Saint Thomas More/Saint Francis Team Manual

Transcription

1 Saint Thomas More/Saint Francis Team Manual Team Policies and Procedures Swimming and Diving

2 Welcome to Saint Thomas More/Saint Francis (STMSF) swimming and diving! As a representative of your school, you will find outlined in this team manual policies and procedures created in collaboration by your coaches, captains and school administrators. In creating this manual, our goal is to provide a fun, safe, and cooperative growing environment as we work together to have a great season! You will find outlined important areas of focus and accountability for all team members listed below: 1. Expectations 2. Attendance 3. Education 4. Varsity/Junior Varsity, Meets, Apparel and Fundraising We are very excited for all of the potential and possibilities for this upcoming season! We look forward to working hard with every single member of the STMSF team! Sincerely, Amy & Jordan 1

3 Team Expectations What does it mean to be a member of STMSF swim team? It means you are respectful, committed and goal oriented. It also means you want to have fun and grow as an individual! What You Can Expect from Us 1. A challenging, rewarding, accountable, fun and exciting team experience 2. Growth in your skills as an athlete 3. A personal commitment to each individual's mental, physical and emotional health. 4. Prompt and fair actions in all applicable situations which may arise 5. An orderly and safe team environment What We Expect from You 1. A commitment to yourself, teammates and coaches to be a member of the team to your highest potential 2. Be on time, prepared to practice with a positive attitude 3. Respect for teammates, coaches, volunteers, competitors and administration 4. A focus on what is best for the team 5. A coachable manner 6. Responsible behaviors in regards to your education 7. Responsible behaviors in regards to being a representative of the team 8. To have pride in yourself and the team Being a STMSF student athletes means you will be held accountable for all actions of yourself and teammates. In season you are a direct representative and reflection of your school, team, and coaches in and out of the water. All behaviors should take these reflections into consideration. You are a member of a team, your commitment is to those on the team as well as yourself. Behaviors deemed harmful or disrespectful toward all, but not exclusively, coaches, teammates, volunteers, parents, competitors, staff, fans will result in disciplinary action. These behaviors include but are not exclusive to interactions at our home pool, as a visitor to other pools, when acting on behalf of the team, wearing team apparel and when in a situation as a known member of the team. Behaviors are not exclusive to actions/reactions witnessed in person but are expanded to social media actions and third party witnesses. Your behavior is a direct reflection of your character and the makeup of our team! 2

4 Attendance Policy This is your team and your swimming: The only way to be a member of this team and to grow as an athlete is to be at practice. Swimming is your commitment and a commitment you need to fully value. Your commitment requires the support of coaches and other teammates. This promise is reciprocal amongst us all. It will be one of the most rewarding promises you can ever make to yourself and to others! Practice Attendance: Each month coaches will provide athletes with a calendar of upcoming practice times, meets, and other team commitments. This full schedule will also be provided at the beginning of the season. Coaches do reserve the right to change practice times after the calendar is published, but proper notice will be provided. Generally, practice times will be as follows: Monday: 3:30-5:30PM (pool), 5:15-5:45PM (core) Tuesday: 5:30-7:00 AM (pool) Wednesday: 3:30-5:30PM (pool) Thursday: 3:30-5:30PM (pool), 5:15-6:00 PM (weights) Friday: 5:30-7:00 AM (pool) In the event of an acceptable practice conflict, coaches need a minimum of 3 days notice. The earlier conflicts are known, the better prepared coaches and the team can be prepared. Understandable conflicts include but are not limited to: 1) Meeting with a teacher or staff after school: Both coaches need to be ed or texted if you must meet with a teacher or staff member after school prior to practice starting (3:30pm). Telling another teammate is not acceptable; it is your responsibility to inform your coaches! After meeting with teacher/staff, the swimmer must bring a signed note of the time you left your meeting. 2) Illness: In the unfortunate event that you leave school early because of sickness, it is your responsibility to /text your coaches that you have left school. If you miss a day of school because of sickness, coaches still need to be notified prior to the start of practice. In the event of emergency illness, we expect to be contacting directly by parents. Messages from teammates is not acceptable form of communicating illness. Your health is of utmost importance, it is your responsibility to take care of yourself! That includes planning to be healthy- getting enough sleep and getting school responsibilities done on time or ahead of time! 3

5 3) Academic conflicts/commitments: to be addressed in the next section 4) Work/Club conflicts: Continual missing for work and school clubs is not acceptable. You have made a commitment to this team, besides school, the team is your primary commitment. Think of being on the team as a job. On a case-by-case basis conflicts are understandable (we do want you to be well-rounded people!), but your team commitment needs to be a priority! 5) Training Room Policy; The policy for visiting the team trainer (Shannon) has changed school wide. If you are experiencing pain, coaches need to be notified right away. Below is the procedure for using the training room. a) Coaches are made aware of the health concern at practice in full detail b) A coach will notify Shannon that the athlete will be visiting her for treatment the following day before practice, or that day after school on the days with AM practices. Parents will also be notified of the athlete's request. c) Athlete will visit the training room the following day as the coach notified Shannon d) Athlete will come to practice with a full report, written in their own words and signed and timed by Shannon after their treatment session. Shannon will also be notifying coaches of what time athletes left her services. e) For any injury lasting longer than a week and resulting in continual missing of practice, an athlete will not be able to compete until a doctor has been visited and a treatment program has been advised. f) All injuries/trainer requests will be communicated to parents. - Our goal is to make sure every athlete is healthy! We take injuries very seriously. We will provide a safe training environment and provide athletes with injuries care to the best of our abilities. That being said, the training room is a privilege that abuse of must be prevented school wide. 6) Other conflict: Life happens. And is busy, we know. For our team to function at its highest capacity, coaches and teammates need to be aware of conflicts as early as possible. When situation do arise - family, church, community etc.,- the earlier we can prepare, the better for the season. We can be accommodating as long as that feeling is mutual. 7) Menstrual Cycles: Any athlete not wearing a tampon during her menstrual cycle will not be allowed to participate in practice and/or meets for hygienic reasons. It is our expectation that all athletes use tampons during the season to be able to fully participate as a member of the team. It is the nature of our sport, unlike most others, that tampons are required during menstrual cycles. Missing practice for menstrual cycle related reason will be treated and applied to the same absences standards as all other reasoning s. Those procedures are listed below. 4

