LAKE HOLCOMBE
COACHING
HANDBOOK
REVIEWED: May, 2004; February, 2006; March, 2008
APPROVED: March, 2006; April, 2008, September 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORWARD 3
PAREENT MEETING 3
CODE OF ETHICS 3
SPORTS SEASON 4
ELIGIBILITY 4
ATHLETE REQUIREMENT 4
LAKELAND CONFERENCE SPORTSMANSHIP 4
EVALUATIONS 4
BUS TRANSPORTATION 5
PRACTICE SESSIONS 5
ATTENDANCE/STUDENT ABSENCES 5
NOTIFICATION OF THE MEDIA 5
EQUIPMENT AND EQUIPMENT ROOMS 6
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS OF A COACH 7
APPEALS PROCESS SANCTIONS 7
MANAGEMENT OF HEAD TRAUMA 8
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAD TRAUMA 9
PROTOCOL FOR DEALING WITH A CATASTROPHIC INJURY 9
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN 10
LAKELAND CONFERENCE ALIGNMENT 10
ATHLETIC SCHDULES 10
EMERGENCY INFORMATION AND RELEASE FORM 11
CHECKLIST FOR HEAD COACHES 12
END OF THE SEASON COACHING FORMS
PARTICIPATION SHEET 13
LETTERWINNER SHEET 14
ATHLETIC INVENTORY FORM 15
AWARDS REQUEST FORM 16
COACHING ASSIGMENT 17
COACH’S CHECKOUT SHEET 18
INFORMATION TO ACCOMPANY THIS HANDBOOK
· Concussion Management Plan
· Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports – A fact sheet for athletes
· Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports – A fact sheet for parents
· Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports – A fact sheet for coaches
· Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports – A guide for coaches
FORWARD
The athletic program in the educational setting should be kept in perspective and proportion as a part of the total program. Athletics are enhanced as an educational activity with professional leadership, educational goals and objectives, and acceptable standards of behavior.
PARENT MEETING
It is strongly recommended that each head coach of each sport at the high school and middle school level have a meeting with the parents prior to the season starting. This is in addition to the Athletic Code meeting conducted by the Athletic Director. This meeting should explain the following:
1. Coach’s rules of participation in games and practice.
2. Recognition in a sport, what it would be and how a student may obtain it.
3. Practice, game and leave time schedules.
4. Possibility of injury and type.
5. How injury would be treated in terms of parental contact and involvement.
6. Communication between parent and coach if there is a problem.
CODE OF ETHICS
A code of ethics is a set of ethical principles and standards designed to guide a group of people into taking acceptable action. The following code of ethics is hereby set forth for the Lake Holcombe School coaches.
1. To understand that the purpose of interscholastic athletics is to promote the physical, mental, moral and social well being of the students.
2. To set an example of good conduct for team members, the coach should:
a. Act in a sportsman like manner at all times.
b. Avoid smoking, chewing tobacco, drinking, or using profane language while supervising an athletic team.
c. Supervise team members at all practices, games and locker rooms.
3. Respect and support contest officials.
4. Be courteous to visiting teams and officials.
5. Strive for a good working relationship with opposing coaches and schools.
6. Achieve a thorough knowledge and understanding of the rules of the game.
7. Teach athletes to accept the outcomes graciously.
8. Strive to develop in each athlete the qualities of leadership, initiative, and good judgment.
9. Except for probationary situations specifically waived by the Board of Education, all coaches shall demonstrate a working knowledge of his/her sport; the strategies involved, and the ability to communicate these to athletes.
10. Coaches shall demonstrate self-control and fair application of all rules of play toward their athletes. Their behavior and that of their teams is their responsibility.
SPORTS SEASON
The regulations of the WIAA, the Lakeland Conference, and the school district shall govern all sports seasons.
ELIGIBILITY
It is the coaches’ responsibility to report in writing any training violations to the Activities Director so that actions can be carried out as determined by the Activities Director or the Athletic Council.
