PARKWAY LOCAL SCHOOLS
REVISED MAY 30, 2007
(Official Athletic Policy Effective 2007-2008
School Year Reviewed & Approved again at the July 10, 2007 Board Meeting)
The purpose of
athletics in the
Section
I: Rights and Responsibilities
Participation in athletics
is a privilege offered by Parkway Local Schools. Students attend Parkway Local Schools under
the direction of state law and receive the full benefits of constitutional
protection for their rights as citizens.
They, therefore, can speak, act, or behave as young citizens within a
large scope of options. This code,
published in conformity with ORC3313.66 specifies the school's
expectations. Pupils have a right to
reasonable treatment from the coaches and advisors. The school, in turn, has, as a right, to
expect reasonable behavior from student athletes. Because participants in extra-curricular
activities are both students and athletes, they are bound to the rules and
regulations as well as the consequences spelled out both by their own student
handbook and the athletic handbook concurrently. The regulations and consequences written
herein are also applicable to ALL students/athletes participating in athletics in
the Parkway Local School District with the term student and/or athlete used in
this manual meaning athletes, managers, cheerleaders, statisticians, and
trainers of the sports' programs here in the district. Middle School and High School athletes will be
held to all regulations written within this handbook throughout the year with
special addenda written, when applicable, to strictly high school or,
separately, middle school students.
Section II: Standards
Standard
1: Disruption: An athlete shall not cause any disruption of
the educational process in school by use of violence, force, coercion, or
threat. Any such act may bring about a
denial of participation.
Standard
2: Ethics, Integrity, & Sportsmanship: An athlete shall not behave in such an
unsportsmanlike manner that could cause physical injury or damage to other
athletes, other students, school personnel, or school property. Any such act may bring about a denial of
participation.
(1)
Standard 2 (Subsection 1): Hazing – In reference to Section II – Standard II, as per Section 2903.31 in Ohio’s Revised Code, Hazing means doing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act of initiation into any student or other organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person. No person shall recklessly participate in the hazing of another. No administrator, employee, or faculty member of any primary or secondary school shall recklessly permit the hazing of any person. Whoever violates this section is guilty of hazing, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. Any athlete found in violation of this code will be denied participation in athletics.
Standard
3: Criminal Act: An athlete under investigation by a law enforcement
agency for committing a criminal act or found guilty of committing a
criminal act, may be denied participation with the possibility of permanent
denial.
Standard
4: Insubordination: An athlete shall not fail to comply with
directions of the coaches, advisor, or administration during the sport’s
season. This includes missing practice,
attitude problems, appearance, curfew violations, theft, etc. Any such act may bring about denial of
participation.
Standard
5: Transportation: All athletes will ride the bus to and from
athletic events unless otherwise specified procedures have been set up by the
coach/advisor and approved by the building Principal or Assistant
Principal. An athlete failing to comply
with this rule will be subject to denial of participation.
Standard
6: All athletes must have fully completed the
following forms and have them in the Athletic Office prior to participating in
practice:
(1) Emergency Medical form.
(2) Insurance Waiver.
(3) Parent Guardian Release Form.
(4) Athletic Handbook Signature Form.
(5) Athletic Physical signed by the doctor,
parent, and student.
~
Until these forms are in, the individual student athlete can NOT participate.
Standard
7: Steroids: A student who uses anabolic steroids or other
performance enhancing drugs is ineligible for interscholastic competition until
such time as medical evidence can be presented that the student’s system is
free of the before-mentioned drugs.
Standard 8: Tobacco Products: An athlete shall NOT use any tobacco product.
Standard
9: Drugs:
An athlete shall not possess, handle, transmit, conceal, or use any
illegal drugs. An athlete shall not take an abnormal amount of prescribed or
over-the-counter drugs, which may cause harm to their health.
Standard 10: Alcoholic Beverages: An athlete shall NOT drink any alcoholic
beverages.
