Corvallis High School Blue Devils

Policies and Procedures Manual

2010-2011

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Dear Staff Members,

Welcome back to another school year! I hope you had a restful and enjoyable summer away from school and you’re anticipating another great year. I know I am. It has been a busy summer around the school district and I just wanted to take a few minutes to update you on some of our brand new facilities and additions to the high school athletics program. The newly built gymnasium and natatorium the “INFERNO” is our biggest and most illustrious structure completed just last week. It is a state of the art building that will sufficiently cater to the needs of the following athletic teams; volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, swimming and the cheer squad. It will also serve as an indoor practice facility when needed for soccer, track and field, cross country, and tennis.

In addition to, we also signed a new bus contract with Bitterroot Bus located in hometown Corvallis. They will provide all transportation to and from all away games for the athletic teams.

Furthermore, I would like to give a big welcome to Coach Hard Knocks (Football) and to Coach Rebound (Men’s Basketball) for joining the Devil family this past summer. Both of these gentlemen are fine men and I look for great things from them and their respective teams.

As most of you know, every year I develop a Policies and Procedures Manuel that provides all the coaches and staff members with the expectations, rules, regulations, policies and procedures that is required of them to coach at Corvallis. This year is no exception. Sorry! A manual is created to ensure everyone is on the same page, clear expectations are known, safety requirements are met and more importantly that everyone in the athletic department knows their specific duties and responsibilities. Believe it or not I fall into that category as well. Please take a few minutes to become familiar with the manual and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments, concerns or answers. Thank you for your time and best of luck to you and your respective teams this upcoming school year. GO BLUE DEVILS!

Best Regards,

Dan McKinney- Athletic Director

Purpose, Mission and Objective- Why are we here?

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We at Corvallis are here to serve the students at our school in any capacity that we as professionals deem appropriate and necessary. Our job is to cater to the needs of the kids at a time in their lives that is very critical to their development and growth as young adults. Each child is a unique and special individual and should be celebrated as such. We have a chance to make a tremendous impact on the lives of each student and the participants of each athletic team.

This can be achieved in several ways by fostering values such as integrity, honesty, sportsmanship, teamwork, attitude and respect. This can be done by creating a fun and educational atmosphere in which each student can thrive and to have the chance to reach their full potential as an athlete, student, and most importantly a person. With this being said, all of the aforementioned objectives stated, cannot be reached without the help and guidance from the parents of the kids who participate in our athletic programs. Parents usually have the most interaction and contact with your children, and therefore have a tremendous influence on your kid’s attitude, behavior, work ethic, self-esteem and self-efficacy. We as an athletic department hold you accountable and responsible for your actions at practices and competitions, and expect you to do the same in regards to our behavior. We are the coaches, you are the parents and we would very much like to keep it that way. You do your job and we will do ours! Our overall general purpose and objective of our athletic teams here at Corvallis High School is to influence each and every kid in a positive manner in which they will grow, learn, thrive and strive to be the best athlete, teammate, student and person that they can be. This will take a tremendous amount of leadership on the part of the coaches, administrators, parents and athletes to achieve such high aspirations. As a collective group and family that is possible. Every day and every way we get a little bit better!

Just about the time the athletes thought I forgot to mention them, I didn’t. Athletes will be held to a very high standard and will undoubtedly be held accountable and responsible for their actions on and off the court, as well as in the classroom. Expectations will be high for your conduct, behavior, work ethic and attitude. A couple of general principles to think about and then I will stop boring you. Work hard, be a great teammate, enjoy what you are doing and be where you are supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing, when you’re supposed to be doing it! Oh and win some games. Best of luck to all of you student athletes in your athletic and academic year as well as your future endeavors!

