ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT

2. The mission of Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School is to provide a respectful, caring and positive environment that fosters the development of academic skills, responsibility, and independence.

3. ATHLETIC DEPARTMENTMISSION STATEMENT • Mahomet-Seymour athletics teach teamwork, leadership, positive attitude, commitment and perseverance, which provide life-long lessons that will serve athletes long after their playing days are over. Coaches serve as guide posts in this process providing role models, motivation, knowledge, positive reinforcement and enabling student athletes to develop the skills to excel in sport and life.

4. ACTIVITIES PHILOSOPHY 1.At Mahomet-Seymour we feel that extra-curricular activities are in important educational experience for all those who choose to participate. A person is the sum total of all his or her living experiences, and experience comes in many ways. The channels of learning differ with each student, and each student tends to stress those channels that give expression to his or her best talents.

5. 2.All to often, people give little thought to those values that are usually described in abstract terms. Never-the less, qualities such as loyalty, respect, service, sacrifice, love, pride, dedication, and courage become more obvious when exposed to the pressures associated with athletics and extra-curricular activities.

6. 3. When a student endures the physical or mental hardship of being a team member, when he or she accepts all the unpleasantness of weather, outside pressures, bruises, aches, the disappointment of losing, when they subject their performance to the judgment of all spectators and critics …through all of this, a person can achieve a special discipline of character. This kind of discipline contributes to the strength, which helps us face hardships, responsibility, and the demands of duty throughout our lifetime. As a participant grows in their understanding of what it means to be a part of a team, and they face the difficulties of a challenging schedule, many of these qualities emerge.

7. ACTIVITIES CODE: • Please refer to the Extracurricular Activities Code in the student handbook for additional information: • http://www.ms.k12.il.us/mshs/pdf/StudentHandbook2006-2007.pdf It is the student participant’s responsibility to insure that they understand each section of each article, as well the responses to the frequently asked questions following Article III in the handbook. The articles cover: (a) Eligibility • (b) Behavioral Expectations and Consequences • (c) Season Schedules and Requirements

8. ELIGIBILITY • All participants must meet the Mahomet-Seymour School District academic standards • All participants and their parents must attend a review session related to the extra-curricular activities code one time in Junior High and One time in High School

9. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS MUST BE ON FILE BEFORE ANY STUDENT/ATHLETE WILL BE ALLOWED TO PRACTICE AND/OR PARTICIPATE IN ANY ACTIVITY: • A current physical • Insurance information • Parent Permission Form • Payment of activity fee (currently $80.00 per activity with a $160.00 maximum)

10. TRAINING RULES APPLY TO ALL PARTICIPANTS AND ARE IN EFFECT YEAR-ROUND, BOTH ON AND OFF SCHOOL GROUNDS. Please consult the student handbook for details. It is also the participant’s responsibility to insure that they are familiar with any rules or guidelines that may be specific to their activity. If a student is unsure about any of these guidelines, they should contact their coach.

11. THE FOLLOWING BEHAVIORS CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE MAHOMET-SEYMOUR SCHOOLS EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES CODE: • Smoking or chewing tobacco • Drinking or possession of alcohol • Illegal use or possession of a controlled substance • Engaging in conduct that specifically violates existing criminal code statutes • Deliberate access, creation, display, transmission, or otherwise possession or dissemination of material which contains pornography, obscenity, or sexual explicit pervasively lewd and vulgar, or indecent or inappropriate language, text, sounds or visual depictions You should consult your Student Handbook concerning details of these and other behaviors.

12. CONSEQUENCES FOR VIOLATION OF TRAINING RULES Consult the Extracurricular Activities Code of the Student Handbook regarding these consequences. These should be clear in your mind before you engage in a student activity. You are expected to use good judgment at all times. Good judgment includes choosing not to engage in behaviors in which there may be uncertain consequences. The following frames outline consequences for offenses and proximity:

13. FIRST OFFENSE • Suspension for 30 calendar days or ½ of the next activity season, whichever is less • Suspension can be reduced to 15 calendar days or 1/3 of the next activity season; whichever is less if the student chooses to meet with a school-approved treatment counselor and performs 8 hours of community service.

14. SECOND OFFENSE • Suspension for 90 calendar days and the completion of an approved counseling program • Suspension can be reduced to 45 calendar days with mandatory counseling and performance of 40 hours of community service

15. THIRD AND SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES • One year suspension and the completion of an approved counseling program • The penalty for a third offense can be reduced to 6 months with 80 hours of community service

16. EXPUNGMENT CLAUSE • Following a first violation, a student/athlete who has not be in violation of this policy for a period of one year will have their record expunged.

