Greenup County High School
Musketeers
Athletic Department
Handbook
Table of Contents:
Mission pg. 5
Athletic Participation Philosophy pg. 5
Professional Code of Ethics pg. 5 – 6
Medical Training Facilities and Services pg. 6
Publicity pg. 6 – 7
Selection and Responsibilities of Coaches pg. 7 – 8
Coaches Pay Spread Sheet
Coaches Contract
Training Rules and Regulations pg. 8
Cancellation of Contests pg. 8
Responsibilities of Boosters pg. 8 – 9
Booster Club Agreement
Club Officers
By-Laws
Responsibilities of Faculty and Staff pg. 9
Attendance pg. 9
Absences pg. 9
Detentions pg. 10
Suspension pg. 10
Sportsmanship pg. 10
Personal Appearance pg. 10
Alcohol and Drug Use pg. 10
Tobacco pg. 10
Guidelines for Coaches Dealing with Students Involved in Drug Abuse pg. 11
Theft pg. 11
Ejections pg. 11
Players
Coaches
Gender Equity pg. 11 – 12
Travel and Per Diem Allowances pg. 12
Finances pg. 13
Fundraisers pg. 13
Passes and ID’s pg. 13
Uniform Rotation pg. 14
Facilities Usage pg. 14
Locker Rooms
Practice and Game Facilities
Storage Areas
Outside Entity Usage
Scheduling Policies and Guidelines pg. 15
Practice Sessions & Try-Outs pg. 15
Playing Time pg. 15
Limitation of Seasons pg. 15
Athletic Programs Offered pg. 16
Multi-Sport Policy pg. 16
Athletic Awards pg. 16 – 17
Academic Awards pg. 17
Athletic Eligibility pg. 17
Grades
Age
Physicals
Transfers pg. 17
Equipment pg. 17 – 18
Due Process Hearing pg. 18
Parent and Coach Relationship pg. 20
Communication to Expect from Your Child’s Coach
Communication Coaches Expect from Players/Parents
Appropriate Concerns/Questions to Discuss with Coaches
Parent Code of Conduct pg. 20
General Guidelines for Managing a Medical Emergency pg. 21
Emergency Action Plan pg. 22 – 23
Severe Weather Policy pg. 24
Concessions Sales Agreement pg. 25
Booster Club Expenditure Request Form pg. 26
Parent / Coach / Booster Contract pg. 27
Mission:
The mission of Greenup County High School is to provide all students with a dynamic, quality education in partnership with families and the community to empower students to excel in society as a whole.
We believe that a comprehensive program of student activities, including extracurricular athletics, is vital to the educational development of our students.
Within this context, it is the purpose of the GCHS athletic department to foster and promote:
- Competition, teamwork, and sportsmanship while achieving team goals of success and participation.
- Development of self-confidence, self-discipline, organization skills, decision making skills, and goal orientation.
- Concept of an integral relationship between a sound mind and body leading to a lifetime appreciation of physical fitness and good health habits.
- Development of self-esteem and self-concept. Regardless of the role students play on a team, they should complete their experience in athletics feeling good about themselves.
Finally, the interscholastic athletic program shall be conducted in accordance with Board of Education policies, rules, and regulations and also according to the Kentucky High School Athletics Association constitution and bylaws.
Athletic Participation Philosophy:
The philosophy of GCHS Athletics Department is that student-athletes shall enjoy as many sport seasons as they and their parents wish them to participate in without influence from any coach to specialize in one sport. All coaches should encourage participation in other sports. In order to embrace this philosophy, our coaches agree that:
- Once the season has begun, no student-athlete which is dismissed from one squad for disciplinary reasons, or who “quits” shall be eligible to compete in another sport for that particular season. All student-athletes will be given full due process, and documentation of such will be completed.
- Student-athletes may participate on more than one team during the same season if it is acceptable to both coaches and does not interfere with school work.
- When a student-athlete is signing a letter of intent as a student-athlete for a college or university, the signing must take place before or after school, or at lunch. This will allow coaches and teammates to attend the signing.