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INSTRUCTION/PERSONELL/RESTRICTIONS/EVALUATIONS

Coaching/Athletic Trainer Compensation- Each coach will be compensated based on the sport, length of the season, number of participants and their other respective duties (ex: field maintenance, driving the bus, teaching). * Teaching and Coaching will be covered later in the manual. A coach with more athletes ultimately has a bigger responsibility and therefore should get compensated for their efforts. As everyone knows Basketball and Football are the bigger money makers and therefore are paid more. The base salary of the head coaches of each specific sport program is listed below:

Men’s Sports: Head Coaches Only Football Coach- 7,500 Men’s Basketball- 5,200 Soccer- 3,000 Track and Field-

3,500 Cross Country- 1,000 Golf- 1,000 Tennis- 1,700Women’s Sports: Head Coaches Only

Basketball- 5,200 Softball- 5,000 Soccer- 3,000 Track and Field 3,500 Cross Country- Same coach as men Golf- Same coach as men Tennis- Same coach as men Volleyball- 2,500 Swimming- 1,500 Cheer Squad- 700.00

Each assistant coach will be paid 35% of what the head coach makes. Cross Country, Golf, Swimming and Cheer Squad will only maintain one coach. Volunteers are always welcome!

Assistants Per Sport:Football- 5 Basketball- 2 Soccer-1 Track and Field-2 Tennis-1 Softball-2 Volleyball-2

These are considered base salaries and can be adjusted based on the budget and each fiscal year. Some of the assistants will be working with both the men’s and women’s sports.

The total number of coaches per sport is listed below:Football-6 Basketball- 6 (3 per women’s and men’s) Soccer-3 (2 Head Coaches and 1 Assistant Track and Field-4 (2 Head Coaches and 2 Assistants) Cross Country-1 Golf-1 Tennis-2 (2 Head Coaches) Softball-3 (2 Assistants) Volleyball-3 (2 Assistants) Swimming-1 Cheer Squad-1

Personnel Certification/QualificationsRequirements for Head and Assistant Coaches before they can work with student

athletes:- Each Head Coach will be required to have previously obtained a minimum of a

bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree is not required.- Coaching experience of no less than 2 years-All head coaches are required to attend no less than 1 (one) coaches clinic per calendar

year and a rules orientation meeting prior to their respective season beginning.

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- All coaches must achieve an 80% or higher on the MHSA (Montana High School Association) coaching exam.

-All coaches must attend a monthly meeting conducted by the Athletic Director updating them on new rules, legislation, policies and procedures in their respective sports and the state of Montana.

-Each coach will be required to purchase, read and take weekly quizzes based on the coaches education program entitled PACE (Program for Athletic Coaches Education)

- Each coach will be required to sign and date an ethics, conduct and discipline policy that states the responsibilities and duties of the coaches during practice, competition and the offseason. This is called the Corvallis Blue Devils Code of Ethics Policy.

- Each coach will be required to be CPR/First Aide certified in the case of an emergency during practice or competition.

Personnel with “Split” duties (i.e coaching and teaching)- The base salaries for head and assistant coaches were mentioned previously on page 4

of this manual. It is not a requirement that a coach be a teacher in the Corvallis School District. However, it would be nice. The responsibility of coaches who teach will not change one bit. The expectations, goals and conduct of their behavior will be the same for coaches as it is for teachers. The compensation package that split duties will consist of is based on their teacher’s salary plus their coaching salary. Coaches who teach are preferred in the Corvallis School District but is not a prerequisite.

Seasonal restrictions for sport activities/groups- The following rules apply for In Season competition and practice!

- Competition or Practice is strictly prohibited on Sunday- No practice shall start any earlier than 6:00 am and no later than 6:00 pm

Monday- Saturday. * Note- Practices can start after 6:00 pm but must be completed by 8:30 pm- No practice shall last more than 2.5 hours- An athlete must participate in at least 10 TEAM (Full squad practices) before

they are eligible to compete. A team practice consists of instruction by a coach or coaching staff member that work on technical, tactical or strategy skills with the respective athletes.

- 2 practices in 1 day are allowed as long as each practice does not exceed 1 hour and 15 minutes

- Weight Lifting Times are to be counted for your practice time. * A non-full team practice consists of 2 or more athletes w/out jersey’s

being advised by a coach teachings skills and techniques. - Open Gyms are allowed to begin the opening day of the school year in

September. However, the restrictions are as followed:1. The gym is open to anyone who wants to participate.2. There is no instruction by coaches3. Coaches are able to supervise for safety reasons only.

