It is the intent of the Ridgewood Board of Education to provide in the high school a comprehensive, well-planned, and well-balanced program of interscholastic athletics for girls and boys who can benefit from participation. The program shall be managed and teams coached in a manner to achieve the following objectives:

Promote individual and team desire for excellence while emphasizing that interscholastic sports be kept in perspective and the first priority for all students is intellectual and emotional growth.
Encourage enjoyment of competition, desire to win, and a healthy, constructive attitude toward winning and losing.
Develop the self-confidence and self-respect of each team member.
Develop the specialized talents, skills, and physical fitness of each participant.
Develop attitudes and skills which foster teamwork, cooperation, loyalty, and spirit.
Develop the highest type of sportsmanship, sense of fair play, and respect for fellow athletes (teammates and opponents), coaches, and officials.

Interscholastic athletics represents a significant change from recreational programs. Students-athletes can expect practices to be held on a daily basis Monday through Saturday, as well as over vacation breaks when competitions may also be scheduled. It is the responsibility of the student-athlete to come into each season both physically and mentally prepared for the rigors of high school athletics.

Playing time is not guaranteed in high school athletics. Sub-varsity coaches are aware of the importance of developing skills in each athlete while balancing the need for participation. Sub-varsity coaches will make every effort to include as many players as each competition allows, but minimum playing times are not guaranteed.

Introduction

This handbook has been prepared to enhance communication between parents/guardians, student-athletes, coaches, and school administrators. Parents/guardians and student-athletes are asked to familiarize themselves with the contents of this handbook. Any concerns or questions may be directed to the Director of Athletics at 201-670-2800, ext. 20510. Questions regarding specific sports should be directed to the coach of the team that your child is playing on.

At the start of each season a Parent/Coaches meeting will be held. This is an important meeting and all parents/guardians are encouraged to attend. Specific items relative to the athletic program and specific sport will be discussed. We also encourage the parents/guardians to demonstrate their support by attending as many athletic contests as possible.

Ridgewood High School has a proud tradition of honor in athletics and expects every student-athlete to uphold that tradition by maintaining the highest standards of performance, behavior, and leadership. Every athlete who represents our school must agree to abide by the rules and regulations that have been developed by our athletic department. These rules and regulations must be read and signed by the student-athlete and his/her parents/guardians. Violations will be dealt with firmly and may result in suspensions from the team.

Parents/guardians and student-athletes are encouraged to contact the coach for clarification, understanding, and counsel if needed.

Participation Forms

Before a student goes out for a sport, a parent/guardian prior to each season must fill out the appropriate participation forms. These forms include the Pre-Participation Medical Examination form (PPE) or Health History Questionnaire form, RHS Hazing Policy, Emergency Card, Sudden Cardiac Death pamphlet, NJSIAA Steroid Testing Policy, NJSIAA Banned Substance List, Eye Injury Awareness sheet, Concussion and Head Injury pamphlet, the RHS Extracurricular Code of Conduct, and the Acknowledgement Form. The Pre-Participation Medical Examination form (PPE) or Health History Questionnaire form can be found on our website and must be submitted to our Health Office. All the other forms can be found and signed for online through Skyward.

Athletic Physical

In order to participate in a sport at Ridgewood High School, please be advised that by law the student must first have a physical completed, which includes a medical history and an examination, by a physician within 365 days of the start of the sport. The physical covers the student for one calendar year. In accordance with, 6.A: 16-2.2,” the medical examination must be conducted in the ‘medical home’ of the student. The “medical home” is defined as a health care provider and that provider’s practice site chosen by the parent/guardian for the provision of health care. Due to the recent revision and requirement of the cardiac module on the existing PPE, New York based doctors will not be able to sign off and complete the examination form for RHS students.

Equipment

The equipment issued by the school becomes the responsibility of the athlete during the season. Special care must be taken to lock all equipment in the locker/team room between practices and games. Student-athletes may be provided with lockers but are reminded not to bring large amounts of money to school. Also, expensive jewelry should not be worn to school and left in the locker room unattended. At the conclusions of the season all equipment and uniforms must be returned to the coaches immediately. Any missing uniforms will be handled as a financial obligation and diplomas, report cards, and/or schedules will not be given out until the uniforms are returned or a fee paid.

Practice Schedule

There are practice sessions everyday after school beginning approximately at 3:30 pm. This provides student-athletes the opportunity to attend Period 9 if needed. The length of the practice is up to the discretion of the individual coach, but should not exceed three hours in length. Practice sessions are also conducted on Saturdays and during vacation periods.

Game Schedules

All game schedules are listed and continually updated on the athletic schedule website.