Professional Code of Ethics:
1. Ethics deals with moral duty and obligation.
2. Ethical behavior includes being honest, truthful, and doing the right thing even at the expense of your own interests.
3. Contribute to the enjoyment and growth of all, rather than the rise of a few at the expense of many.
4. Ethical behavior enables the strong to help the weak.
5. Hard work and commitment are the sources of excellence.
6. Ethical participants place fair play above personal gain or victory.
7. Ethical behavior promotes equal opportunity to participate regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status.
8. Ethical participants understand that unethical behavior undermines the entire process.
9. Ethical people lead by example.
10. The Golden Rule is what an ethical person adheres to.
The Principal’s Responsibilities:
1. All athletic programs at the high school.
2. Supervising the AD and Coaches.
3. Exercise full authority in all cases involving athletics at the high school.
Athletic Director Responsibilities:
1. All financial transactions related to the Athletic Department.
2. All forms of communication for the Athletic Dept.
3. Designating responsibilities to head and/or assistant coaches (i.e. scheduling games, officials, etc.).
Medical Training Facilities and Services:
GCHS Athletic Department shall maintain an equitable policy to provide guidelines and procedures for medical/training facilities and services for all student-athletes.
These facilities and services will be governed by the following criteria:
- All female and male student-athletes have equal access to the school’s training facilities and opportunities to utilize the school’s certified trainer.
- All equivalent sports shall have the same number of student managers, for both female and male sports.
- Female athletes shall be given the same amount of time and schedule to access the weight room in and out of season. The weight room shall have appropriate weights and equipment for different levels and types of strength training.
- The weight room shall contain appropriate instructional demonstration posters for both female and male athletes. It must also be decorated in a manner suitable for both genders.
- The schedule for weight room use shall be posted in the weight room. Scheduled use of the weight room must take place through the athletic director. Female sports will be given equal times to use the facility.
Publicity:
GCHS Athletic Department shall maintain an equitable policy to provide guidelines and procedures for publicity for student-athletes.
All publicity for athletic events shall be governed by the following criteria:
- GCHS Cheerleaders shall be assigned to perform at all home varsity games in: Boys and Girls Basketball, and Football. Cheerleaders will be assigned to participate in away post-season contests for Basketball (male and female). Other events may be designated by the Principal and/or AD.
- The Band will be assigned to perform at a minimum of one half the home boys’ and girls’ basketball games.
- Local media (radio & newspapers) will be contacted and given athletic schedules, and encouraged to give equitable coverage for both male and female sports.
- All photographs in all sports programs and the yearbook must include team photos of both male and female teams.
- All pep rallies must support teams for both genders, during same seasons (i.e. girls and boys basketball, football and volleyball, etc.).
- Each GCHS sports team (male and female) shall receive applicable awards at the end of their respective seasons.
- Letters will be given for the first year varsity play, and yearly bars presented thereafter (i.e. 1st year varsity athlete gets a letter for their jacket and a bar for each year will be placed on it during their senior year).
- Special awards will be at the head coach’s discretion.
- Only athletes who finish the season (including those on the injured list, who still attend practices and games to support their team) will be eligible for athletic awards.
- The AD shall make the community and school district aware of the Athletic Department’s efforts and accomplishments to achieve the intent and spirit of Title IX through reports to the SBDM, BOE, and local media.
Selection and Responsibilities of Coaches:
- Coaches Pay Spread Sheet (available upon request)
- Coaches Contract (available upon request)
- A coach cannot be officially hired, until he/she has been recommended for hire by the building Principal).
- Coaches must meet all Central Office requirements (i.e. background check, physical, etc.), before they are permitted to have any contact with student-athletes.
- Once a potential coach has been recommended for hire and meets all C.O. requirements, a coach will then receive a “letter of hire” and will then be able to begin working with student athletes.
