Parents Information

Philosophy - Athletic Program

Ø Provides Upper School Students (5-8 Grade) the opportunity to enhance their experiences in a variety of interscholastic sports.

Ø Teams are co-ed unless otherwise stated.

Ø Students may choose whichever sport they wish to pursue. However, if they wish to change to a different sport, they may do so by the end of the first week of practice. After this week, students may switch sports only under exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Athletic Director.

Ø Students must only make a commitment to an after school sport if they are certain that they can attend practices and games on a regular basis. Dividing their after school time between a school sport and an out of school activity is not acceptable. Exceptions may be made for an established commitment, such as Hebrew classes, which result in the loss of practice for no more than one afternoon each week.

Ø No cuts from teams and everyone is given the opportunity to play


Ø For team sports, the varsity team will be mainly comprised of 7th and 8th graders with some exceptions made in order to maintain a balance of numbers and to address the outstanding ability of a 5th or 6th grader. The JV team will be mainly comprised of 5th and 6th graders with some exceptions made at the discretion of the coaches. In tennis, the team will be comprised of match players and instructional level players according to ability.

Ø Playing time is often determined by the individual’s level of commitment to the team and to practices. It may also be dictated to some extent by the strengths of the teams we play, how the game is going, and the need to keep certain players on the court/field. In the main, players should enjoy as much playing time as everyone else.

Ø Tuesdays in the past have been designated as a ‘no practice’ day with the understanding that this is the day to schedule appointments and/or to work on projects. This has been done to alleviate the need for players to miss practice. However a coach may ask the players to practice on Tuesdays with the explicit understanding that the practice is optional and players will not be penalized in any way for not turning up.

Ø If students miss the practice before a game, they should not expect to start in the game (unless everyone is needed to play). Again, coach discretion is expected here!

Ø Good sportsmanship is always the number one priority. Our school has a good reputation for this with other teams we play, and we want it to remain that way. If students cannot demonstrate good sportsmanship, then they should not be allowed to play. Coaches and parents are also expected to act in accordance with this policy. Making derogatory remarks or harassing other teams, coaches or referees will not be tolerated. We must all set a good example for our students to follow.



Spectators

Ø Spectators are welcome at all athletic events.

Ø Upper school students may attend home games if the office is notified that they are planning to stay.

Ø Lower school students must be accompanied by an adult.

Ø Students are not allowed to accompany a friend to practice because this distracts both players and coaches.

Ø The team bus is available to players only.

Pick Up

Ø Students are finished with practice at 4:45 pm. Pick-up is at 4:50 pm. Please be there to pick up your child on time.
Ø It is sometimes hard to predict the exact return time for away games, but every effort is made to list accurate times in the weekly Fencepost. In the event that a coach realizes that there will be a significant delay, (more than 20 minutes), he/she will call the school’s machine in order to leave an updated message, which parents may hear by calling the machine. Upon their return to school, coaches will retrieve messages left by parents.

Ø Parents should make every effort to arrange their own back-up plans if they are unable to pick up by the designated time.

Ø A late fee of $10 per 15 minutes will be charged when coaches are required to stay with players after such late games.

Ø If a player is late repeatedly, he/she will not be allowed to play in future games.

Bad Weather

Ø If the weather becomes bad during the day, practices and/or games may be cancelled.

Ø Students will be informed as soon as possible, so that they may call home. The decision is usually made by noon, unless the weather changes very suddenly during the afternoon.

Ø Safety of students is always the top priority.

Ø If a game has been cancelled due to inclement weather, a practice may be organized inside using one of our two gymnasiums. Students will be allowed to notify parents by telephone, well in advance.






Schedule Changes

Ø Any schedule changes will be notified to parents usually by e-mail. If a postponed game gets re-scheduled, the new date and times will be sent to parents by e-mail and put in the Fencepost. Players on the team will also be told verbally by their coach.

Practice

Ø Students must attend all practices.

Ø Students must come prepared to practice with the correct equipment e.g. cleats, shin guards, mouth pieces etc.

Ø If there is an emergency or a student absolutely cannot stay, it is courtesy to inform the coach as soon as possible with a written note of explanation. This does not mean right before a practice or a game.

Ø In the event of cold weather, it is important that Students bring to practice (and games) a warm-up suit (plus a hat in the case of very cold weather).

Ø Homework, projects or tests should not be a reason to miss practices.

Athletic Trainer

We will have an athletic trainer in attendance for one afternoon a week during practice or a game. It is important that if your child has an injury or physical concern, he must notify his coach or the athletic trainer as soon as possible. Additional information on the services provided by the Athletic Trainer will be available on our sports blog.


Equipment:

Soccer : Shin guards and cleats.
Field Hockey : Shin guards, cleats, mouth guard and field hockey stick.
Volleyball : Knee pads.
Basketball : Sneakers
Girls Lacrosse : Cleats, mouth-guard, lacrosse stick, goggles, light gloves
Boys Lacrosse : Cleats, mouth guard, lacrosse stick, rib/chest pads, arm & shoulder pads,
Athletic cup, gloves, helmet (provided).
Tennis : Tennis shoes, whites.
Cross-Country : Running Shoes.
Squash : Sturdy tennis/squash/cross-training sneakers, whites, squash racquet,
protective glasses.
Snacks

Given that students have an early lunch and that travel away can sometimes mean arriving back early evening, it is important that the students have access to some form of nourishment, and that these should be something light, convenient and simple. For each team, we ask that one parent takes on the task of snacks coordinator. This involves contacting parents of participating students and arranging a “snack providing” schedule for away and home games. All snacks prepared must take into account current school policy on snacks brought in to school. This is particularly important with regards to our current status as a “nut free” school. The recommendations for providing snacks are as follows: At half-time, it is nice to have a segment of orange or two (when playing at home, we also like to provide the opposition with oranges too, as a sign of hospitality and good sportsmanship practice amongst our players). Following the game, for away games only, we recommend that individual cartons of drink such as fruit juice (definitely not soda) are provided along with relatively healthy individual snack packs such as pretzels or crackers.


End of season Party.

It is always nice to finish off the season with an end of season get together with players, coaches and parents involved. This could involve a trip to the local Four Brothers pizza restaurant or a party in the Bontecou Gym meeting room with pizza ordered in. With tennis last year, we had strawberries and ice cream at the Golf & Tennis Club! It usually involves collecting around $5 per player to pay for the food and drink. If any team parent wishes to help in organizing this event, please let me know as soon as possible.

Behavior on Buses

It goes without saying really, that we expect high standards of behavior from our students at all times when representing the school at sports. Traveling on the bus is no exception, particularly when the coach is also the bus driver. Safety is a big issue here and any tomfoolery will be dealt with severely.

Finally……. I want to assure you that our coaches, within the framework of Dutchess Day School philosophy, are all dedicated and committed to providing enjoyable and successful sporting experiences for your child(ren). Each coach will have their own way of doing things, depending on their experiences, personality and coaching style. It does not always mesh with those ideas and personal experiences of parents. If, as a parent, you are unhappy with something the coach is, or is not doing, please express your concern to the coach directly. It may well be that there is simply a misunderstanding and all can be resolved quite quickly. If you feel uncomfortable about approaching the coach directly, please talk to the Athletic Director as soon as possible.

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