What is the only thing we do every day, even if we dont want to

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WELCOME

• What is the only thing we do every day, even if
  we dont want to?
• Parenting is hard work
• How are Parents different from Coaches?
• Navajo Bridges
• Student-Athlete Handbook
• Know your role
• Know why your child plays
• What you do that embarrasses your child
• What you do that your child loves
• What your child wanted me to say to you
• Be a good sport

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Special Thanks to our Athletic Booster Club

• Co-Presidents
• Marguerite Adamski Lori Plocharczyk
• Co-Vice Presidents
• Melinda Forella Kathy Minniti
• Secretary
• Deb Olson
• Treasurer
• Loranna Jane McDonnell

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Whats the One Thing We Make Every Day?

• MemoriesParents, Coaches, Teachers,
  Administrators and Students are all trying to
  make the best memories they can every day!
• Lets make our athletic memories the best they
  can be!

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Parenting is Hard Work

• One hour with a child is like a ten-mile run.
  Joan Benoit Samuelson
• There is no such thing as a NON-working mother.
  Hester Mundis
• Nothing else will ever make you as happy or as
  sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite
  as hard as helping a person develop his own
  individuality especially while you struggle to
  keep your own. Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons
• And for all of your hard work, we all must
  remember

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• All parents do what they do out of LOVE for their
  child!

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How are Parents Coaches Different?

• I vs We
• Short Term vs Long Term Goals
• Safety Security vs Growth from Challenges
  (athletics and school are the safest places to
  learn to respond to failure)
• What is the one thing that both need to have in
  place for the experience to be the best it can
  be?

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Guardrails

• Imagine Walking across this bridge

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Now.

• What if we took away the guardrails?
• Guardrails give us freedom
• These boundaries make all the difference in our
  approach
• School, department and team rules are our
  Guardrails

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• Lets look at a few of them
• Please refer to the Student-Athlete Handbook and
  the Student Handbook for more details on these
  and other Student accountabilities
• In addition, each team will have their own team
  rules - you should be receiving a copy of these
  later tonight

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Student - Athlete Handbook

• All rules, policies, forms and the
  Student-Athlete Handbook may be found on our
  Wedsite at http//www.GoMills.us
• Another Way to Stay ConnectedCIAC Sports.com
  Information is on the handout

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About our Program

• We offer 24 sports with 40 total teams to more
  than 54 of our student body
• About 35 of our athletes make the honor roll
  each quarter compared to about 25 of the general
  student body
• Although some sports do have to cut, many
  programs do not

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ImPact Program

• One of our newer Guardrails is the ImPact Program
  for the management of head injuries.
• Baseline Impact Testing is required unless you
  sign a waiver to opt out of the testing
• Our goal is to get all baselines completed this
  spring

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Physicals and Blue Cards

• All student-athletes must have a current physical
  on file in the Nurses Office and the coach must
  have a blue card issued by the nurse to be
  eligible to participate in any practice or game.
  In addition, coaches must carry the Emergency
  Medical Authorization forms with them at all
  times.
• The next offering for a free school physical will
  be sometime towards the end of the school year.
  Please see the Nurse for more information. These
  will also be announced on our website.

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Playing Time

• Varsity Level playing time is not guaranteed and
  is based on the coaches decision
• JV All athletes in good standing should
  participate in all JV contests
• Freshmen All athletes in good standing should
  see significant playing time in all contests

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Attendance/Eligibility Policy

• To be eligible for practice or competition,
  student-athletes must be in attendance for at
  least 4 hours of school. Administrative
  exceptions may be made for exceptional
  circumstances generally related to other academic
  commitments or physician visits.
• To be eligible to play in the spring, a student
  must have passed at least 4 units of credit in
  the 2nd marking period and then pass 4 again when
  3rd quarter marks are released.

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Playing on an Outside Team

• When can a high school athlete practice or play
  with an outside team without being in violation
  of CIAC rules?
• This includes participating in a camp, student
  clinic, tryout, showcase or auditioning for a
  college or professional team.