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-The following rules apply for Out Of Season competition and practice!- Individual instruction is allowed once the conclusion of the season is over as

long as it is on a 1-1 basis (1 Coach and 1 Athlete). This may occur twice a week for 2 hours. -Individual instruction is prohibited from May 31- August 31 and coaching of

your athletes during the summer is illegal. * Exception- You may coach your athlete in another sport. Ex: If the

basketball coach is also an American Legion Baseball coach that is ok. - Requiring athletes to partake in summer camps, tournaments and practice is

strictly prohibited and highly discouraged. Not to mention ethically immoral. Don’t do it!

Evaluation of the Program (Assessment tools to determine “success”)- Evaluation/Success of each program will be determined by the Athletic Director,

Principal, Vice Principal, Superintendent and School Board.- The success will be based on the following criteria:

1. Win/Lose record2. Attendance at home contests3. Grades of athletes4. Improvement as the season progressed5. Participant numbers-(Are you getting kids to come out that want to play?)6. Report with your athletes, faculty members, officials, and parents7. Student input- (At the end of the season, the athletes will participate in a survey

and evaluation of the program and coaches) Do they want a change?8. Past success of the coaches- Maybe this year the coaches did not have the

group of athletes that they had in the past.9. Communication skills10. Character and behavior of the coach11. Self-assessment opportunities made available to all coaching staff members12. Sportsmanship of athletes and coaches13. Discipline, Structure, and Organizational skills of the coaches.14. The dropout rates of the participants (Did kids quit during the middle of the

season and for what reason? Was it the coach?).15. The effectiveness of the coach and his ability to relate to the kids and to get

the best possible results that he could with the athletes he had to work with.16. The work ethic of the athletes and mainly the coaches.17. The knowledge of the rules, fair play, and sportsmanship ( Did the coach

know the rules, relay them to his team members, play fair and win with integrity and class?).

This is just a broad spectrum of the types of evaluations and so called red flags that we as a “Committee” will look at when assessing the effectiveness of the respective programs.

Travel Expectations, Rules, Conduct and Mode6

Team and Individual- Team and Individual travel to an away competition will occur on the day of the scheduled event during the regular season.

* Exception: If the travel to an away competition exceeds more than 500 miles, or 8 hours on a bus, or it is during the playoffs, a team is permitted to leave Corvallis the day before.

- If a bus trip is believed to exceed more than 8 hours of actually driving time, a second bus driver will be provided. It is a state law that one single person cannot drive over 8 hours in a single 24 hour period.

- A return trip home immediately following the conclusion of an away competition will be strictly enforced. This will cut down on having to purchase hotels and extra meal money for the kids.

* Exception: If some unforeseen circumstances should arise and the team was unable to return following their competition a team may stay the night in a To Be Determined location. This must be approved first by the Athletic Director and Principal. Ex: Poor Weather, Bus Breakdown, Medical Emergency.

- All team members, coaches and managers are required to travel on the bus that is provided to them for their away contests and destinations alone.

*Exception: A manager or team member may ride home with their respective parents and parents alone. A kid may not ride with another team member and their parents. If a note is signed before hand, they will be allowed to do so. Every person that wishes not to ride the bus on a return trip home MUST have a signed note by a parent, given to a coaching staff member and a verbal confirmation must be made. No exceptions to this rule!

- If an athlete chooses to disobey riding the bus to the games and later shows up with a family member, they will be suspended for that game and will not be allowed to participate.

* Exception: If a player must ride with their parents to an away contest it must first be approved by the Head Coach and then by the Athletic Director. Ex: College recruiting trips, doctor’s appointments, and academic requirements such as ACT’s or SAT’s…

- If a player misses the bus for being tardy and is then brought by his parents to the game, a phone call and formal apology to the coach will be encouraged. At this point in time it will be up to the coaches’ discretion weather or not the player participates in the competition.

-Having open lines of communication from parents, kids, coaches and staff members is highly encouraged. If there is a problem with travel schedules, please let an authorized person be aware of the situation. Flexibility is always a good thing.

Required attire when traveling- This area will be mainly up to the respective coaching staff members of each sport. However, here are some general guidelines to think about:

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- No earrings (Males)- The direction your hat is pointed is usually the direction your life is headed.- Dress respectfully and professionally. Look Good, Act Good, Be Good.

