1. MAYO ATHLETICS ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

2. Welcome Jeff Whitney, Activities Director Robin Erickson, Activities Secretary Activities Office 328-5560 www.mayospartans.org Twitter @mayospartans www.big9.org “Notify Me” www.big9.org

3. P.A.C. Outline General Eligibility Academic Eligibility Attendance & Behavior Guidelines Semesters in High School Seasons of Participation Enrollment & Required Subject Load Age Amateur Status Graduate Transfer Rule Foreign Exchange Students Awards Bylaw College & University Teams Athletic Camps & Clinics Physical Exam & Parent Permit Mood-Altering Chemicals Non-School Competition & Training for Team & Ind. Sports Racial, Religious, Sexual Harassment / Violence & Hazing

4. MSHSL The Minnesota State High School League provides educational opportunities for students through interscholastic athletic and fine arts programs and provides leadership and support for member schools.

5. MSHSL Bylaws, School rules and State & Federal Laws that Govern our Student Athletes and Programs Rules and Bylaws of the Minnesota State High School League Rules and Policies of the Rochester Public Schools Laws of our State and Country

6. General Eligibility We have high standards for our student athletes. Participation is a privilege offered only to students in good standing. A student must be fully enrolled and in good standing A student is required to attend school and compete in the attendance area in which their parents (both) reside. Our priority is to keep students in class! Students are expected to be in class and follow all school rules for attendance, behavior, and academics. We hope that our participants learn to be role models on and off the playing surface.

7. Student Code of Responsibility I will respect the rights and beliefs of others and treat others with courtesy and consideration. I will be fully responsible for my actions and the consequences of my actions. I will respect the property of others. I will be responsible for equipment and return it at the end of the season. I will respect and obey the rules of my school and the laws of my community, state and country. I will show respect to those who are responsible for enforcing the rules of my school, laws of my community, state and country. A student whose character or conduct violates the code is not in good standing and is ineligible for a period of time determined by Administration.

8. Treatment of Officials & Visiting Teams Athletes, coaches, parents and spectators need to work together to eliminate public criticism and disrespectful behavior towards officials, visiting team’s coaches or players. Unethical behaviors include inappropriate verbal or nonverbal gestures. This can result in the removal from the event or an ejection. A student ejected from a contest will be ineligible for the next contest. All other subsequent ejections shall result in ineligibility for the next 4 contests.

9. Attendance & Behavior Expectations A student is required to attend school and compete in the attendance area in which their parents reside. Students should abide by all school attendance and behavior guidelines. Students are expected to be in class. If a student has an unexcused absence they will miss the next event, unless it is cleared in the Attendance Office within 48 hours. An absence due to truancy, illness or injury during the last half of the day, may not participate in practice or contests that day. Behavior unbecoming of an athlete will result in exclusion from event(s).

10. Semesters & Seasons of Participation A student shall be eligible for participation for twelve consecutive semester beginning with 7th grade. All semesters must be consecutive. No student can have more than six seasons of eligibility in any sport grades (7-12). Elementary students (K-6) are not eligible to practice or participate in games or events. 7th and 8th grader students must handle all aspects of participation at the high school level: physically, emotionally, mentally and educationally.

11. Academic Eligibility Students must maintain satisfactory progress towards graduation by earning 3 credits per semester. Students that are 1 credit or less deficient will be placed on an academic contract. Students that are more than 1 credit deficient are ineligible until the deficiency is made up. FreshmanSophomoreJuniorSenior 1 st SEM391521 2 nd SEM6121824

12. Mood-Altering Chemicals THE RULE REGARDLESS OF QUANTITY, A STUDENT SHALL NOT; 1.USE OR HAVE IN POSSESSION A BEVERAGE CONTAINING ALCOHOL; 2.USE OR HAVE IN POSSESSION TOBACCO; OR. 3.USE OR CONSUME, HAVE IN POSSESSION, BUY/SELL, OR GIVE AWAY ANY OTHER CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, OTHER INTOXICATING SUBSTANCES, LOOK ALIKE SUBSTANCES OR DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. THE RULE APPLIES DURING THE ENTIRE YEAR INCLUDING THE SUMMER MONTHS. Police reports, pictures, videos and written statements can be used as evidence when investigating a chemical or behavior violation. Teachers and coaches are reliable reporters.

