We believe athletes can only do justice to themselves and their fellow teammates if they are willing to give themselves and to their sport and observe training rules.

 

1.   No member of the athletic teams shall indulge in the use of intoxicating beverages, use of tobacco or drugs in any form.

2.   We feel regular hours should be kept by all athletes.

 

The parents have the greatest responsibility in seeing that the athletes keep regular hours.

 

If the coaches feel that an athlete is violating these hours, the athlete will be called in and informed of the abuse. If the abuse continues, appropriate action will be taken by the coaching staff.

 

The coaches will reserve the right to set more severe curfews and hours for special occasions that may arise.

 

If a high school student would like to use the fitness center outside of school hours, he or she must first complete a waiver available in the high school office. No keys will be issued to anyone under 18 years of age.

 

It is the philosophy of the Alcester-Hudson School District that the athletic activities which are provided for the Junior High students shall be of an exploratory nature. The emphasis shall be on all students participating so that they can develop skills in each sport.

 

There shall not be any "cutting" of a student from the team allowed, either formally or informally, by discouraging a student from remaining out for the sport.

In order to help high school student athletes improve their athletic performance, zero hour athletic development class is offered each week day before school in the morning. The class meets from 6:30am to 7:30am each day of the school week.

 

This is not a required class, but students can earn .25 credit per semester if they meet the required guidelines for the class. Students will work on the four core areas of athletic development: lifting, speed/quickness, leadership, and culture development.

 

Students missing school any part of the school day may not participate  in any extra-curricular activity unless special permission is received from the principal or superintendent.

 

Each student is responsible for observing this regulation. A student who is unable to come to school  because of illness will not be able to attend an evening extra- curricular activity at the school.

 

(Adopted 05-08-06) (Amended 8-14-06) (Amended 11-15-10) (Adopted 1-10-11) (Amended 6-

12-12)

1.   A student must be passing 6 of his/her classes to be considered eligible for extra-curricular activity participation in a SDHSAA sponsored or other competitive events. In the event the student is not passing in two or more classes, the following procedures will be in effect:

 

2.     Student academic progress is evaluated each week with an academic progress report of students with grades of 67% or lower being sent to the office Monday morning. The first eligibility report will be effective on the 14th full day of school each new semester. After that eligibility will run from Monday noon to Monday noon.

 

3.     During a week of ineligibility, the student may continue to practice but will not be allowed to participate in SDHSAA sponsored or other competitive events. The student may not leave school early to attend a function sponsored by the SDHSAA or other competitive event either.

 

1.    The student will be allowed to resume participation in SDHSAA sponsored or other competitive events when his/her grade is passing (68% or higher) on Monday’s eligibility report provided the student has regularly attended practices.

 

2.   Students who are ineligible at the end of the semester will remain so until the beginning of the next semester.

 

3.    Junior High students will follow the same Academic Eligibility Policy.

 

4.    If an activity is scheduled that causes a team or group to leave prior to Monday noon, eligibility for that activity will be determined from the previous week’s report.

 

5.    All students must be in compliance with SDHSAA eligibility rules.

First offense: The student will be dismissed from the team for ten (10) school days (Saturday and Sunday do not count) from the date that the offense is brought to the attention of the coaching staff. The student will be allowed to participate in practice sessions during that time.

 

This suspension time will be only one week if the student reports his or her offense to the coach.

 

Second offense:  The student will be dismissed from the team for the remainder of the season and lose all awards earned during that sport.

 

A student may be suspended from an athletic squad for insubordination, excessive unexcused misses of practice, or for behavior affecting team morale (Example: anyone who lowers team spirit by always being negative, pouts, picks on other kids etc.)

 

While under suspension, the student may not dress for a game or ride to and from the game with the team.

 

All members of athletic teams shall dress presentably for all athletic events (i.e.; the boys basketball team will wear dress pants, dress shirt, tie on game days, no blue jeans will be allowed). Each sport will have its own dress code rules and will be determined by the coaches.

 

If fellow teammates find it necessary to report any violations, do so immediately.

In the event it becomes necessary to drop an athlete from an athletic team, the following procedure will be followed:

a.        Advise the athlete orally or in writing of the violation.

b.        Allow the athlete to explain his/her position.

c.        Notify the parents or guardians of the problems and explain the reason for dismissal.

d.        A conference will be held if the parents or athlete requests it. Included in the conference may be the coaches, athletic director, principal, superintendent, athlete, parent or guardian of the student, and witnesses.

 

PRACTICES: When possible, practice will be held after school on each weekday during the season, starting as soon after school as possible and ending at 5:30pm so that the students are showered and are out of the school no later than 6:00pm.

 

Practices on Saturdays or during scheduled school vacations shall only be held when they are approved in advance by the High School Principal.

