Activities Handbook

The goal of the activities department is to provide the best opportunities for students to excel in teamwork, sportsmanship, self-discipline and character.  In addition to developing skill in a sport or activity, the purpose is to provide each participant with experiences that will be positive and memorable and that help develop the capacity for commitment to a cause, acceptance of responsibility and loyalty toward any chosen endeavor.

The Petal School District Chain of Command for complaints and requests from staff, students, parents and/or members of the public is as follows:

All complaints and requests should be addressed to the appropriate person involved in the order listed below. If resolution cannot be reached, the request/complaint should then move to the next level.

1. Coach
2. Activities/Athletic Director
3. Building Principal
4. Assistant Superintendent
5. Superintendent
6. School Board

*All-Sports Pass will grant admission to all regular-season home athletic events for the school year.

**All-Activities Pass will grant admission to all regular season home athletic events and all home arts events.

The ideals of good sportsmanship, ethical behavior and integrity permeate our culture. The values of good citizenship and high behavioral standards apply equally to all activity disciplines. In perception and practice, good sportsmanship shall be defined as those qualities of behavior which are characterized by generosity and genuine concern for others. Further, awareness is expected of the impact of an individual’s influence on the behavior of others. Good sportsmanship is viewed as a concrete measure of the understanding and commitment to fair play, ethical behavior and integrity. Good sportsmanship requires that everyone be treated with respect. This includes members of the opposing team, officials, coaches and spectators. Good sportsmanship includes showing courtesy and kindness toward your opponent as well as fellow team members. Winning is exciting, but doing so at any cost is not the goal. Negative treatment of any participant is outside the spirit and interest of the contest. All Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) sanctioned events are a reflection of our community and school. The conduct of the team is extended to parents and fans before, during and after athletic events.

In order to provide specific guidance for sportsmanship, each student and coach must complete the sportsmanship course found at nfhslearn.com. The completed course certificate must be downloaded into the Dragonfly account.

To Represent your school in athletic contests:

1. You must be a bona fide student, having enrolled no later than day 15 of any semester of participation, carry five major subjects and deport yourself satisfactorily.
2. You must attend the school in the district of which your parents are actual bona fide residents.
3. You must not have reached 19 years of age prior to August 1 of the current school year. 
4. You must have a certified birth certificate (issued by the State Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state where you were born and bearing its official seal and birth/recording number) on file in school office and official eligibility list (a Form 1 with required information about you included) submitted to the state office 15 days before the first contest.
5. You must not have participated in an interscholastic contest for more than four consecutive years after the date of entering into the ninth grade regardless of when he/she began to participate.
6. You must have received an adequate health screening for the current school year prior to participating in interscholastic athletics posted in your Dragonfly account.
7. You must meet Academic Eligibility Rules as defined by the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA).
8. You may be eligible in your home school at the beginning of each new school year as far as any transfer of schools is concerned. Your home school is the one that serves the area where your parent/guardian resides. Eligibility may be established in any school by attending that school for a period of one school year from the date of original entry. If you attend school outside of your “home school” district, you must attend that school for one full calendar year in order to establish eligibility in that school. Always check your eligibility status before changing schools.
9. If your parents make a bona fide move from one school zone to another, you may transfer your eligibility to the new school. You become eligible after a special eligibility sheet signed by the principal of the school from whence he/she comes is submitted by the new school to the state office if you meet all requirements. If you change schools before your parents move, you do not become eligible in the new school until your parents complete a bona fide move into the new school district and a special eligibility sheet is submitted to the MHSAA.
10. You may not participate on a non-school team or in an outside sport activity in your sport(s) during your school season.
11. You must be an amateur athlete.
12. You must not have participated in any non-sanctioned all-star game.

Residency Requirements

All students, including student athletes, managers or support group members must meet the residency requirements of the PSD Board of Education as well as the MHSAA.

A pupil must attend school in a school district of which his/her parents are actual bona fide residents. A parent can have no more than one bona fide residence at any given time. A bona fide residence is one where the family actually lives. This means the specific dwelling in which the family cooks, eats and sleeps on a regular basis and claims as its sole or primary place of residence. This rule does not prevent a parent from commuting to work and it does not prevent a father from traveling out of state where his work requires him to do so, provided he returns to the home periodically and considers the home as his legal, permanent residence. The family mail must also be received where the family lives.