13. Mood-Altering Chemicals THE CONSEQUENCE FIRST VIOLATION USE/CONSUMPTION and POSESSION: The student will lose eligibility for 2 weeks or 2 events, whichever is greater. SECOND VIOLATION USE/CONSUMPTION and POSESSION: The student will lose eligibility for 3 weeks or 6 events, whichever is greater. THIRD OR SUBSEQUENT VIOLATION(S) USE/CONSUMPTION: The student shall lose eligibility for 4 weeks or 12 events, whichever is greater. If after the third or subsequent violations, the student has been assessed to be chemically dependent and the student on her/his own volition becomes a participant in a chemical dependency program or treatment program, then the student may be certified for reinstatement in MSHSL activities after a minimum period of six (6) weeks. Such certification must be issued by the director or a counselor of a chemical dependency treatment center.

14. Mood-Altering Chemicals THE PENALTY Penalties shall be accumulative beginning with and throughout the student’s participation on school sponsored teams. A student serving a rules penalty is required to pre-register, report to the first day of practice, participate during the entire season, meet all requirements and expectations of the coach and finish the season in good standing in order to fulfill the penalty. Students serving penalties will not be eligible to letter, earn All Conference honors during the season in which the penalty is served. A student can not serve as captain for one year from the date of violation.

15. Mood-Altering Chemicals THE RISK We need to work together to eliminate student consumption of drugs and alcohol. Our students should make a commitment to remain chemically free. All students/families have dedicated countless hours/resources in their child’s sport. When one or more team member have a rules violation, the entire team suffers. ATHLETES SHOULD HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE. Hosting parties and sleepovers with under age drinking or supplying alcohol to minors is not acceptable.

16. Racial, Religious, Sexual Harassment, Violence, Hazing & Bullying Will not be tolerated. Coaches, school personnel and administrator are mandatory reporters. Hazing, trashing and initiations whether welcome or unwelcome is a violation of the state and/or federal laws and our school district policy. We expect our students to treat each other with dignity and respect. Coaches are expected to cover positive team building activities within their PAC meetings.

17. Hazing DEFINITION Physical brutality such as whipping, beating, striking, branding, electric shocking or placing harmful substances on the body. Physical activity such as sleep deprivation, exposure to weather, trashing, confinement to a restrictive area or unreasonable risk of harm or adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of a student. Activity involving the consumption of alcohol, drugs, tobacco or food, liquid that can cause unreasonable risk of harm or adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of a student. Activity that intimidates, threatens of ostracism, extreme mental stress, embarrassment, shame or humiliation that adversely affects the health and dignity of a student or discourages a student from attending school. Any act that violates state, federal law or school policy.

18. Hazing BYLAW No student, teacher, coach, administrator or volunteer shall plan, permit, condone, direct, encourage, aid, tolerate or engage in hazing. The policy applies to before, during and after school hours. On or off school grounds. The student organization can be a group, club or team does not have to be directly affiliated with the school. The policy means committing an act against a student, or coercing a student into committing an act, that creates a substantial risk of harm to a person in order for the student to be initiated into or affiliated with a student organization or for any other purpose.

