Athletics Handbooks & Forms

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INTRODUCTION

All athletes must comply with all current rules as established by the following groups:

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA)
The Classic Eight Conference
Pius XI High School
Coach of the team

Some information regarding WIAA rules and Regulations is included in this manual. Parents/students may access the entire WIAA Handbook on their website at http://www.wiaawi.org/.

Conference rules pertain mainly to schedules and regulations of sports governed by the conference. Special areas such as sportsmanship may also have rules that are generated by a group of high school principals representing each school in the conference.

Specific rules for students participating in the interscholastic athletic program at Pius XI High School are included in this Parent/Athlete Handbook.

Coaches are responsible for establishing rules and procedures for teams under their jurisdiction. While rules and safety procedures may be reiterated orally on a regular basis, information that is needed by athletes on an ongoing basis will be distributed in writing to all athletes.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

In order to be academically eligible for athletics, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 and have no more than one failing grade in the previous mark period.

Any athlete whose CGPA, or semester GPA falls below a 2.0, or has one failing grade in the previous mark period, will immediately be declared ineligible for further participation in competitive interscholastic events, but remains eligible to continue practicing with the team. As long as either the cumulative GPA or the semester GPA is still 2.0, the athlete can remain eligible. However, the one failing grade provision is a WIAA standard and will subject the athlete to immediate ineligibility if the athlete has more than one failing grade on the semester report card.

Following the first fifteen (15) school days of ineligibility, an ineligible student can be reinstated and granted probationary eligibility ONCE during theschool year if teacher reports indicate that the student is doing academic work at the 2.0 GPA level or above, and classroom behavior is acceptable.

Summer school grades will not be used to determine eligibility for fall sports.

APPEALS PROCESS

Decisions regarding disciplinary action taken against any student-athlete by a coach or the Athletic Director for a breach of the Athletic Code may be appealed by a parent/guardian using the following procedures:

Appeals of disciplinary action taken by a coach as a result of a breach of the Athletic Code may be appealed in writing to the Athletic Director within 48 hours of the coach rendering either a written or oral decision. The Athletic Director will contact the parent/guardian to arrange a conference regarding the appeal. This conference must take place no later than 48 hours following the receipt of the written appeal by the Athletic Director. The Athletic Director will render a written decision within 24 hours of the appeal conference.

Appeals of disciplinary action taken by the Athletic Director as a result of a breach of the Athletic Code may be appealed in writing to the Athletic Council of Pius XI High School within 48 hours of the Athletic Director rendering his decision. Upon receipt of the written appeal, the Chair of the Athletic Council will contact the parent/ guardian by telephone to arrange an appeal conference with the Athletic Council. The appeal conference with the Athletic Council must be conducted no later than five calendar days after the Chair of the Athletic Council has received the Appeal Request in writing from the parents/guardians.

The Chair of the Athletic Council will notify the parents/guardians of his/her decision immediately following a closed session of the Council to discuss the issues and determine their decision regarding the appeal

If the parents/guardians wish to appeal the decision of the Athletic Council, they must do so in writing to the President of Pius XI High School within 48 hours of the Council’s decision. The President will contact the parent/guardian upon receipt of the written appeal to arrange an appeal conference. The appeal conference must be conducted no later than five calendar days after the President has received the Appeal Request in writing from the parents/guardians.

The President will render a decision in writing within 48 hours. The decision of the President will be final.

See Appendix for procedures at Athletic Council appeals hearings.

ATHLETIC CODE

Students participating in athletics are expected to:

Conduct themselves in a manner which reflects positively on themselves, their family, the team, and the Pius community.
Comply with all school rules as established by the administration of Pius XI High School, and all team and athletic rules as established by their coaches and the athletic director.
Comply with all rules as established by the Classic 8 Conference and the WIAA.
Respect the rights and property of others.
Assume full financial responsibility for any school property which is lost, damaged or stolen through negligence.
Refrain from the use, possession, sale or distribution of alcohol, tobacco, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia or any other illegal or illicit substances of any kind at all times.
Refrain from any other unacceptable conduct contrary to the ideals, principles, and standards of the school, conference and the WIAA, including, but not limited to, criminal behavior.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Athletes must be in school by 8:30 a.m. in order to participate in that day’s practice or event. Athletes who are tardy must report to the Attendance Office.