Conflicting Activities During the Season

Prior to the start of any season, an athlete must realize his/her obligation/responsibility to the team and refrain from scheduling any conflicting activity during that season. Any conflicts should be reported to the coach prior to the start of the season when possible.

Transportation

All student-athletes must use the transportation provided by the district to away contests. If an emergency does occur, prior parent/guardian permission must be obtained. Parents/guardians must complete the “Travel Release” form prior to the contest or event. This form can be found on the RHS website under the Athletic Forms tab. The parent/guardian is the only individual allowed to transport their child(ren).

Strength and Conditioning Training

Various teams utilize the Fitness Center in and out of their sports season, at the discretion of the coaches. The purpose of the strength and conditioning programs are to improve each individual's range of motion, reduce injury, increase stamina & strength. The room is always supervised and no student is permitted the use of the room without a BOE approved staff member present.

Sportsmanship

Whether players or spectators, the school’s reputation is dependent upon the actions of its students at an athletic event. A good spectator enjoys the contest without being a source of annoyance to those surrounding them. A good sport accepts defeat without blaming the opposing team or officials. We need to take pride in our sportsmanship and support all RHS programs in the best manner possible.

Student-Athlete Participation

Participation in athletics at Ridgewood High School is a privilege, which carries with it certain responsibilities. A student is not only a representative of the school, but also the entire community. There are certain basic standards expected of each participant in athletics at Ridgewood.

All students who represent Ridgewood on a team are expected to conduct themselves in such a manner as to reflect credit upon the school.
All students must remember they are students of the school first and participants of their respective programs second. Participation in athletics is a privilege granted to a student, not a right guaranteed to them.
Being a member of a team does not entitle a student to any special privileges in the school. Rather, it may carry the burden of being a good citizen in the face of peer pressure to become involved in some action, which might violate school rules. Our athletes are expected to set examples of good school citizenship and cooperation, which will reflect upon them as individuals and upon all athletes in general.
Students afforded these privileges must assume the responsibilities, which accompany them at all times.

Code of Behavior for Athletic Events

All student-athletes must follow the Code of Behavior for Athletic Contests.

Enthusiastically encourage your own team.
Refrain from abusive or irritating remarks and booing.
Accept the decisions of officials with good grace.
Protect the safety and comfort of players or spectators.
Any person obviously and intentionally violating the letter or spirit of the code will be subject to ejection from the contest and may not be allowed to attend further athletic contests.

Players:
Good sportsmanship is the mark of a good player

Do not swear or fight
Use self-control
Do nothing that will bring discredit to your school
Win graciously; lose with dignity
Accept officials’ judgment without question
Give the best that is in you for your team and school
Avoid any references to the color, creed, or nationality of your opponent
All team cheering should be positive with no intimidation or demeaning chants, gestures, etc. You should cheer for your team, not against another.

Hazing

Ridgewood High School requires the mutual respect of all students, staff and visitors. To this end, the Athletic Department requires your compliance against hazing or team initiations of any kind. Any coercive interactions among students, especially when such interactions make even one student uncomfortable is considered hazing and will be subject to disciplinary action(s) as outlined in the Co-Curricular Code of Conduct. In particular, initiations - e.g. requiring students to participate in any disagreeable or unpleasant activities - are considered hazing. No hazing or initiation will be tolerated, either on or off campus and will be dealt with severely. Athletes will be required to sign a “No Hazing” contract prior to the start of each season.

* Should your son or daughter ever feel they are being harassed or bullied please reach out
to the RHS EEO and notify the coach and athletic director without delay.

Contest Disqualifications

As per NJSIAA policy, an athlete who displays unsportsmanlike misconduct, physical or verbal, and is ejected from an athletic contest will be disqualified from the next two regularly scheduled games/meets, with the exception of football, which will carry a one game disqualification (the school reserves the right to take further administrative action).

Disqualification is a judgment call by the official and the decision is final and may not be appealed. A disqualified player may not be present at any contest in that sport during the period of their suspension (not present in the locker room, on the bus, on the sidelines, or in the bleachers/stands before, during, and after the contest).

Any player disqualified a second time during a 365-day period from the first disqualification will have the penalty doubled. On the third offense, the player will be suspended indefinitely, and must apply in writing to the NJSIAA through the office of his/her principal for reinstatement.

Seniors who are disqualified from their last game will serve the penalty in a subsequent sports season. When seniors are disqualified from their last game of their high school careers, the school is required to take proper administrative action to discipline the offending student.

Any team that accumulates three individual disqualifications over the course of a season automatically forfeits their post-season eligibility.