19. Student Dismissal For Events Students are dismissed 15 minutes prior to bus leaving We want to keep students in class as long as possible Middle School students must be dismissed with a parent note at the Middle School

20. Registration Requirements: Parent/Guardian Permission & Medical Exam & Concussion Management To register for Athletics a student must: 1. Read and complete the registration form, 2. Turn in a physical, completed by a medical doctor, and 3. Pay the fee for their activity. Students must have a physical on file with the Athletic Office conducted by a Medical Doctor within the last 3 years. Once during each school year a registration brochure must be signed by a parent or guardian permitting the student to participate in MSHSL sponsored events. In order to make each student feel successful in our athletic program it is extremely important for the student to be at ALL practices. Regretfully we have tryouts in some sports and have to, at times, limit participants in some sports. State Law mandates concussion notification about facts, signs, symptoms, prevention, rest and recovery, action plan and to return to play. Baseline concussion testing are done on all football, hockey, soccer, lacrosse players and catchers every other year.

21. Age A student who turns 20 years of age during their 11th or 12th semester after starting 7th grade is allowed to participate through the completion of the 12th semester in high school.

22. Amateur Status & Awards Bylaw A student must be an amateur in the sport they are participating in for our school. A student shall not receive cash or merchandise for athletic participation. Medals, ribbons, letters, trophies, plaques and other items of little or no intrinsic value ($100.00 or less) are all acceptable awards. Violation will render a student ineligible.

23. Graduates, Participation with College and/or University Teams A student shall not be a graduate of a four- year high school or any secondary school. Students who have participated or practiced with a college or university team are ineligible.

24. Transfer Rule After entering 9th grade, a student who transfers from one Minnesota high school to another without a corresponding change in parent/guardian residence, shall be ineligible to compete for one calendar year at the varsity level. For exceptions to this rule, contact the Activities Director. A student who attends the first day of practice in a fall sport or attends classes on the first day of school is considered to be a fully enrolled student. Contact the Activities director if you have questions before you transfer to avoid ineligibility.

25. In-District Transfer Rule A student who transfers from one Rochester Public High School to another Rochester Public Schools under the Exception to Attendance Policy or non-court ordered guardianship change, shall be ineligible to compete for one calendar year at the varsity level of competition. A student who attends a middle school choice program (Friedell or Core Knowledge) on an Exception to Attendance is eligible only in the attendance area in which their parent or guardian resides. Reminder: a student who attends the first day of practice in a fall sport or attends classes on the first day of school is considered to be a fully enrolled student.

26. Foreign Exchange/International Students Foreign exchange students are eligible for one calendar year beginning with the first date of enrollment. Foreign Exchange Students must complete the Foreign Exchange Application and clear eligibility from the MSHSL. An International student is eligible only at the below varsity level.

27. Camps & Clinics SCHOOL YEAR: Students may attend camps and clinics approved by the school Principal/Activities Director. SUMMER: Non-school sponsored clinics do not require approval. Students must pay for the camp or clinic themselves. Students may attend clinics that our coaching staff offers. Summer is defined to start on June 1 – July 31.

28. Non-School Competition & Training for Team & Individual Sports IN-SEASON: Students may not participate as a member of a non-school team in the same sport. There are some exceptions to this rule and you should contact the Activities Director prior to any involvement. EXCEPTIONS: Summer vacation period students may participate on a non-school team in the same sport during the summer vacation period. Example: Legion baseball. Students may take private lessons during the MSHSL season. These lessons cannot conflict with high school games and practices.

29. Warning, Safety, & Equipment Athletes and parents should be advised that by its nature, participation in interscholastic athletics includes risk of injury and the transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B. Although serious injuries and transmission are not common, it is impossible to eliminate all risk. Participants must obey all safety rules. All school issued equipment must be returned at the end of the season to the coach. If lost or stolen the student must pay for the replacement cost.

30. Booster Club & Tickets Please join the Mayo Booster Club Season Tickets for home events 10 Punch Adult $48.00 5 Punch Adult $24.00 Adult All Sport/All District Pass$145.00 District Employee Spouse$36.00 Student Season Ticket (Grades 7-12)$35.00 Printed on the back of your student ID Parents with multiple athletes in different sports in the same season and who use a 10-punch or 5-punch should only pay at one event per night!

31. GO SPARTANS GO SPARTANS