Mode of Travel that is allowed/used- The Corvallis District #1 has a bus contract with Weber Transportation Inc., and will be our transportation provider during the 2010-2011 school year for all athletic related activities. They have a total of 4 buses and will be the sole provider to and from athletic competitions that require a bus. The use of rental vans will not be necessary.

Rules of Behavior during travel- It will be expected that all travel party members including athletes, coaches, staff members and managers act in a professional and appropriate manner. Remember you are representing your school, community, teammates, family, and most importantly yourself! You never get a second chance to make a first impression and you never know is watching. When I think about character, I define it has ‘what are you doing when no one is watching’.

Specific Rules and Expectations-The use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco or any illegal substance is strictly prohibited and immediate expulsion from the team will be effective immediately upon being caught.- No fighting, kicking, yelling, screaming, punching will be allowed. Keep your hands, feet and objects to yourself at all times. -Be respectful, courteous and polite to anyone and everyone at all times while on road trips. - Open doors and use please and thank you. -Refrain from swearing and using inappropriate language: Words such as Hell and Damn are not ok either. - Keep your butts in the seats of the bus and use your inside voices. Please do not create distractions for coaches and more importantly the bus driver. Keep your hands inside the bus at all times- IPods, dvd players, and other portable electronic devices are allowed. Please be respectful of the people around you.- HAZING of other team members is also strictly prohibited and immediate expulsion will be granted. No exceptions!- For overnight trips lockdown occurs at 10:00 pm. You must be in your assigned room with your assigned roommates. Lights out at 11:00 pm.

*Food for thought: Don’t give the coaches a reason to send you home. They know where all Greyhound bus stations are located!

Travel and Missed Classes- Travel and missing classes is all part of high school athletics. There are a few basic regulations that must be adhered to.

- Attendance is mandatory

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- An absent from attending class because of a school related activity is an excused absence and there will be no penalty for doing so.

- A letter will be provided to each teacher through their mail boxes and via email informing that one or several students will miss one of their classes. The letter will contain the date of the competition, the student participating and the time in which the student may be dismissed. This will be provided no later than a week prior to the event occurring.

IMPORTANT- It is the student’s responsibility to get the assigned work Prior to the event that they were forced to miss class time for.

-The time allowed to make up work will be equivalent to the time missed from class. So that if you miss two days of class work you will be allowed two days to make up class work. No late work will be accepted!

- A student who is irresponsible and does not communicate with the teacher that they will be gone, will not be allowed to leave class and ultimately participate in the athletic competition.

Travel Request Policy- A travel request information sheet must be completed, dated, and signed by the Head Coach and Athletic director no less than 24 hours prior to the departure of the team to their away competition. The following criteria must be included on the sheet:

1. Date and Time of Departure2. Final Destination- School, Town Name and Address3. Estimated time of arrival and mileage to destination4. Sport, numbers of competitions, and competitors5. Time of competition6. Full Travel Party Members

-Participants full names and student Id numbers- Coaches Names and Phone Numbers- Manager Names

7. Bus #, Drivers Name and Phone Number8. Hotel Address and Phone Number9. Return date and anticipated time of arrival back to Corvallis

Expense Vouchers- A specified amount of per diem will be allotted each day of travel. This will be given to the coaching staff in the amount of cash. The amount will not exceed more than 10.00 dollars a day. The kids will be provided one team meal a day on trips that exceed 200 miles. The students will be provided their per diem every road trip regardless of the mileage.

*Tournaments and post season play these figures and averages are subject to change*

FACILITITY SCHEDULING, PRACTICES, CROWD CONTROL AND ATHLETIC TRAINERS

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Scheduling/use of gyms, rooms, equipment: Currently the Corvallis School district is comprised of the following facilities:

-One main gym: Called the ‘Inferno’- One auxiliary gym. Attached directly to the main gym- Natatorium and swimming facility, also attached to main gym. -Softball field-Football, Track and Soccer complex-Tennis complex- One training room

Because sports are at different times of the year, practices and games will be scheduled accordingly. The following list is a breakdown of each sport in their respective seasonsFall Winter SpringFootball Men’s Basketball Track and FieldVolleyball Women’s Basketball SoftballMen’s Soccer Swimming TennisWomen’s Soccer Cheer Squad GolfCross Country Cheer SquadCheer Squad

