Required forms must be filled out completely before a student athlete practices or plays in a contest.  Forms for competitive teams are available on the competitive teams information page. The form for intramural participation can be found on the intramurals page.

All students involved with extracurricular activities must meet the requirements listed below. Students who are ineligible may not participate in extra-curricular activities in any form. Coaches, sponsors, and advisors are responsible to ensure adherence to this policy. Students who are ineligible will receive support and intervention. Special consideration and support will be given to students that have educational disabilities.

Academic & Behavioral Eligibility:  If a student meets any of the below criteria during an academic quarter in a school year, they will be ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities for the following quarter. Students may be deemed ineligible immediately at the discretion of the administration due to discipline or attendance.

• 1. One F or Two D’s or more in one academic quarter.
  2. 2 or more U’s per quarter in Citizenship in one academic quarter.
  3. A suspension, or receiving a behavior probation or attendance probation during a given quarter.

For example, if a student receives two D’s or an F during quarter 1 of an academic year, they will be ineligible for quarter 2, the next academic quarter.

To determine eligibility for fall sports, a grade check will be made from the athlete’s 4th quarter report card from the previous school year.

If a sport begins at the start of a new quarter, grades will be checked from the previous quarter.

Due to the fact that some grading periods (quarters) end during the season, an athlete can and will be removed from the team if he or she does not meet the academic and behavior eligibility requirements.

Grade checks are conducted regularly at the progress report and grading period during the season.

Absences from School:  If a student is absent from school on the day of a practice, tryout or game, that student may not participate in that activity.  A student must be at school for at least half the day in order to tryout, practice or play for their school team.

All athletes representing SPMS are students first and athletes second!

The athletics program at South Pasadena Middle School is an integral part of the educational program.  It is meant to provide learning experiences for the students who participate.  It should help develop habits, attitudes and ideals necessary for ethical competition and cooperation in our society.  It should also provide our students with the unique opportunities for self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to the team, the school and the community.  

Interscholastic athletics is a voluntary program.  Thus, participation is a privilege and not a right.  Along with that privilege is the responsibility to conform to standards established for the school athletic teams.  This privilege may be revoked when the athlete fails or refuses to comply with the established rules, policies and norms.  

Sportsmanship

The Athletic Department is dedicated to upholding the value of good sportsmanship in our practices and contests, and we ask each athlete to make sportsmanship their personal goal.  It is important that our athletes demonstrate this value to our school community.   Our expectation is that after we beat our opponent, we will shake their hand and congratulate them for good competitive effort.  We also expect that our athletes and coaches will accept losses with dignity.  

Athletic Goals

Our goals are to:

• 1. Provide an athletic program that meets the expressed needs and abilities of the students, consistent with available facilities, equipment and quality staff.
  2. Provide an athletic program that will compete at the highest level without sacrificing good sportsmanship and integrity.
  3. Provide equal opportunity for all students.
  4. Provide an athletic program which will promote the physical well-being and desirable attitudes in leadership and sportsmanship for both the athletes and  spectators.
  5. Provide an athletic program which is an integral part of the educational program.

Athletic Objectives

The student athletes shall learn:

• • To work with others: In our society a person must develop self discipline, respect for authority, and the spirit of hard work and sacrifice.  The team and its objective must be placed above personal desires.
  • To be successful: Our society is very competitive.  You learn to accept defeat only by striving to win with earnest dedication.  We want our athletes to desire to succeed and work to achieve that goal.
  • To develop sportsmanship:  To accept defeat like a true sportsman,  knowing that we did our best to win, we must treat others as they would like to be treated when we are victorious.
  • To improve:  Striving to improve is essential to achievement.  Our athletes will continue to strive to reach higher goals.  “If you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there” – Will Rogers.
  • To develop leaders:  Any successful athletic program has student leaders as its core. Student/athlete leaders help direct the team by insisting that the teams goals are continually in focus.
  • To develop healthy personal habits:  As people, we need to develop desirable social traits including fair play, emotional control, honesty, cooperation, dependability, respect, and hard work.

Conduct and Behavior

The student athlete represents SPMS, The Community and his/herself, and is expected to act accordingly.  Appropriate language and behavior are expected and will be insisted upon.  All school/classroom discipline consequences will be supported by the coaches and athletic department.  

Travel

The following guidelines should be followed:

• • The coach is responsible to supervise the athletes until the parents pick them up.  Coaches will wait until the last student athlete leaves.
  • Coaches are not responsible to give rides to athletes.
  • Team members will stay with the team at all times during contests and/or practices.
  • Appropriate behavior to games and at the opposing schools site is expected.

Team Expectations

The  coach of each sport makes the final decision as to the level each athlete plays.  Each  coach will establish and communicate team rules, expectations, and consequences.  