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Outside Competition cont

• Before the first regular season contest
• When the CIAC season officially ends (State
  Championship for that sport)
• Also, when the season ends for a team that did
  not qualify for the tournament or for an athlete
  whose name does not appear on the tournament
  roster.

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Exceptions

• In the individual sports of golf, swimming,
  tennis, indoor track and outdoor track,
  exceptions that allow the athlete to participate
  unattached do exist. Refer to 4.6.J in the
  CIAC Handbook for the complete definition.
• Please contact the athletic office with any
  specific questions.

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Chemical Health Policy

• Key Language Student-Athletes may not use or be
  in the presence of those using any
  illegal/non-prescription drug (including
  steroids), alcohol or other substance identified
  in this policy.
• 1st Offense Minimum 2 game suspension
• 2nd Offense Suspension for the remainder of the
  season.

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Transportation Questions

• We will provide bus transportation to team
  competition sites - Students are expected to use
  this transportation whenever it is available
• Exceptions

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Exceptions to Travel Policy

• All exceptions require Administrative Approval
  and a signed Transportation Agreement. These
  include
• A student-athlete driving themselves or traveling
  with another parent/adult to and/or from an
  off-campus event
• Under no-circumstances will a student-athlete be
  allowed to transport a non-related
  student-athlete to or from off-campus practice or
  game facilities

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Hazing/Bullying Policy

• This type of behavior will not be tolerated on
  any Lewis Mills team. Board of Education Policy
  will be followed.
• Please contact the athletic office with any
  questions or concerns.

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Lockers and Valuables

• All athletes in season should have be issued a
  lock locker in the locker room. These should be
  used to lock up valuables at all-times when
  practice or games are in process.
• Students are asked to see their Wellness Teacher
  if they have not been issued one or are having
  any difficulties with its use.

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Chain of Command

• Help us be proactive and encourage all conflicts
  and questions to be handled at the lowest
  possible level between the student-athlete and
  the coach - it may not be easy, but empowering
  students to use their voice first is a very
  important goal.
• If this does not resolve the concern, the parent
  should speak directly to the coach.
• If this is not sufficient, please contact the
  Coordinator of Athletics and then the Principal
  and finally the Superintendent.

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Questions on the Student-Athlete Handbook

• ???

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What are the roles?

• Parents want to Coach.
• Coaches want to Officiate.
• Officials want to watch.
• You can only do one thing well. Choose!
  Bruce Brown

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Parents Role

• Support and Encourage. The experience is
  designed to be a spectator activity for parents.
  (Spectator one who watches without taking an
  active part (Websters Dictionary))

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Parents Role cont.

• Before the season - understand why they play
• During a contest be a positive role model
• After a contest give them time and be
  supportive (especially if it wasnt the best of
  times)

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And never forget...

• The most important parent role
• Dont forget to bring the snacks for after the
  game!

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Why Does Your Child Play?

• If you havent had this conversation with your
  child yet, please do it tonight
• The National Alliance for Sports reports that
• Over 70 percent of kids quit playing youth sports
  by age 13
• and never play them again.
• "The number-one reason (why they quit) is that it
  stopped being fun" Michael Pfahl, NYSCA

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Why Does Your Child Play? cont

• Whose choice is it to play?
• 30 Million High School Athletes 1 play in
  College at Div I, II, III. Is she/he playing for
  the right reasons? Enjoying the experience?
• The research says...

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Why Kids Play BoysMichigan State University
Study

• To have fun
• To do something I am good at
• To improve my skills
• For the excitement of competition
• To stay in shape
• For the challenge of competition
• To get exercise
• To learn new skills
• To be part of a team
• To go to a higher level of competition

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Why Kids Play GirlsMichigan State University
Study

• To have fun
• To stay in shape
• To get exercise
• To improve my skill
• To do something I am good at
• To learn new skills
• For the excitement of competition
• To play as part of a team
• To make new friends
• For the challenge of competition

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What you do that Embarrasses your Child...
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Things to Avoid

• Loosing control during a game
• Critiquing your childs play after a game - This
  is probably the biggest one its simply not
  your role
• Putting down his/her teammates or coach
• Making the outcome more important than it really
  is the game and the result belongs to the
  student-athlete and their teams

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On the flip side What do parents do that kids
appreciate?

