Athletic Coaches Handbook
The information ion this page represents important responsibilities of a coach and/or intramurals sponsor. In addition, it serves as a philosophical base for a middle school athletic program. The policies and practices are crucial, not only for the safety of the students, but also for the coordination of the entire sports program. When the coaches and intramural sponsors comply with these responsibilities, they should reap maximum benefits for both themselves and the students who participate.
As coaches we are in one of the most observable teaching situation within the district. It is responsibility of each coach to be appropriate in their conduct during practices, games and other team events. Principal supervisors will monitor this behavior throughout the duration of a given season. We believe all successful coaches follow through with these guidelines. Whether you are a 1st year coach, or a 15th year coach, please take the time to review these procedures. These "coaches' responsibilities" are expectations by District 30 to ensure the safety of all players. They must be carried out on a consistent basis.
SPORTS PROGRAMS
1. The Maple Athletic Department consists of the following Interscholastic Sports:
FALL
Cross Country - 6th, 7th, 8th Boy's and Girl's (one team; all three grade levels)
Soccer- 7th, 8th Boy's and Girl's (coed; one team per grade level)
Volleyball– 6th, 7th, 8th Girl's (one team per grade level)
WINTER
Basketball - 6th, 7th, 8th Boy's (one team per grade level)
Basketball - 6th, 7th, 8th Girl's (one team per grade level)
Wrestling- 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th (one team; all four grade levels)
Poms- 6th, 7th, 8th (one team; all three grade levels)
SPRING
Volleyball– 6th, 7th, 8th Boy's (one team per grade level)
Track- 6th, 7th, 8th Boy's and Girl's (one team; all three grade levels)
Softball- 6th, 7th, 8th Girl's (one team; all three grade levels)
2. In addition, a yearlong intramural program is available to all students. Several of the above activities are scheduled throughout the course of the school year. Check the Intramural's Website for more information.
3. A Poms team for grades 6, 7 and 8 will comply with all references made to interscholastic sports.
4. The sports program will be supervised under the direction of the Athletic Director and the Assistant Principal.
PRESEASON
1. The coach will be responsible for holding clinics and tryouts when appropriate. Dates and times will be determined in cooperation with the Assistant Principal and the Athletic Director. The tryouts should be publicized through morning announcements, Marquee Messages/Friday Flyer, on the MPR TV's, P.E. classes, permission forms, and any other appropriate outlets.
2. Medical Release - all teams including Poms. Parents must provide evidence of a current physical examination (within a year of the start of the season - first practice) by a licensed physician, indicating personal fitness for their child to participate in competitive sports. The releases are kept on file with the school nurse, in the health office. Students will not participate in practice sessions until the medical release is properly completed and turned in. They may, however, attend the practice session, listen to instructions and observe; while not participating in the actual practice.
3. For interscholastic sports, coaches must keep in their possession during practices, games and at their home, emergency phone numbers for team members.
4. For interscholastic sports, coaches are required to develop an email "blast" list, phone tree, or another reliable avenue for communicating emergencies with parents (includes any changes/cancellations, etc.).
5. The coach is to host a parent-student meeting (possibly after a practice) for the purpose of reviewing the program, any needs, Parent/Coach Communication, expectations and overall coaching philosophy prior to the first meet, game or team event other than a practice.
6. At the start of the season, the final student roster will be distributed to the Athletic Director. The roster will be used for the school yearbook. The roster should include the uniform numbers as they were assigned for the season. Please retain accurate records for reference as needed.
PRACTICES
1. Prior to the start of the season, practice schedules must be approved by the Assistant Principal with assistance from the Athletic Director. Practice times are listed on the Athletics' Calendar. Any changes to times or dates will come directly from the coach or supervisior.
2. The cancellation or alteration of any practice session must have prior approval of the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director. In case of emergencies please contact the Assistant Principal or Athletic Director for additional assistance.
3. The coach or sponsor shall remain with the students at the conclusion of an activity until they have boarded a bus, have been picked up by parents or have left the school property.
4. It is school policy that if a student does not participate in P.E. class on a particular day due to being unprepared or was medically excused by a physician or parent, the student will not participate in practices or games on that day. This policy will be discussed with each team and at intramurals.
5. It is a school policy that a student must be in attendance a minimum of 5 class periods, excluding lunch, to participate in practices or games on a given day. The Assistant Principal and Athletic Director must approve any exceptions to this policy.
