New athletic code of conduct adopted for 2012-13

The Schuylerville Board of Education recently adopted a new athletic code of conduct that will go into effect at the start of the 2012-2013 school year. A committee comprising parents, teachers, coaches, Board of Education members and district administrators came together to develop the document.

The policies outlined in the document reflect the district’s emphasis on: (1) maintaining high academic achievement as a first priority, (2) encouraging good sportsmanship and responsibility among students, coaches and the community, (3) strengthening communication between coaches, teachers and parents and (4) helping athletes develop into healthy, mature and responsible citizens.

 

Q: What is covered in the document?

 

 

 

A: Schuylerville’s 2012-2013 athletic code of conduct provides information in numerous topic areas, including philosophy, student guidelines and responsibilities, spectator behavior, school attendance, academic probation/suspension and consequences for in-school and out-of-school prohibited behaviors (smoking, drug or alcohol use, unbecoming behavior, etc.). 

 

 

Q: How has the 2012-2013 athletic code of conduct changed from previous years?

 

 

 

A: The new code of conduct is stricter, more comprehensive and more detailed in regard to expectations for athletes and consequences for prohibited behaviors.

 

 

Q: What are the policies related to academic achievement?

 

 

 

A: Students must maintain good academic standing to participate in athletics. The grades of student athletes will be monitored by the athletic department using five-week progress reports and 10-week report cards. Student athletes who experience academic difficulty may be placed on academic probation or academic suspension until they have demonstrated the necessary academic improvement.

 

Q: How will academic probation affect participation in Schuylerville’s athletic program?

 

 

 

A: When a student is found to be failing (based on progress reports) or has failed (based on report cards) one course, he/she will be placed on academic probation. A student can also be placed on academic probation if two or more teachers inform the athletic director that the pupil is not meeting academic expectations. When a student is placed on academic probation, he/she will be informed of this status, along with parents, the appropriate coach and the student’s teachers. Student athletes on academic probation can still practice and compete, but they’re expected to make significant improvement in academic performance by the next five-week checkpoint. Coaches should address the situation with the student athlete and encourage the necessary academic improvement, including, but not limited to, requiring extra help sessions in place of team practices.

 

 

Q: How will academic suspension affect participation in athletics?

 

 

 

A: When a student is found to be failing (based on progress reports) or has failed (based on report cards) two or more courses, he/she will be placed on academic suspension. When a student is placed on academic suspension, he/she will be informed of this status, along with parents, the appropriate coach and the student’s teachers. The student athlete will remain on academic suspension at least until the next progress report or report card, or until he/she is failing no more than one course. Coaches should address the situation with the student athlete and encourage the necessary academic improvement, including, but not limited to, requiring extra help sessions in place of team practices.

Student athletes on academic suspension can continue to practice but will be prohibited from participating in competitions.

 

 

Q: What are the policies related to attendance?

 

 

 

A: Student athletes who do not attend school and/or are chronically tardy may be declared ineligible to participate in practices or competitions. Here are a few examples:

 

An athlete will not be allowed to participate in practice or competition if he/she is absent from school or has missed more than two class periods on the day of the event. If parents provide a valid excuse for the absence or tardiness, the athletic director or principal can grant permission for participation. 

 

 

 

 

 

If an athlete is absent from school due to illness or sent home from school due to illness, he/she cannot participate in sports on that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A student athlete who is tardy to school without a valid excuse (i.e., fails to report to first-period class by 8 a.m.) three times in the same athletic season, will receive “Level 1” consequences. This means the athlete will be ineligible for practice/competition on the day of the third unexcused tardiness. Additional tardies will result in increasingly severe consequences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Can student athletes practice or compete if they’re suspended from school?

 

 

 

A: No. A student athlete who is suspended out-of-school is not eligible to participate in or attend any school-related functions, including athletic events. For in-school suspensions, students will be prohibited from participation in sporting events for the same number of days that they received in-school suspension.

 

Q: What are the consequences for student athletes who fail to meet expectations for in-school and out-of-school behaviors?

 

 

 

A: A student athlete may be suspended or removed from the athletic program based on school-related and non-school-related behaviors. The suspensions may carry over from one season to the next, depending on the severity of student behaviors. Here are a few examples of behaviors and their consequences:

 

Possession and/or use of tobacco or electronic cigarettes – for the first offense, the athlete will be suspended from competitions for the equivalent of 20 percent of the maximum regular season contests; the athlete can participate in practices. The second offense results in suspension for 50 percent of the maximum regular season contests; continued participation in practices is allowed. The third offense results in suspension from the sports program for one calendar year. 

 

 

 

 

 

Possession and/or use of alcohol or drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia or use of prescribed or over-the-counter medications outside of prescribed/recommended use – for the first offense, the athlete will be suspended for the equivalent of 50 percent of the maximum regular season contests; the athlete can continue to practice with team members. A second offense occurring within two calendar years of the first offense will result in suspension from the athletic program for one calendar year. A third offense will result in suspension from the district’s athletic program for a minimum of one additional calendar year and a possible permanent ban from sports participation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behavior unbecoming to a student athlete – student athletes are expected to behave in a manner that reflects positively on their teams and school. Behaviors that violate these expectations will result in consequences appropriate to the behavior. Such behaviors may include but are not limited to: bullying, hazing, harassment, vandalism, theft, assault and illegal acts resulting in police involvement. Alcohol and drug-related behaviors resulting in police involvement may also be treated as behavior unbecoming to a Schuylerville athlete and may lead to consequences beyond those outlined above.

 

 

Q: How can I get more information on the new athletic code of conduct?

 

 

 

A: Click here to download a complete copy of the code of conduct [PDF file] or call the Schuylerville Athletic Department at (518) 695-3255, ext. 2173.