Northwest Cabarrus MS Athletic Guidelines 2017-18 School Year

Required Paperwork Participation Form/ Insurance Waiver Eligibility Forms Concussion Forms – signed by athlete & parent Physical Exam – every 395 days Must be kept up to date.

General Information Insurance: Use your own policy or you may purchase school time insurance. Equipment: Students are responsible for all equipment and its return. Coaches will designate day and time. If your child quits or loses items, they are responsible for the return of the equipment or must pay for its replacement. Tardiness/ Absences: Must be in attendance for half the school day. Medical documentation is required.

Eligibility Athletes must pass 3 of 4 core classes from the previous semester to participate. (2nd Semester grades used for Fall/Winter 1 and 1st Semester grades used for Winter 2/Spring) A student-athlete can not miss more than 13 days in the previous semester or they will be deemed ineligible A 7th grader can not be 14 and an 8th grader can not be 15 before August 31st All athletes are encouraged to do their best and make up any work missed due to leaving for an athletic event. It is the responsibility of the student athlete to get the make up work from the teacher.

Transportation Athletes must travel to and from an athletic contest on school transportation designated by the Athletic Director. Situations will arise when other arrangements will be made for certain teams. Please Note: A coach might require their athletes to travel home on the bus. Family situations may arise when other arrangements need to be made. This needs prior approval from the coach. The parent/guardian needs to submit in writing that their athlete will not be riding back to school on the bus. This will free the school of any liability in case of an accident. Coaches will have a sign out sheet for all away events to be signed by parent/guardian if the athlete will not be riding the bus back to school.

Sportsmanship and Behavior Expectations Our athletes are expected to maintain good attendance, attitude, effort, and respect for property in and out of the classroom. Athletes are expected to behave as ladies and gentlemen on and off the field/court. Show respect for teachers, coaches, and officials at all times. Use of profanity during practice or games is not acceptable behavior. Any student assigned ISS will not be eligible to participate in a game that day. Any student given OSS will be immediately dismissed from that athletic team. All athletes will be expected to follow all team rules as defined by the coach. If a student-athlete quits a team, they will not be allowed to try out for a team the following season. They will be required to sit out one sport season.

Game Conduct/Spectators We encourage everyone to attend our games and support our teams. Individuals who choose to berate opponents or officials, use vulgar language, or make derogatory comments WILL be asked to leave. Per NCHSAA, spectators can be removed from the event at the request of the referee. Contests can be emotional. A poor call, a costly mistake, or loss is difficult to swallow. We ask that you keep things in perspective. Please keep yourself under control and represent your community and school with dignity. That is the same we expect from our coaches and players. Try to lead by example. All athletes and their parents/guardians will be required to sign and adhere to a sportsmanship pledge.

Athletic Concerns Communicating with the Coach Encourage your student/athlete to discuss their issues with the coach. Items not to be discussed with coach by a parent Playing time Play calling Team strategy Other student/athletes General Information “inherent risk”- In athletics, accidents can and will happen. If you know of something that is occurring that is illegal/immoral please contact me as soon as possible.

Late Pick Up All student athletes are expected to be picked up after practice/games in a timely manner. No athlete should have to wait longer than 15 minutes for their ride. If an athlete is not picked up on time after the conclusion of the event the following will occur: 1st offense – warning 2nd offense – loss of playing time 3rd offense – removal from the team

Athletic Concerns Protocol Please adhere to these guidelines. Respecting the chain of command will benefit all parties involved. Contact the coach first – set up a meeting . If the meeting does not provide a satisfactory resolution call and set up an appointment with the Athletic Director. If an Administrator needs to be contacted, the Athletic Director should/will initiate it. Do not confront a coach at practice or before/after a game. These times are emotional and they DO NOT PROMOTE A RESOLUTION. If a parent violates this protocol, you can and will be restricted from practices and/or games.

