All Saints Catholic School

Archdiocese of Okla. City Catholic School Athletics

  Mission :

Faithful to the mission of All Saints Catholic School to educate the whole child, the All Saints Athletic Program exists to promote and integrate the Catholic values of community, leadership, reverence, service and participation.

 Philosophy:

The athletic programs strive to teach the Archdiocesan/Christian values of teamwork, mutual respect, enjoyment, development of talents, a healthy sense of competition, self-discipline, honesty and positive name recognition in the community in a religious/academic environment that remains the primary focus.

 Purpose: An Elementary and Jr. High sports program in this Catholic school should have the following purposes:

• To develop teamwork,

• To improve skills,

• To provide physical exercise,

• To develop sportsmanship,

• To develop leadership,

• To build self-worth and confidence,

• To be organized play,

• To have a sense of belonging to a group who share a common goal,

• To channel the competitive spirit,

• To have fun!

Nondiscriminatory Policy:

All Saints Athletics admits any students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students within the association.  It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its participatory policies, admissions policies, or athletic programs.

Registration Information

Procedures/Deadlines for Registration

All Saints students wishing to participate in a sport must fill out a sport’s registration form.  Registration forms must be completed and returned, with the related fees, on or before the designated due date. 

Deadlines for registration are not intended to prevent any interested student from participating on a sports team, but they are necessary to make sure that team sizes do not become too large to allow for proper instruction of participants. 

Refund Policy

Anyone who is unable to participate in a sport and wishes to receive a refund must contact the Athletic Director. Fees will be refunded according to the following schedule:

Before official roster is prepared and sent:                             100%

After official roster is prepared and sent:                               No refund

General Information  

Coaches Creed

All Saints coaches will follow the Catholic Grade School Association Athletics Creed:  

I BELIEVE sports have an important place in the general educational scheme and pledge myself to cooperate with others in the field of coaching to provide better opportunities for all participants.

I BELIEVE the other coaches of sports are earnest in their desire to keep the All Saints program on the plane of citizenship training and I shall do all that I can to further their efforts.

I SHALL abide by the rules of the game in letter and in spirit.  

I BELIEVE in the exercise of all the patience, tolerance, and diplomacy at my command in my relations with all players, co-workers, parents, game officials, and spectators.

I BELIEVE proper administration of all sports offers effective laboratory methods of development of high ideals of sportsmanship, qualities of cooperation, courage, unselfishness and self-control desires for clean, healthful living and respect for wise discipline and authority.

I BELIEVE these admirable characteristics, properly instilled by me through teaching and demonstration, will have a long carry-over and will aid each one connected with the sport to become a better citizen and Christian.  

I BELIEVE in and will support all reasonable moves to improve athletic conditions, to provide for adequate equipment, and to promote the welfare of an increased number of participants.  

Coaching Expectations and Requirements

The All Saints Catholic School Athletic Director, along with help from the All Saints Athletic Commission, is committed to securing the best-qualified coaches for all its sports teams.  These qualifications include, but are not limited to:

1. Acceptance, integration, implementation and a clear understanding of the All Saints Catholic School Mission and Goals
2. Ability to constructively teach all participants, regardless of skill level
3. Ability to organize, run and control practices
4. Positive attitude and coaching style
5. Good communication skills
6. Coaching ability to effectively teach the sport
7. Adequate knowledge of the sport
8. Ability to provide a safe physical environment for all
9. Be CPR/First Aid trained and certified

Coaches are required to have and attend practices, games, and meetings related to their team within their league and/or called by the All Saints Athletics Commission or Athletic Director.  No practices and/or games are to be scheduled during Holy Week, on holy days of obligation, or during weekend Mass times. Coaches are responsible for securing a substitute or notifying participants of a cancellation when they are unable to attend a practice. 

 ALL COACHES, SUBSTITUTES, ASSISTANTS, AND VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE FULFILLED ALL REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA CITY SAFE ENVIRONMENT OFFICE PRIOR TO ANY INVOLVEMENT WITH STUDENTS.

