Sports Handbook

It is the goal of this committee to institute this handbook, to serve as a guideline for sports policies and to maximize the benefits the children receive from participating in school activities.

The main purpose for the sports program at Holy Spirit School is the promotion of child development.  Children should learn skills, improve physical conditioning, increase their feeling of self-worth, and learn to work as part of a team.  If these goals are met, then the activity will be fun.  While winning is important, it is striving to win that is more important.  It is the effort, achieving, and performance of teamwork, that needs to be rewarded.

The coaches, assistants, team parents, and staff at Holy Spirit School will support the school’s philosophy.  They will educate with positive reinforcement, fair and consistent adherence to rules, concern for safety, and most of all, by example.  The school athletic director will select coaches.

It is our philosophy to allow ALL children to participate.  There are no tryouts.  Because of this, some teams may be quite large in number in different seasons.  Every effort will be made to allow everyone who attends practice regularly to have playing time, even if it is for a short while.

While it is expected that coaches enforce the policies of Holy Spirit School, no program can be successful without the cooperation of the parents.  It is essential that parents participate by watching events, helping with activities, and becoming involved with the children.  Parents should reinforce sportsmanship by example and should encourage and support the children’s efforts.  Striving to win and attempting to improve skills are more important than winning.

Children are motivated to play sports by their needs, for fun, and to feel worthy.  With this in mind, the following Bill of Rights for Young Athletics has been included in this handbook.

Bill of Rights

for Young Athletes

        Right to participate in sports

        Right to participate at a level commensurate with each child’s maturity and ability

        Right to have qualified adult leadership

        Right to play as a child and not as an adult

        Right of children to share in the leadership and decision-making of their sport participation

        Right to participate in safe and healthy environments

       Right to proper preparation for participation in sports

        Right to an equal opportunity to strive for success

        Right to be treated with dignity

        Right to have fun in sports

Along with rights of course, come responsibilities.  Coaches are responsible for supervision, teaching skills, sportsmanship, and enforcing rules.  Rules are to be practical, enforced in a non punitive manner, and designed to promote the welfare and rights of all the participants.  Parents and players have a responsibility to treat the coaches and other players with respect and to follow the guidelines in this handbook.

It has always been a policy of Holy Spirit School to exclude from extracurricular activities any student failing a subject or not maintaining academic standards.  The school principal will determine eligibility.

Any student suspended from school cannot participate in any sports activities that day.

Any student absent from school cannot participate in a practice or game that same day.  Extenuating circumstances can be discussed with the athletic director.

Drop-off and pick-up times for practices and games must be strictly adhered to.  Adult supervision cannot be guaranteed more than ten minutes earlier or later than the time designated.  Any player arriving too early or staying too late for practice, may result in suspension from a game.  Parents must cooperate, as this is a safety issue.  No adult should leave a player at the gym without the coach being present.

No siblings are allowed at practices without parental supervision.  No friends or relatives will be allowed at any practices at any time.

Unexcused absence or chronic tardiness to practice may result in suspension from a game.

Sportsman like behavior is to be exhibited at all times.  Players are expected to treat each other with respect and refrain from language unbefitting catholic school students.  Coaches and parents are expected to set an example.  Any player using foul language or berating a teammate during practice or a game will be excluded from that event.

Excessive inappropriate behavior may result in suspension for the entire season.

Any player physically abusing another player may be suspended for the entire season.

When there is a large amount of students (over 15) participating in the 5th/6th and/or 7th/8th grade teams, the coaches have chosen the following option offered in the coaches’ handbook.  The guide-lines are as follows:

Coaches who are trying to place a competitive team on the court will determine playing time.  However, if the team is winning or losing by ten (10) or more points, players who have not yet entered the game will begin to do so for a playing time of not less than one (1) minute.  If there are some participants who did not enter the game, they will be the first to do so in the next game as outlined above.

If any parent has any type of disagreement with the type of philosophy being used in the coaching/playing of their child in any sporting activity at Holy Spirit School, it should be discussed with the Athletic Director.  The Athletic Directory will schedule a meeting with the parent and coach/coaches to discuss the disagreement and settle it in a mature manner.  The disagreement will not be discussed during or after a game. 

As a catholic school, it is hoped that the sports program at Holy Spirit School will teach athletes that Christian behavior pertains to all aspects of life, even while playing basketball or cheerleading, on home court or an away court.  It is expected that the children will display team spirit and mutual respect, as a result of the pride they feel in their accomplishments as members of a team.