Southwest Chicago Christian School - Tinley Park Campus
A Christ Centered Learning Community Intent on Restoring God’s World
Middle School Athletic Program
Thank you for your support and commitment to the SCCS Tinley Park Athletic Program. We believe that athletics are an integral part of the complete middle school educational experience and an extension of the academic classrooms. The same philosophy and goal of Christ centered training, caring, nurturing, and correcting in love that brings success in student learning in the classroom is also present on the athletic field or court.
Because we see the student as a whole person – academic, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical – and because we see Christian education as impacting the child in all of their learning experiences, curricular and co-curricular, our expectations are the same inside and outside the classroom. As a covenant Christian community which includes the home, the church, and the school, we have a commitment to our students and their development as Christian athletes. This covenant Christian community should be distinctive and therefore the way our coaches, players, parents, and fans behave before, during, and after the game should reflect our Christian values. Above all we want to reflect our school’s vision statement: A Christ centered learning community intent of restoring God’s world.
In the partnership that we share with you, there may be questions about what and how information should be communicated, and also, what the parent involvement with the athletic teams should be. We ask that you use the following information as a guide to understand the philosophy and goals of the SCCS athletic program along with the best approach for communication of questions or concerns that may arise during the year.
Core Values of SCCS Middle School Athletes
· Character: 1 Samuel 16:7 “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
· Commitment: Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.”
· Relationships: Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”
· Results: 1 Corinthians 9:24: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
Athletic Department Objectives
· To recognize each individual student athlete as a unique creation of God and provide opportunities for participation in a variety of activities.
· To develop individual and group skills necessary to compete, successfully striving to develop their potential.
· To develop school spirit and loyalty to Southwest Chicago Christian School.
· To provide opportunities which encourage self-confidence, sociability, initiative, and a feeling of belonging for participants.
· To provide the leadership and discipline necessary to assist each participant in attaining all of the objectives.
Student-Athlete’s Responsibilities to the Athletic Program
· Students are expected to attend all scheduled practices and games
· If a student misses a game or practice without giving the coach at least one-week notice, he/she will need to meet with the coach and AD regarding consequences and how to move forward with the team. This absence may be due to student forgetfulness, vacation, appointments, etc.
· If a student misses a game or practice and gives the coach at least a one-week notice, there will be no consequence.
· If a student misses more than a half-day of school due to illness, they may not compete in any SCCS games of that day.
Student-Athlete’s Eligibility and Discipline
· If a student-athlete is not working up to his/her academic ability or is demonstrating inappropriate behavior, goals for improvement will be discussed among and set by staff, coach and parents.
· The student-athlete involved will have one week to show improvement in the area of concern. If there is improvement after one week, there are no further consequences. If there is no improvement, then the student-athlete will miss the predetermined game time.
Communication parents should expect from the coach
· Team requirements such as practice times and dates, equipment, etc.
· Changes in schedules which does happen as games are sometimes cancelled due to weather and then need to be rescheduled.
· Expectations of student work and effort at practices and games
Communication coaches can expect from parents
· Notifications of any schedule conflicts
· Clarification of practice and game expectations
· Queries regarding how to help your child improve skills
Communication that would not be appropriate to discuss with a coach
· Team strategy, play calling, the amount of your student-athlete’s playing time, nor other student athletes
Procedure to share questions or concerns with a coach
Please remember that coaches should be respected. They make judgments based on what they believe to be best for all students involved. If you feel that you have an appropriate concern regarding the decision of a coach, the following procedure should be followed:
· Do not attempt to communicate with the coach before, during or immediately following a game unless giving positive feedback about the team. These can be highly emotional times for both parents and the coach.
· Use the 24 hour rule – wait to discuss your concern/question with a coach after 24 hours has passed after the competition.
· Set up a specific time to meet with the coach via email or a phone call.
· If the meeting with the coach does not provide a satisfactory resolution, contact the athletic director to discuss the situation. At this meeting, next steps can be determined if the situation remains unresolved.
Thank you again for your support and we look forward to a year of helping your student-athlete continue to learn important skills, how to work as a member of a team, and what it means to be a Christian athlete.
Terry Huizenga, SCCS Tinley Park Campus Principal
Ryan Verver, SCCS Tinley Park Athletic Director
SCCS Tinley Park Office: 708.429.7171