Scheduling Considerations: The use of rooms and equipment will be no issue but the use of gym and field space is a priority. Here is the basic breakdown of games and when and where the teams will compete.Fall Football- Friday Nights at the Football Complex Soccer- Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursdays. These games will either be scheduled as a single competition of one team or a double header with the men’s and women’s teams. These games will be played at the Football Complex Volleyball- Main Gym on any night other than Sunday’s or Monday’s. Preferably Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday Nights Cross Country- Saturday. Different courses around the valley already preexist. Winter Men’s and Women’s Basketball- Main gym, and will be scheduled as either a home or home with other respective schools or as a double header on Saturday’s.

* Home and Home: One team will play at home and the other team will play at the opposing schools home. They will be playing the same teams in their respective sports. Swimming- Will compete on Saturday’s and other nights of the weeks. They will use the natatorium for their meets.

Spring

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Track and Field- Friday and Saturday’s. Will use the Football Complex that is comprised of an 8 lane rubberized track.Softball- Any day of the week and Saturdays. Softball Complex.Tennis- Any day of the week and Saturdays. Tennis ComplexGolf- Fridays and Saturdays. Hamilton Golf Course or Whitetail Golf Course in Stevensville will be used to host tournaments.

Workout practice space/sharing of facilities/times of workouts. All times are listed as pm unless stated otherwise.

Football- Monday-Thursday from 3:30-6:00- Football ComplexVolleyball- Monday-Saturday from 3:30-6:00- Auxiliary gymSoccer- Monday-Saturday from 3:30-6:00, Softball Field- Both TeamsCross Country- Monday-Saturday from 3:30-6:00Basketball- One team will practice in the Auxiliary gym and the other will practice in the Main Gym. Varsity and JV will practice together. 3:30-6:00. The freshman teams will practice in the morning from 6:00-8:00 AM.

* The teams will alternate gyms and time of practice each week starting on Mondays. Swimming- Will practice morning or night: 6:00-8:00 am or 3:30-6:00 pmTrack and Field- Monday-Thursday 3:30-6:00- Track complexSoftball- Any day of the week from 3:30-6:00- Softball complexTennis- Any day of the week from 3:30-6:00- Tennis complex Golf- Any day of the week from 3:30-6:00- Hamilton Golf Course

*Cheer Squad- Will practice any day of the week and will be located in the main gymnasium. The top tier of the bleachers will be pushed back to have sufficient space. These practices will be either in the mornings or after school.

Crowd Control at events and other security- Security measures will be made for all home contests and the following people will attend every home contest.

-2 security guards (6 at Football Games)- 1 police officer- 1 administrator (Athletic Director, Vice Principal, Principal, Superintendent, School

Board Member.The expectations of the crowd, participants, players and coaches is very high. A message stating the rules and expectations of behavior will be read before every contest and a copy of those rules will be posted throughout the facilities. Some general rules are as followed:

-No throwing objects or explicit remarks and gestures to officials, coaches, parents, and players. Immediate removal from the gym will occur.

-Cheer and be positive. Have good sportsmanship and keep your negative comments to yourself.

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Competition Scheduling & Gym Sharing- There are 3 annual scheduling meetings that the MHSA (Montana High School Association) facilitate in which all the scheduling is done. They occur in June for Fall Sports, August for Winter Sports and December for Spring Sports. With as many sports as we have at Corvallis, teams will have to play the same day. No games will start before 4:15 pm and no later than 7:30. Saturday games will start no later 3:00 pm. This will allow visiting teams to return home at a decent hour. The gym and field sharing is as followed:

Football and Soccer Complex: Football- Friday Nights, Soccer- Monday-Thursday and Saturday afternoons. Volleyball- Main Gym. Basketball-Main Gym. Swimming- Natatorium. Track and Field- Football Complex. Softball- Softball Complex. Tennis- Tennis Complex. Golf- Hamilton Golf Course. There will be some type of event that will be scheduled every day of the week except Sundays. With the number of people who have religious beliefs, I will do my best to schedule very little events on Wednesdays.

