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Here are the school's Athletic Department Policies
- Mission Statement
- Academic Progress Policy
- Affiliation Statement
- Attendance Policy
- Communication Policy
- Conflict Resolution
- Deadline Policy
- Discipline Policy
- Early Dismissal Policy
- Fee Policy
- Financial Policies
- Medical Emergency Policy
- Medical Information Policy
- Medical Treatment Policy
- Playing Time Policy
- Recommended Activity Level
- Scheduling Statement
- Study Hall Policy
- Team Creation Policy
- Transportation Policy
Mission Statement Saint Ambrose of Woodbury Catholic School works to ensure that our athletes
demonstrate the Christian values of kindness, respect, patience and tolerance
while they represent our school. The school provides extracurricular
activities because they help teach our athletes the rules and basic skills of
their sport, the values of cooperation and teamwork, and the ideals of
inclusion, hard work, and sportsmanship. We insist that sports remain fun
for our student athletes.
Academic Progress Policy The decision to make students ineligible for athletics when their academic
performance slips below a certain level cannot be made by the athletic
director or the athletic committee. If and when this policy is implemented,
the school principal must make the decision. Presently, there is no printed
policy to that effect.
The Athletic Department recognizes the parents authority to sit a player
down while he/she focuses on academics provided that the parents notify the
athletic director and/or coach of that decision. The player will be welcomed
back to the team without penalty when the parent allows it. Regular playing
time will resume at the coach's discretion.
Affiliation Statement The athletic department at Saint Ambrose of Woodbury is a component of the
school and is managed by the Principal, Athletic Director, and Athletic
Policy Committee. Saint Ambrose of Woodbury is a member of the Catholic
Athletic Association of Saint Paul (CAA). The schools affiliation with the
CAA provides a convenient, established, organized structure in which our
teams can compete. The CAA offers the number of leagues necessary to
accommodate teams created by its 54 member schools.
While the departments primary affiliation is with the CAA, games,
scrimmages, track meets, and tournaments may also be independently scheduled
with teams outside the CAA at the discretion of the coach and/or athletic
director. Such events might include the North St. Paul Knights of Columbus
Basketball Tournament, Woodbury Athletic Associations spring track meets, or
joint practices with WAA basketball squads.
Attendance Policy Joining an athletic team represents a genuine commitment on the behalf of
athletes and their parents. As such, our players are expected to attend
every team practice and game, and coaches are encouraged to track athlete
attendance. Athletes who miss a number of practices can expect their playing
time to decrease. Athletes who must miss a practice or game are expected to
contact the coach beforehand and inform him/her of their impending absence.
Students who are ill and absent from school need not call their coach.
The department takes this position because it sees all absences, excused and
unexcused, as detrimental to team cohesiveness, detrimental to player
development, and detrimental to team maturation. Please see parent's rights
under ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY.
Background Checks Policy:
All employees of Saint Ambrose of Woodbury who have student contact are
subject to Criminal Background Checks. The athletic director and coaches are
subject to this policy; the school principal maintains paperwork to document
the school's compliance with this policy.
Referees and umpires are not employees of Saint Ambrose.
Communication Policy The Athletic Director devotes an enormous amount of time and energy to
communicating policies and schedules to athletes and parents. Four distinct
methods of communication are used:
1. The practice and game schedules are available online for easy athlete
and parent reference. Athletes and parents are expected to refer to the
website to see their schedules. (www.teacherweb.com/mn/saintambrose/demco)
2. The athletic director and school administration announce athletic
events daily at the end of the school day. Students in grades five through
eight are expected to listen to the announcements and communicate that
information to their parents.
3. The athletic director will email the athletic announcements daily to
every parent who provides an email address. Athletic announcements will be
emailed every afternoon by 3:00PM.
4. Each team will have a "Phone Parent" whom the coach and/or athletic
director will advise of last minute changes to the schedule. That parent
will then make the necessary phone calls to inform other parents.
While these measures may not satisfy the exact needs of every family and
parent, they are the only means the athletic director has to communicate with
a large number of people. Parents are always free to contact the athletic
director during the school day at (651) 768-3053.