 A coach is expected to provide constant supervision of student athletes.  He is expected to be at practice before any student arrives and must make sure that all children have left before he/she leaves practice or must designate another adult, who has fulfilled all Safe Environment requirements, to take on those responsibilities.  Coaches also must not tolerate any abuse or mistreatment of players, parents or others by any member of an All Saints team.  This means a zero tolerance policy for “poking fun” at people or verbally (and physically) abusing others.

Coaches should attend every game and show up at least twenty minutes prior to the start of the game to prepare their team for the contest.  It is important, and required, that coaches report any problems with equipment, players, parents (or others) to the Athletic Director within 24 hours of a problem.  This will ensure the safety of all participants and allow for appropriate action to be taken by the Athletic Director when necessary.  The Athletic Director is responsible for reporting all problems and actions taken to the Principal, who shall make the final decision regarding actions taken.

Coaches should be patient and tolerant of all children, and understand the level of maturity at which they coach.  They must be cautious not to have unrealistic expectations, but be willing to challenge each participant to reach potential goals not before attained.  Coaches must have the understanding that their impact on the lives of many of these children is of incredible importance and thus must display good moral and ethical behaviors.

Coaches:

•  Ensure the safety of all participants. You have the duty to supervise all children entrusted to your care in responsible and reasonable manner. 

• Set an example for your players, other coaches and spectators by behaving in a Christian manner. No booing or cursing, or derogatory comments toward your players, their opponents, or the officials. 

• Do not argue with the officials. It is permissible to show the official in the rule book a suspected violation of the rules. Other than that its best to just continue play and let it go.

• Start all practices and games with a prayer.Attempt to keep your comments to the children positive and instructional.

• Emphasis to your players the importance of doing their best, playing within the rules and being good sportsmen. 

• Try not to focus too much importance on just winning. 

• Refer any necessary disciplinary actions to school personnel.
  

Parents and fans are also expected to conduct themselves as Christian people. This

includes showing respect for players and coaches on their team and well as opposing teams. They should refrain from abusive language and voice their disagreement with officials’ judgment calls in appropriate manner. Never is booing or personal put-downs appropriate.

Coaches are the backbone of any sports program.  There is always plenty of criticism and far too little thanks for the job they carry out.  All parents and student participants in All Saints Athletics should make sure to thank them and offer any means of support to help them be the best coach to all the participants.

Coaches Selection Process

Selection, recommendations and evaluations of the coaches are primarily the responsibilities of the Athletic Director in consultation with school administrators.  All persons interested in applying for a coaching position shall complete an Archdiocesan application, including qualifications, and submit it to the Athletic Director.

The selection of coaches will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, the criteria stated in the Section above titled “Coaching Expectations and Requirements”.

Evaluation of Coaches

There will be ongoing observation and supervision of coaches by the Athletic Director. 

Coaches are to submit a plan of action outlining the goals, practice schedule, and expected progression of skills to the Athletic Director before the season begins.

Communication

Coaches will conduct and parents are expected to attend a pre-season meeting where coaches will communicate team and student athlete expectations, the code of conduct and player selection, scheduling of practices and other important issues, including the inherent risk factors of each sport.

Any communication with the media, press releases, mailings or similar communication shall be coordinated by the Athletic Director and the appropriate All Saints personnel.  No parents, coaches, players, staff or other individuals should contact the media directly.  All releases of information are subject to school privacy policies and must be approved by the school principal and/or pastor.

Conduct:  Parent, Coach and Student Expectations

All players, coaches, parents, spectators and staff are required and expected to:

·         Act in accordance with the stated philosophy of the program, which emphasizes the importance of learning and growth of all people, commitment to good moral, ethical and social values, deep respect for the human dignity and uniqueness of every individual, and the perseverance for upholding what is right and just.  All people affiliated with All Saints Athletics are expected to cooperate with the spirit and policies of the school.  This requires courtesy in all relationships, promptness in fulfilling obligations, concern for the environment, and many other factors that the participant’s sense of appropriateness will indicate to them.