When a
Parkway student (whether attending Parkway Middle or High School), shows
the intent of becoming an athlete (Ex:
getting a physical, coming to an organizational meeting, etc.), he/she
shall not possess, use, transmit, conceal, or be under the influence of
tobacco, drugs, narcotics, alcoholic beverages,
(2)
or counterfeit controlled substances at any time
until his/her athletic career ends at Parkway Local Schools. School officials will investigate all
reported violations, and any athlete found breaking a rule will be given the
following disciplinary action:
A. Typical 1st Offense Consequence For Student Athletes Grades 7-12.
The
athlete will be suspended from participating in the equivalent of 20% of the
scheduled regular season’s games or meets in which the athlete participates or
in the next sport in which he/she will participate. The season is defined as practices beginning
with the opening day as allowed by the OHSAA, and ending with the last
tournament game played by the team for that season. This means that any or all post-season
tournament games will be included, if applicable, to the suspension being
served. The season in which the athlete
is suspended will dictate how many games will be missed. If the season in which the infraction occurs ends without the full consequence being served, the
remainder of the games will continue into the next sports season in which the
athlete participates. The games not
approved by the Athletic Department/Athletic Director shall not count as the
total number of games missed due to the suspension. In addition, while under suspension, the
athlete will NOT be allowed to dress for contests but may be with the
team. Practicing during the suspension
is up to the discretion of the coach, but should remain consistent throughout
the coach’s tenure. After serving a
suspension, the athlete must satisfactorily complete the season or the
suspension will be upheld and the athlete will have to serve the suspension in
the next sports season.
Special Addition/Consideration for Middle School Athletes:
*** Practicing
during the suspension is up to the discretion of the coach at that level in
each sport from which the middle school athlete was suspended, but the decision
on practicing should remain either consistent with the policies set up by the
Head High School Coach for his/her program or if there is no high school
program policy for that sport regarding practicing during a suspension then the
decision to practice or not to practice should remain consistent with the
middle school coach throughout his/her tenure as a middle school coach.
B. Typical 2nd Offense Consequence
For Student Athletes Grades 7-12.
If an athlete violates any of these rules a second
time while attending Parkway Local Schools, he/she will be suspended for the
equivalent of one full sport’s season.
Since this consequence is the equivalent of a sport’s season, the
suspension may transcend past the season in which the athlete was suspended if
the offense occurred after games in the season in which the athlete was
suspended had already begun. If the suspension does go into another sport’s
season, the remaining percentage of the suspended games will be based on the
number of games/meets in the next sport’s season in which the athlete
participates. Also the athlete will not participate in any scrimmages or
tournament games during the suspension; in addition these scrimmages and
tournament games will not count toward the games used in calculating the
consequence of this second offense.
Further, during the suspension from athletics, the student will undergo
counseling sessions. The parent or legal
guardian of the suspended athlete must make a formal request for the
arrangement of these counseling sessions in writing to the Athletic Director or
Principal of the school, from which school the student attends. In turn the Athletic Director or Principal
will make arrangements for the suspended athlete with a local Alcohol and
(3)
session is not arranged through said Athletic
Director and/or Principal, the session will not count toward the counseling
that must be completed before the athlete can return to sports. Upon verification of completion of the
approved counseling session to the Athletic Director and/or Principal, and upon
the completion of suspension, the athlete may return to playing sports at
Parkway Local Schools. Playing sports at
Parkway cannot be resumed if the counseling has not occurred before the full
season’s suspension is complete.
Following the end of the approved counseling session either the Athletic
Director and/or Principal of the building that the student would currently
attend following the conclusion of the season-equivalent suspension shall
conduct a follow-up session with the athlete and/or parents of the athlete
when, and if, the counseling is completed during the school year. It is the hope of the Athletic Department
that the combination of consequence and counseling will help in the
rehabilitation of the athlete and will also assist the athlete in breaking any
dependence that has developed
regarding the said substances covered in these codes.
Special Considerations with the 2nd
Offense Consequence…
A.
During the suspension, athletes will NOT be able to
dress in uniform for any contests, but may be with the team.
B.
Practicing during the suspension is up to the coach’s
discretion. It is the hope of the
Athletic Department that if a coach had not allowed practicing in this
situation to occur in the past, that he/she would do the same for all athletes.
C.
Some possible scenarios (not limited to the sports
mentioned) in calculating the full sport’s season…
C. Typical 3rd Offense Consequence
For Student Athletes Grades 7-12.
