Athletics Discipline Policy 

Any athlete using alcohol, tobacco, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes or illegal substances such as drugs or steroids will be subject to the following disciplinary action(s): 

First Offense: Suspension from all athletic participation for fourteen (14) calendar days from the day of the suspension. This includes practices and contests. 

All Subsequent Offenses: Suspension from all athletic participation for sixty (60) calendar days, excluding days from June 15 through August 15. 

A record of all suspensions will be kept in the Athletic Director’s office. 

Athletics Exemptions 

Students who have a nine-period day with lunch as the only free period and participate on a WHS interscholastic team, cheer squad or marching band may apply for a PE exemption during that season. Swim team is an exception in that swimmers will have a 1-8 day including lunch due to practice time requirements at the YMCA pool. The athletics exemption steps:

1. The student-athlete must apply for an exemption for each season in which they participate on a team. 

2. The application is located on both the Physical Education and Athletics websites.

3. The counselors look through the generated list of student-athletes and check for a nine-period day, then sign off on the Google sheet as to whether students are eligible or not eligible for exemptions. 

4. The student-athlete checks in with their PE teacher to verify that they are on the list on the day that exemptions begin. 

5. The timestamp shows if a student misses the exemption application deadline.

6. If driving forms are necessary, the student uploads them on the Google Form.

7. If an athlete is injured, they begin the PE medical program (details above) until their 

doctor releases them and they return to their team. It is the student-athlete’s responsibility to go to their PE teacher to facilitate this switch. 

8. Student-athletes are required to return to PE class on the day following their last competition of the season. 

9. The student’s coach will record absences from Monday through Friday and is responsible for grading the student-athlete at the end of the marking period and/or end of the season. The coach notifies Office A of absences. 

10. Exceptions to the PE exemption eligibility are: 

a. Students must attend Health class. 

b. Tenth-graders must attend Drivers Theory class. 

c. Ninth-graders must attend Project Adventure class. 

11. If a student-athlete is taking a required health class during a marking period that spans part but not all of the sports season, the student must fill out an exemption form by the prior deadline for a marking period 2, 3 or 4 phys ed class exemption. 

Forms and Information 

Students who wish to try out for any Westfield High School sports team and want to begin the paperwork process for that should visit the athletics department web page, which can be accessed here. In addition, the athletics office itself is located across from Room 119 by the main office. 

Students must attend school on the day of a practice, game, or tryout in order to be eligible to participate in the day’s athletic activity. In addition, schoolwork always takes precedence over sports, and coaches will accommodate students who wish to meet with a teacher for extra help after school at a time when practice has begun.

Medical Exemptions 

When a doctor decides that a student may not participate in PE, the following steps are completed: 

1. The student brings the doctor’s note to a nurse in the health office. 

2. The student meets with their PE teacher. 

3. The PE teacher adds that student to a Google Classroom for the marking period (ex: PE Medical Marking Period 1) 

4. The student checks in with their PE teacher every day (except for their lab or off day) for attendance reasons. At this check-in, the PE teacher has a conversation about the assignment and answers any questions about that assignment. 

5. The student reports to the library and swipes in for their PE period, and works on the assignment during that class period. 

   6. The assignments are located in Google Classroom and are due by the Friday of each week. 

   7. The PE teacher grades the assignments as the student’s participation grade for that week.

Physical Education 

Students must take a physical education or health course during every semester that they are enrolled in Westfield High School. Many students have questions about the physical education medical and sports exemptions. Two brief lists of exemption steps are listed above in Athletics Exemptions and Medical Exemptions. 

Sportsmanship / Conduct 

In athletics, as in every other activity, nothing is as important as good sportsmanship. The Board of Education requires that all individuals involved in or attending the athletic and intramural programs sponsored by the Board exhibit sportsmanship when representing the school at any athletic event. Sportsmanship is defined as abiding by the rules of the contest as defined or

accepted by the participating teams and the gracious acceptance of victory or defeat. Student-athletes are expected to adhere to the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) Sports Code of Ethics: 

● Represent their school and team with the highest standards of proper behavior and conduct. 

● Respect the integrity and personality of teammates, opponents, and coaches. 

● Abide by the rules of the game with modesty in victory and graciousness in defeat. 

● Respect the decisions and judgment of officials. 

● Refrain from using obscenities or profanities. 

● Strive for maximum achievement in scholastic and athletic competition. 

● Practice good health habits. 

● Demonstrate good sportsmanship in both winning and losing. 

● Abstain from use of unhealthy and illegal substances. 

● Follow the rules of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. 

Parents/spectators should: 

● Show respect for all student-athletes and coaches of both teams and their supporters. 

● Refrain from using obscenities or profanities. 

● Refrain from making disparaging remarks about players, coaches, officials and spectators. 

● Respect the integrity and judgment of contest officials. 

● Be a positive role model through one’s own actions. 

● Demonstrate an appreciation for the athleticism of all contestants. 

Eligibility 

The academic eligibility standards adopted by the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) for students wishing to participate in competitive athletics are adopted as policy by the Westfield Board of Education. 

1. To be eligible for athletic competition during the first semester (September 1 to January 31) or the second year of attendance in the secondary school or beyond, a student must have passed 30 of the credits required by the State of New Jersey for graduation during the immediately preceding academic year. 

2. To be eligible for athletic competition which begins during the second semester (February 1 to June 30) during the ninth grade or higher, a pupil must have passed the equivalent of 15 of the credits required by the State of New Jersey for graduation at the close of the preceding semester (January 31). Full-year classes shall be equated as one-half the total credits to be gained for the full year to determine credits passed during the immediately preceding semester. 

3. The above paragraphs (1 and 2) shall not apply to incoming students from middle school (eighth grade). 

4. Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraphs 1 and 2 above, a pupil who is eligible at the beginning of a sports season shall be allowed to finish that season. 

5. A student cannot be 19 years of age prior to September 1. 

For more information on NJSIAA eligibility, click here. 

Further, these same academic standards are to be met by all Westfield students who participate in any extracurricular program which requires at least five hours of activity per week. If the student fails to meet the standards of conditional participation, that student will be subject to further sanctions, including immediate removal from the activity.

Varsity Sports at WHS - Those teams marked with an asterisk (*) have junior varsity squads.