of their student-athletes is a serious commitment to getting an education and developing the academic skills and character to succeed.
- The School Board, Superintendent, Principals, school administrators and everyone involved at any level of governance of the District's program must maintain ultimate responsibility for the quality and integrity fo District sponsored programs. Such individuals must assure that education and character development responsibilities are not compromised to achieve performance goals and that the academic, social, emotional, physical, and ethical well-being of student-athletes is always placed above desires and pressures to win.
- All employees of the district who are involved in the District's programs must be committed above all else to the academic success of student-athletes and the character-building goals of the school.
SPORTSMANSHIP:
The District is committed to providing students, student-athletes, staff, parents, and spectators a sportsmanlike environment. At the start of all extracurricular activities, the coaches or the officials shall explain and promote sportsmanship expectations to all students participating in that activity. If a student participating in an extracurricular activity commits any of the following actions during an activity, the supervising staff member shall immediately suspend the student for the remainder of the activity. If the student commits a second offense during the same season, the student shall be suspended for two activities and the practices involved with those two activities. If a student commits a third offense during the same season the student shall lose eligibility for all activities for one full calendar year.
- Berating an opponent's school or mascot.
- Berating an opposing player.
- Making or encouraging another to make an obscene cheer or gesture.
- Making, posting, or encouraging another to make or post a negative sign.
- Using profanity during an activity.
- Any other behavior or conduct that takes away from the purpose of the activity.
The following conduct by any student participating in an activity shall result in the student immediately being removed from the team and considered for additional disciplinary action:
- Making an inappropriate, obscene, or threatening gesture or comment toward an official.
- Involving oneself in an altercation or being ejected from the contest because of that altercation.
- Leaving the bench/sidelines to go on the playing area during an altercation or, in the judgement of school officials, engaging in behavior that serves to perpetuate the altercation.
- Physically assaulting a coach, game official, or school official at or during the activity.
