WELCOME ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT - 2009-2010 SUMMARY

PARTICIPATION STATS: % of school population:

(816 -1% from 09-10)• Fall: 284 (35% +1%)• Winter: 145 (18% -9%)• Spring: 290 (40% - 9%)

Total unique athletes: 435 (53% -9%)

SIGNIFICANT TEAM AWARDS:• Boys Volleyball – Class M Champs• Field Hockey – Class S Runner-up• State Champions: Adrian Ilinski &

Joe Pasco (Track), Evan Sahlman (Tennis), Alex DiClemente (Golf)

• All State Athletes: 19

Scholar-Athletes: (273 + 6% from 09-10)

• Fall: 110 (39% +6%)• Winter: 54 (37% + 2%)• Spring: 109 (38% +9%)Berkshire League Champions:• Field Hockey• Baseball• Golf• Softball

All Berkshire League:• 33 Athletes

Special Thanks to our Athletic Booster Club Officers

Co-Presidents: Marguerite Adamski & Lori Plocharczyk

Co-Vice Presidents:Melinda Forella & Kathy Minniti

Secretary:Karen Mudgett

Treasurer:Kim Larkin

BOOSTER CLUBOver $40,000 in supplies & equipment

2008-2009 Purchases

• Scoreboards for Softball & Soccer/Track Fields

• Scoreboards for Lacrosse/Field Hockey Fields

• Golf Cart for Trainer • Track Timers • Berkshire League Champ t-shirts for

our winning teams: Girls Basketball, Field Hockey, Boys Soccer, Softball and Golf

• Full Page ad in 2009 Yearbook • Hot Water Containers • Soccer Supplies • Field Hockey Goalie equipment • Softball Catcher’s gear and training

items • Concession Upgrade

2009-10 Purchases • Windshield for Tennis Courts • Girls Lacrosse Away Uniforms• $2500 towards Crew's new boat

purchase• Berkshire League Champ t-shirts for

our winning teams: Field Hockey, Baseball, Golf and Softball

• Sweatshirts for Boys Volleyball State Champions

2010-11 Purchases • Track High Jump Pit (mat, bar and

poles)• Pole Vault Pole

BOOSTER CLUB• Support all programs through volunteer services. • Operates in full support of the school athletic director and

principal.  • At no time, interferes with the policies, methods, eligibility

requirements, or other practices of the athletic department or administration. 

• Goal is to provide support for all our of student athletes and coaches.   Fairness across the board!

• Money raised comes from various activitie:– concession sales, merchandise sales, Script, Golf Outing and other

fundraising.  • Current membership: 42% as of June 2010.• Help us reach our goal of 100% and join today.  We can’t

do all of this without you.

Why Athletics?

Athletics In the United States…

One of the few countries in the world to incorporate athletics as part of the

educational process… most conduct athletics as it’s own entity, separate

from the educational process.

Why does this matter???

Why Does Your Child Play?

• If you haven’t asked your child this question, 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

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? Are enjoying the experience?

• The research says...

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

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

What are the goals?

• To support the student-athletes in developing as a well rounded, confident, accomplished individual.

• We support the Mission of the School and the Academic, Social and Personal Development of Every Student-Athlete!

• In a nutshell, the biggest single goal is:

GO PRO

Taken from:

www.NCAA STUDENT.ORG

The Numbers:• Statistically, the greatest opportunities for

scholarship dollars in college are in ACADEMICS• About 1% of high school athletes will participate

in college athletics at any level.• Athletic Scholarship monies are only available in

Divisions I and II and the great majority of these awards are split up among many athletes.

• Academic, student achievement, leadership and other student grant monies are available at all college/university levels.

• Less than 1% of all college athletes ever receive payment for participation at the professional or semi-professional level.

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:

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

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

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” (Webster’s Dictionary))

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 wasn’t the best of times)

Parenting Your Child Video

Not available via website link

In Summary…

• Your child pays attention to your conduct 100% of the time.

• Be proud of your conduct – 100% of the time.

