Requirements for Scholar Athlete Participation
In order to be eligible for participation, scholar athletes must be in good standing in each of the following categories:
- Academic
- Medical
- Attendance
- Behavioral
Athlete Academic Eligibility
Coaches should be aware of, communicate and abide by the schools academic eligibility requirements. Any questions or concerns about eligibility or a specific athlete should be made to the athletic director,
Per NJISAA Guidelines, schools offering interscholastic sport programs must have a school-board approved eligibility policy. Scholars attending BelovED will only be eligible for participation in interscholastic athletics under the following conditions:
- Scholar has reached 6th grade status for middle school sports and 9th grade for high school sports.
- Scholar has a completed and current sports physical on file with the athletic department office within the last 365 days
- A legal parent or guardian has provided signed consent for the student to participate in athletics
- All students are immediately eligible for the fall season.
- To become eligible for the winter and spring seasons all athletes in middle must obtain a 2.0 grade point average by the end of the grading term prior to participating in an interscholastic team, and not obtain more than one failing grade in any class.
- Three or more failing grades in a term is automatically ineligible for the full season.
- Athletes who are close to eligibility but are just below the line will be allowed to participate on the team in practice but will not be allowed to be in competitions until they have reached the eligible level. The athletic director will do 3 grade checks into the season to check for eligibility.
All students classified as physically or learning disabled, as defined by the New Jersey Department of Education, shall comply with the athletic eligibility rules and regulations of the NJSIAA unless provided a waiver from the school board.
Any student referred to the office for a school rule violation may be denied the privilege of participation for a period of time to be determined by the athletic director and grade level dean.
A student shall not, after enrolling in the sixth (6th) grade, be eligible for more than three (3) consecutive years of
middle school athletics.
No high school student is eligible after the completion of 8 academic semesters following entrance into 9th grade.
For middle school a student may not participate during any school year in which the student’s 15th birthday occurs prior to September 29 of the school year.
For high school a student may not participate during any school year in which the student’s 19th birthday occurs prior to September 1 of the school year.
Medical Eligibility Requirements
No students will be permitted to try out for a team, practice, or compete without having turned in a Pre-participation Physical Examination Form completed by a physician. The examination must be completed on the New Jersey mandated form and must have been completed within 365 days of the start of practice. This date will be announced by the Athletic Department when registration information is posted for each season. If you are unsure of the date of your last physical please contact Mr. Waldron for that information.
In cases where a physical examination has been done within less than 365 days before the start of practice but outside of
90 days prior an updated Medical HIstory Questionnaire form must be completed by the parents before a student may begin practice. The physical examination is required by law and is done to determine the athlete’s general fitness for participation in athletics. It should not be viewed as a comprehensive medical evaluation for determination of the presence of illness or disease.
Attendance
A scholar who is absent from school may not practice or compete in any contests on that day. When practices or games are held on a non-school day the student must be in school on the previous day in order to participate. In cases where a student arrives late to school or is issued an early dismissal the student must be present in school for a total of four (4) hours to be allowed to participate in a practice or game.
Scholars who are suspended from school will not be allowed to practice or play on the day of a suspension. In instances where a suspension ends on a day before a non-school day the scholar may not practice or compete on the next day.
Athletes are required to be at all practices, contests or other team events. Poor attendance at practices and games may compel a coaching staff to limit an athlete’s participation in competition. A coach has the right to bench or limit the playing time of an athlete in competition if the athlete:
- Cuts a practice
- Violates part of an attendance policy handed out by the coach at the beginning of the season
- Misses practices and/or games over an extended period of time that may result in any of the following situations:
- The amount of absences has resulted in it being unsafe for the player to participate in competition.
- The amount of absences has resulted in the player being ill prepared for competition in terms of his or her technique and/or understanding of the game plan.
- The player who served as the absentee’s substitute has proven himself or herself as someone who deserves equal or more playing time.
Excessive attendance issues as determined by the head coach in cooperation with the athletic director could result in the dismissal of the athlete from the team.
The following reasons are acceptable for excused absence or tardiness.
- The pupil’s illness.
- A death or critical illness in the pupil’s immediate family.
- Quarantine.
- Observation of the pupil’s religion on a day approved for that purpose.