 

There shall not be any special practices for any special or elite teams.

 

Whenever a practice is held, it shall be for all members who are out for that sport and each student shall be informed as to when practices will be held.

 

The coach shall be in the locker room or in the immediate area at the start and end of practice to make certain that the students are adequately supervised at all times and that no initiation or other unacceptable behavior takes place.

The coach shall make sure all students are out of the building before he/she leaves at the end of the practice.

 

In the event there are two coaches for an athletic season, each coach shall work as equally as possible with all the students, rather than one coach taking the "good" athletes and the other taking the "poor" ones.

All student athletes (Grades 6-12) need to be under the supervision of their coach during practices. Cheerleaders also need to be under the supervision of their supervisor when they are using the school facilities for practice.

If school needs to be dismissed early because of adverse weather conditions, no practices will be allowed unless approved in advance by the Superintendent.

 

No one is to use the weight room without supervision. If students are out for a sport, then the coach is responsible for supervision. Other supervision will be arranged by the athletic director or school administration.

 

The weight room will be left clean with all weights put away upon leaving. The supervisor is responsible for securing the weight room upon leaving. Student athletes will conduct themselves in a manner that creates a safe and controlled workout area.

 

If repairs on weight room equipment are needed, the student should report the information to the supervisor or athletic director.

Only authorized locks may be used in school locker rooms.

All students riding team or spectator buses to a school related activity are to ride that same bus back to the school building in Alcester. The only exception is students who are given permission by their coach or principal to ride home with their parents, brother, or sister or adult relative or adult neighbor. In this case, a written note from the parent complying with this rule or the parent's communication with the coach or supervisor is necessary. Any student not complying with this rule may lose the privilege of riding any spectator or player bus for the remainder of that season.

 

Students will not be given permission to ride home with boyfriends or girlfriends. All cheerleaders are expected to ride to and from the out-of-town games with the squad or on school-provided transportation. Cheerleaders must follow the same rules and the same penalties will be enforced.

 

The penalties for the first offense may be modified at the discretion of the Superintendent or Principal. If a second infraction occurs, the student would lose the privilege of riding the player or spectator bus for the balance of the year.

 

The participation in athletics could lead to serious injury. There is a possibility of broken bones, cuts and even paralysis or death due to an injury sustained while participating or practicing for these activities.

The Alcester-Hudson School District will follow concussion protocol as established by the South Dakota High School Activities Association and Sanford Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

 

A concussion is a brain injury that is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body and can change the way your brain normally works. Concussions can occur during practices or games in any sport or recreational activity and can happen even if you haven’t been knocked out. They can be serious even if you’ve just been ‘dinged” or “had your bell rung.”

 

You can’t always see a concussion. Signs and symptoms of concussion can show up right after the injury or may not appear or be noticed until days after the injury. Tell your coaches and your parents if you think you might have a concussion. Never ignore a bump or blow to the head even if you feel fine. Also, tell your coach right away if you think you might have a concussion or one of your teammates might have a concussion. Then get medical attention right away. A doctor, an athletic trainer or other health care professional is experienced in evaluating for concussion and will be able to decide how serious the concussion is and when it is safe to return to sports.

 

A concussion can affect your ability to do schoolwork and other activities. Things such as studying, driving, working on a computer, playing video games, or exercising may cause concussion symptoms to reappear or get worse. Coaches, school nurses, and other school staff will be notified if you are experiencing concussion symptoms. If needed adjustments can be made to the students’ school activities during the recovery process. It may be necessary to limit activities while recovering from a concussion.

 

Most importantly, if you have a concussion, your brain needs time to heal. It is not smart to play with a concussion. While your brain is still healing, you are much more likely to have another concussion if you continue to play. Repeat concussions that occur before the brain recovers from the first—usually within a short period of time (hours, days, weeks) can increase the time it takes for you to recover or increase the likelihood of having long- term problems. It is important to rest and not return to play until you get the OK from your doctor or health care professional that you are symptom-free.

 

The athlete should be symptom-free before beginning the graduated return-to-play protocol as required by the school athletic trainer or doctor/health care professional. Each stage should be completed without a return of concussion symptoms before proceeding to the next stage. If symptoms return at any time during the rehabilitation process, wait until asymptomatic for 1 full day, then restart at stage 1 of the protocol. There should be a minimum of 24 hours between each step.

 

The following stages are as follows:

·        Stage 1-Light aerobic exercise

·        Stage 2-Sport-specific exercise

·        Stage 3-Non-contact training drills

·        Stage 4-Full contact practice

 

The SDHSAA Return to Competition, Practice or Training form must be filled out and signed by a medical doctor/health care professional indicating the student has satisfied the above criteria with no symptoms or has completed the rehabilitation process before they will be cleared to return to activity. It is better to miss one game than a whole season. Follow your coach’s rules for safety and the rules of the sport.

