RGMS Expectations and Procedures
With over 175 athletes on the team, the Seneca Valley Track and Field coaching staff requires a full commitment to the program and agreement to the team policies which are designed to create a productive, accountable, and safe environment for everyone under our supervision.
This resource is for parents/guardians to review with their child to ensure each athlete understands the expectations.
General Expectations:
1) Practice Good Sportsmanship
We hold ourselves to a high standard of sportsmanship for our team and against our competition. At no point should anyone ever engage another athlete, coach, parent, official or school employee with anything other than praise or thanks. If an athlete is approached by opposition, they are expected to say nothing and report the interaction to a Coach. This policy includes what is posted or shared on social media as well.
Disciplining individuals for general misbehavior is not something we prefer to do, however to ensure the safety and accountability for all, it is required. We believe that young athletes need direction and therefore have created a tiered system of discipline in an effort to educate them on how to be successful members of a team.
Should the need arise, the tiered discipline policy that we will use if any of our expectations are not met is detailed below:
1st offense - Warning (Verbal or Written)
2nd offense - Parent/Coach Conference
3rd offense - Student-Athlete will be removed from team and all team related activities.
Depending on the severity of the offense, the coaches reserve the right to initiate consequences such as: removal from relays, exclusion from team events, exclusion from competition, suspension from practice, or eventual removal from the team.
Discrimination of any kind is unacceptable. Please talk with your athlete about accepting others for who they are and focus on the aspect of a team. We do not expect all of our athletes to be the best friends, but they will be good teammates, or they will not be welcome.
2) Participation is Expected.
Being a part of the Track and Field team is a choice. Students who make that choice are expected to follow through by participating to the best of their ability. Athletes must be prepared for practice with proper attire for any inclement weather. We practice outside every day and compete whether it is cold, hot, snowy, or rainy, with few exceptions (safety of athletes is always a priority).
Track and Field is a full-time sport commitment. It is strongly encouraged that athletes who choose to participate in Track and Field should not participate in other organized sports/athletic activities during the season. Doubling up on workouts and competitions is unsafe, can cause burnout, and diminishes the overall performance of both sports.
Participation in Practice – Middle School Track and Field is primarily a developmental sport. That means students will be expected to follow the instructions of the event coaches, try new things, and push themselves to improve. All athletes will be expected to participate in a daily 10+ minute warm-up jog/run. We understand that some athletes may not be able to run for the entire duration of the warmup or complete all activities in a workout, especially at the start of the season, but refusal to participate is unacceptable.
Participation in Competitions (Meets) – During a Meet, athletes are expected to compete in at least 2 events and by rule, cannot participate in more than 4 events. Exceptions can be made for some athletes to only participate in 1 event on a case by case basis with Coach approval. Due to the size of the team and shortage of busses; it is possible there may be restrictions on the number of students who are able to travel to ‘away’ competitions. Any athlete that attends an away competition but does not compete in their events (without Coach approval) will be removed from the team.
Athletes are also expected to stay for the entire duration of a meet (home or away) regardless of when their events take place or are completed. Teammates do not abandon their team during a competition, even if they are not playing. This is no different for Track and Field. Athletes waiting for their events, or those finished with their events, should assist with the meet (moving hurdles, measuring throws, raking sand pit, etc.) or be actively cheering on their teammates. Anyone in violation of this expectation will first receive a verbal warning before more severe consequences are considered. Consequences can include exclusion from other competitions or, in more severe cases, removal from the team.
3) Attendance is Mandatory.
Regular attendance is expected everyday afterschool from approximately 2:50 until the activity bus at 5:15. Dismissal from practice will generally be shortly after 5:00. We will take attendance prior to the start of practice and meets. Students who miss too many practices risk injury due to inactivity/being unprepared. Multiple unexcused absences may result in the athlete being ineligible to compete or, in more extreme cases, being removed from the team entirely. Decisions will be based on circumstances and Coach’s discretion.
Any student who misses the practice preceding a meet or invitational WILL NOT be eligible to compete in the meet or invitational the following day (even if the absence is excused). This is not meant as a punishment but is necessary because of logistical problems and safety concerns.
Excused Absences – Athletes who need to miss practice due to injury, quarantine, illness, or family emergencies can be excused from practice. In certain circumstances, other extra-curricular related activities or tutoring can also be considered excused. It is preferred that the ATHLETE take initiative and message Coach Dickey through Microsoft TEAMS to indicate ahead of time that they will not be at practice. Parents can also reach out through e-mail (dickeyd@svsd.net) to alert the coaches of an absence.
Unexcused Absences – Any absence that is unannounced before the start of practice will be considered unexcused. In addition, scheduled appointments (dentist, haircuts, etc.) are not good reasons to miss practice; as they can be scheduled for the off-season. We will try to be flexible, but our entire season is only 10 weeks long, so our practice time is limited already.
General Procedures:
Bib Numbers:
In an effort to learn names and expedite the attendance/results process, athletes are required to wear a bib number at practices and during competition. This number will be vital for us to operate efficiently and if it is lost or misplaced, athletes might not be eligible for practice or competition.
Transportation:
Seneca Valley will provide transportation to and from the away meets/invitationals. As stated before, athletes are expected to stay for the entire duration of a meet, however, parents are able to take their child home at the conclusion of a meet if they have completed the ‘travel release’ procedure. Details of the travel release procedure will be provided before the meets and may be subject to change depending on need and efficiency. Students do not need a travel release for competitions at “home.”
Communication:
The primary source of Coach to Parent communication will be through E-Mail. It is important to have accurate parent e-mails on file. However, as stated previously, it is preferred that the Athlete takes initiative and responsibility for the majority of the communication with their coach/es. Any athlete can message their coaches with questions through Microsoft Teams. Communication specific to attendance/missing practice should be sent through TEAMS directly to Coach Dickey.
In addition – parents may opt-in to receive announcements and updates through the Remind App. There will be two different ‘Remind’ groups: one for 7th Grade Parents and one for 8th Grade Parents. Directions for accessing the Remind groups will be shared at the start of the season.
DIRECTIONS TO JOIN REMIND GROUP (FOR 2024 SEASON)
PLEASE READ -> Please do NOT join both Remind groups. There are only a limited number of spots in a "Remind" group, so we ask that only one parent per family sign up, and if you have athletes in both 7th and 8th grade, please join only one group. Thank you!
7th Grade Parents: Text @24rgmstf7 to 81010
8th Grade Parents: Text @24rgmstf8 to 81010
Travel Squad/Relay Teams/Invitational Selection
We certainly hope to have the ability to take all athletes to away competitions, but it may not be possible. In addition, due to the size of the team, not all athletes will be selected for Relay Events or Invitationals.
The decision of who participates is solely up to the coaches, as we are the ones who observe kids every day in practice and at meets. We are happy to help provide feedback on how to make each student-athlete more successful and provide areas to work on, but coaches decisions are final and not open for discussion.
Seneca Valley Student Athletic Manual
While most of the details and procedures have been outlined here; it is important that parents and athletes have read and understand all the Seneca Valley Athletic rules and policies as written in the Seneca Valley Student Athletic Manual. The manual is posted on the school’s athletic page. Parents and Athletes are accountable for all the information within this document, so please take the time to read it.
If can be found on the following page: 2023-24-ATHLETIC_MANUAL-FINAL.pdf (svsd.net)
(The Manual can also be accessed by navigating to SVSD.net -> Athletics & Activities -> Forms & Manuals)