ATHLETE REQUIREMENT
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1. Before a student may be issued equipment or allowed to practice, a completed WIAA card, physical, parent permission slip, athletic fee, emergency card, proof of parent code meeting and a signed copy by both parent and athlete of the athletic code must be registered in the office.
2. The student must be scholastically eligible according to the athletic policy.
3. Student must turn in all equipment at the end of the season.
4. Student must pay all bills owed to the school prior to being involved in any activity.
LAKELAND CONFERENCE SPORTSMANSHIP
We welcome our guests in friendly competition!! Let us demonstrate pride in our school and the Lakeland Conference by working together with the goal being to earn the Lakeland Conference sportsmanship trophy. We hope to show responsible sportsmanship behavior through the understanding of the following objectives.
1. Wholesome competition is the cornerstone of a free competitive society.
2. The other team is your worthy opponent, not your deadly enemy.
3. The opponent should be treated with courtesy, not disdain.
4. Game officials should be treated as your guests.
5. Games are designed to determine the relative skills in athletic contests and are not matters of life and death.
6. Respect for rules is essential.
7. A true sportsman is humble is victory and steadfast in defeat.
EVALUATIONS
1. The Activities Director shall evaluate all lay head coaches at the end of the season.
2. Administration shall evaluate all coach’s who are on staff.
3. Head coaches shall provide information to the evaluating authority in the evaluation of all assistant coaches.
4. All evaluations will be shared with the coach/advisor being evaluated. The evaluations shall be brought to the school board at the end of each season.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
1. The Activities Director will schedule all buses for all contests.
2. Leaving times will be on the weekly announcements.
3. If a coach wants to change the time, he/she must contact the Activities Director.
PRACTICE SESSIONS
1. Students must be under that coaches/activity advisors who are in charge during all school designated practices when in the building or on school grounds; whether the activity occurs before or after school hours; or attending and traveling to and from games.
2. Weekend and vacation practices may be held at the head coach’s discretion at a particular level of competition. A practice schedule will be given to the Activities Director.
3. A coach/advisor must be present at an activity, not merely on the grounds or in the building.
4. In the event students are sent home prior to any practice or game, the practice or game will be automatically cancelled. The athletes are to go home.
5. Participants in any sport will be in the designated area of that sport.
6 Participants will not be allowed special privileges. They will not be allowed to check out of study halls for any reason that pertains to sports in which to participate, unless under direct supervision.
7. All Sunday practices shall be voluntary in nature. A coach shall not take
any disciplinary action for nonattendance at a practice nor shall a coach intimidate a player into attending a practice.
8. All Wednesday practice session shall end no later than 6:30 p.m. and
no penalties shall be enforced for missing practice because of any religious instruction.
ATTENDANCE/STUDENT ABSENCES
1. Any team member must officially be in attendance on the day he/she is to participate at practices or scheduled events unless the principal gives a prior approval.
2. Athletes medically excused from physical education class on any given day may not participate in a practice or a game on that day.
3. Athletes must attend school the day before a non-school day if an athlete is to partake in any events during the non-school days unless written excuse from a Dr. or the coach obtains legal authority.
NOTIFICATION OF THE MEDIA
Varsity coaches or managers of football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball should notify the media of the results of all home games.
Channel 13 TV 1-800-236-1445
Chippewa Herald 1-800-236-5515
E.C. Leader 1-800-236-7077
AP 1-800-300-8340
Channel 18 TV 1-800-594-6721
EQUIPMENT AND EQUIPMENT ROOMS
1. The head coach of each sport will issue necessary equipment.
2. Students will not be issued equipment for a sport if they have not turned in any equipment from
a previous sport or have not paid any previous bills owed to the school.
