1. All athletes are expected to set a positive example for their fellow students. While not every athlete will necessarily be an honor student, all athletes can cooperate with teachers and administrators and conduct themselves properly in the classroom.
2. In accordance with the District’s Student Handbook, sponsors of student organizations, including the athletic program, may establish rules of conduct and consequences for misbehavior that are more strict than those for students in general.
3. Cayuga ISD’s Student Code of Conduct also authorizes the coaching staff to define appropriate dress for school-sponsored extracurricular activities. Therefore, the athletic department’s faculty may require higher standards of dress, such as facial hair prohibition for male athletes, than are expected of the general student population.
4. On trips, athletes are still expected to dress properly by complying with the District’s dress code. In addition, student use of radios, cell phones, and other electronic equipment while traveling to and from events will be regulated by the coaching staff.
5. Athletes must dress properly for practices and games. In order to participate, students must wear only the apparel and equipment prescribed by their coaches.
6. The District furnishes athletes with appropriate uniforms and equipment. As with other types of school property, it is to receive proper care. Athletes must reimburse the school for uniforms or equipment that are lost or damaged.
7. Athletes should be proud of the District’s athletic facilities and are not to damage or deface them. Instead, athletes are to help keep them neat and orderly. Abuse of District facilities or property will lead to appropriate consequences, such as those included in the Student Code of Conduct for vandalism.
8. Athletes known to use drugs, including alcohol, will be subject to disciplinary measures. For example, discipline procedures for repeat offenders include suspension or dismissal from the athletic program.
9. Athletes are not allowed to use profanity or racial slurs.
10. All students, especially athletes, should have proper rest and nutrition. Good judgment is urged concerning adequate sleep and diet.
11. Our practice sessions are very important both for the success of the team and for the performance of individual athletes. If at all possible, personal obligations should be arranged at times not conflicting with practice sessions. Athletes must inform their coaches prior to missing practice. Athletes who miss practice sessions will be required to perform make up work.
12. Missing the summer practice sessions prior to the start of school may result in removal from the team. Repeated absences from in season practices may also lead to suspension and dismissal from the athletic program. Athletes will not be allowed to miss school-sponsored practices or games to participate in non-school athletic activities, such as city league baseball, unless excused by the head coach of that sport.
13. If at all possible, injured players should attend practice sessions to watch and learn. Athletes or their parents should contact the coaching staff if the severity of their injuries will make them unable to attend team practices.
14. If two sports or UIL activities conflict, sharing of the student’s time will be agreed upon by the student, sponsoring faculty members, and the Athletic Director.
15. When students decide to participate in the athletic program, they should honor that commitment. Athletes should not miss games. Make up work, suspension, or dismissal from the program are consequences of missing contests, games, or meets.
16. Quitting should always be discouraged. Once an athlete starts a season with a team, she/he is obliged to finish the season with that team. However, if a student does decide to quit, the decision will not become final for a twenty-four hour period. This “grace period” is designed to allow for recovery time from an unpleasant emotion or experience. But, it does not excuse the athlete from consequences for improper actions by the athlete before or during the “grace period.” Once an athlete has quit, she/he will be removed from the athletic program for one calendar year. If a student is dismissed from a sport for disciplinary reasons, she/he will be removed from the athletic program for one calendar year. Students may appeal such decisions to the athletic director and campus principal.
17. Only in rare situations, and with prior approval of their coaches, will athletes be permitted to travel to games in any manner other than school transportation. Team buses leave at the scheduled time. Athletes who miss the team bus will experience appropriate consequences, such as reduced playing time. After varsity sporting events, athletes are expected to return to the school on the team bus. Only in special circumstances will varsity athletes be allowed to travel home using alternative means of transportation. The parents of all athletes must personally sign out or ask for the coach’s approval for their students to return home with them rather than on the team bus. For student safety reasons, notes or requests from friends or family members will not be accepted. The “School Trips” section of the Student Handbook provides additional relevant information.
18. Athletes must have physical examinations as required by the UIL. Students may not participate in practices or games until the required forms (medical history, emergency information, etc.) have been completed and returned to the head coach.
19. The District participates in a student accident insurance program. However, the school’s policy provides secondary coverage and has benefit limits. As is stated in the Student Handbook, “The District is not responsible for costs of treating injuries and cannot assume liability for any costs associated with an injury.” So, the families of student-athletes are strongly encouraged to carry primary insurance coverage.
20. Except for emergencies, the District’s insurance policy may not provide coverage for medical expenses incurred without first informing the coaching staff of the need for treatment. Therefore, unless it is an emergency situation, prior to seeing a doctor for an athletic related injury, students should first contact a member of the coaching staff to complete the needed documentation.
21. If they are not participating in a sport during its season, athletes are required to be in the off-season program which consists of weight-lifting, agilities, and running. All athletes will participate in the weight training / conditioning program during the athletic period for the entire school year. The athletic director will specify certain days of the athletic period for practice of in-season sports.
22. “Off-season” is not a sport. Students taking the athletics class cannot just continuously be in off-season and not participate in any sport for an entire year. In such cases, students will not be allowed to enroll in the athletics class for the following year.
23. Beginning with their sophomore year, the District will award letter jackets to athletes who participate in varsity sports. The school can purchase only one letter jacket for each athlete during their high school years. One additional award, such as a letter for students who already have a jacket, may be purchased on an annual basis. Also, with coaching staff consent, students may buy patches for honors such as All-District. Athletes are not to buy awards, jackets, patches, trophies, etc. unless they have earned them. The school also reserves the right to restrict what a student orders for placement on his/her letter jacket, such as nicknames, patches, etc. Students who quit or are dismissed from a team before the season is completed forfeit any award or letter for that sport.
24. Parental concerns about the athletic program are to be addressed in conferences scheduled with the student’s coach and/or athletic director at times other than immediately following practices or games.
25. Student-athletes must meet the eligibility requirements mandated by the University Interscholastic League.
Age Requirements for Eligibility
7th Grade – Cannot be 14 years of age or older on or before September 1,
8th Grade – Cannot be 15 years of age or older on or before September 1,
9th Grade – Cannot be 16 years of age or older on or before September 1,
High School – Cannot be 19 years of age or older on or before September 1.
Course Requirements for Eligibility
7th Grade – Promoted from sixth grade
8th Grade – Promoted from seventh grade
9th Grade – Promoted from eighth grade
10th Grade – Five credits
11th Grade – Ten credits
12th Grade – Fifteen credits
In addition to these requirements, students must comply with the “Extracurricular Activities” rules outlined in the Student Handbook to be academically eligible for participation in the District’s athletic program.
26. In a section entitled “Athletic Participation,” the Student Handbook states that an athlete dismissed from one sport for disciplinary reasons may not participate in another sport without permission of the athletic director and the head coach of the sport from which she/he has been dismissed. The Handbook also notes that for an athlete to be permanently dismissed from athletics, she/he must be given a hearing from a committee composed of the principal or designee, athletic director, head coach, and the student’s parent/guardian.
27. Athletes and their parents are strongly encouraged to review the following sections of the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct for additional information relevant to the operation of the District’s athletic program.
Handbook -- Code of Conduct --
Athletic Awards Dress Code
Athletic Participation Level I – III Offenses and Consequences*
Awarding of Letter Jackets Suspension*
Care of School Property Disciplinary Alternative Education Program
Clubs or DAEP*
Extracurricular Activities Expulsion*
Insurance (* These sections of the Code address
Steroids possible restrictions and/or exclusion
School Trips from extracurricular activities due to
Sportsmanship student misconduct.)