6 Absences Just as with school, there are excused and unexcused absences. Excused or acceptable absences are outlined above. While that is not an exhaustive list, the more coaches are made aware, the more negotiable results can be. All practice absences will be communicated to parents. Again this is your swimming, your team. The only way to improve your skills and be a member of the team is to be committed to the team by being at practice. Three Absence Policy: If an athlete misses practice for 3 of 10 practices they will not be eligible for the next meet. In the case of serious illness or injury, the athlete will not be able to compete until healthy and able to attend practice for 5 straight days. This policy is also at the coach's discretion if reasoning appears to be frivolous or for the sole purpose of missing practice. Unexcused Absence: If an athlete misses practice for an unknown/uncommunicated reason, they are immediately taken out of the next competition. Absences need to be communicated personally by the athlete. In instances of extreme illness or injury, communication from parents is expected. A continued and repeated series of unexcused absences will result in termination from the team. We believe do in having a healthy school-team-social life balance, in that order of priority. Being a member of the team is season long commitment, a full commitment. Commitment is non-negotiable. 5

7 School Comes of First We expect nothing but the highest focus on academics from every athlete: This season we have modified the schedule to help students better manage their commitment to academics and the team. Two morning practices a week provides free afternoons for meeting with teachers, tutoring and clubs as well as other commitments that could interfere with your team commitment. Morning practices are non-negotiable in attendance with exceptions for illness. On a case by case basis we are confident rides and arrangements will be made. We expect athletes to balance their school/team commitments responsibility. Procrastinating or avoiding school work to the point of being overwhelmed and missing practice to catch-up is not acceptable behavior. Lack of student-athlete responsibility is not an acceptable reason for missing practice. Being a member of the team is a privilege that needs to be properly balanced by the athlete in accordance with their school work. We have developed a school monitoring policy to help each athlete to the best of our ability stay focused on academics and the team. Each athlete will be issued a tri-weekly grade report to be filled out and signed by each teacher and returned within one week of issuing. This method will allow us help mentor students who feel overwhelmed or at risk of losing eligibility and interest in their commitment to the team. The timing of each report will be amended by student after the first 2 issuing s. Parents will also be made aware of when reports will be sent out as will teachers ahead of time. This is a common practice by other school teams to insure and protect a focus on athletes education. This is your education and your team. It is your responsibility to balance commitments to both. We will help you thrive in both commitments to the best of our ability! 6

8 Meets, JV and Varsity, Fundraising, and Apparel Meets Competition is the coach's best tool for measuring growth in athletes. Our meet schedule is determined and provided prior to the first day of practice. Missing meets for other conflicts is not acceptable. Noneligible athletes for meets, due to absences or illness, will be notified at a minimum two days before the meet. Non-eligible athletes are required to attend meets. Coaches will determine meet participation and event selection. Input from athletes will be sought, but coaches have final say. Varsity Junior Varsity Athletes will be divided junior varsity (JV) or varsity (V) and will compete as such. Coaches have the determining voice and final decision making power on team placement and movement. Both groups will practice at the same time, as one large STMSF team. Team placement is determined by skill, commitment, and attitude. Team placement will be announced prior to our first meet and can change throughout the season if so determined by coaches. Apparel The only required apparel for purchase will be the team suit. Caps will be provided. Current season team suit and cap are only to be worn during competition. Information on purchasing team suits will be provided by the coaches. Each athlete will be responsible for purchasing their own suit by the announced deadline prior to the first meet. Each athlete will also be required to have a properly fitted practice suit, cap and goggles. Proper style and fit will be discussed with athletes and parents will be notified if apparel is not acceptable. Fundraising The captains will prepare and organize one - two main fundraisers throughout the season. Team members are required to participate in fundraising to reap the rewards of profits such as additional team apparel, pasta dinners and end of season banquets.. 7

9 We cannot say enough how much we look forward to working with and learning from each individual swimmer. Any questions, comments, ideas please feel free to approach us. Good luck this season! 8

10 STMSF Student Athlete Team Agreement I have read and understood the STMSF team manual for policies and procedures related to my participation on the team. I understand that I will be held accountable to the standards of this manual as well as to the standards of conduct of my school. I know that coaches will amend this manual if necessary. I also understand that any failure to adhere to these policies and procedures can result in termination form the team as a violation of the agreement. Student Athlete s Signature Date 9