·         Be polite and courteous to all coaches, officials, and participants, which includes appropriate conduct at all All Saints events, practices, and games.

·         Avoid engaging in any situation that could result in a negative representation of the program.  This includes arguing with any coaches, officials, players, parents or spectators, verbally criticizing or reprimanding others, and any inappropriate verbal remarks or verbal abuse.

·         Support all teams with equal respect and courtesy, regardless of their level of skill.

·         Abide by the guidelines and rules set forth by the Athletic Director, coach, and league.  These guidelines include such things as not coaching from the sidelines at games or practices, waiting until the team is released from the coach prior to leaving the team, paying attention to the coach and following practice or game instructions.

The Principal and/or his/her designee reserve the right to determine the appropriateness of an action if any doubt arises.

Items such as, but not limited to, questionable books and pictures, knives, matches, cigarettes, radios, toys, pagers, cell phones, laser lights, or anything that will detract from a learning situation or in any way endanger anyone are not allowed at All Saints practices or events.

Team Conduct

During practices all ordinary discipline matters are the responsibility of the coach(es).  The following procedures help set an atmosphere necessary for learning:

·         At the beginning of the school year, coaches outline expectations for student conduct, practice and game attendance.

·         Coaches set practice rules and give a copy to all players and parents.

·         Well-planned practices that keep students on task decrease the time available for misconduct.

Students:

·         Behave in a Christian manner at all times.

·         Listen to and follow directions from your coaches.

·         Respect your teammates, coaches, opponents, referees, and umpires.

·         No fighting or horseplay while participating in practice or games.

·         Do not argue with referees or umpires. Address them as sir or ma’am.

·         Do not boo or yell at opponents.

·         Practice good sportsmanship. Shake hands and congratulate your teammates

and opponents on participating in the game. Thank the coaches for taking their

to coach you.

*Stress getting better with each practice and game; instead of, winning at all costs.

            Behaviors, which are not conducive to good discipline, include:

·         Repeated screaming done by a coach or assistant.  This behavior is professionally unacceptable.

·         Threats of unrealistic punishments.

·         Repeated warnings with no follow-up.

·         Inconsistent adherence to rules.

·         Foul language.

If misconduct occurs, any or all of the following may be helpful.  (Punishment should be for behavior and not for athletic performance.)

·         Private discussion with the student.

·         Loss of privileges for the athlete.

·         Running punishments of reasonable length.

·         Time out in the gym by oneself.  Students should never be placed outside the gym for time out.

·         Students should be notified that the Athletic Director will speak with them about their behavior.  The coach may need to set up a conference with the parents to alert them and discuss possible strategies for improvement.

Disciplinary Policy

In coaching any athletic team, it is crucial that every member of the coaching staff know what constitutes acceptable measures of disciplining a child or handling other problems. 

·         All children acting outside of the guidelines established by the coach will be warned as to what will happen if the behavior is repeated.  This warning should be specific and age-appropriate.  This warning will be communicated to the child’s parents.

·         Should there be a time where an individual player has repeatedly become a problem, the parents and the Athletic Director should be notified before the next practice.  A meeting with the parents and child to discuss the situation should be scheduled.  (A no time should a child be separated from other children to be talked with by a coach.)

·         At NO time should any person be berated, embarrassed or singled out as an “example”.

·         The coach should initially handle any parent complaints and contact the Athletic Director of the situation.  If the problem persists, it may then be addressed by the Athletic Director, the principal and/or the pastor.

·         Physical punishment is not an acceptable form of disciplining any athlete and will be grounds for immediate termination of the coach.

·         Coaches must be consistent in their disciplinary methods with all children.  No athlete should ever be given special treatment regardless of their talent level.  Coaches who are models of fairness help children to learn values of equity.

·         Coaches should contact the Athletic Director regarding any issues or problems that are questionable in nature for further direction and/or actions to take regarding the situation.