If a High School Varsity football, volleyball, or basketball team qualifies for State competition, school will be dismissed for those days of competition. Dismissal of school for any other team that qualifies for State competition will be reviewed on an individual basis.

 

Calendar days scheduled for Spring Break will be used for attending this competition once school is dismissed. If other days are needed, they will be added to the end of the school year.

The Alcester-Hudson School District may pay for the travel expenses for students for some state events. If you have questions, contact your advisor or principal.

 

The following rules will be observed with regards to awarding of letters to Alcester-Hudson High School athletes:

 

No letter will be awarded any athlete who:

-             Is dismissed from the team for the season or,

-             Is under suspension when the season ends (season ends for football (last game), girls' basketball (last tournament game), boys' basketball (last tournament game), track (region track meet except for state track participants), wrestling (regionals except for state qualifiers), cross country (region meet except for state qualifiers), volleyball (last tournament) or,

-             Quits before the end of season.

BASKETBALL: Participants must play in at least twenty-five (25) quarters of a Varsity game during the season.

CROSS COUNTRY: The top four (4) runners and two (2) pushers will letter if there are seven (7) participants out for the sport. If there are less than seven (7) participants, the top four would letter. If there are not enough participants for a full team, the runner must place in 1/4 of the major meets and must take part in 1/2 of the regularly scheduled events. All participants representing the team in the State Cross Country meet will letter.

FOOTBALL: Player must average two (2) quarters per Varsity game for the season. Example: If the team plays eight (8) games you must play at least sixteen (16) quarters or be in games totaling sixteen

(16) quarters. Being in a quarter for one (1) play constitutes one quarter of play.

GOLF: A golfer must compete in a minimum of two (2) Varsity matches and 1/4 of the total matches for the year. Golfers who do this will receive a Gold Letter (one per athlete), a golf pin (one only) and a bar (each year they letter). Any golfer lettering in golf for four years will be awarded a Blue Letter. There will be a Most Valuable Player named from the boy’s team and the girl’s team. These golfers will receive a plaque at the Student Recognition Banquet. Golfers who compete in four (4) State Tournaments will also receive a plaque at the Student Recognition Banquet.

TRACK: Participants must score at least seven (7) points for the season in Varsity meets. (Dual meets or junior high meets do not count.) Relay points are counted for each participant by taking the number of points the team wins and giving each participant half of those points.

STUDENT MANAGER: A student manager can letter if they are a student manager in the same sport for two years.

VOLLEYBALL: Participant must play in thirty (30) Varsity matches during the season in order to letter. WRESTLING: A wrestler will letter when he or she has earned fifteen (15) points during a competition. Forfeit points will count as one (1) point, not to exceed six (6) points. Players shall receive only one letter award regardless of how many times the player letters. The player will get the actual letter the

first time he/she letters.

The first time the player letters in the same sport, the player shall receive a pin denoting the sport lettered in and a bar denoting one year. The second time the player letters in the same sport, the player shall receive a bar for each time lettered. The fourth time the player letters in the same sport or is named to an All-Conference team, the player shall receive a Blue Letter. All other letter winners will receive Gold Letters.

Athletes who have not met the above requirements may be recommended for a letter by that coach if the coach feels a player deserves a letter. The recommendation must be submitted to the other coaches in the school district for discussion and then a vote on the coaches will be taken. A majority of the coaches must vote to give the letter otherwise the letter may not be given

Lettering four (4) years in any one sport (must meet the lettering requirements before he/she is awarded the Blue Letter).

•  Football/Basketball: All-Conference or All-State
• Cross Country: (Top 8) in Conference, (Top 12) in Region Cross Country meet, or (Top 25) Place in State meet.
• Wrestling: First (1st) in Conference, First (1st) or Second (2nd) in the Region meet or place in the State meet.
• Track: First (1st) in Conference meet, First (1st) in Region meet or Place in the State meet.
• Volleyball: Individual First (1st) Team All-Conference or All-State Team.
• Golf: First (1st) in Conference meet, First (1st) in Region meet or Place in State meet

At the end of each season, there will be an Awards Assembly or Student Recognition Banquet (Grades 7-12) to present the letters and special awards won.

A.         Each sports team will have an All-Academic team.

B.         To be on the All-Academic team the student must be on the “B” Honor Roll or higher during one (1) of the first (2) two semesters

In order for college recruiters to talk to high school students during school time, the following policy will be followed:

1.  The recruiter must notify the Principal or Superintendent far enough in advance so that the parents can give permission for the visit.

2.  Parental permission may be required depending upon the nature of the visit.

3.  In the event of recruitment of athletes, the athletic coach and athletic director are to be contacted in advance concerning the visit.

4.  The student must have assignments done in advance for any classes that are missed.