MVISD
Athletics Policy
1. A student is not
required to take part in athletic activities, nor is participation required for
graduation (See
Walsh v.
2. Participants in
athletic activities should have a positive attitude toward their work, school,
teammates, coaches and sponsors; and participants should address their teachers
and administrators with respect. Participants should conduct themselves in an
appropriate manner at all times.
3. Participants should
be on time for classes, practices, trips and other scheduled events unless they
have
notified the sponsor or coach
ahead of time. A student who misses a practice or meeting may face some sort of
disciplinary action (loss of playing time, etc).
4. All participants are
expected to participate in their classes and to do their very best in the
classroom. No
participant should expect special
treatment in the classroom simply because he/she is involved in athletics.
5. A participant must
realize that at all times, he/she represents the school and our community and
that the
actions of a single student
may appear as a reflection on the entire school. Participants in athletic
activities
will be held to a “higher
standard” than those students who do not participate in activities (See Texas
Education Code section
33.081). The high expectations that we hold for our participants extend beyond
school hours and apply on and
off campus (See Ryan G. b/n/f Don g. and Glen F. v Navasota Independent
6. The
school property-or whether or
not school was in session (See Bush V. Dassel-Cokato Bd. Of, Educ., 745 F.
Supp. 562 D .
7. Students must
remember that their actions should reflect the high ideals of the school and
the community.
Actions that discredit
the student, his/her program and/or the school will be addressed in a manner
deemed
appropriate by school officials.
8. Students removed to
an alternative education program (AEP) may not participate in extra-curricular
activities (Texas Education code 37.006 (g) and Texas Education Code 37.008 (a)#3).
9. The appearance of
participants will be in accordance with good taste and not in attracting
attention to
themselves. The school dress code
will prevail at all times for those students who are representing the
school on out of town trips,
etc.
10. Participants will
travel to and from all activities as a group under the supervision of a coach
or sponsor. No student will be permitted to deviate from the above policy
unless the student and parent make arrangements with the coach or sponsor.
(This policy may be altered if a student is injured in a contest)
11. Good sportsmanship is
a must in all activities. A participant should always accept the decisions of
officials, coaches and sponsors, teachers, etc. Displays of anger, the use of
profanity, taunting the opponent or their crowd, etc will not be accepted. The
ideals of good sportsmanship do not apply only to students who are actively
participating in a contest. We expect students who are merely observing a
contest or come in contact with visiting players or fans, etc to display good
sportsmanship-on or off-campus, whether school is in session or not.
12. In those activities
where the school furnishes equipment, the student must use/wear the school
issued
equipment unless suitable
arrangements are made with the sponsor or coach. Likewise, the student is
responsible for returning all
equipment promptly at the conclusion of each sport or program. The student will
be expected to reimburse
the school for lost equipment or equipment that was damaged due to negligence.
Failure to reimburse
the district in a timely manner may result in the suspension of the participant
from
activities until the money is
paid.
Discipline
of Athletic Activity Participants
1. The overall
philosophy of the
2. Coaches have the
right to discipline students who participate in MVISD athletic activities. Each
student can be assured that he/she will be treated fairly in all matters of
discipline regardless of his/her stature in the
program, ability, race, sex or
any of the many other reasons that people give for predjudices.
3. A participant will
not be dismissed from a program without a discussion with the coach, and/or
principal and a twenty-four hour evaluation period.
4. Any student who is
removed from a program for disciplinary reasons will be ineligible from all
athletic
activities for a specified period
of time. Whenever a student is dismissed or suspended from a program, a
written report will be
submitted to the campus principal, the superintendent, the appropriate director
or coach
and written notification will
be mailed to the home of the student.
5. Assignment to AEP
will result in automatic suspension from extra-curricular activities. The
duration of the
suspension may extend beyond the
time period for which the student was assigned to AEP. (
6. In incidents
involving alleged MIP, DUI, or other violation of the law, the school district
will rely upon the
judgment and discretion of
local or state law enforcement agencies. As educators, employees of the MVISD hope
to avoid having to serve as judge and jury. For this reason, the district will
rely upon “hard” evidence of wrongdoing or first-hand knowledge of an
infraction by a school district administrator or the coach / sponsor. Hearsay
and rumor will not be admitted as evidence of an infraction.
7. Students who feel
that they have been unfairly limited by these rules may have a parent appeal
the matter to the campus principal. If the parent is not satisfied with the
principal’s disposition of the matter, the parent may appeal to the
superintendent in writing. The superintendent may rule or appoint an Appeal’s
Council made up of the campus principal and two designees. The council will
report its findings and recommendations to the superintendent. The Appeal’s
Council ruling would be final. A decision made by the superintendent could be
appealed to the Board of Trustees under school policy.
Punishment for an infraction of the Code of Conduct may be as
follows:
First Offense - The punishment for the first offense of the
Code of Conduct is as follows: The
student will become ineligible
beginning on the date of the infraction and will remain ineligible from
participation in athletic activities
for three calendar weeks from that date. While ineligible,
the student will be
expected to practice with his/her team or group. The student may travel to
contests with the group (at the
discretion of the coach). Ineligible students may not
participate in scrimmages with
their team. At the end of the three weeks, the student must be
passing each course in which
he/she is enrolled before he/she regains eligibility.
Second Offense - Dismissal from the athletic programs for the
remainder of the semester or
twelve calendar weeks
(whichever is longer).
Third Offense - Results in dismissal from participation in
athletic program activities for one
calendar year from the date of
the infraction or possibly for the remainder of the high school career.
Note: In all cases, the punishment for an infraction may be left up to
the discretion of the superintendent or
campus principal.
Student Signature
___________________________________________ Date ____________________
Parent Signature
____________________________________________ Date ____________________
Signatures indicate an understanding that these guidelines
prevail throughout the student’s athletic career.