Before the first practice

Dragonfly must be completed by the student/parent before the first practice date on the MHSAA Athletic Seasons with any team.

1. The MHSAA requires students participating in sanctioned competitions to make “satisfactory progress toward graduation." Each school district shall determine the requirements for “satisfactory progress toward graduation” through its graduation requirements and shall interpret this rule according to its requirements.
2. According to Mississippi law, a student must maintain a grade point average of at least a 2.0 or “C” average in order to participate in interscholastic sports/activities. Grade point averages will be calculated at the conclusion of the first semester using the semester averages of all courses the student is taking. Students who do not have a 2.0 or “C” average for the first semester will be ineligible for the second semester.
3. At the end of the school year, each student's grade point average for the year will be assessed. This assessment will reflect the average for the entire year using the final grades for each course. A student who does not have a grade point average of at least a 2.0 or “C” average, will be ineligible for fall semester.
4. High school eligibility begins when a student enters ninth grade. To be eligible for the fall semester, a student must be promoted to ninth grade with at least an overall 2.0 or “C” average for all eighth grade courses.
5. A student may become eligible for the second semester only once during his/her high school career if he/she fails the year-end average the previous year, by achieving at least an overall 2.0 or “C” average at the end of the first semester.

1. For participation on the junior high or middle school level, a student must be promoted (if not promoted, they are ineligible for the entire year) and have passed any four basic courses (any subject that meets the equivalent of at least 250 minutes per week or meets the state department requirement) with a 2.0 or “C” average the previous semester (computed numerically or by GPA). The year-end average of four basic courses passed will be used to determine eligibility for the fall semester. The same guidelines apply at the end of the first semester for spring participation. Students must be on track to be promoted to be eligible. 
2.  A student on the junior high or middle school level, who was promoted but is not eligible at the beginning of the school year due to his/her academic average, may become eligible for the second semester only once during the student’s junior high or middle school career by passing four basic courses with an overall average of 2.0 at the end of the first semester.

1. In order to participate in the fall, a student must be promoted (if not promoted, they are ineligible for the entire year) having passed the four core courses (English, math, science and social studies), and the average of those four core courses must be a “C” or above. For spring semester eligibility the student does not have to be passing all four core courses, but the average of those four core courses must be a “C” or above.
2. Students who are allowed to participate on a high school team in any sport/activity shall not be allowed to participate on a junior high school team in the same sport/activity at the same time or at a later date.
3. Students who are playing up (seventh to eighth) are not allowed to participate on the seventh grade team in the same sport/activity at the same time or at a later date.
4. Ninth grade participation shall be considered as Junior Varsity participation keeping in mind the number of quarters or innings participating during a school week.

The following rules apply to grade checks for determining a student’s eligibility for MHSAA athletics and activities:

• PSD Grading Scale - “C” Average is 70 and above

Losing Eligibility

Athletic Eligibility for each student is checked twice each year- once before the Fall semester begins and a second time before the Spring semester begins. If a student is eligible for the Fall, but does not meet eligibility requirements for their grade at the end of the first semester, they lose eligibility for the second Semester that year. This rule applies even for Winter sports that start in the Fall Semester and conclude in the Spring Semester.

Regaining Eligibility for the Spring Semester

Once in his/her career, a high school competitor can become eligible for the second Semester even though they were ineligible for the first Semester.

Competition Above Grade Level

Students in grades 7-9 may participate on sports teams above their grade level. However, once they compete up, they may never compete back down again in that sport. A student-athlete may never compete below grade level.

Summer School/Correspondence Courses

Students may participate in PSD Summer School or approved Correspondence Courses to meet eligibility requirements for the next Fall. However, in order for coursework to be counted towards Fall eligibility, it must be completed by the student prior to the start of the Fall semester in the PSD.

Age Requirements

• Seventh graders must NOT have reached 14 years of age prior to August 1.
• Eighth graders must NOT have reached 15 years of age prior to August 1.
• Ninth graders must NOT have reached 16 years of age prior to August 1.
• 10th -12th graders must NOT have reached 19 years of age prior to August 1.