Conflict Resolution Occasionally parents may have questions or concerns regarding their child's
participation on an athletic team. The coaches, athletic director, and
principal are open to addressing concerns and ask that parents address their
concerns promptly using the following steps:
1. Address your concern with your child's coach directly. Remember that
self-control and patience are necessary. The department insists that adults
in our community address one another respectfully and recommends that parents
avoid approaching coaches immediately after games when emotions may be
running especially high.
2. If you do not find resolution by addressing your concern with the
coach, please contact the athletic director at 768-3053.
3. If you do not find resolution by addressing your concern with the
coach and the athletic director, please contact the school principal.
Parents who have a specific disagreement with one of the school's printed
policies are encouraged to discuss their concern with the athletic director
or principal. While it's unlikely that the policy will be waived, it could
be revisited before the next school year.
It's important that you communicate your questions or concerns as soon as
possible. It is rarely helpful to wait until the end of the season to
address issues since no way exists to resolve them once a season has
concluded. The department also insists that parent/coach conflicts be
handled outside of earshot of the athletes.
Deadline Policy The Athletic Director organizes teams and league placements a month to six
weeks before practices begin. For example, winter basketball teams are
established, splits are made, coaches are hired, association fees are paid,
uniforms are purchased, and our facilities are scheduled long before the fall
soccer season even ends. For those reasons, students and parents need to
sign up for their teams and pay the fees during the published enrollment
periods.
Athletes who miss the enrollment period are not guaranteed a spot on the team
since their inclusion can reduce the playing time of athletes who joined
during the announced enrollment period. Further, a $10.00 late fee will be
added to the usual athletic fee collected for a registration.
The enrollment periods are as follows:
FALL TEAMS (Soccer, Volleyball, Cheerleading): Sign up period is the month
of May during the previous school year. Students new to Saint Ambrose may
join teams during the first two weeks of the school year. Actual play is
generally held from the third week of September until about the end of
October.
WINTER TEAMS (Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading): Sign up period is the
month of October. Actual play generally begins the first week of December
and ends around the first week of March.
SPRING TEAMS (Baseball, Softball, Track): Sign up period is the month of
February. Actual play generally begins around the first week of April and
ends around the second week of May.
Discipline Policy Athletes, coaches, and parents represent Saint Ambrose of Woodbury Catholic
School when they participate in athletics and are expected to conduct
themselves appropriately. Since athletics are a school-sponsored event, all
regular school disciplinary rules remain in effect for athletes, coaches, and
spectators during practices, games, scrimmages, and all team events. In most
cases the coach and/or athletic director will address behavior issues with
athletes. The school principal will address serious athlete misconduct
following the school's printed discipline policies. Disciplinary actions can
include suspension or removal from extracurricular activities. Examples of
conduct leading to principal involvement might include fighting, theft,
vandalism, or physical/verbal abuse of another athlete. See the
Parent/Student Handbook for the school's complete discipline policies.
Early Dismissal Policy Many of the schools in the CAA are located some distance from Saint Ambrose
of Woodbury and reaching them during after school traffic can present a
problem to parent drivers. To address this situation the athletic director
works with the CAA to allow adequate driving time for our parents as they
travel to away events:
With this commuication in place, the department sees no need for students to
be dismissed from school early in order to travel to away games. Further,
the department sees early dismissals (related to athletics) as detrimental to
the education process, detrimental to classroom orderliness, unduly difficult
for classroom teachers, and essentially unfair to other students.
Fee Policy An athletic fee is charged for participation in Saint Ambrose's
extracurricular sports and is payable prior to each athletic season. The
money collected supports league fees, coach's stipends, athletic directors
stipend, equipment, bowling alley charges, and materials consumed by the
teams. Families with need can petition the athletic director and/or school
principal to waive or reduce the athletic fee.
2003-04 Athletic Fees
FALL Soccer $50.00
Volleyball $50.00
Cheerleading $75.00
WINTER Bowling $60.00
Basketball $75.00
Cheerleading $75.00(Payable in fall.)
