N NAZARETH AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
ROSARIO A. AMATO, Director of Athletics & Activities
1 Education Plaza
Nazareth, PA 18064
610.759.1362
610.614.0925 (fax)
July 12, 2012
Dear Parent/Guardian,
The official start of the 2012 Fall Athletic Season is Monday, August 13th. This letter is a follow up to the information the NASD Athletic Department provided you when your child signed up for fall sports. I am sending a letter to the parent/guardian of every student athlete registered to participate in fall sports as of July 16, 2012. The purpose of this letter is to make you aware of new laws passed by Governor Corbett & the Pennsylvania State Legislature. In addition, I will explain how these laws will affect the ability of your son/daughter to participate in athletic programs here at NazarethAreaSchool District.
Act 101 Safety in Youth Sports Act and Act 59 Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act were both signed into law and ARE in effect for the coming 2012-13 athletic season. In short, if you do not satisfy the expectations of these new laws your son/daughter is NOT permitted to participate in sport programs in NazarethAreaSchool District or the state of Pennsylvania. I have listed below the expectations for both new laws.
In order to satisfy the government’s expectations of the Act 101 Safety in Youth Sports Act you must read and sign Section 3: Understanding of Risk of Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury of the PIAA Registration Paperwork. If your son/daughter has already signed up for a 2012 fall sport you have most likely satisfied this expectation. If you have not completed this section your son/daughter will NOT be permitted to participate on the first day of practice Monday, August 13th.
In order to satisfy the government’s expectations of the Act 59 Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act you must receive the approved curriculum of information from a trained professional as provided and overseen by NazarethAreaSchool District. In addition, you must sign a form acknowledging that you received this information. The district will be providing informational training by Matthew W. Martinez, MD, FACCLehighValley Health Networkon August 8th at 7:00 pm in the High School Auditorium. Acknowledgement forms will be collected at the end of the presentation. If you can’t attend this presentation the information and acknowledgment form will be available August 9th on-line under the Nazareth Area School District Website. If you have not reviewed this information and submitted a signed acknowledgement form to the athletic office your son/daughter may NOT participate on the first day of practice Monday, August 13th.
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Training will take approx 40 minutes. At the conclusion of the presentation the NASD Athletic Department will present important information, policies and procedures regarding your children’s athletic experiences at Nazareth. The NASD Director of Athletics, the High School & MS Principals, Head of Transportation and NASD Training Staff will all present information at this meeting. The Athletic Department is requesting that all parents receive the information presented at this meeting prior to there child attending the first day of practice. It is important to be aware of the changes made in policy and procedure here at NazarethAreaSchool District and the PIAA. In order to insure for proper planning on your part you can expect the entire evening to run about an hour and forty-five minutes at minimum.
Athletics is an integral part of the total educational experience and can provide valuable “life lessons” for our students. The privilege of participating in athletic programs is extended to any student who meets the standards set forth by the NASD, LVIAC, District XI and the PIAA. The lessons that your son/daughters will receive while participating in athletic programs can not be learned in the classroom. I look forward to meeting with you on Wednesday, August 8th to discuss the upcoming season.
Respectfully,
Rosario A. Amato
NazarethAreaSchool District
Director of Athletics & Coordinator of Activities