6. Coaches use of student managers to assist with the teams’ organizational needs is optional.
7. Coaches may have scrimmage games between members of their own team or members of other Maple teams in season. May only practice or scrimmage with teams during regularly scheduled practice times. (See items 2 through 4 under Games/Meets)
GAMES/MEETS
1. Game or meet schedules must be approved by the Assistant Principal prior to final confirmation with the opposing team. All games/meets should be scheduled prior to the start of the season.
2. The Assistant Principal and Athletic Director will determine the number of games/meets per team, per season based on conference scheduling. The coaches will be informed of the number of games/meets at their preseason meeting. Tournaments may be added to the schedule based on the activity and team performance.
3. A game/meet schedule is available online. All schedules distributed to staff and students must have the Assistant Principal's prior approval (see Athletic Director). Please see the Assistant Principal and/or Athletic Director if you need any assistance.
4. The cancellation or alteration of any games/meets must be directed to the Athletic Director and have prior approval of the Assistant Principal.
5. The coach shall remain with the students after games/meets until they have been picked up by the parents or another adult, or have left the school property. Parents and students should be made aware of the "typical" conclusion time for games/meets. Unless there are unusual circumstances, it should not be necessary for a student to call for transportation needs. For away games/meets, students should be encouraged to call from the moment they board and leave the host school, at an appropriate time, if the anticipated arrival back to school may not be on time.
6. It is the school policy that students ride the bus for all away games/meets both to and from the game/meet. Students who must leave away games/meets with parents or other designated adults must provide the coach with a written note or fill out a permission form at the game/meet given to them by the coach.
7. The Athletic Director should determine in advance any official, umpire, referee, timer and supervision needs for games or meets for all home events.
8. A supervisor is provided for home basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling matches/games. Please see the Athletic Director for each activities supervisor's job description/responsibilities. One scorekeeper and one timer is required for all home events. Track and Cross Country may require additional staff based on team sizes and events being offered. For all other contests, the coach shall plan, with the Athletic Director and Assistant Principal, provisions for supervision.
9. It is the school policy that students ride the bus for all away games/meets both to and from the game/meet. Students who must leave away games/meets with parents or other designated adults must provide the coach with a written note or fill out a permission form at the game/meet given to them by the coach.
- A camera system with visual capabilities and limited audio recording (closer to front, better audio recording) will be equipped on all buses. If there is an issue/emergency please notify the administration team (principal, assistant principal and athletic director) immediately. There is a loop that turns over video recordings after a short period of time; if there is an issue do not wait to report it.
- Students should be informed of the camera’s existence and appropriate bus etiquette should also be discussed and used as a preventive measure for any issues before they occur with your team(s).
EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
Security should be given a high priority. A faculty member is considered an adjunct member of the Physical Education Department when coaching or acting as an intramural sponsor.
ALL PROCEDURES OF THE DEPARTMENT APPLY TO ALL MEMBERS OFTHE COACHING STAFF.
1. Locker rooms and storerooms shall be locked at all times. As with any classroom, the locker room should be inspected by the coaches of both schools prior to and after each activity. Insist the students place their belongings in the lockers and that their gym locker is locked.
2. Coaches are responsible to maintain all the facilities in proper condition. They should monitor students and maintain locker rooms of away contestants.
3. Far in advance of the season, coaches should submit their equipment requests to the Athletic Director. Coaches are responsible for the equipment and uniforms they use and for returning them to the Athletic Director within one week of the conclusion of the season. If additional time is needed, it should be communicated with the Athletic Director.
4. Uniforms are issued to a student for the duration of the season. If a uniform has been lost or not turned in, it should be reported immediately to the Athletic Director. Students are charged for lost or damaged uniforms (cost will vary depending on sport/uniform). All uniforms should be numbered and the issued number recorded for each student by their coaches. Students are responsible for having their uniform cleaned for the end of the season storage collection (if/when possible). It is each coaches responsibility to collect all uniforms. Please see the Athletic Director for more information on collection processes if needed.
FIRST AID - ACCIDENT REPORTS
1. First aid materials will be available for practices, home games and away games. The Athletic Director will make these available prior to the start of the season.
2. An accident report must be completed and filed on all accidents. The accident report should be completed as soon as possible. ALL ACCIDENT REPORTS SHOULD BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR THE DAY. Accident reports can be obtained from the main office or the health office. The completed report should be submitted to the Maple nurse. Please report only observable facts and "reports" by students(e.g. Tom reported that he was tossed onto the floor.)
3. Significant situations involving safety, security and parent or student concerns should be brought to the Assistant Principal's attention on a timely basis.
4. Parents should be notified in a timely manner when a student sustains an injury.
PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON THE STUDENT TO REPORT THE INJURY.