Safety in the Gym/Fields/Other areas- We will take every necessary precaution to provide the best medical support at each event. These are those measures:

- Every coach will be certified in CPR/First Aide and the using of an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator.

- An Athletic Trainer will be present at every home contest. They will be made available an hour and a half prior to game time. They will provide taping, water, ice and etc.…

-Each coach will be provided a medical kit with supplies and an AED. They will be required to carry this to each competition and practice.

- AED’s and Fire Extinguishers will be distributed at each field, gym and other areas.- Signs will be distributed throughout each area explaining the inherent risks of the fans.- Roped off areas will be made available during certain events and under special

circumstances.

Home Event Management- Most of the staff members at contests will be comprised of teachers, booster club members and student works who can earn up to 3 credits by helping with game day responsibilities. Parent volunteers are always welcome but we understand that they enjoy watching their children compete.

Home Day Responsibilities:- All staff members who are working the games will be required to report no later

than 30 minutes prior to start of the scheduled event, depending on their respective positions and jobs.

- Equipment: Students workers, Administration, Coaches and Trainers will be in charge of distributing games balls, taking care of officials and leading them to the field, making sure that lines are painted and that all electronic scoreboards are up and running. They will also be in charge of opening up facilities, catering to visiting teams and ensuring that all safety measures are taken care of.

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- Tickets: Will be taken at the front door or gates at all complexes. The charges to attend these events are as followed.

Senior Citizens- 65 and older FreeAdults- $5.00Children-$3.00Children- 12 and Under Free

-Concessions: A snack bar will be made available at all home contests and open 30 minutes prior to start of each event. This will be run by moms of the booster club. They will provide drinks, nachos, hotdogs and an assortment of candies.

-Halftime Festivities: Some type of halftime entertainment will try to be schedule for basketball and football games. This will be in the form of small aged kids playing games or cheerleaders performing dance routines. There will be music played and also competitions will be arranged that fans can participate in. Ex: Races, 3 point competitions and punt, pass and kick games.

- Score Keepers: Will most likely be run by myself or one of the other administrators and student workers.

- Announcers: We have arranged for 2 parent volunteers to announce basketball and football games. Softball and Soccer will be announced by me, other administrators and student workers.

- Locker room Assignments- Each team will have access to a home locker room that will be designated women’s or men’s. These will be combination locker rooms in which they will also serve as a dressing room for physical education classes. There will be 100 lockers in each, 4 toilets and 4 urinals (Men’s only), 2 large white boards, stools for each locker and 2 large couches in the middle. There will also be an athletic training table, stem machines, ultra sound machine and a heat hydrocollator for hot packs.

* Visiting teams will use the other locker room that is not be used during competitions. Ex: A visiting men’s basketball team will use the women’s locker room during their visit. -Athletic Trainers: We have the luxury of having 2 full staffed Athletic Trainers. Our head trainer will be at school from 8:00am-3:00pm every day. He will split time between soccer and football practices and attend all of those home contests. Our 2nd athlete trainer will be at volleyball practice and will be on campus from 12:00 pm-5:00 pm. She will also teach one health and physical education class in the afternoons and attend all home volleyball matches. Separate from the locker rooms is a fully functional trainer room that can cater to all the athletes. This is located just inside the main gym. The door that opens the training room will open up to the gym. This way the athletic trainers can sit inside the door and watch all the competitions. It will be equipped with a whirl pool and area for rehab. 4 trainer tables are located in there in order to tape ankles and have athletes participate-Officials: The responsibility to take officials will be strictly up to me and the other administrators. Attached to the locker rooms of the football complex and main gym are separate official rooms. There are 6 chairs and 2 couches in each with 10 large lockers. There will be a

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refrigerator full of water and a TV equipped with cable channels. This will be a secure locker room that will be locked during the competitions. The expectations and compensation are as followed:

- The officials will be compensated based on the sport and their travel mileage. A check will be handed to them prior to each contest in which they will have to sign a sheet that they received their payment and will be used for accountant purposes.