Drugs and Alcohol

Students, spectators, or parents who possess drugs or alcohol at an All Saints Athletic event (or on school property) face suspension and/or expulsion from sports.  A student may face the same penalty from the Archdiocesan school they attend.

Equipment and Uniforms

All Saints Catholic School does provide some of the team uniforms. Depending on the sport, some teams may choose to provide their own uniforms upon the approval of the Athletic Director and/or principal.

Grievance Procedure

An individual or team grievance may include any perceived or enacted unfair or prejudicial treatment of a player by a coach.  A grievance should be handled in the following manner:

·         Set up a time to discuss the issue with the coach.  If the situation is not remedied then,

·         Set up a time to discuss the issue with the Athletic Director.  If the situation is not remedied then,

·         Set up a time to discuss the issue with the Principal and/or Pastor.  Decisions of the Principal and/or the Pastor are final.

Please note that the coach is in charge of playing time, starting lineups, etc.  The Athletic Director will avoid intervening with the coach’s judgment on these issues, unless the Athletic Director feels a situation is blatantly unfair.

*Lawsuits brought against schools and athletic programs can generally be classified in on of four

categories: 1) Corporal punishment,  2) Search and seizure,  3) Defamation of character  and 4) Negligence

1.       Corporal punishment is not allowed in our athletic program.  Corporal punishment is a broader concept than hitting a student with some sort of instruments; it has been defined by some legal experts as any touching that can be construed as punitive. Thus, pushing or shoving children, pulling hair, swatting students etc. can be corporal punishment and can give rise to suits alleging battery, which is injury caused by physical contact.

2.       Search and Seizure - This involves searching a child's person, their belongings, gym bags, uniforms and other athletic gear. The guiding principle in all search and seizure situations should be a commitment to protecting the dignity of each child and to treating everyone the way the coach would wish to be treated in a similar situation, in a manner consistent with the Gospel. Before any search answer the question: Is this search and its possible effects worth finding whatever is being sought? For example, an exhaustive search for a lost $5.00 is probably not worth the effort. However, if a coach believes a child possesses drugs or weapons, a search is not only advisable, but is also mandatory. If a coach believes that a child is carrying a dangerous item on his or her person the coach should proceed as follows:

A. Ask the child for the dangerous item.

B. If the child refuses, he or she can be asked to empty pockets, etc.

C. If the child still refuses, a school administrator should be notified. If the administrator should believes that persons are in danger, whatever action is necessary to gain possession of the item must be taken.

D. If the situation permit, the best course of action would be to contact the parent and ask them to come assist in a search of the child.

E. If neither administrator or parents are available and the coach believes persons are in danger, whatever action is necessary to gain possession of the item must be taken.

3.        Defamation: Defamation is an unprivileged communication. Defamation can be either spoken (slander) or written (libel). It is communication to someone who has no right to receive the information. In discussing in writing about a child keep in mind that even if the information is true it must be given only to those who have a right to know.  Whatever is written should be:

1) specific 2) behaviorally oriented 3) verifiable. Refrain from subjective comments.

4.        Negligence: Most lawsuits against schools and athletic programs allege negligence. Negligence has been defined as the unintentional doing or not doing of something which wrongfully causes injury to another. Legal writers have determined that it takes four elements for an action to be legally called negligence:

A. Duty-did you have adults to perform in the situation?

B. Violation of duty-did you violate the duty you where charged to carry out?

C. Proximate cause-did the coach’s action or inaction have an immediate effect in producing the injury?

D. Injury-A child must have sustained an injury. If one of these four elements is missing no negligence can be found to exist.