On any third offense the athlete will serve a one year
(365 day) suspension (from the date of the violation) from athletics at Parkway
Local Schools. During the term of this
suspension, no athlete will be allowed to
(4)
join any sport’s team. If this third offense occurs while the athlete
is still serving his/her 2nd suspension, he/she will NOT begin the
third offense suspension until the date he/she has completed all requirements
of the second offense suspension.
D. Typical 4th Offense Consequence
For Student Athletes Grades 7-12.
Any athlete committing a fourth offense violation will
be suspended for the remainder of his/her career at Parkway Local Schools.
** Final Notes:
Parkway Middle & High School’s Athletic
Departments and Parkway Local Schools do NOT recognize any cut between the
transition of middle school to high school; therefore, all violations and
consequences that may have occurred in the middle school or in the summer prior
to an athlete’s freshman year do and will carryover into high school.
Section IV:
Steps Taken in the Suspension of any Athlete Grades 7-12
A. Step 1 - Notice of the intention to
suspend and the reason(s) why will be provided to the athlete either in writing
or verbally within one to three school days upon the completion of the
investigation of the infraction by the building Principal or Athletic
Director.
B. Step 2 - Following the athlete's
notification of suspension, the athlete and/or parents, guardians, or
custodians of the athlete will have the opportunity to appear at an informal
hearing set up through the building's Athletic Director under whose
jurisdiction the student falls with said Athletic Director having the option of
requesting the presence of any of the following for this meeting: the other building Athletic Director, a head
coach not related to the sport, or the head coach of the sport in which the
athlete was involved during the time of the suspension (either the varsity
coach or the head coach of the grade in which the athlete plays). At this informal hearing, the parent, guardian,
or custodian of the athlete has the right to question the reason(s) for the
intended suspension or explain the athlete's actions. The parents' and/or athlete's initiating of
the informal hearing with the building Athletic Director must take place within
two school days of the athlete's notification of the suspension. From this informal hearing, an opinion or
recommendation will be made to the building principal concerning the suspension
of the athlete.
C. Step 3 - Upon completion of the informal hearing, the parents, guardians, or
custodians of the athlete will be notified of the suspension in writing
post-marked no later than two school days after the informal hearing. If the informal hearing is bypassed, the
notification to suspend in writing will be post-marked no later than two school
days following the given two days in which the informal hearing could have
taken place. Copies of the notice will
be given to all of the following:
Members of the Administrative Quorum (Members spelled out in #3 below),
the treasurer of schools, the superintendent of schools, and to the coaches in
whose program(s) the suspension will be served.
This notice will include the following:
1. The reason for the suspension
2. The consequences of the infraction
3. The right to appeal to an Administrative Quorum made up of building
administrators and a
(5)
coaching
representative including, but not limited to some or all of the following: The High School Principal, High School Dean
of Students/Athletic Director, Middle School Principal, Middle School Athletic
Director, and a neutral coach who is not involved with the athlete during any
sports season and who wasn't used in the informal hearing.
D. Step 4 - Following the informal
hearing and the sending of official notification of the intent to suspend, the
parents, guardians or custodians of the athlete have the right to appeal, then,
to members of an Administrative Quorum (outlined in #3 above). The appellate meeting must be initiated
within four school days of the sending of the official notification to
suspend the athlete, and an appointment must be made through the building
secretary (where the student attends).
The decision of the Administrative Quorum will be the final decision at
the district level, and its decision on the appeal will be sent to the parents,
guardians, or custodians of the athlete within two school days of the appellate
hearing.
Section V:
Grievances
A. A Grievance Process can be held concurrently with
the appeals process. These two processes;
however, are separate entities from one another.
B. Any grievances athletes or parents have, not
necessarily limited to suspensions, must be channeled through the
following people in the following order:
1. Head Coach of the team on which
the athlete participates or the Head Coach of the program.
2. Athletic Director of the
building under whose jurisdiction the athlete falls.
** In the cases of suspension, these two positions will hear the
grievance as part of the informal hearing.
3. Athletic Council
4. Superintendent
5. Board of Education
A.