FIRST AID EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
1. Background Health Information - Coaches shall have an athletic roster and review the student list of medical concerns from the nurse (e.g. asthma, medication, etc.)
2. General Emergency Information
a. Telephone Locations- Boys/Girls Locker Room- 911 Paramedics
b. Arrive on Sherman Drive on north side of Maple on bus drive through
c. Emergency numbers attached to score book by each coach (each coach/supervisor should have emergency numbers readily available along with their own first aid kits, please see Maple's school nurse with any first aid kit needs prior to your season, this includes supervisors)
d. Do NOT move athlete/spectator until paramedics arrive.
e. AED's are located in Hall of Fame area outside the West Gym and by the back hallway near the East gym door. Directions for use are located in with each AED.
3. Procedures for Addressing Emergency Athletic Injuries & Accidents
a. Coach assesses the injury
b. Contact paramedics/parents (emergency numbers on team roster sheet). If the injury is to a player, then the coach makes decision to send parent to the hospital or designate a parent o finish coaching and coach goes to hospital. Students are NOT to go alone.
c. Keep a copy of District Student Directory (listing of all students’ addresses and phone numbers) with your athletic team information. Additional copies are placed on the sound system in the Fitness Center.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
a. The coach is responsible for the injured athlete. If paramedics are called, the coach and supervisor need to discuss who will go with the student. The timekeeper may become the supervisor.
b. If a spectator is injured, the coaches decide who goes with the paramedics. The supervisor will go unless a relative can be contacted.
c. A District 30 accident report must be completed prior to leaving that night or as soon as possible the next day, if emergency circumstances do not allow for the form to be filled out that day.
d. PLEASE NOTIFY PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF ANY/ALL INJURIES.
LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES
In some instances, Districts are involved in lawsuits related to sports activities. In order to reduce legal liability, we want you to be aware of these "Legal Duties.” These are expectations of standard behavior for ALL COACHES.
1. Adequate Supervision – monitor your team's players in all parts of the building.
2. Sound Planning - take time to plan appropriate instructions, drills and the progression of skills they will be asked to execute.
3. Warning of Risks - make your players aware of any type of risks involved in performing drills. Be aware of the potential for injury.
4. A Safe Area for Practice and Play - the coach needs to observe potentially dangerous hazards and report them to an administrator. If they cannot be removed, the activity must be restricted or modified to avoid player injury.
5. Evaluation of Injuries - coaches need to be aware of the extent of injury. Never view any injury lightly or label players as complainers. If a student incurs an injury that would take him/her out of the P.E. class, that student would not be able to participate in any athletic activity after school.
6. Implement appropriate first aid and medical procedures immediately. If a player on your team incurs an injury, the coach needs to inform the parent and/or paramedics. If there is any doubt as to the seriousness of the injury, always call the parents, the paramedics and the administrators.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Students are expected to maintain a minimum level of academic achievement. Participation in athletics should be planned and organized into the students' after school academic and personal responsibilities. The Athletic Director and/or Assistant Principal will review the grades of each student-athlete, typically every Friday.
If a student-athlete has one or more D's or F's on their progress report or as a current class average, the Athletic Director and/or Assistant Principal will meet with that student to determine their eligibility status and create a plan for the student to regain eligibility. It is our philosophy that academic work comes first.
POST SEASON
The coaches should have a culminating activity, for the purpose of recognizing students who have participated. Plans must be reviewed in advance with the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director.
PUBLICITY
Coaches are responsible for reporting the names of all students selected for a specific team in the Maple Marquee. A short article should also be submitted for the Maple Marquee (Friday Flyer) at both the beginning and the conclusion of each season. For non-tryout teams, the coach should also provide a summary article including student names for the Maple Marquee (Friday Flyer).
In the interest of providing good communication for all students, teams of the same sport and similar schedules should be consistent with reporting the status of their teams in the Maple Marquee (Friday Flyer). In general, game/meet scores are encouraged with a brief narrative.
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL
The Youth Sports Concussion Safety Act requires that all interscholastic coaches (head and assistant coaches whether an employee of a school or volunteer) and marching band directors must successfully complete an approved concussion training course no later than the first scheduled team event. The approved course is now available in the IESA Member Center and will take at least 2 hours to complete. Coaches must take an approved course every 2 years to maintain compliance with the legislation.
Interscholastic activities are defined as organized school-sponsored or school-sanctioned activities for students generally conducted outside of school instructional hours and include, but are not limited to: baseball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, track and field, golf, marching band, scholastic bowl, softball, wrestling, and volleyball.