A student who participates in athletics may not participate in that day’s event, whether a practice or a game, if he/she is absent for any part of the school day or, if he/she leaves school for any part of the school day unless legally excused by the school.

If the absence is due to a medical or dental appointment, the funeral of a family member or a close friend, or a court date, the student may participate only when a written excuse from the medical or dental provider’s office, the parent/guardian in case of a funeral, or the court system in cases of a court appearance, is brought to the Attendance Office upon return to the school.

If the student does not return to school prior to the end of the school day, the excuse must still be brought to the Attendance Office prior to 4 p.m. in order to be eligible to participate in athletic practices or games on that day. The Athletic Director will make the final determination of eligibility.

AWARDS FOR ATHLETICS

In order to receive an award, a student-athlete must finish his/her season in good standing. If a violation of the Athletic Code occurs during the season, and the suspension for the violation extends to or beyond the end of that particular season, preventing the athlete from finishing the season in good standing, the award may be given upon the re-establishment of “good standing” by the athlete, and the recommendation of the coach to the Athletic Director.

Coaches will establish the specific criteria for awards for athletes participating in a particular sport, and will distribute the criteria to all athletes at the beginning of the season.

The normal progression for awards is explained in the Pius XI Athletic Awards format included in the Appendix of this booklet.

In addition to individual awards distributed by the school, there will also be opportunities for ribbons, medals and trophies to be awarded at Conference events or WIAA tournaments. Criteria for those awards are established by the issuing entities.

CLASSIC 8 CONFERENCE

Pius XI High School is a member of the Classic 8 Conference comprised of the following schools:

Hartland Arrowhead
Mukwonago
Pius XI
Wales Kettle Moraine
Waukesha Catholic Memorial
Waukesha North
Waukesha South
Waukesha West

The Commissioner of the Classic 8 Conference is Dave Sternig.

The conference rules, regulations and schedules are formulated by a committee consisting of principals of all the member schools, among other duties also delegated to them as representatives of member schools of the Conference.

EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS

Student-athletes are responsible for the safe-keeping and maintenance of all school-issued uniforms and equipment, and must return all uniforms and equipment, with only signs of reasonable wear, to the school at the conclusion of the season. Since all student-athletes are issued a specific uniform and/or piece of equipment, there is no substitution of equipment allowed; neither may student-athletes exchange uniforms.

Failure to return school-issued uniforms and equipment at the end of the season will render the student-athlete immediately ineligible until the missing items are returned, or the school is reimbursed the actual replacement cost of the item(s).

Failure to return or reimburse the school for missing items by the end of a student-athlete’s senior year will render that student ineligible for Commencement Exercises at Pius XI High School. The diploma will be mailed to the home address of the student upon satisfaction of all monetary responsibilities.

While the securing of personal valuables is the responsibility of the student-athlete, nevertheless, theft of athletic uniforms, equipment, or of personal items from student-athlete lockers will be treated as a serious breach of the Athletic Code and will result in disciplinary action as delineated under Violations of the Athletic Code.

INFORMED CONSENT

Prior to participating in interscholastic athletics, it is important for the student and the parents/guardians to understand that injuries can occur. These could include minor injuries, such as bruises or abrasions. Occasionally, students incur injuries such as muscle strains, sprains, or broken limbs. Although the occurrence of catastrophic injuries is minimal, it is possible that a catastrophic injury can occur rendering the participant paralyzed in varying degrees. Death as a result of a catastrophic injury is also a possibility.

INJURIES

Following any injury, coaches must file an Athletic Injury Report with the Athletic Director. That report is also shared with the Athletic Trainer. In the case of minor injuries not requiring the services of a physician, the Athletic Trainer and the coach will determine when the athlete is ready to return to practice and games.

If an athlete is injured during the season and is under a physician’s care, the athlete must obtain a written release from the treating physician prior to resuming active participation in practices and games.