17. PROXIMITY CLAUSE • Students are not permitted to be in any location where alcohol, controlled substances, or illegal drugs are knowingly possessed or consumed by minors. • The first offense for a violation of the proximity clause for activities that have fewer than 15 contests is a suspension from one contest. For activities that have more than 15 contests, the suspension will be two contests. • Any second offense of the proximity clause will be treated as a first offense for possession and/or consumption.

18. SPORTSMANSHIP Sportsmanship is an honorable quality that desires to be courteous, fair and respectful. Participants and spectators in/of Mahomet-Seymour Activities are expected to know, understand and conduct themselves consistent with the following code:

19. FUNDAMENTALS OF SPORTSMANSHIP • Show Respect for the Opponent • Show Respect for the Officials • Know, understand and appreciate the rules of the game • Maintain self control • Recognize and appreciate skill in performance regardless of affiliation • Be no party to the use of profanity, obscene language or improper actions

20. FUNDAMENTALS OF SPORTSMANSHIP (CONTINUED) • Abstain from making negative statements towards coaches, players, officials or spectators • Set a good example for players and spectators to follow • Refrain from arguments in front of players and spectators • Abstain from throwing any objects in disgust

21. FOR MSJH STUDENT-PARTICIPANTS: • MAHOMET-SEYMOUR JUNIOR HIGH AND THE IESA BELIEVE THAT SPORTSMANSHIP IS A CORE VALUE, AND ITS PROMOTION AND PRACTICE ARE ESSENTIAL. STUDENT-PARTICIPANTS HAVE A DUTY TO INSURE THAT THEIR TEAMS PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOOD CHARACTER. THIS CODE OF CONDUCT APPLIES TO ALL STUDENT-PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN INTER- SCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES:

22. *Student-participants will advocate, model and promote the development of good sportsmanship and character to include: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. *Student-participants will respect peers, officials, opponents, parents, and all others associated with the event. *Student-participants will promote fair play and uphold the spirit of the rules of the activity. *Student-participants will model appropriate behavior at all times.

23. FOR PARENTS AND SPECTATORS • MAHOMET-SEYMOUR JUNIOR HIGH AND THE IESA BELIEVE THAT SPORTSMANSHIP IS A CORE VALUE AND ITS PROMOTION AND PRACTICE ARE ESSENTIAL. THIS CODE OF CONDUCT APPLIES TO ALL PARENTS/ SPECTATORS INVOLVED IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES:

24. Parent/Spectators will promote academics, and the emotional, physical and moral well being of the student-participants above the desires and pressures to win. • Parents/Spectators will teach, enforce, advocate, model and promote the development of good sportsmanship and character to include: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. • Parent/Spectators will respect participants,officials, opponents, and all others associated with the event. • Parent/Spectators will promote fair play and uphold the spirit of the rules of the activity. • Parent/Spectators will model appropriate behavior at all times.

25. It is our expectation that all fans will conduct themselves, at all times, with a level of sportsmanship and respect that expresses positive support for your team. Booing, swearing or negative comments directed toward the opposing team or the officials will result in an invitation to leave our facility for the evening. Adults, please remember you are role models for our children and athletes. Again, we are here to cheer FOR our teams, not AGAINST anyone else.

26. Mahomet-Seymour Schools have established a “Tradition of Champions” through our ”Commitment to Excellence”

27. ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED READING THE ACTIVITIES CODE AND ARE CERTAIN YOU HAVE NO QUESTIONS CONCERNING ITS CONTENT, GO TO THE NEXT FRAME, HIGHLIGHT ONLY THE TEXT IN THE FRAME AND SELECT “PRINT” FROM YOUR COMPUTER’S TOOL BAR. WHEN THE PRINTER WINDOW SHOWS, CLICK “SELECTION” AND THEN “PRINT”. FAILURE TO CLICK “SELECTION” MAY CAUSE YOUR COMPUTER TO PRINT ALL 28 PAGES OF THIS DOCUMENT. YOU MAY ALSO PICK UP A HARD COPY IN THE JUNIOR HIGH OFFICE. SIGNED COPIES ARE TO BE RETURNED TO THE JUNIOR HIGH OFFICE.

28. WE, THE UNDERSIGNED PLAYER AND PARENT, HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND MAHOMET-SEYMOUR’S ACTIVITY CODE AND THE PARENTS HAVE ATTENDED MAHOMET-SEYMOUR’S FUNDAMENTALS OF SPORTSMANSHIP OPEN HOUSE OR HAVE VIEWED THE 27-FRAME POWERPOINT OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SPORTSMANSHIP. WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CONDUCT OURSELVES CONSISTENT WITH THIS CODE. WE DO HEREBY PLEDGE TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO CONDUCT OURSELVES CONSISTENT WITH THIS CODE. TEAM SPORT________________ SIGNATURES: PLAYER_____________________ PARENT:_____________________ PRINTED NAMES ____________________________ _____________________________ DATE____________________ DATE____________________