• • Practice sessions are mandatory.  Tardiness or unexcused absences will not be tolerated.
  • Continued tardiness or unexcused absences will result in suspension from the team or removal from the team.
  • School owned uniforms and equipment, if needed, will be issued to players.  Each player is responsible to maintain and return equipment.  The parent/player will be responsible to pay the fair market replacement cost of lost or stolen equipment.  Athletes can be restricted from playing in the next season of sport until all obligations are cleared.

Quitting a Sport

Unless mutually agreed upon by the coaches, athletes who quit or are removed from a sport are not allowed to train or join another sport until the sport from which the athlete quit is over.   This includes the playoffs.  Students may be allowed back on a team after quitting at the  coach’s discretion.   Athletes who quit a team may lose all benefits of being a team member including, but not limited to, awards and/or post season honors.  

The following is intended to provide both the student athlete and their parents about the expectations for tryouts at SPMS.

1. 1. Students must meet the academic and behavioral eligibility requirements outlined above.
   2. All tryouts are conducted fairly and are subjective. Student athletes will be evaluated by the coaching staff with the use of a scoring rubric based on knowledge of the game, fundamentals/skills of the game, endurance/physical ability, team work, attitude, and effort.
   3. Due to the high volume of interested student athletes, we try to have as many as three and no fewer than two days of tryouts that are mandatory to attend.
   4. If a student is absent from school more than half the day, they may NOT participate in any school activities including tryouts.
   5. If an athlete cannot attend a tryout because they are finishing up a previous sports season, they are to contact the Athletic Director within a reasonable timeframe and and accommodation will be made for that athlete only.
   6. Athletic coaches will always do their best to keep to the time scheduled for tryouts. However, when there is a high volume of students attending, tryouts may exceed the posted time frame.  We ask for your patience.
   7. Student athletes should come dressed appropriately for the sport they are trying out for.  If tryouts begin at 3:00pm, the student athlete should be dressed and ready to go at 3:00pm.
   8. Parents may not attend tryouts, whether they are in the gym or on the field.  If tryouts are on the field, we ask that parents remain outside the fence.  If you wish to watch, we discourage any side coaching of your child during the tryout.
   9. If the student athlete is a returning team player from the previous school year, there is no guarantee that he/she will make the team again.  New students do enroll in the school and many other student athletes improve over time.
   10. Student athletes must keep in mind that should they make a sports team at SPMS and they decide to quit, they may not move on or tryout for another sport until the season ends.  As a courtesy to the coach and the Athletic Director, the student should inform both about his or her decision to no longer participate.
   11. At the end of each tryout, we ask that parents refrain from speaking to the coach as it can be perceived as potential bias towards other student athletes.  Parents with concerns who wish to speak to the coach must follow the guidelines below.
   12. Because the 210 League is a highly competitive middle school league, it is imperative for all parties to understand that playing time for each athlete is at the coach’s discretion based on the needs or demands of the game.

Parent Concerns

It is our belief that a quick and honest discussion between all parties will result in the positive resolution of concerns and in an improvement of the atmosphere for both athletes and coaches.

The list below outlining legitimate and non-legitimate concerns/grievances is intended to be a guideline, not an all inclusive list.  

Note: Please do not approach a coach immediately following a contest.  Emotions are high and often communication becomes confused.  If a question arises, call the next day to set up an appointment with the coach.  Also, interrupting a practice session is not an acceptable time to air concerns/grievances.  

Legitimate concerns/grievances:

1. 1. 1. Failure to provide due process in disciplinary action
      2. Failure to provide a fair opportunity to compete to make the team
      3. Mistreatment of athletes: putting students down; insults of a personal nature; foul, inappropriate language
      4. Any violation of an adopted code: ethics, conduct, expectations

Non-legitimate concerns/grievances:

1. 1. 1. Athlete not given enough playing time
      2. Athlete not playing the right position
      3. Strategies used by the coach
      4. Win/loss record of the team or coach

How to Communicate Concerns:

Whenever possible, athletes should be encouraged to address their concerns directly with their coach as the first step.  The steps below should be followed in order.

1. 1. A meeting between the player and the coach. The player should request a short meeting with the coach to air his/her concerns.  
   2. A meeting between the parent(s) and the coach.  The parent and coach should meet at a time and place convenient to each away from the event to discuss the issue. 
   3. A meeting between the parent, coach and Athletic Director.  At this point all parties have been unable to come to agreement on the issue.  At this meeting the following will be addressed: (1) Identify the nature of the problem and reason(s) for the problem; (2) Evaluate the prior communication that has taken place; (3) Identify the efforts that have been made to correct the situation; (4) Identify acceptable solutions for the problem.
   4. A meeting with the Principal. This meeting will also consist of the Athletic Director, head coach, parent, and player.  A written statement of the conference and the resolution should be generated by the Athletic Director and kept on file.