If an athlete develops a medical condition or is injured outside the season, whether a valid physical exam form is on file at the school or not, and there is any chance that participation in athletics could heighten the seriousness of the condition or render the athlete more prone to injury, the Athletic Director reserves the right to request a written clearance from the treating physician prior to declaring the student eligible to participate in athletics.

INSURANCE

All student-athletes are required to be covered by health insurance in cases of accident or injury and no cost of such medical conveyance or treatment will be borne by Pius XI High School or any of its employees or representatives.

Parents are required to furnish proof of insurance to the Athletic Director prior to their child(ren) participating in any way in the interscholastic athletic program.

MEDICAL INFORMATION – AUTHORIZATION FOR RELEASE

In view of the standards established by the Federal Government under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) all parents/guardians of student-athletes will be required to sign the Authorization for Release of Medical Information that can be used in cases of injury or illness to an athlete. This form is printed in the Appendix and must be submitted to the Athletic Director prior to participation in any practices or events.

OUT-OF-TOWN TRAVEL POLICIES

Parents/guardians who permit their children to participate on interscholastic athletic teams are agreeing to accept the schedule as printed by the school. Occasionally the schedule may contain tournaments to locations outside the metropolitan Milwaukee area.

In the event that a coach has scheduled an out-of-town tournament, or a team qualifies for the State Tournament, parents/guardians will receive written communication from the coach detailing, at the very least, the following information:

Destination
Name, address, and contact information for the hotel at which the students are staying, or, if students are staying at individual residences, a list of addresses and phone numbers will be provided to parents/guardians prior to leaving the city
Telephone numbers where the coach and the student-athletes can be reached

Further, the coach will also include:

Behavior rules that will be in effect during travel and any overnight stays
Any special disciplinary action that will be taken in cases of a breach of the rules

PHYSICAL EXAM

The WIAA requires that all students who participate in interscholastic athletics must have written evidence of current physical fitness to participate in sports as determined by a licensed physician or an Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber (APNP) on file in the Athletic Office no less than every other school year. No student will be permitted to participate in PRACTICES OR GAMES in the interscholastic athletic program until this requirement is fulfilled.

Physical exams taken April 1 and thereafter are valid for the following two school years. Physical exams taken before April 1 are valid only for the remainder of the school year and the next school year.

Physical exam forms are available in the Athletic Director’s Office.

REGAINING ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY FOR FALL SPORTS AND SUMMER BASEBALL

The WIAA provides that academic ineligibility status determined at the end of the spring semester can be adjusted for students in falls sports in which the date of earliest allowed competition is before the first day that students are in class, and for students in summer baseball.

Fall Sports: the minimum eligibility period shall be the lesser of :

21 consecutive calendar days beginning with the date of earliest allowed competition in a sport OR
one-third of the maximum number of games/meets allowed in a sport (rounded up if one-third results in a fraction)

Summer Baseball: the ineligibility period shall be a minimum of three weeks (21 consecutive calendar days) as of the end of the second semester.

STUDENT-ATHLETE SATISFACTION SURVEY

Pius XI High School is committed to offering the best possible experience to all of our student-athletes. Near the completion of the season, all student-athletes will be required to complete a satisfaction survey regarding their experience during the season. It is very important that athletes answer the questions honestly. The survey is anonymous and is conducted on all levels of every sport. A copy of the survey is included in the Appendix.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

During a transfer student’s first semester at Pius XI High School, he/she will initially be granted eligibility based on whether the student attained a 1.5 grade point average at the losing school, and whether the student meets all WIAA requirements regarding transfer students. However, if a student comes to Pius XI with the status of ineligibility for athletics due to disciplinary actions that were taken at the prior school, the resultant penalty must be served prior to a student being declared eligible at Pius XI.

TRANSPORTATION POLICY

If parents/guardians provide transportation to interscholastic athletic events, or allow their son/daughter to provide transportation to these events, the following policies are in effect:

Where parents/guardians provide transportation for their son/daughter to or from a scheduled event, the parents/guardians shall assume all resulting liability, and the school shall assume no liability.
Where parents/guardians transport students other than their own to or from a scheduled event, the parents/guardians transporting the students shall assume all resulting liability, and the school shall assume no liability.
Where a student transports himself/herself to or from a scheduled event, the parents/guardians of that student shall assume all resulting liability, and the school shall assume no liability.