Please follow the link below for additional eligibility information.

https://www.misshsaa.com/category/schools/handbook/

Daily attendance at school and practice is expected. In order for a student to be eligible to participate in any after-school activity he/she must be present for 63% of their classes on the day of the activity, with exceptions only being approved by the principal and/or director activities. No student missing 10 or more class periods in a course for which grades and/or credit are issued may not participate in school-sponsored activities or trips unless approved by the school administration. A student must be in school on a regular basis in order to be eligible to participate in athletics/activities. A student who has excessive tardies to school and/or classes will be subject to restriction from athletic/activities participation.

All students are expected to abide by the conduct guidelines in the PSD Secondary Handbook.

In addition, specific team rules may be set forth by the coach/director of each sport/activity. These rules and the penalties for breaking them will be given to the students by the coach/director at the first parent/athlete meeting of that sport.

The National Federation of High Schools defines hazing as “Any humiliating or dangerous activity expected of a student to belong to a group, regardless of their willingness to participate.” Hazing includes acts that carelessly or intentionally endanger the physical or mental health or the safety of another person for the purpose of initiation or as a condition for membership or affiliation with a school organization or promotion to a grade level. Students are not to participate in any form of hazing activities (PSD Secondary Handbook section 3.17.) Students should report any acts of hazing to a coach/director, a principal or the Director of Activities.

Social Media has become ingrained in today’s society. The wide variety of social networking tools presently available provides students easy access to share important news and events with each other. Social media technologies have many benefits in our world; however, they can also be disruptive when inappropriate social media postings occur. Using these communication tools in an inappropriate manner can have negative consequences, especially if unkind words or threats are used with intent to hurt others.

The PSD recognizes and supports its students’ and coaches’ rights to freedom of speech, expression, and association, including the use of social networks. In this context, each student and coach must remember that participating and competing for the PSD is a privilege, not a right. The student and coach represent his or her school and the PSD, and therefore, they are expected to portray themselves, their team and their school in a positive manner at all times. Any online postings or messages must be consistent with federal and state laws, team, school and the PSD rules and regulations (including those listed below).

Specifically prohibited behaviors include but are not limited to:

• sexually explicit, profane, lewd, indecent, illegal or defamatory language/actions
• derogatory language regarding school personnel or other students
• comments designed to harass or bully students and/or school personnel
• nude, sexually oriented, or indecent photos, images or altered pictures

Also prohibited are all on-campus connections to off-campus violations of these expectations and guidelines:

• use of school computers to view off-campus postings
• students accessing posts at school on their own devices
• distribution of hard copies of posts on school property
• re-communication on campus of the content of the posts

Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in disciplinary action or removal from the team or activity.

All accidents or injuries, at home or away, are to be reported to the coach or director immediately. The coach or director will report the injury to the trainer.

If a student athlete is cut from a team he/she may join another team or program in that sport season. A student athlete can't quit one sport to join another sport until that sport season is concluded; i.e., one cannot quit football for basketball until football season is completed. However, athletes will be allowed to transfer from one sport to another during a given season upon mutual agreement of both coaches.

Coaches are encouraged to keep as many students on teams as possible without unbalancing the integrity of their sport or activity. Time, space, facilities, equipment and other factors will place limitations on the size of the squad. Choosing members of the squads shall be the sole responsibility of the coaches/directors of those squads.

Tryouts may not conflict with a spring sport or activity. “In season” students will be provided an alternate time to try out.

Coaches must schedule tryouts with the activities office and complete a MHSAA Request Tryout Form when required.

Students are sometimes involved in concurrent activities and there may be conflicts in schedules. Communication between coaches, directors and sponsors of conflicting activities is vital. The student involved in dual participation makes the final choice in which practice or games he/she will participate.

Students may participate in more than one sport during one season with the approval of both coaches. Practice schedules will be worked out between the coaches involved. Consideration should be given to the importance of the activity (ex. Varsity vs. non-varsity, playoffs vs. regular season and games vs. practice). If contests conflict, the student will decide in which contest to compete. The student must realize that extra time for practice is necessary to compete in two activities in one season. Student must meet the requirements of both activities. If the requirements of one or both activities are not met, the student may be cut from the activity. Any student athlete involved in more than one activity during the same season can't quit one activity without quitting the other. Quitting for academic reasons is the only exception to this rule, and must be approved by the principal.

Medical expenses are the responsibility of the student/family. Written verification from the doctor is required when a physician removes a student from practices, games or activities and to return to student competition.