-Expectations: Expectations will be very high for officials. They will be expected to be professional, accurate and hard working. They must be able to handle the game and if there are any problems or concerns I would expect them to find me or one of the administrators. They need to be able to have an open line of communication with coaches and athletes. Any problems with fans will be taken care of by me. They will be expected to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to game time. -Athletic Tickets: First come, first serve. There will be no priorities or privileges. The gymnasium capacity is 3,000 and the football complex is 4,500. Each fan and family members will be expected to pay for every competition. We will offer a family pass that will be $100.00 and will allow all family members to go to every event through the school year.

STUDENTS INVOLVEDPre-Season Physical Exam- All student athletes must have a physical exam prior to practicing or competing in contests. Without one you can’t do either.

Recruiting of Athletes- Recruiting of athletes is strictly prohibited. A coach may not contact an athlete from another school in regards to joining their program. If an athlete or family contacts a coach and shows interest in transferring, that will be allowed.

How athletes are chosen for teams/cuts- Cuts are never fun but in most sports are necessary. They will have to be made. I believe coaches don’t cut athletes, athletes cut themselves. This can be done in several ways.

- The athlete is getting outplayed and there is someone who is simply better. - Their attitude is poor and they are a bad teammate- Their grades are suffering and the chance of them being eligible throughout the year is

not looking too promising.After tryouts and a team has been chosen, the coaching staff of each respective team will sit down with each player and explain their plans for them during the upcoming season (roles, cut or kept, expectations, improvements). A list of cuts posted on a door will not be allowed.Injury Policies-Injuries are very seriously and we will take all the necessary precautions to ensure the best possible care for athletes. All injuries during practice and competition will be reported to one of the athletic trainers first. If a coaching staff member believes the injury is serious, 911 will be called. After medical services have been contacted, and in route to the scene the parents of the injured participant will be called. After the injury has been taken care of, it is

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the responsibility of the coaching staff and athletic trainer to complete an injury form stating the events that occurred and what led up to the injury. This will be turned in to the Athletic Director within the next 2 days. It will be up to the athletic trainers, local doctors, and student athletes to determine when the athlete can return to the practice/competition. The final say will be from the athletic trainer with strong input required from the athlete. An athlete must understand that as a school district, it is our responsibility to protect you and your body.

Nutrition information recommendations/education-All students are required to take at least one semester of health and another semester of nutrition before they are able to graduate. Coaches will be allowed to encourage not enforce, good eating habits and have athletes partake in nutritional plans, meals, and advisory meetings with the health teachers and coaches.

Parental involvement and behavior at practices/contests- Parents are allowed at all practices and competitions. It is our expectation that they observe with their eyes and keep their comments, or urges to themselves until the conclusion of the practice/competition and the coaches have dismissed the team for the day. Parents are not permitted to talk to coaches, athletes, or student managers at any time and we ask them to please be quite and no disruptions to occur. Coaches really hate distractions. They may talk to other parents watching. If there is a problem with this, the coach may ask you to leave and never return. That will be up to their discretion and take on the situation. If a parent desires to talk with a coach, they need to schedule an appointment or talk with them after the conclusion of practice. They must understand that they can always talk to coaches, but may not like what the coaches have to say.

Behavioral expectations and consequences for athlete/coach both on and off the field- The expectations for coaches/athletes on and off the field are very high. We expect you to act in a professional manner at all times. You need to be respectful, say please and thank you and keep your hands feet and objects to yourself. At restaurants, we expect you to take your hats off and have your inside voice tuned in strongly. Our expectations are that you stay out of legal trouble and keep a clean record. Both coaches and athletes are role models for kids in the community and remember you are representing your community, families, Corvallis School and most importantly yourself. Character is what you do when no one is watching. Consequences are determined on a special case to case basis. Here is a guideline of some of those possible consequences:

- Any legal trouble= suspensions, expulsion, dismissal from the team and relieved of your duties.

- Ejection from a contest= 1 game suspension-Contact with an official= 3 game suspension, formal apology to official and loss of

salary (coaches).-Unnecessary contact with teammates (Fighting) - Up to the coaching staff.

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Academic advising/counseling- Free advising and counseling is made available by appointment with the academic and counseling centers respectively.

Eligibility rules-1. ELIGIBLE if a student has not reached the age of 19 prior to September 1.

