Saturday, July 19, 2008

BHS athletic handbook meetings are mandatory

Duane Barbati News-Bulletin Staff Writer; dbarbati@news-bulletin.com

Belen Parents and athletes of Belen Consolidated Schools are being required to attend a mandatory meeting to be informed about the new athletic handbook.

Belen Schools athletic coordinator Jim Danner is conducting the meetings in an effort to communicate better with parents and athletes.

Danner has already held four meetings in the Belen High School fine arts auditorium. No student may participate in an athletic sport at BHS or the middle school unless the student and a parent or guardian have attended a handbook meeting and signed off on the code of conduct.

"We felt parents were not informed about the athletic handbook," said Danner. "I wanted to improve on the communication between myself and parents."

The next meetings will be held at 7 p.m. on July 24, Aug. 5 and Aug. 11. Additional meetings will be scheduled during the school year.

"We will have them before each season and during the season," Danner said. "We want parents to be informed. The old handbook didn't address certain things. Now, we're talking about specific things."

Athletes and parents are informed about arranging meetings with coaches, trainer responsibilities, athlete medical information, eligibility, dual participation, cutting guidelines and booster clubs at the handbook meetings.

"We want parents to have all the information by attending the handbook meetings," Danner said. "We want to have very few question down the line."

An athlete has to maintain a 2.0 grade point average in order to be eligible to play on a high school team.

"A student must have a 2.0 average and no more than one F when enrolled in eight classes," Danner said. "A student can't have one F when the student is enrolled in only five classes. They must pass all five classes."

He said he wants the athlete and coaches to first solve any problems with practices, discipline or other concerns.

"First the athlete and coach try to solve any problems," said Danner. "If the problem isn't solved then the parents can meet with the coach; then, I will get involved."

Athletes participating in sports activities are required to have a physical examination and medical consent forms completed prior to the start of the season or off-season program.

"Athletes have to have a physical form on file before an athlete starts a new season and any off-season conditioning program," said Danner. "We also need to have a consent for medical treatment."

Danner explained that the medical consent allows treatment to begin immediately when an athlete is injured on the playing field.

"We don't have to wait for a parent to arrive at the hospital to begin treatment," said Danner. "The coach has the consent form on file and can hand it over to the doctors."

One of the other changes in the handbook is the policy of dual participation of sport during the season. The policy prohibits an athlete to participate in a club sport while playing on a school team at the same time.

"Playing on a club soccer team and our team in the same season; we can't allow it," said Danner. "It's going to cause problems. It's only with the same sport in the same season. A student can be on the track team and a club soccer team, but not on a club basketball and our basketball team at the same time."

He said he is reaching out to athletes and parents to communicate better with them.

"We needed to improve our communication with parents," said Danner. "We're working really hard at it. One of the ways is by having these parent and athlete meetings."

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