Academic Eligibility

Students-athletes are required by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for participation:

Incoming freshmen are automatically eligible for the Fall and Winter seasons.
10th, 11th, and 12th grade students need to acquire 30 credits in the previous academic year to be eligible for the Fall and Winter seasons.
Students wishing to take part in Spring Sports must earn 15 credits in the first semester.
A student who has turned 19 years of age prior to September 1st of the current academic school year is no longer eligible to take part in interscholastic athletics.
Daily Attendance - students must be in school prior to 10:00 am in order to take part in a practice or competition taking place on the coinciding date.

Student athletes who wish to make a change to their course schedule should consult with their guidance counselor to ensure they are maintaining the proper number of credits each semester to maintain their eligibility.

Parent/Coach Relationship

Both parenting and coaching are extremely difficult vocations. By establishing an understanding of each position, we are better able to accept the actions of the other and provide greater benefits to children. As parents/guardians, when your child becomes involved in a sports program, you have a right to understand what expectations are placed on your child. This begins with clear communication from the coach of your child’s program.

The following items parents/guardians and student-athletes can expect to hear from RHS Coaches:

Philosophy of the coach for the program.
Expectations and goals the coach has for the team and individual players.
Location and times of practices.
Team rules, guidelines and consequences for infractions
Procedures the school has in the event of an injury

RHS Coaches should expect student-athletes and parents/guardians to communicate the following:

Concerns they have in regards to their involvement within the program.
Advanced notice of scheduling conflicts.

The Ridgewood High School Athletic Department has a 24 hour waiting period following athletic contests when we kindly request parents/guardians refrain from contacting a coach. In addition, RHS Coaches wait to respond to any inquiries that parents/guardians might have that relate to any contest that falls within the 24 hour post competition period.

As your children become involved in the programs at RHS they will experience some of the most rewarding moments of their lives. It is important to understand that there also may be times when things do not go the way you or your child wishes. At these times discussion with the student and coach is encouraged. If the student-athlete has concerns they should meet with the coach prior to parents/guardians feeling the need to become involved.

When contacting a coach the following are acceptable issues to discuss with a coach:

Treatment of your child.
Ways to help your child improve.
Concerns about your child’s attitude.
Academic support and potential collegiate opportunities.

It is very difficult to accept your child not playing as much as you may hope. Coaches are professionals. They make judgment decisions based on what they believe to be the best for all students involved. As you have seen from the list above, certain things can be and should be discussed with your child’s coach. Other items, such as those following must be left to the discretion of the coach.

Issues that are not appropriate to discuss with any RHS Coach are as follows:

Playing time
Other students
Team strategy

Over the course of time your child participates in interscholastic programs at Ridgewood High School there may be times when a student-athlete or parent disagrees with the decisions that a coach makes, especially when it comes to playing time. RHS Coaches take an educational-based approach to athletics and would love to provide the opportunity for every child to participate on a regular basis. Unfortunately there is a distinct difference between recreational, club, and interscholastic athletics. Certain situations may not allow each individual to participate in every game.

The Ridgewood High School Athletic Department follows the same chain of communication as is outlined for appropriate student to teacher communication if a concern is to arise:

The student-athlete should initiate a meeting and formally discuss any questions or concerns they may have with the head coach of their particular level.
If a resolution or mutual understanding cannot be reached the student and parent(s) should contact the coach to discuss matters further.
If a consensus cannot be reached the parent should contact the Athletic Director to arrange a meeting.

Parent Code of Conduct

I will encourage good sportsmanship by being a positive role model
I will try my best to make athletics a positive experience for everyone involved
I will insist my athlete treat other players, coaches, officials, and fans with respect
I will reinforce the school’s drug and alcohol free policies
I will do my best to understand and appreciate the rules if the contest
I will show appreciation for outstanding plays by either team
I will help my child(ren) learn that success is measured by the development of skills and relationships, not winning and losing.
If I have a concern, I will talk to the coach at the appropriate time and place...never directly before or after an athletic event.
I will do my best to remember that my ticket to a school athletic event provides me with the privilege of observing the contest, not berating officials, coaches, or players.

Reporting an Injury

If a student-athlete is injured during an RHS sanctioned practice or competition they should be seen by an RHS Athletic Trainer immediately. The school nurse can provide the necessary forms and documentation for insurance companies should the need arise. Student-athletes will need to be cleared prior to their return to activity. RHS Athletic Trainers have the right to withhold a student-athlete's return, despite a physician's clearance, should they feel the individual is not ready for athletic activities.

The Ridgewood Board of Education currently holds secondary insurance coverage that may cover up to 70% of whatever the primary insurance company of the student-athlete does not cover that is considered usual and customary.

Athletic Offerings at Ridgewood High School

For a complete list of athletics teams, coach contact information, and the athletic schedules for the current season and school year, visit the Athletics section of the Ridgewood Public Schools website.