The
Athletic Council membership will include the Athletic Director, High School
Principal, Junior High Principal, Superintendent of schools,
B. The High School Athletic Director will be the chairperson of The
Council and will hold meetings when necessary or when requested by coaches in
order to discuss policy changes or other items affecting the athletic
department and coaches as a whole.
C. The Athletic Council shall
NOT be an appellate body but shall hear grievances and may subsequently or
separately make or recommend change in policy concerning interscholastic sports
at
(6)
voting absentee. Voting will be done by voice or hand
vote. Voting members of The Council are
listed in Section IV, Subsection A. The
High School Athletic Director will serve as the liaison to The Board of
Education for The Athletic Council and is responsible for taking the
recommendations from The Athletic Council to the Board of Education for The
Board's vote on either to accept, modify, or reject changes made to The
Athletic Handbook. The High School
Athletic Director, then, will make amendments to the Athletic Handbook
accordingly.
A. Academic Ineligibility.
1. A complete team roster must be turned into the
athletic office two weeks before the first contest. Each athlete will be
checked for age and scholastic eligibility.
An OHSAA eligibility list for each sport will be on file before the
first contest of the season in the athletic office.
2. To be eligible, a student at Parkway High School
must have maintained at least a 1.500 G.P.A. the preceding quarter, and
have no more than one "'F" in the immediate preceding grading
period.
3.
OHSAA
policy requires that each student‑athlete must receive passing grades in
5 credits for a nine‑week grading period in order to be eligible for the
upcoming nine‑week grading period.
4. The
eligibility or ineligibility of a student continues until the start of the
fifth school day of the next grading
period, at which time the grades from the immediately preceding grading period
become effective. OHSAA RULE
B. Scholarship.
1. Students should not change a course without first consulting the school principal or athletic administrator to determine whether it will affect eligibility.
2.
Eligibility
for each grading period is determined by grades received the preceding grading
period (quarter). Semester and yearly
grades have no effect on eligibility.
3.
For
eligibility purposes, summer school grades may NOT be used to substitute for
failing grades received in the final grading period of the regular school year
or for lack of enough courses taken the preceding grading period.
C. Age Limitations.
1.
Students
have a total of eight semesters to participate in athletics during their high
school career. This time frame begins when they enroll as a freshman.
2.
Grades
9‑12: If the athlete is 19 years
of age prior to August 1, of the school year, he/she is ineligible for that
school year.
3.
A
student shall become eligible for high school athletics when the student attains
his/her fifteenth birthday before August 1, or when the student attains ninth
grade standing. (OHSAA)
(7)
Middle School Athletes
A. Academic Eligibility –
1. Athletic Eligibility is dependent on academic success. Students must pass 75% of the courses taken
in the previous grading period (OHSAA Regulations). In addition, the
2. A student enrolling in the seventh grade for the first time will be
eligible for the first grading period regardless of previous academic
achievement. Thereafter, in order to be
eligible, a student in grade 7 or 8 must be currently enrolled and must have
been enrolled in school the immediately preceding grading period and received
passing grades during the grading period in 75% of those subjects carried the
preceding grading period in which the student was enrolled.
B. Scholarship
1. Students should not change a
course without first consulting the school principal or athletic administrator
to determine whether it will affect eligibility.
2. Eligibility for each grading
period is determined by grades received the preceding grading period. Semester and yearly grades have no effect on
eligibility.
C. Age Limitations
2. A student in
grade 7 or 8 who attains the age of 15 before August 1 shall be eligible only
at the
high school
level for a period not to exceed eight semesters taken in order of attendance,
whether the student participates or not (OHSAA Regulations).
A. Our school attendance policy requires that
student athletes be in school by 10:00 a.m. and remain in school the rest of
the day to be eligible to play in a game or practice that day. The principal will deal with medical
appointments or other excuses. If the
student leaves school during the day because of illness, he/she will not be
eligible that night.
(8)
B. An athlete who misses a game or practice because of reasons other than illness or an emergency must make up time missed before participating in a game. These arrangements must be worked out with
the coach in
charge. To maintain eligibility, regular
attendance is required.