Things to Avoid

• Loosing control during a game• Critiquing your child’s play after a game -

This is probably the biggest one – it’s 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

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

• When you are a Positive Role Model

• Reacting like an adult when things don’t go the way you want them to

• When you are encouraging...

• When you teach us that it’s 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…

No matter what the results, let’s strive to make our mark with:

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

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?

GuardrailsImagine Walking across this bridge…

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

Let’s 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 receive a

copy of these before your season begins

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 Connected:CIAC Sports.com

Information is on the handout

NEW – Electronic Delivery of Student-Athlete Handbook

Go to: www.GoMills.us to download

Forms Needed to Play

• Policy / Permission Form

• Emergency Medical Authorization Form

• Notification of On-line Access to Student-Athlete Handbook Form

• Student-Athlete must also pick up a Blue/Red Card from the school nurse

Physicals and Blue/Red 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 fall season. Please see the Nurse for more information. These will also be announced on our website.

Physicals and Blue Cards

In the event that a student-athletes physical expires before the end of the current season, the nurse will issue a RED card. This alerts the coach to the fact that this student athlete

will become ineligible on the date their physical expires. When the student brings in an updated physical to the nurse, they will be

issued a BLUE card to give to the coach.

Blue/Red CardsMost Important Reason for them:

Any special restrictions or serious medical concerns that the coach needs to be aware of will be noted on this card. This is often information that is not readily understood on the physical signed by the physician. The coaches are required to keep these

cards on file for the duration of the season as a reference.

NEW For 2010

Follow us on Twitter:

LSMAthletics

About our Program

• We offer 24 sports with 40 total teams to more than 53% (435/816) of our student body

• More than 35% of our athletes make the honor roll each quarter compared to about 25% of the general student body

• Last year, 273 student athletes earned scholar athlete status out of 719 total participants!

• Although some sports do have to cut, many programs do not

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

• Review New State Legislation

• All Coaches are certified

Brandon Schultz Story

• To here the Brandon Schultz Story, please visis the following CDC link:

• http://www.cdc.gov/TraumaticBrainInjury/CTK_Video_WM_BB.html

Concussion video not available from Website Link

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

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 fall, a student must have earned at least 4 Carnegie units of credit towards graduation in the previous year.

• Incoming 9th grade students are automatically eligible at the start of their 9th grade year.

Academic Tracking

• Coaches now received periodic academic progress reports for their athletes

• These reports will help to reinforce the development of the whole Student-Athlete

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.

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.

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.

Transportation Questions

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

• Exceptions:

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

Student Behavior Expectations

• Lewis Mills has high expectations for the behavior of all students

• Student-athletes are expected to abide by all appropriate school rules while conducting themselves as ladies and gentleman.

Potential Problem Areas:

• Negative Faculty Involvement• Detentions/suspensions• Skipping class/attendance• Chemical health policy violations• Fighting prior, during or after athletic events• Negative police involvement

Violations can include suspension for up to 3 contests or dismissal from the team

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.

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.

• Any known acts of hazing should be reported immediately to an Administrator

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.

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.

Sportsmanship: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

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

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 26—5½. 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."

Eugenio Monti & Tony NashBut 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 the

True Spirit of Sportsmanship Medal. This medal is still awarded by the International Olympic Committee.

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.

Questions on the Student-Athlete Handbook

• ???

Providing Feedback

• Parents: During each of the seasonal awards programs, parents are given an Athletic Program Evaluation form to complete. This past year, some valuable feedback was received, although less than a 10% return rate occurred.

• Student-Athletes: At the conclusion of each season, student-athletes will complete an Athlete Assessment form. These are a reflective instrument for the coaching staff and are not used for evaluative purposes. Coaches are required to develop one goal for the following season from these.

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 isn’t everything

• Enjoy it, it’s an amazing opportunity to see from such a close seat!

And never forget...

The most important parent role…

Don’t forget to bring the snacks

for after the game!

Breakout Locations:

Football - AuditoriumBoys Soccer – Boys Gym Girls Soccer – Girls GymCrew: LSM Cafeteria Boys Cross Country: A130Girls Cross Country: Fitness RoomField Hockey: Band RoomVolleyball: Chorus Room