To be successful the participant must be well disciplined and willing to put aside individualism for the benefit of the team. Conforming to a dress code is part of this process. It is very important to our team/school reputation that our students dress appropriately during the school day and at all school functions.

The following rules are additional to those included in the PSD Secondary Handbook:

1. All athletes must wear practice clothing in approved school colors. No cut off or mutilated clothing.
2. All footwear worn in athletic competition must be school approved colors.
3. Individual coaches may add additional rules related to the dress code.

Equipment checked out is the responsibility of the competitor, and should be kept clean and in good condition. Loss of issued equipment will be the parent’s financial obligation. The student will not be allowed to participate in other activities or receive awards until this obligation is met.
Note: Equipment includes any issued supplies from the training room.

All Petal student athletes/activities are required to have medical insurance and must supply information verifying such before participating in practice and/or competition.

The training room is available to all athletes. Athletes are offered a wide variety of services to help meet the demands of athletic competition. The following are guidelines to be followed when using the training room:

1. No student is permitted in this room without the athletic trainer or coach.
2. Only student athletes needing treatment and/or rehabilitation of an athletic injury are allowed in this area.
3. All taping, bandaging and treatments will be done by the athletic training staff.
4. Wear appropriate clothing– we are a coed facility.
5. Supplies are not to be used or removed without permission. No athlete may participate until all issued supplies have been returned or paid for.

All PSD facilities are to be operated and maintained by the coaches and district personnel as assigned by the district. There is to be no use of facilities without authorized supervision from the coaching staff of the particular sport/activity. The coach shall control the weight room while their team is in the weight room. Athletes may not use the weight room without authorized supervision. It is expected that each head coach will work out an arrangement for their teams to use the weight rooms, with in season sports having priority.

• Weight Room Rules:
  • Shoes are required.
  • No one is allowed in the weight room without authorized supervision.
  • Return all weights to the racks immediately following use.
  • All students must work under the supervision of a coach.

Students should always warm up prior to working out. Rough housing and horseplay will not be tolerated in the weight room.

Transportation to events is provided by the district when appropriate. Parents may be called upon, at times, to help transport students to a contest.  Parents should see the coach or the activities department for a permission form to transport students in a privately owned vehicle. Under no circumstances will an athlete transport other athletes. When a parent drives a vehicle, a copy of their drivers license and insurance is to be turned into Central Office.

Extracurricular includes all athletic programs, cheerleading, band (all areas), chorus, show choir, forensics (all areas), drama and any other program or group that represents students involved in competition and/or after school-related activities. The administration, coaches and directors of the PSD strongly believe that the use and abuse of drugs (excluding those prescribed by a physician to treat specific medical problems) can:

1. be detrimental to the physical and mental health of students involved in extracurricular activities,
2. seriously interfere with the performance of students involved in extracurricular activities,
3. be extremely dangerous to students and their teammates with regard to the participation in competition or practice,
4. create an unfair and damaging stigma for those students who do not use and/or abuse drugs.

The PSD has a genuine concern for the well being of each student. Therefore, a drug-screening program will be implemented in accordance with established board policy. The contracting biomedical laboratory shall be certified by the National Institute of Drugs Abuse (NIDA) and be approved by the school board. The testing shall be done only after consent from the student involved in the activity and the parent/guardian.

Students that are subject to drug testing will be made aware of the drug testing process and the steps/consequences if and when a student tests positive. Every possible precaution will be taken to assure and maintain accuracy and confidentiality of the test results, including the maintenance of a documented chain of specimen custody to ensure the identity and integrity of the sample throughout the collection and testing process.

Specific goals of this drug-screening program are to:

1. educate students concerning the dangers and problems associated with drug use/abuse
2. prevent drug use/abuse by students of the PSD
3. identify any student who may be using/abusing drugs and to determine the identity of the drug
4. provide opportunities for treatment and counseling for any student who is determined to be using/abusing drugs
5. remove the stigma of drug/abuse from those students who do not use/abuse drugs

Procedures:

1. All students participating in extracurricular activities must complete a drug-screening form on DragonFly. This form must be signed and completed by both the student and a parent/guardian in order for the student to practice or compete. With regard to the selection of students, the following procedures shall be followed:

• By September 1 of each school year, the Athletic Dept. will generate a master list of all students who participate in extra/co-curricular activities.
• The master list will be placed in alphabetical order on an Excel spreadsheet with each student assigned a number and delivered to the testing facility.
• The master list will be updated as students are added or deleted from various rosters.
• The principal and director of activities will schedule all dates for drug screening.
• The testing facility will forward a list of 30 randomly selected numbers to the activities department secretary and principal 24 hours prior to testing. Random selection shall be conducted by the testing facility utilizing an electronic/computer based program.