3. All equipment will be properly stored upon completion of a practice and a season.
4. Equipment room and locker room shall be cleaned after the end of the sport season.
5. Head coaches of a sport are responsible for the following:
a. Having athletes properly wear equipment at all times.
b. Making sure the return and care of equipment is properly administered.
c. Having all equipment issued to an athlete returned to the coach at the end of the season.
d. Turning a bill into the office for replacement cost of equipment when an athlete fails to turn in the equipment for an activity at the end of the season.
e. Making sure athletes are not to wearing Lake Holcombe athletic equipment in Phy. Ed. classes.
f. Making sure athletic equipment is to be worn when representing
the school or at events.
g. Having locker room neat and orderly.
h. Having equipment rooms locked at all times when not in use.
i. Checking the locker room for equipment that may be scattered about
and securing it in a safe place before leaving the building after practices or games,
j. Supervising the return of all equipment.
j. Returning all equipment to its proper storage place each night
after practice.
l. Checking all doors to the facilities and storage areas to make sure that
they are secured and all lights are turned off.
DISCIPLINARY ACTION OF A COACH
1. Disciplinary action may be taken on a coach at any level of sports in grades 7-12 at Lake Holcombe School, based on the breakage of rules in this handbook or behavior unbecoming a coach. These actions will be taken in the following ways:
A. First Offense – Verbal Reprimand with a record of this on file.
B. Second Offense – Written reprimand with 1week loss of pay of coach’s salary.
C. Third offense – Written reprimand with 2 weeks loss of pay of coach’s salary.
D. Fourth offense – removal from the coaching position with loss of pay if during the season.
2. Disciplinary action will be cumulative throughout the academic year and from one year to the next. One calendar year without violations will return the coach to the next lowest level on the disciplinary process. Events that are determined by the Activities Director and/or the Administration to be of a severe nature may automatically skip to a higher level of offense and disciplinary action.
3. Any coach ejected from an event will automatically move to the second offense if no previous offenses have been registered against him/her or to the next level.
4. A person shall not have the ability to return to any coaching position if said person is removed from that position from either school board action or the result of any legal action regarding the school and/or the students.
APPEALS PROCESS SANCTIONS
1. The coach has the right to appeal to the school board if the coach in question does not agree with the decision rendered for a disciplinary action. All appeals must be in writing to the Superintendent within two (2) working days of the decision.
2. The school board will convene within seven (7) working days for a hearing on the case.
3. The decision of the school board will take place after the hearing is done. The decision of the school board shall be final.
4. Responses to all appeals shall be communicated in the form of a meeting between the coach and the school board followed by the school board sending a formal letter to the coach stating their decision.
MANAGEMENT OF HEAD TRAUMA
Head trauma (injury) is a common problem in sports and has the potential for serious complications. Even what appears to be a “ding” or a “bell ringer” without loss of consciousness has the risk of catastrophic results.
Here are some guidelines that can be followed by a person who is at the head of an activity where a head injury occurs.
1. The coach/advisor should assume all athletes who sustain a head injury are at risk for concussion; even the injury appears to be light.
2. An athlete or person being returned to the activity because he/she seemed not to have actually had a head injury should be monitored by the coach/advisor after any exercises such as push-ups, sprints, sit-ups or knee bends.
3. No person who sustains a head injury should return to the activity in the same practice of game, even if clear in 15 minutes.
4. Symptoms may be included in two categories – signs observed by the coach or symptoms reported to the athlete. These are listed at the end of this sheet.
5. If any of the symptoms listed on the table at the end of this sheet, EMS (911) should be called immediately.
6. If no emergency is apparent, the athlete/person should be screened in terms of mental status, attention, balance, behavior, speech, and memory for several hours.
7. A coach/advisor should be in contact with the parent/guardian before the person goes home.
8. Any athlete/person removed from practice or contest for a head injury must have appropriate written medical clearance from a qualified physician before practice or competition can resume.
9. Return to activity should be a gradual progression with constant monitoring with no activity that has exertion in it until free from symptoms.
10. There should be 24 hours between each progression. If symptoms return, the activity progression should be brought back to the previous level.
11. Activity progression should be as follows:
A. Low-impact activity (walking, stationary bike).
B. Running.
C. No contact drills
D. Contact in practice setting