2. ELIGIBLE during the first semester (September 1 to January 31) if a student has passed 25% of the credits for graduation, during the immediately preceding academic year, i.e., 27.5 credits. ELIGIBLE FOR SECOND SEMESTER-(February 1 to May 30) if a student has passed the equivalent of 12.5% of the credits required by the State of Montana for graduation at the close of the preceding semester (January 31) i.e., 13.75 credits. Full year courses shall be equated as one-half of the total credits to be gained for the full year to determine credits passed during the immediately preceding semester.

3, ELIGIBLE immediately if transfer because of a change of residence to another public secondary school district by parents or as approved by the Corvallis School District School Board.

4. ELIGIBLE after thirty (30) days from first game meet of a sport at present school, if student received a varsity award at previous school the previous year and transferred from one school to another when parents have not moved from one public school district to another public school district and only after "Transfer Waiver Form" has been completed and processed by both schools.

5. ELIGIBLE if no influence used to retain or recruit the student.

6. ELIGIBLE to represent his/her present school, if a student's parents move to another public school district maintaining a secondary school of equal grade or higher provided he/she remains properly enrolled, any subsequent transfer will be subject to the transfer provisions.

7. NOT ELIGIBLE after the completion of 8 semesters following a student's entrance into the 9th grade.

8. NOT ELIGIBLE after the class in which a student originally enrolled graduates, regardless of transfer from any school during the 3 or 4 year period.

9. NOT ELIGIBLE for thirty (30) days from first game/ meet of a sport at present school, if student received a varsity award at previous school the previous year and transferred from one school to another when parents have not moved from one public school district to another public school district and only after "Transfer Waiver Form" has been completed and processed by both schools.

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* Adopted from New Jersey State of Eligibility rules Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Policy and TestingThe Athletics Department discourages the consumption of alcohol at all athletically related events and receptions where students are present. Furthermore the Department prohibits: * The consumption of alcohol on team buses/vans or other vehicles of team transportation. * The possession or consumption of alcohol at competition sites, in team locker rooms or while a student-athlete is in uniform. Furthermore, students must comply with the laws and policies of the United States, State of Montana and the regulations of Corvallis District #1.

Tobacco Policy The Corvallis School District does not permit the use of smoking or smokeless tobacco at any time. Anyone who is found violating these rules will be asked to terminate activity as soon as possible. The second and third violation will result in a warning sent to the head coach and the Director of Athletics.

Corvallis School Rules: The use of tobacco products by student-athletes, coaches, officials and fame personnel during practice and competition is PROHIBITED. Violation of this will result in dismissal for the remainder of the competition.

Drug Policy Any student-athlete who tests positive for drugs or alcohol, when tested by the school nurses will lose their eligibility according to the Corvallis School District and MHSA. The individual will also be ineligible for participation for any athletic team for a minimum of the remainder of the current academic year and a maximum of their remaining enrollment at the school

All student-athletes must sign a Corvallis School District Drug Testing Consent Form. Any student-athlete who tests positive on the Corvallis School Drug Screening will be subjected to department and team sanctions. A student-athlete who tests positive will be subject to re-testing in accordance with the drug-testing program. An outcome of a subsequent positive drug test may result in dismissal from the team.

All athletes found guilty of the use of Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco during competitions, practices or school related activities will not be able to appeal the consequences and the use of prevention program will be made available and encouraged to attend. * Adopted from Lehman College Attendance at practices/contests- Attendance at all practices and contests is mandatory. An athlete must participate in a minimum of 10 full team practices prior to being eligible in contests. If a player is going to miss or be late for a competition they must make prior arrangements with a coaching staff member and a phone call reminding the coach is encouraged. Consequences and team rules for being tardy will be up to the discretion of the respective coaching staff.

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IMPORTANT- By signing the appropriate forms and adhering to the policies and procedures of this manual, the student athletes, parents, coaches and staff members understand the rules, regulations and consequences of their actions. Please take this manual seriously and think of it as a legal document between the school district all the participants. If anyone has any comments, questions or concerns please feel free to contact me via email or phone. Have a great season and GO BLUE DEVILS!

Best Regards,

Dan McKinney- Athletic DirectorCorvallis Blue Devils406-961-1481 Office406-546-3637Danmckinney.k@gmail.comwww.corvallisbluedevils.com

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