SPRING Baseball $75.00
Softball $75.00
Track $20.00
Saint Ambrose WILL NOT refund athletic fees unless the number of athletes who
sign up is insufficient to create a team. Under that circumstance alone,
parents will be entitled to a refund. An athlete changing their mind about a
sport shall not be basis to request a refund.
Financial Policies Coaches are paid a modest stipend for their time and energy. Volleyball,
soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, and cheerleading coaches each qualify
for a $300.00 stipend. The track coach and bowling coach qualify for a
$100.00 stipend. The amounts paid to our coaches will be reviewed annually.
In the past, Saint Ambrose of Woodbury coaches have occasionally donated
their stipend back into the program. Should a coach elect to do so, he/she
should inform the athletic director or school principal that they would like
to decline their stipend. In that case, the money remains in the athletic
department budget and is available for other department uses. Further, the
school appreciates the spirit of involvement and generosity shown by our
coaches.
Coaches who are not otherwise employed by Saint Ambrose of Woodbury (parents,
members of the community) are paid after the athletic season ends with a
check issued from the business office. These coaches are responsible for
including this income in their annual income tax filings. Coaches who are
employed by Saint Ambrose of Woodbury in another capacity (teachers, parish
staff, or other) will have their stipends added to their regular payment
delivered through direct deposit. This arrangement will expose the stipend
to payroll taxes make the stipend visible on the employees W-2 forms.
No means exist to apply a coach's stipend against a family's tuition balance,
hot lunch balance, field trip fees, or other school charges.
Should a coach decline their stipend, a portion of that stipend may be
reimbursed back to the coach for the expenses of holding an end of season
pizza or movie party. To claim this reimbursement, a coach must submit a
printed receipt for the party costs to the athletic director. Reimbursements
are made by business check or from petty cash, and they typically take a week
to ten days to arrange.
Revenue derived from athletic fees, hosting tournaments and/or playoffs, from
the operation of the concession stand, and from the sale of school athletic
wear supplements the athletic budget. Money from the athletic budget
pays CAA league fees, tournament fees, coachs stipends, equipment and
uniform purchases, upgrades to the gym and/or fields, and concession supplies.
Referees and umpires are paid by the Catholic Athletic Association of Saint
Paul or by schools hosting private tournaments; Saint Ambrose does not
typically pay officials. As such, the athletic department has little
influence over the quality or assignment of game officials. Parties
interested in officiating CAA events should contact Mark Courtney at (651)
227-1741.
Medical Emergency Policy Should an athlete suffer a serious injury requiring transportation to a
hospital, the child's parent will take immediate responsibility for
delivering the athlete to medical care. If the nature of the injury is such
that the athlete cannot safely be moved, the coach or parent will call 911
and request an ambulance.
If a serious injury occurs and an athlete must be transported to the
hospital, and the athlete's parent is not present, the coach or athletic
director will call 911 to request an ambulance and must travel with the
athlete to the hospital. In the event that a coach is alone and no assistant
coach or athletic director is available to take over the team, the game will
be forfeited and the remaining players will go home according to the
arrangements they made for transportation. Doing so will allow the coach to
go to the hospital with the seriously injured player.
While the coach cannot authorize medical treatment at the hospital, he/she
can accompany the athlete and work to contact the parents using the
information on the Medical Information Data Sheet.
Medical Information Policy Athletes, with their parents help, are required to complete a Medical
Information Data Sheet. This sheet acknowledges the risk of injury present
in all sports and lists data regarding athlete allergies, previous injuries,
and pre-existing medical conditions. The sheet identifies an athlete's
personal physician and the nature of the athlete's medical insurance. The
sheet also lists parents' home phone numbers, work phone numbers, cell phone
numbers, and backup phone numbers in the event that an injury occurs and
parents must be contacted. When completed, these forms will travel with the
teams in the first aid kit.
Medical Treatment Policy None of the coaches are medical doctors. In the event of minor injuries to
an athlete the coach might recommend rest, ice, compression, and elevation to
an affected limb. They may apply bandaids to cuts or scratches. These
practices are the extent of care our coaches can legally deliver.
