Attendance

Track and Field athletes are required to be at practice on-time every day. If for some reason the student-athlete can’t be at practice, it is their responsibility to contact their event coach and their head coach ahead of time (if possible) to let them know. If he/she is sick and does not attend school, please email, or text through Google Chat sometime during the day. We can’t stress enough that communication is extremely important. 

Missing practice for a job is not excused, nor is missing practice to do homework or school disciplinary actions, except for in a few extreme cases. We expect all student-athletes to be organized when it comes to their academics. We start practice at 3:00 PM daily to allow for an academic support period. If a student-athlete needs more time to focus on academics, then they should probably plan on missing practice for this day. However, missing practice (even for academics) may result in disqualification from the next competition. This will always be managed on a case by case basis yet may require meetings/communication between the student-athlete, parent & coach.

Student-athletes with excessive tardies and absences with and/or without prior communication may be viewed by the team as a distraction. The student-athlete’s event coach will make the first determination on the appropriate course of action. 

Student-athletes must demonstrate personal responsibility through their on-campus and off-campus behaviors and activities. This includes bringing all the necessary materials to classes daily and attending practices consistently. If the student-athlete does their job in the classroom, he/she will not need to miss practices or meets due to academics. 

When a student misses practice for academics…while it may appear admirable that he/she is prioritizing academics; the reality is that the athlete may not have prioritized academics over athletics and socializing, and now has to make a sacrifice that could have a negative impact on the team. 

Student-athletes are required to report all serious injuries to the athletic trainer. Serious injuries do not include sore muscles, blisters, and minor bruises. Student-athletes should report to practice on-time and should never be late due to meeting with the athletic trainer. 

Depending on the situation and frequency of the attendance issues, the student-athlete will be asked to evaluate if he still intends to be a productive member of the program.