- The pupil’s required attendance in court.
- Interviews with a prospective employer or with an admissions officer or an institution of higher education required and restricted by the institution to a specific date.
- Necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled at a time other than the school day.
Scheduled contests and practices are held during school vacations. Student-athletes are expected to attend all practices and games held during vacation. Should a student miss time for vacation, a general guideline that coaches employ is that the athlete will not participate in one scheduled contest for each practice or game missed.
Athlete Behavior / Code Of Conduct
The conduct of an athlete is closely observed in many areas of life. It is important that the athletes behavior be above reproach in all of the following areas:
In the classroom: In the academic area, a good athlete becomes a good student. A person must give maximum effort in the classroom at all times. As an athlete, you must plan your schedule so that you give sufficient time and energy to your studies to insure acceptable grades.
In addition to maintaining good academics, an athlete should give respectful attention to classroom activities and show respect for other scholars and faculty at all times. Disrespectful or disruptive behavior are not approved habits of behavior for our athletes.
School discipline referral: Any scholar referred to the dean's office for a school rules violation may be denied the privilege of participation in some or all athletic activities for a period determined by the Dean of Student and the Athletic Director.
Citizenship/Character: Any conduct which may be deemed by the Dean Of Students and / or the Athletic director to be both of a serious nature, and a violation of state, local, or federal criminal or juvenile law, may cause the participant to be declared ineligible for athletic participation.
If a player violates a team code of conduct that is described here the coach has the right to bench or limit the playing time of the offending player.
Any athlete who grossly casts a negative light on the Athletic Department and/or our school may be subject to benching or removal from his or her team. This action will be at the discretion of the Athletic Director after a consultation with the Dean of Students and the coaching staff.
Fighting in practice or during a contest is strictly forbidden. Since athletic contests are a school function, any scholar athlete involved in a fight during an athletic activity is subject to the same discipline as if the were in school. After an investigation of a fighting incident, consequences will be determined by the coach, athletic director anddena of students and may include suspension from the team and/or school. If a second offense occurs during the same season or a subsequent season during the same school year, the athlete will be removed from the team and may no longer
participate in any sport for the remainder of the school year.
In general, if the student brings discredit to the school or team, they will be subject to disciplinary action and may lose the privilege of participating in the BelovED athletics program.
Sportsmanship
We believe that scholars should be coached to play to the best of their ability and to understand that to play well is to play honorably. The promotion of sportsmanship is the obligation of all school personnel (administration, athletic directors and coaches) and is directed to the behavior of spectators, coaches and players. The desire to win is not an acceptable reason for abandoning rational behavior.
Respect should be demonstrated for an athletic opponent and for their school at all times. BelovED will treat visiting teams and their supporters as guests and accord them the consideration all human beings deserve. Visiting schools should respect the property and dignity of their host school and its athletic teams. Good sportsmanship is the mark of the good player:
- Do not swear or fight.
- Use self-control.
- Do nothing that will bring discredit to your school.
- Win graciously; lose without making excuses.
- Accept officials’ judgment without question.
- Give the best that is in you for your team and school.
- All team cheering should be positive with no intimidating or demeaning chants, gestures, etc.
- All players must follow the Code of Behavior for Athletic Contests.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct
There will be no tolerance for negative statements or actions between players and coaches. This includes taunting, baiting, berating opponents, “trash talking”, or actions that ridicule or cause embarrassment to them. Any physical, verbal, written (cyber or otherwise) conduct related to race, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or religion shall not be tolerated, and could be subject to violator ejection, and may result in penalties, being assessed against your team. If such comments are heard, a penalty will be assessed immediately.
The NJSIAA Sportsmanship Rule requires that “high standards of courtesy, fair play, and sportsmanship must be featured at all high school competitions”. The Sportsmanship Rule is the heart of the NJSIAA program. Good sportsmanship, respect for rules, respect for others, and fair play are the fundamental principles that support the interscholastic athletic program. NJSIAA has made sportsmanship a priority. Statements cautioning scholar athletes against unsportsmanlike
conduct are read before each competition. Students are told that actions which ridicule or cause embarrassment to opponents are unsportsmanlike and a HIB violation.