NCMS Athletics Banner Program Please consider or recommend a company or individual who would like to purchase a sponsorship banner to support NCMS athletics. The money goes directly to the athletic department. There are two options: Yearly - $300 “Legacy” - $750 – Will leave up permanently Banner Application

#AllN We strive to promote a positive working relationship with Northwest Cabarrus HS and its coaching staff and Booster Club

Northwest Trojan Booster Club Membership Level: Individual Membership _________ $10 Family Membership _________ $25 - 1 Booster Club Member T-shirt per family membership that’s available for pick up at any home football game in the “Trojan Shack” Corporate Membership _________ $400 - 2 NCHS Season Sport Passes and recognized as a sponsor on NCHS website. Sponsor on all printed literature for 1 year   To be a successful Booster Organization for Northwest Cabarrus High School Athletics we need the support from our parents, teachers, coaches, athletes and the community. The areas that we need support in are: Concession Volunteering, School Spirit Committee, Fundraising, and Board Meetings.

Contact Information Principal: Mrs. Anna Blessington 704-788-4135 ext. 4022 Anna Blessington e-mail address Athletic Director: Ray Hylton 704-788-4135 ext. 4043 Raymond Hylton e-mail address Athletic Trainer: Asal Lenz 704-788-4135 ext. 1160 Asal Lenz e-mail address

Twitter and Parent Communication Please follow us for practice, games, scores and up to the minute sports information on the NCMS athletics twitter page @NCMSathletics . Twitter is the primary mode of communication that NCHS uses as well. Most NCMS coaches will use the REMIND app to communicate with parents/guardians as well.

Injuries and Medical Excuses In the event of an injury, please refrain from coming on the court until instructed to do so by Mrs. Lenz or Administration. All injuries must be reported to the Coach and Athletic Trainer. The Coach or Athletic Trainer will complete an Injury Report to be kept on file. Excuses for physical education will also apply to attendance and participation on an interscholastic team. The athlete must obtain a release to participate from the doctor from which they received the original excuse. If a student is exempt from taking physical education due to a medical concern, that student will not be allowed to participate on an athletic team.

Concussions A concussion is a traumatic injury to the brain and presents a wide variety of signs and symptoms Headache Confusion Amnesia (not remembering events before or after the injury) Vision changes Loss of consciousness Dizziness Irritability/emotional changes (inappropriate or atypical crying, laughing, etc.) Nausea/vomiting Fatigue/feeling sluggish/slow/’foggy’ Having “bell rung’ Excessive fatigue/drowsiness ANY sign/symptom after a blow to the head is a concussion until proven otherwise

Concussions continued… A middle school athlete should NEVER return to play on the day they suffer a concussion Returning an athlete to play before complete resolution of symptoms can lead to recurrent concussion, prolonged post-concussion symptoms, OR even ‘Second Impact Syndrome’ (which is often fatal) NEW NCHSAA Rule : An athlete with a suspected concussion cannot return to play until he/she is cleared by a licensed medical physician Managing concussions is difficult even for well-trained and experienced medical providers. Coaches and parents do not need this responsibility (or liability). Leave it to the medical professionals.

Heart Issues CCS has now instituted that all coaches complete a Sudden Cardiac Arrest course/training. There are red flags which can indicate undiagnosed heart problems. Chest pain with exertion. Passing out/fainting from exertion – this is not normal or due to being ‘out of shape.’ Family history of a sudden cardiac death or unexplained death before age 50. History of Sickle Cell. Take home point: Any athlete who passes out or has chest pain with exertion needs a medical evaluation.

Skin Infections Skin infections are common in contact sports Most skin infections are relatively minor and self-limited Resistant staph infections (MRSA) have become quite common and can be severe Skin infections are spread by skin-to-skin contact, sharing pads/equipment/work-out gear, dirty equipment, etc. Any boil or abscess needs medical evaluation

Skin Infections Preventative Measures Shower after every practice & game. Do not share equipment, pads, work-out clothes, towels, etc. Wash hands frequently with soap/water or anti-bacterial towels/gels. Wash equipment, mats, clothes, towels, etc. regularly. Take home point: the vast majority of skin infections can be prevented by good hygiene

Completion Survey Please click on the link and fill out the survey completely. Once you have completed the survey, I will receive an email documenting that you have viewed it. An athlete cannot participate on a sports team until their parent/guardian has viewed the presentation. Parent Power Point Completion Survey