* These legal Do's and Don'ts are taken from the book Athletics and Physical Education Programs in Catholic Schools: Legal Issues '

COACHES RESPONSIBILITIES

Coaches have the following responsibilities:

• to be positive

• to build self-worth in the players

• to stress skill improvement

• to stress participation over winning

• to stress getting better everyday

• to stress doing their very best every time

• to be supportive of all kids, even the weakest

• to treat all fairly and with respect

Organization responsibilities:

• to conduct an organized practice which has been pre-planned and preferably written down

• to be punctual

• to communicate with parents

• to properly supervise players

• to properly lead their players' parents

• to learn first aid

• to pray before games

• to have fun

         RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTS 

1.  Please read the Athletic Handbook.  If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning the handbook, please contact school personnel. Your help in ensuring that your children have a safe and enjoyable learning experience through participating in sports is welcomed and appreciated.

2. Please be sure to return Permission to Participate and the Emergency Medical Treatment forms before the first practice.

3. Please pay all fees before the first practice.

4. If your child can not attend a practice or game, notify a team representative in advance when possible.

5.  Set a good Christian example for our children by not making derogatory comments, booing,

or cursing. Do not argue with the officials. Parents have the following responsibilities:

• to be positive and encouraging

• to be supportive of their child and coach

• to get their child to practice and games on time

• to pick them up on time

• to cheer in a positive manner

When a parent disagrees with their child's coach, he/she should visit with the coach in private, out of the sight or earshot of the players. By arguing with the coach in front of your child, you do him/her a double disservice. You erode the confidence and trust of you child for that coach and you can possible hurt the working relationship of the player and coach which is essential for future growth and improvement of your child in that sport or within that team. By children seeing the united support of the adults in their lives, it gives them the security to takes risks that are growth enhancing.

Health/Physical Requirements

Participants must understand the requirements for each sport and make sure that they are in appropriate physical condition to safely play the sport.  Unless there is a medical condition that prohibits a participant from doing a certain drill or activity, all participants will be expected to follow drills and physical activity requirements requested by the coach(es).  Please know that these drills are necessary to improve performance on the court/field, and are part of the learning and growth on all sports teams.  If there is a medical condition present that prevents participation in these activities, the Athletic Director must be notified, in writing, as to the nature and extent of the condition.  Upon reviewing the information, the Athletic Director reserves the right to deny such participants from participating if it seems it is in the best interest of the child and/or other participants.

League Participation/Affiliation

All Saints Catholic School sports teams may participate in and be affiliated with the Catholic Grade School Athletic Association (CGSAA). Upon approval of the Athletic Director and/or the principal, they may also participate in the Norman Community leagues.

Eligibility

In the sports that are conducted under the auspices of the CGSAA, only students enrolled

in All Saints Catholic School can participate. In other sports, such as baseball, outside

children can be brought onto ASCS teams only as needed and only after all children at All Saints have been contacted personally by the coach or sports coordinator. Finally, any child not a member of All Saints Catholic School, must be approved by the Principal.

Parents Meeting

There will be a parents' meeting called before the beginning of each sport.

Practice Schedules

The team practices are established by the sports coordinator and the athletic director. Any team wanting to schedule the ASCS soccer field, gym or baseball field must contact the sports coordinator

Practices and contests should not be scheduled on holy days, during Holy Week, or at regular Mass times to allow and encourage coaches, students, parents, and fans to actively participate in their faith by attending scheduled religious functions and activities with the rest of their parish.

Practice sessions shall be no longer than ninety minutes after the first game of the season.

Practice session prior to the first game shall not exceed two hours.

Practice sessions, scrimmage games, or league games during the school week (Monday-Thursday) shall be limited to two (2) per week for grades K, l, and 2; three (3) per week for grades 3,4,5, and 6; and four (4) per week for grades 7 and 8.

FIRST AID TRAINING

It will be the goal of the athletic board to provide a first aid course for all parents involved in coaching. It is the hope of this school to have all current coaches up to date in first aid training. They should take a refresher course every three years

POLICY REGARDING THE ABUSE OF MINORS BY CHURCH PERSONNEL

All coaches and parent volunteers who will be working with students need to have read and signed the Archdiocese of Oklahoma's policy regarding the abuse of minors. This form should be understood by all that sign it and said form should be on file in the parish office. See last page of this handbook.

Right to Amend

The Principal and/or Pastor reserve the right to amend this handbook.