A. A doctor
and paramedics will be in attendance at all home varsity football games.
B. Any injuries occurring during
a game or practice should receive the immediate attention of the coach
or trainer. Any severe injury should be referred to a
doctor immediately.
C. All athletes must have a physical examination
prior to attending the first practice.
Each Head Coach is responsible for turning in all paperwork including
physical forms to the Athletic Director before the first practice. These cards are valid for one year.
D. Locker Room
2.
The locker room will be
locked up during the weekend.
3. At the conclusion of a sport’s season, all lockers
will be cleaned out immediately and new locker assignments will be made in
accordance with Statement #2.
E. Coach's rooms are off limits to athletes. Only with permission may an athlete enter.
F. During the month of June, the team locker room will not be used for any purposes.
(9)
Section XI:
Practice Schedules
A. The head coach should prepare a practice schedule
noting any practices on weekends, holidays, and during vacation. A master copy of the schedule should be filed
in the athletic director's office.
B.
Practice must never start unless a coach is there. Coaches should never leave school until all his/her team members have cleared the
building. Practice sessions should
not exceed two hours.
C. The coach of each respective sport
will be the last person to leave the building on the night of practice.
A.
There are to be NO athletic practices held on Wednesday
nights after
B. When it can be arranged, there will be no athletic contests to be held on Wednesday nights during the school year.
A. Open gym activities in any sport may be held one season prior to that sport’s actual competitive season only. Summer is not defined as an athletic season.
B. Any athlete who quits a sport or who is
dismissed for violation of team rules is not permitted to participate in any other open gym or conditioning
program until the sport season he/she quit is completed. If a student quits a sport and joins another
sport that athlete must have permission
from both coaches involved, the Athletic Director, and the Principal.
C. There shall be no Sunday athletic practices
(mandatory or voluntary) permitted unless a team has a scheduled
tournament contest on Monday.
D. There shall be two weeks of
moratorium each year, which includes the use of the weight room. The
first week will be during final exams and
the second week will be over the July 4th holiday (exception--
Any team in
tournament).
E. All
athletes are expected to ride the bus to and from each game. All
exceptions need to be approved by either the
Athletic Director or the Principal.
(10)
All officials for Varsity M.A.C. Football, Volleyball, Boys & Girls Basketball, Baseball, and Softball games are assigned by the league commissioner. The Athletic Director is responsible for hiring all other independent games or sports events.
A. In order to receive an award in a varsity sport, the athlete must be recommended by the coach of that sport. Each head coach is responsible for establishing criteria for awards in their respective sports. In making recommendations, that coach must take into consideration conduct, attendance and participation in varsity games (1/4 of a sport season at the Varsity level as a general rule).
B. Those athletes receiving a varsity award will
receive the varsity "P" letter.
The letter will be the same for all sports with a different emblem for
each sport.
C. The first year an athlete earns a letter in any
sport, a letter is awarded. Each succeeding
year a letter is earned in the same sport, a certificate and service bar will
be awarded.
D. Numerals will be awarded to athletes their
freshman year of high school for participation in a sport.
E. A reserve "P" letter is to be awarded to those athletes recommended by the coach for their participation in reserve game competition.
F. Any athlete participating in reserve competition more than one year will only receive a certificate of participation.
G. Student managers, trainers, and statisticians,
should receive the varsity "P" letter award upon the completion of
serving two years in one varsity sport, or upon managing two varsity
sports in one given year. The head coach
of that sport shall determine when the manager has successfully completed
his/her duties and thereupon recommend the student for the award.
H. A senior varsity award will be awarded to senior
athletes fulfilling the following criteria:
1. Four years of participation in a particular sport
(including injury) and must have earned no less than three letters in the above
mentioned sport, or
2.
Have earned four varsity
letters in two different sports. The
athlete must have participated four years in each of these two sports.
3. Must not have been dropped or suspended from any
sport for disciplinary reasons.
I. Cheerleaders will be awarded a varsity
"P" letter the first year they serve as varsity cheerleader. A
service bar and certificate will be given for each additional year of varsity
participation.
J.
Numerals
are to be awarded to reserve cheerleaders for their first reserve season.