Our coaches will neither make a medical diagnosis nor ever provide aspirin,
Tylenol, or any other medication to an athlete.
Prior to an athletic season, during/after illnesses, or following injuries
the parents alone will make the determination whether an athlete is
sufficiently well to participate in extracurricular athletics. The
department recommends that when doubt exists, parents consult a physician for
help in making this determination.
Playing Time Policy The athletic department believes that on "C" teams the fifth and sixth grade
athletes should receive equal playing time and to the extent practical and
safe be given every chance to play a variety of positions. The department
takes this position because it sees "C" leagues as essentially instructional
leagues as opposed to being competitive leagues.
The athletic department believes that on "A" and "B" teams the seventh and
eighth grade athletes should expect increasing competition for playing time
and a stronger emphasis on being competitive in games. While every player
can still expect to play regularly, the department no longer mandates equal
playing time for every athlete. Coaches must decide how to substitute their
players while remaining competitive. The department takes this position
because it sees "A" and "B" leagues as both instructional and competitive.
Recommended Activity Level The combined number of games and practices each week should equal three. The
department would like to see one game and two practices per week or two games
and one practice per week, weather and facilities permitting.
Scheduling Statement The Catholic Athletic Association creates leagues to accommodate the number
of teams created by its 54 member schools. It is rarely possible for the CAA
to create stable leagues far in advance of a season; in most cases the game
schedules are available just a few days before the first game. Saint Ambrose
has little influence over these factors.
While practice and game schedules are posted online, they remain subject to
change. A staggering number of complications can make schedule changes
necessary: bad weather, flooded fields, gym conflicts, Fall Festivals,
Christmas Programs, Spring Musicals, Confirmation retreats, influenza
outbreaks, Scouting commitments, Science Fairs, plays at Hill-Murray,
Academic Triathlon, Art Adventures, service projects, Catholic School
Marathon, Parent/Teacher Conferences, and even human error. The department
recognizes that rescheduling events frustrates our families, and it works to
reduce these irregularities when possible by communicating with the CAA
regularly, working with the school administration to avoid conflicts with
school events, scheduling our facilities far in advance, resisting the
impulse to reschedule whenever possible, and coordinating our activities with
the Faith Formation Program and Extended Day Program.
Saint Ambrose cannot prevent the rescheduling of events, especially when
those changes are inflicted on us by an opposing school or team.
Study Hall Policy The athletic department arranges after school study halls for athletes with
team events scheduled after school. The Athletic Director and a number of
junior high teachers agree to supervise athletes in the interim period
between the end of the school day and the beginning of team events: games,
practices, parties, etc. The department offers study halls for the express
purpose of keeping our student athletes totally and professionally supervised
during their time at school. Study halls are never offered for teams playing
away games or traveling to events off campus.
When an event begins at 4:00PM, athletes will leave their homeroom at the end
of the school day, change their clothes in the locker rooms, and report
directly to their event. When an event is scheduled for 4:15PM or 4:30PM,
athletes should leave their homerooms at the end of the day and report to
study hall. Supervising teachers will dismiss students to the locker rooms
with enough time to change their clothes and report to practice, typically
ten minutes before the event starts. The location of study hall is announced
at the end of the school day.
On occasion, a coach will request access to his/her team ahead of time. For
example, a coach might want to practice from 3:50PM until 4:20PM before their
4:30PM basketball or baseball game. The athletic department will honor those
coaches requests provided that the coach takes his/her team to the gym or
ball field and assumes total supervision for them. Only the teams coach or
assistant coach, an adult who performed a background check, is eligible to
take athletes out of study hall early.
Since teachers are volunteering for additional supervisory duty beyond what
they are required to perform, expectations for athlete conduct during study
halls are extremely high:
Study halls are optional. Athletes may always go home after school
and return for practice if they wish. Should they elect to remain at school,
athletes agree to be subject to these policies.
Regular school disciplinary policies remain in effect during study
halls.
Study halls are offered when a game or practice is scheduled at
4:15PM or 4:30PM.
Athletes must go home and return to school for events scheduled at
4:45PM or later.
An athlete who stays after school to receive tutoring help from a
teacher should report to study hall after that tutoring session ends.