2. If a student tests positive, the appropriate coach or director will take the following steps:

• The student’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) will be notified.
• The student may be required to attend a drug-counseling program at his/her own expense.
• The student will forfeit interscholastic participation, including in-class and after-school practices and competitions for a minimum of seven consecutive days. Students can resume participation following a negative drug test conducted at Petal SEMRHI Clinic after a minimum of seven consecutive days.
  • Students who test positive for drugs will forfeit certain team and individual awards as determined by the coach or director.
• The student will be mandated to participate in the next drug test session.
• A second positive test will result in a 28 day suspension from all practices, competitions and performances.
• If the student tests positive after the third test, he/she will be suspended indefinitely.

If a student is suspended, the student has the right to appeal the decision to the PSD Board of Trustees for the determination. The student shall have the right to have counsel present at the student’s own expense.

We want the interscholastic competitor experience to be positive for your student and compliment their academic experiences at PSD. However, we do understand that questions and concerns can come up within all extracurricular activities, therefore we want to help in navigating through those situations and communicating with personnel.

Extracurricular activities (including athletics) is a privilege and not a right. There are certain expectations and requirements that come with being able to participate such as:

1. academic requirements
2. behavioral expectations
3. tryout participation and selection to the team if applicable
4. enrollment in the drug testing program
5. positively representing the school, team and community
6. being able to work within a team environment

We hope to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to participate in extracurricular programs, but participation on a team does not always result in playing or to determining positions. Our coaching staff is hired to make the coaching decisions including but not limited to:

1. team selection
2. playing time for the competitors
3. position placement for the competitors
4. game plans and practice plans
5. expectations in regard to academics, attendance, attitude, work ethic, etc.

We ask that any conversations that might involve emotional content never be discussed on a game day or directly following a practice. All coaches are expected to be available to our parents, but we ask that conferences be scheduled in advance. We also ask that the chain of communication within the district be followed. In each of these cases, the recommended course of action is to request a meeting at an agreed upon time, and let that person know the reason for the meeting.

Students who choose to participate in any extracurricular activity need to understand that participation in these activities is a privilege. Along with any team or program specific rules, students who choose to engage in behavior that is deemed inappropriate are subject to disciplinary actions by the coach or administration that could rise to the level of removal from a team or program.

Concussion Management and Return to Play Policy                                            

The Board of Trustees of this school district adopts this concussion management and return to play policy that includes the following guidelines:

• Parents or guardians shall receive and sign a copy of the concussion policy before the start of the regular school athletic event season. 
• An athlete who reports or displays any symptoms or signs of a concussion in a practice or game setting shall be removed immediately from the practice or game. The athlete shall not be allowed to return to the practice or game for the remainder of the day regardless of whether the athlete appears or reports feeling normal. 
• The athlete shall be evaluated by a healthcare provider working within the provider's scope of practice. 
• If an athlete has sustained a concussion, the athlete shall be referred to a licensed physician, preferably one with experience in managing sports concussion injuries. 
• The athlete who has been diagnosed with a concussion shall be returned to play only after full recovery and clearance by a healthcare provider.
• Return to play after a concussion should be gradual and follow a progressive return to competition.
• An athlete shall not return to a competitive game before demonstrating that the athlete has no symptoms in a fully supervised practice.
• Athletes shall not continue to practice or return to play while still having symptoms of a concussion.

Concussion Policy Definitions

• "Health care provider" means a licensed physician or a licensed nurse practitioner, licensed physician assistant or licensed health care professional working within the person's scope of practice and under the direct supervision or written consultation of a physician. All healthcare providers referred to in this act also must be trained in the evaluation and management of concussions. 
• "School athletic event" means activities sanctioned by the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) or the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), and school-sponsored activities in Grades 7 through 12 of schools that are not members of the MHSAA or the MAIS which activities are organized and conducted in a manner substantially similar to activities that are sanctioned by the MHSAA or the MAIS.