Being
an athlete requires more than just joining or making a team; it creates many
demands that require sacrifice and responsibility. Being an athlete is a privilege. If the individual is will to accept the
burden of responsibility, athletics will repay the athlete with many rewards.
At
Kennedy Junior High, one who decides to participate as an athlete accepts the
responsibilities contained within this code of conduct.
Preamble
Participation in athletics means
more than competition between two individuals or teams representing different
schools. It is much more than winning or
losing. All athletes should exhibit the
traits of good character as found in the six pillars of Character Counts. It also means understanding and appreciating
the meaning of teamwork and sportsmanship.
This guide will help young athletes by establishing a code for their
conduct, which is always closely observed by so many on and off the court,
field, mat, or track.
Kennedy
athletes:
1.
Exhibit acceptable standards of
citizenship. All students are expected
to follow School District Policy.
2.
Will
maintain satisfactory academic proficiency, and they will abide by the
eligibility rules, procedures, and outcomes.
3.
Realize
that any use of profanity or obscenity, spoken, written, or gestured, is a sign
of weakness rather than strength, and will not be tolerated.
4.
Do
not believe in quitting. They never quit
during a contest or practice, even when winning seems hopeless. Athletes never quit a team once they have
joined. An athlete who quits a team is not eligible to participate in another
sport that same season.
5.
Realize
that although winning is one of their goals, they learn to maintain
modesty. Athletes also know that losing
is part of the game, and they are gracious in defeat.
6.
Show
good sportsmanship. When an athletic
contest ends, athletes are courteous and congratulate opponent on a good
effort.
7.
Develop
and have pride – in the team, teammates, coach, school, and most importantly,
in themselves.
8.
Encourage
and support their teammates at all times.
They never criticize a teammate nor blame someone for a bad play or a
loss. A successful team works together,
and wins and loses together.
9.
Do
not dispute any official’s decision. It
is assumed that all participants in the management of a game coaches, and
officials, are doing their best, just as it is assumed that athletes are trying
their best. Coaches will represent
individual athletes and the team in any dispute with game officials. Disrespect toward an official will not be
tolerated.
10. Speak with respect to all
students, faculty, and staff at Kennedy Junior High School or at any other
school. Insubordination and disrespect
are not behavior that will be tolerated.
11. Directly represent Kennedy Junior
High School, the local community, and their coaches when they are involved in
an activity, sports-related or otherwise, which brings them into contact with
others. Therefore, they conduct
themselves in such a way as to be a credit to all parties concerned.
12. Stay in top shape both physically
and mentally to avoid injuries both in and out of season.
13. Understand that one cannot be in
top physical and mental condition for athletic endeavors if one uses alcohol,
tobacco, or drugs.
14. Accept the responsibility for
taking proper care of all school equipment and uniforms. The clothing items are returned clean at the
end of the season. Athletes know they
must make restitution for any lost or damaged equipment to them. Athletes will not be invited to try out for
another sport until all equipment and/or uniforms are returned or until
restitution is made.
15. Keep the locker room in proper
order. All clothes should be kept off
the floor; lockers should be kept locked at all times when not attended. Opponent’s locker rooms should be left better
than you found it.
16. Understand there is a direct
correlation between practice time and play time.
17. Will be out of the school
building no later than one-half hour after a game, contest, or practice.
18. Will not be eligible to practice
or play in a contest on days when they have been excused from physical
education class for medical or health reasons.
19. Are concerned with more than just
the sport in which they are participating.
Athletes support all activities at Kennedy Junior High School.
20. Understand that if one receives a
detention to be served the day of a contest, one will not be able to
participate in the contest until the detention is served.
21. Understand that in order to be
eligible to participate in a contest requires that, on the day of the contest,
they must attend a minimum of four (4) academic classes (lunch and supervised
study do not meet these criteria).
22. Understand that they are expected
to ride the bus to and from each away contest unless prior written permission
from the parent/guardian has been received by the coach.
23. Understand that they are students
first and athletes second.
Students
are subject to disciplinary action for misconduct or disobedience occurring on
school grounds, at school sponsored activities, in connection with student
transportation or at any place where the misconduct or disobedience has a
reasonable relationship to school.
Consequences
1 day in o out of school suspension = up to 3 contests missed
2 days in or out of school
suspension = up to 6 contests missed
3 or more days in or out of
school suspension = up to 9 contests missed.