• When you are a Positive Role Model
• Reacting like an adult when things dont go the
  way you want them to
• When you are encouraging...
• When you teach us that its ok to fall down as
  long as we get back up and work harder for it the
  next time
• When you get to know and have a good relationship
  with the other parents

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What your kids wanted me to say...

• Its our experience, let us do it

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Being a good sport

• It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf
  balls while they are still rolling. Mark Twain
• Do Sports Build Character or Reveal Character?
• Makes events safer for everyone

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What is Sportsmanship? ( Two Great Stories)

•  Webster's Dictionary
• the ability to take a loss or defeat without
  complaint,
• or a victory without gloating,
• and to treat opponents with fairness, generosity,
  and courtesy 1) Jessie Owens Luz Long 2)
  Eugenio Monti Tony Nash

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• Jessie Owens Luz Long
• Gold number two came in the long jump, where he
  fouled on his first two attempts. One was just a
  practice run where he continued down the runway
  into the pit, but German officials didn't buy it
  and counted it as a jump. Top German long jumper
  Luz Long suggested Owens play it safe and jump a
  few inches before the usual take-off spot. He
  took his advice and qualified for the finals,
  where he won the gold with a leap of 265½. And
  Long was there to congratulate him. "It took a
  lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of
  Hitler," Owens would later say. "You can melt
  down all the medals and cups I have and they
  wouldn't be a plating on the 24-karat friendship
  I felt for Luz Long at that moment."

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• Eugenio Monti Tony Nash
• But it was during the 1964 Winter Olympics in
  Innsbruck that Monti performed the best-known act
  of his sporting career. Realizing that British
  bobsledders Tony Nash and Robin Dixon had broken
  a bolt on their sled, Monti lent them the bolt of
  his sled. The Britons won the gold medal in the
  2-man bobsled, while Monti and his teammate took
  the bronze medal. Answering critics from the home
  press, Monti told them "Nash didn't win because I
  gave him the bolt. He won because he had the
  fastest run." But that was not his only act of
  selfless generosity. In the four-man competition,
  the Canadian team of Vic Emery damaged their
  sled's axle and would have been disqualified had
  not Monti and his mechanics come to the rescue.
  The sled was repaired and the Canadian team went
  on to win the gold medal. For this, he was
  awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal also called
  theTrue Spirit of Sportsmanship Medal and is a
  special medal given by the International Olympic
  Committee.

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Fundamentals of Sportsmanship

• 1. Show respect for the opponent and the
  officials.
• 2. Know, understand, and appreciate the rules of
  the contest.
• 3. Maintain self-control.
• 4. Recognize and appreciate skill in performance
  regardless of affiliation.

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No matter what the results, lets strive to make
our mark with

• Respect
• Class
• Winning with Grace
• Losing with Dignity
• Striving to Win!

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Closing Thoughts

• Just like we ask our student-athletes, Parents
  please identify your role and be the best you can
  at it
• Help your sons/daughters understand that
  athletics isnt everything
• Enjoy it, its an amazing opportunity to see from
  such a close seat!

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And Most Importantly

• Dont forget to bring the snacks!

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Breakout Locations

• Baseball - Band Room
• Boys Volleyball Girls Gym
• Crew Auditorium
• Golf Mr. Pelchars Room
• Boys Lacrosse Boys Gym Girls Lacrosse Back Gym
• Softball Chorus Room
• Boys Track Mills Caf Girls Track Har-Bur Caf
• Boys Tennis Fitness Room Girls Tennis Room 130