TREATING INJURIES PROCEDURE
1. All injuries sustained while participating must be reported immediately to a member of the student-athlete team’s coaching staff or the athletic trainer.
2. Athletes should not try to treat their injuries without consulting their coach or trainer.
3. For play at away sites, the home team athletics trainer or the team coach will administer medical treatment.
4. Coaches will exercise responsibility about all incidents involving their athletes. In the event a student must be transported for emergency treatment, a family member or assistant coach will ordinarily accompany the injured athlete.
5. If an injury requires a physician’s attention, the injured student-athlete must present written authorization from a physician before he/she may return to practices or games. That authorization must be given to the school nurse, the athletic trainer or the coach.
6. Norwich Free Academy’s athletic have the authority to restrict a student-athlete’s participation. Decisions are based on what is best for the student-athlete’s present and future health.
NORWICH FREE ACADEMY STUDENT ATHLETE PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES
STATEMENT
At Norwich Free Academy, responsible behavior begins with the desire to be a positive and contributing member of the school community.
Participation in athletics at Norwich Free Academy is a privilege and demands certain commitments and responsibilities. The Academy and our communities have a high level of expectation for students who represent NFA and who benefit from its programs. Students will take pride in themselves, accept responsibility for their own actions, and support others in the efforts to do the same. Students can expect support from adults in their lives (educators/coaches/parents) to adhere to the commitments and expectations of this policy.
PARTICIPATION RULES
The use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs is injurious to an individual’s health, and the consumption of alcohol by minors is illegal. Therefore, no member of a Norwich Free Academy athletic team, either on or off campus, will knowingly use, attempt to use, possess, sell, purchase, provide or distribute alcohol beverages, and/or any form of illicit drugs. This prohibition includes the possession and/or distribution of drug paraphernalia of any kind.
This policy is in effect the entire school year from the onset of the first preseason practice/activity to the last school activity.
Out of season violations of this policy may affect in season participation as determined by the Administration/Athletic Director. Factors pertinent to such a determination may include, but are not limited, to:
- Prior record of substance misconduct
- Consent to and compliance with appropriate therapeutic/behavioral intervention(s)
- Crime issue – Any violation of Norwich Free Academy’s student code of conduct or violation of local, state or federal law.
If applicable (i.e., for violations occurring at the end of one academic year,) participation sanctions may carry forward into a succeeding academic year.
FIRST OFFENSE
A student, after confirmation of a first offense, is put on probation for a minimum of 14 calendar days. During this probationary time, the student:
1. Will not participate in any practice/meetings/organized pre- or post- season event.
2. May not participate in any competition/performance.
3. Will attend a meeting with parents, coach and Athletic Director/ Administrative Representative.
4. Will deliver an apology to his/her team and coaches.
SECOND OFFENSE
The student, after confirmation of a second offense, will be suspended for the remainder of the interscholastic sport season. In addition, the student:
1. Will meet with the parents, coach and Athletic Director/Principal.
2. Will be ineligible for team recognition or awards and any postseason team functions and awards.
ADDITIONAL RULES AND PROCEDURES
The use or possession of tobacco and/or tobacco products on school grounds of school-sponsored activities is a violation of Norwich Free Academy policy. On any grounds, tobacco use by an NFA athlete is unhealthy and in violation of an athlete’s commitment to self and to team. Accordingly, the coach may establish and enforce team-
specific prohibitions against tobacco use among team members. These prohibitions shall be communicated at the beginning of the season.
The coach, within the guidelines for participation listed above, may establish any additional rules and procedures. With verbal and written descriptions at the beginning of the season/activity, coaches shall determine consequences for violation of additional rules and procedures.
DISQUALIFICATION FROM PLAY
When an athlete is ejected from a contest for unsportsmanlike behavior or fighting, including taunting, the athlete is ineligible to practice and to participate through the next contest at the same level of play (even if the next contest does not occur until league or CIAC tournament play or the following year). If one or more different level contests are scheduled before the next contest at the same level of play, the athlete shall be ineligible to participate in the next (but no more than one) contest at all other levels of play.
Disqualifications from athletic contests are examples of poor sportsmanship and are inexcusable. We do not expect student-athletes or coaches to be disqualified from any contest.
DISCIPLINARY POLICY
Coaches have the privilege of setting their own training rules and they may go beyond the school regulations. However, they may not be less restrictive than the regulations contained throughout this student-athlete handbook. The respective coach of an athlete is responsible for the administration of each team’s training regulations. All student-athletes have a right to due process. Coaches must provide student-athletes with an opportunity to be heard before deciding on an appropriate action. Penalties for violation of team/school training rules may vary from a warning to dismissal from a team. All student-athletes may appeal a coach’s disciplinary action to the Director of Athletics and/or Building Principal. Parents are advised to encourage student-athletes to work
out problems with their coach. At times the Director of Athletics/Building Principal may adjudicate.
During a disciplinary hearing with the Director of Athletics and/or Building Principal student-athletes and their parents/guardians may provide information germane to the case. The determination made in the case shall be final.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
1. The student athlete should present the conflict/issue to the coach as soon as possible to attempt to resolve the situation. Depending on the situation, an athlete may ask his/her team captain to approach the coach.
2. If the conflict cannot be resolved between the athlete and the coach, the athlete should make an appointment to see the Director of Athletics.
3. If the problem is still unresolved, the athletes’ parent should contact the coach.
4. Only when the problem cannot be resolved with the coach should the parent contact the Director of Athletics.
5. These are the recommended steps to be followed for the resolution of a conflict/issue:
a. Athlete > Captain
b. Athlete > Coach
c. Athlete > Director of Athletics
d. Parent > Coach
e. Parent > Director of Athletics
f. Parent > Principal
The correct procedure to contact a coach is to leave a message in the Athletics Office for the coach. Please do not contact the coach at home, except in the case of an emergency.
NOTE: It is inappropriate to discuss concerns immediately before or after an athletics contest.
SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS
Students may not participate in any game, contest, practice or school activity while under suspension, nor may students appear on school grounds or at a school activity on any school day while suspended from school. This includes contests at away sites. The suspension is in effect until an administrator readmits the student to classes.
If the student’s suspension occurs before a holiday or vacation period, the student will be able to practice or rehearse during the vacation period after two (2) days of prohibition from regularly scheduled consecutive practices during the holiday or vacation period. (For example, if a student is suspended on a Friday and a vacation period commences the next day, the student may not practice for the first two practices after the suspension begins. If a team had practices scheduled for that Saturday and Monday, the student’s first allowable practice would be Tuesday; however, he/she may not participate in an athletic contest or other school activity, including practices during days when school is in session, until he/ she returns to classes after being readmitted to school.) At no time may a suspended student practice or compete while school is in session.
HAZING
Hazing in any form will not be tolerated in the athletics programs at Norwich Free Academy. Hazing is any activity that humiliates, degrades, abuses or endangers a person’s physical or emotional health for the purpose of initiation or membership in or affiliation with any organization, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate. A student aware of any form of hazing directed at himself/herself or another student must report it to an administrator, teacher or coach