Athletes may bring a small snack to study hall. Athletes may not
visit the pop machine in the cafeteria prior to study hall. In any event,
athletes are responsible for cleaning up whatever mess they create with their
snack.
The athletic department makes no provision to supervise an athletes
friend during study hall, nor does it agree to supervise students who intend
to stay after school to be spectators at an athletic event.
Athletes will leave their homerooms when the bell rings and travel
directly to the study hall, generally the Media Center or a junior high
classroom.
Athletes must follow the directions of the teacher and remain in the
study hall until the teacher dismisses them.
Athletes must do individual homework, read a book, or use a computer
for academic work in study halls. There are no computer games allowed during
study halls. Subject to teacher approval, students may quietly do group or
partner work when appropriate.
Students may not use personal audio devices in study hall: Walkmans,
MP3 players, iPods, or headphones. Doing so would make a teachers
directions impossible to hear.
Study halls are not social periods.
Athletes will not change into their practice clothes prior to study
hall.
Athletes will change into their athletic clothes after the study is
dismissed, typically ten minutes before practice.
Athletes will change into their athletic clothes in the locker rooms,
not the upstairs restrooms.
These policies address the athletic departments practice of offering study
halls to our athletes. They were written 04/27/2005. They may be amended as
necessary.
Team Creation Policy Extracurricular sports are open to every student at Saint Ambrose of Woodbury
in grades five through eight. The athletic department will offer the number
of teams necessary to ensure that all players have a reasonable amount of
playing time while also assuring that teams have enough players to field a
squad in the event of predictable absences. Whenever possible, teams will be
split according to the grade levels of the athletes who signed up. When two
teams are created at the same grade level, the department believes those
teams should evenly divide experienced players and inexperienced players.
The Department has established the following guidelines to address team
splits:
Volleyball: 6-13 girls per squad. At 14 girls, teams will be split.
Soccer: 11-25 athletes per squad. At 26 athletes, teams will be split.
Basketball: 5-15 athletes per squad. At 16 athletes, teams will be split.
Bowling: There must be four or more bowlers signed up for bowling.
Baseball: 9-22 boys per squad. At 23 boys, teams will be split.
Softball: 9-22 girls per squad. At 23 girls, teams will be split.
Track: There must be 15 athletes signed up for track.
Within the CAA, the following definitions are used:
A Teams: teams on which the oldest participants are eighth graders.
B Teams: teams on which the oldest participants are seventh graders.
C Teams: teams on which the oldest participants are sixth graders.
There is no such thing as a D League in the CAA. Fifth grade teams are
considered C teams and may be scheduled to play against sixth grade
competition during the regular seasons and during playoffs.
The athletic department reserves the right to assign a younger athlete to an
older squad to balance the number of athletes between squads. Parents and
students will be afforded an opportunity to refuse being placed up a level.
The department will refuse parent requests for athletes to play up a level to
see better competition. Doing so could reduce playing time for older but
less skilled players; the department understands that many grade school
athletes will not join or qualify for high school teams and thus refuses to
diminish the last of their playing time by allowing skilled younger players
to play up.
Transportation Policy It is a fundamental policy of the athletic department that the school never
accepts responsibility for student transportation to/from practices,
scrimmages, games, tournaments, or parties held in conjunction with the
athletic program. Parents accept the responsibility of transporting athletes
to/from all athletic events as a precondition to participation. The school
will steadfastly refuse any liability for traffic mishaps or injuries that
occur while athletes are traveling to/from events that take place away from
school.
Coaches are never responsible for transporting athletes other than their own
children to/from events and should refuse ride requests. This policy
protects the coach from liability arising from traffic mishaps. This policy
also discourages the perception that the school ever handles transportation
to/from athletic events.
Further, the school will take no part in arranging carpools between parents
who might choose to cooperate in the delivery of athletes to events. That
action might mistakenly be seen as an endorsement of carpooling practices and
place a school endorsement on the practice. Should a carpooling arrangement
be agreed to between families, the school disavows any involvement in the
process and refuses any liability resulting from subsequent traffic mishaps.
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