- Criteria each coach must meet:
o The Board of Education shall maintain an equitable pay scale for all coaches of male and female teams. A copy of the pay scale shall be placed in the permanent Title IX File.
o The athletic dept. shall seek qualified adult women for coaching positions as they become available. The Site-Based Decision Making Council and Board of Education shall post coaching positions of female sports that specifically requests that female applicants are desired for such positions. The Athletic Director shall post coaching positions on the KHSAA website to allow a statewide posting of the position(s) to reach more qualified female applicants. The AD shall seek out former female student-athletes that have become educators and encourage them to apply for coaching positions at their alma mater.
o The ratio for assistant coaches and student-athletes shall be the same for equivalent male and female sports teams.
o The SBDM Council shall make every effort to hire coaches with similar levels of competence and experience for male and female teams.
o Coaches of female and male teams shall have the same equitable opportunities to attend various clinics, in-services, conferences, and seminars.
o The Principal, SBDM Council, and AD shall maintain (when possible) a balance of on-campus/off-campus coaches for teams for both genders.
Coaches are expected to be positive influences on the student-athletes in which they are responsible for. Each head coach is required to create and submit a set of team rules and guidelines for approval by the AD and/or Principal. Once these are approved and implemented, these rules and guidelines are to be adhered to by all coaches and student-athletes.
Training Rules and Regulations:
Due to the physical and emotional demands of interscholastic athletics upon high school students, all head coaches are authorized to establish and expected to enforce training rules and regulations pertaining to discipline and conduct in connection with the particular team’s members they are supervising.
Cancellation of Contests:
All practice schedules, events, and try-outs shall be subject to the principal’s approval. There shall be no scheduled practices or games on Sunday, except for post-season games that cannot be scheduled otherwise. Practice during the periods in which school is dismissed due to inclement weather shall be limited to high school practice for previously scheduled competition for that week (within reason). This may be subject to principal approval, depending on severity of current or upcoming weather conditions. Status of games due to early dismissal or school cancellations will be made by the high school principal and/or athletic director as soon as possible. Once the decision has been made, the head coach of each team will be responsible for contacting team members and/or parents concerning the status of contests or practices.
Responsibilities of Boosters:
- The AD and Principal shall inform the Booster Club that their efforts and expenditures cannot exceed Title IX guidelines and expectations.
- The Principal and AD shall insure appropriate administrative oversight of Booster Club activities, and insure that there are written procedures for the AD/Principal/BOE approval for fundraising and expenditures that benefit athletic teams.
- The Principal and AD shall calculate and monitor the amount of money spent by the Booster Club, per male athlete as compared with the amount spent per female athlete.
- The Principal and AD shall meet with the Booster Club at the beginning of each school year to establish accounting, fundraising, expenditure procedures and guidelines, and Title IX rules. The AD shall meet with the Booster Club as needed with concerns or to assist in determining their future course.
- All fundraisers must be pre-approved by the Principal, AD, and Central Office.
- All purchases or receivings of $500.00 and up must be approved in the same manner as fundraisers.
- Booster Club Agreement: must be filled out and submitted, before any fundraising or expenditures can be done.
- Club Officers: must be submitted in conjunction with Booster Club Agreement.
- By-Laws: must be submitted in conjunction with Booster Club Agreement.
- Annual Financial Report: must be submitted at the end of each fiscal year. Income and expenditures must all be included in this report.
Responsibilities of Faculty and Staff:
Faculty and staff shall be available to assist with a pre-established number of home varsity games in some of the following sports:
- Fall:
o Football
o Volleyball
- Winter:
o Girls Basketball
o Boys Basketball
- Spring:
o Softball
o Baseball
Staff must be diligent in updating and posting grades and keep record of absences, and discipline referrals. This information is crucial in determining a student-athlete’s eligibility each week. Grades, attendance, and discipline will be checked each week.
Attendance:
Any student participating in athletics must be present at least one half of the school day in which a contest or practice is scheduled. If the student is not present, they will not be permitted to practice or participate that day. Exceptional situations may be appealed to the AD or principal.
Absences:
Students must be in attendance for all practices and games. The same criteria will be in place as an excused absence from school. A student will not be tardy for practices or games unless excused by the coach. The same criteria for excused tardy to school will be in effect. If such time the absences become a detriment to the academic process for the student or hinders the progress of the team, the coach has the discretion to remove the athlete from the team.