All parents/guardians of student-athletes are required to sign the Athletic Transportation Policy form prior to transporting their children, allowing their children to be transported by another designated adult, or requesting that their child(ren) transport themselves to an interscholastic athletic event. The form is usually submitted prior to the beginning of the season. If the need arises, it may be used for a particular date, but it must be submitted to the Athletic Director at least 24 hours prior to the date of transport to be in effect. A new form must be signed for each season in which the student-athlete participates.

VIOLATIONS OF THE ATHLETIC CODE

Consequences for violations of the Athletic Code will apply to all sports in which the student is involved. Falsification of information given during an investigation, or falsification of any records under investigation, or used to obtain eligibility, will subject the student-athlete to a double penalty.

First Offense

Suspension for 25 % of the current season’s contests to be completed within the current season, or to be extended into the successive season if the entire suspension is not served within the season during which the offense occurs.
If the offense occurs when the athlete is not currently competing in season, the consequence will be extended to the next season in which the athlete participates.
A written notification will be sent to the parents and student detailing the offense, the consequences, any special conditions, and the effective dates of suspension from athletics.
Referral to the Guidance Department for an initial evaluation. Failure to undergo the evaluation could result in additional penalties.

Second Offense

Suspension for 50% of the current season’s contests to be completed within the current season, or to be extended into the successive season if the entire suspension is not served within the season during which the offense occurs.
If the offense occurs when the athlete is not currently competing in season, the consequence will be extended to the next season in which the athlete participates.
A written notification will be sent to the parents and student detailing the offense, the consequences, any special conditions, and the effective dates of suspension from athletics.
Student will be required to undergo an assessment by an appropriate, licensed agency/professional knowledgeable to assess and treat individuals with behavior commensurate with the offense. All costs associated with the assessment and treatment will be the responsibility of the student’s parent/guardian.

Third Offense

The offending student-athlete will be suspended from all participation in athletics for a period of 12 months from the date of the offense.

Fourth Offense

The offending student-athlete’s participation in the Pius XI High School interscholastic athletic program will be forfeited for the remainder of his/her enrollment at Pius XI High School.

Special Conditions

The courts have ruled that participation in athletics is a privilege, and not a right; therefore, student-athletes are often held to a higher standard than other students by virtue of the fact that they are highly visible representatives of Pius XI whose negative behavior could adversely impact the image of our school.

Ineligibility status for violations begins on the date of violation. Therefore, any violations subsequently discovered will subject the individual and the team, in case of participation in a team sport, to forfeits for every event in which the individual participated from the date of the violation.
Consequences outlined above will take effect immediately upon verification of the violation; however, in cases where a student-athlete’s behavior could affect the eligibility of an entire team and subject it to forfeits, the offender will be held out of contests until the matter is thoroughly investigated and the appropriate disciplinary action is taken.
The Athletic Code is in effect for 12 months of the calendar year and governs the behavior of students whether school is in session or not, and at both in-school events and events not sponsored by the school.
If a student-athlete attends a gathering where any substances or items prohibited by the Athletic Code are present, he/she must depart immediately or, if necessary, make arrangements to depart entirely from the premises no later than 30 minutes of his/her arrival at the gathering, and must refrain from violating the Athletic Code while still at the gathering. Failure to comply with these provisions will be considered a violation of the Athletic Code.
Violations of the Athletic Code are cumulative during the student’s entire enrollment at Pius XI.
All Athletic Code violations will be addressed by the Athletic Director with the assistance of the coach, teachers and Pius administrators when needed.
Violations of the Athletic Code could lead to additional penalties assessed by the WIAA, the school, or law enforcement personnel.

WISCONSIN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (WIAA)

Pius XI High School is a member school of the WIAA. As such, we are bound to follow all rules as established by the WIAA and its member schools. Selected rules are included in the appendix. Individuals wanting to read the rules in their entirety may access them on the WIAA website at http://www.wiaawi.org/.