Policy: 2151
Instruction
Interscholastic Activities
The board recognizes the value of a program of interscholastic activities as an integral part of the total school experience to all students of the district and to the community. The program of interscholastic activities will include all activities relating to competitive sport contests, games or events, or exhibitions involving individual students or teams of students of this district when such events occur between separate schools within this district or with any schools outside this district.
The Board expects:
A. All interscholastic activities and events will be in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The school of the district will not participate in any out-of-season athletics that are not approved by the district. The district will not be responsible or liable for non-school-sponsored programs or for programs that are organized, promoted or participated in by staff members without school approval. The district will not be responsible for or control and incur liability for summer and/or out-of-season activities unless specifically sponsored by the school district. The superintendent will establish rules defining the circumstances under which school facilities may be used and under which announcements of summer sports leagues and/or clinic may be channeled to students.
B. An athletic coach must be properly trained and qualified for an assignment as described in the coach’s job description.
C. Coaches will be required to meet all training requirements as prescribed by the district, and WIAA regarding general and sport specific liability and safety measures associated with a each coaching assignment.
D. In-service training opportunities will be afforded to each coach so that he/she is trained to attend to the health care needs of participants. Prior to a sports season, the coach will prepare a plan for handling medical emergencies at practice sessions and games (home and away).
E. Participants will be issued equipment that has been properly maintained and fitted.
F. All facilities and equipment utilized in the interscholastic activity program, whether or not the property of the district, will be inspected on a regular basis.
G. Non-prescribed medications, including such items as analgesic balms, vitamins and salt tablets, must be approved by the superintendent or designee before they may be available for use by coaches and/or athletic trainers. After athletic training medications have been approved, the coach and/or trainer must secure authorization from the parent and the student’s doctor before the medications may be used during the athletic season. If such release is not on file, the non-prescribed medications may not be used. This provision does not preclude the coach and/or trainer from using approved first aid items.
H. With the intent to continuously improve district programs, at the conclusion of each regular season, an anonymous survey will be conducted to provide input to the coaches and administration. The survey will be developed by the superintendent or designee. Participating students and their parents or guardians shall be given the opportunity to complete the anonymous evaluation. Efforts will be made to ensure anonymity.
I. Should parents have concerns, they should be directed to the district’s developed guidelines when communicating with coaches. The administration will seek to ensure that the district guidelines are followed.
All notifications as required by RCW, WAC, WIAA, or Sumner School District policy shall be posted in the designated location.
1. The board recognizes that certain risks are associated with participation in interscholastic sports. While the district will strive to prevent injuries and accidents to students, each participant and his/her parent(s) or guardians(s) will be required to sign a statement which indicates that the parent(s) and the student acknowledge the risks of injuries resulting from such participation and give assurance that the student will follow the instructions of the coach.
2. Each participant will be required to furnish evidence of physical fitness prior to become a member of an interscholastic team. A written report will be completed when a student is injured while participating in a school-supervised activity, and the injury requires the student to be seen by a health care provider. An injured student participant will be evaluated and cleared to return to participation by an appropriate health care provider before participating in any activity.
3. Each student participating in interscholastic athletic activities is required to have or obtain medical insurance for expenses incurred as a result of injuries sustained while participating in the extracurricular activity. Students will provide evidence of coverage in medical expenses or will obtain such coverage through the insurance plan offered to all students participating in activities in the district. No student will be denied the ability to participate solely because the student's family, by reason of low income, is unable to pay the entire amount of the premium for such insurance. The superintendent or his or her designee may approve partial or full waiver of premiums to permit all students to obtain the required medical insurance.
The superintendent will annually prepare, approve and present to the board for its consideration a program of interscholastic activities for the school year. The superintendent will prepare rules for the conduct of student activities including, but not limited to, use of alcoholic beverages; use of tobacco; use or possession of illegal chemical substances (including marijuana/cannabis) or opiates not prescribed by a physician; physical appearance; curfew; unsportsmanlike conduct; absence from practice; gambling; or any infraction of civil law. Notice of rules and disciplinary actions related to rule violations will be distributed to each participant and his/her parents prior to the beginning of an interscholastic activity season.
Extra-Curricular Academic Standards
To ensure that extra-curricular participation supports student academic progress, an individual student must achieve and maintain a minimum standard of academic achievement. To be eligible to participate at the high school level, in addition to the WIAA requirements, students must maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA, and pass all classes as a full time student. To be eligible to participate at the middle school level, in addition to WIAA requirements, students must maintain a 2.0 average for all standards based components. The last grading period of a student’s 8th grade year will determine initial eligibility for 9th grade Fall season participation at the high school.
Nondiscrimination
The district will not exclude any person from participation in the interscholastic program, deny any person the benefits of such a program or otherwise discriminate against any person in any interscholastic program on the basis of the categories identified in the district’s Nondiscrimination policy.
The district will provide necessary funds for recreational and athletic activities for both sexes, although the aggregate expenditures are not required to be equal for members of each sex and expenditures for separate male and female teams are not required to be equal.
When individual students with disabilities are unable to participate in existing activities even when offered reasonable modifications and necessary accommodations, aids or services, the district may offer opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in separate or different recreational or athletic activities.
The district may operate or sponsor separate teams for members of each sex where selection for such teams is based upon competitive skill or the activity involved is a contact sport. However, when the district operates or sponsors a team in a particular sport for members of one sex but not the other, and athletic opportunities for members of the other sex have previously been limited, members of the excused sex will be allowed to try out for hte team offered. For the purposes of this policy, contact sports include boxing, wrestling, rugby, ice hockey, football, lacrosse, water polo, basketball and other sports in which the major activity involves bodily contact.
The district will provide equal athletic opportunities for both sexes within each school for interscholastic, club or intramural athletics. In determining whether equal athletic opportunities for both sexes are being provided, the district will consider the following factors:
1. Whether the selection of sports and levels of competition effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of members of both sexes;
2. Provision of equipment or supplies;
3. Scheduling of games and practice time, including the use of playfields, courts, gyms and pools;
4. Travel and per diem allowances, if any;
5. Opportunity to receive coaching and academic tutoring;
6. Assignment and compensation of coaches, tutors, and game officials;
7. Provision of locker rooms and practice and competitive facilities;
8. Provision of medical and training facilities and services, including the availability of insurance;
9. Provision of housing and dining facilities and services, if any; and
10. Publicity and awards.
Annual athletic evaluation
The district will evaluate its intramural and interscholastic program in each school at least once each year to ensure that equal opportunities are available to members of both sexes with respect to participation in interscholastic and/or intramural programs. The evaluation will include consideration for the factors listed in the above paragraph, Nondiscrimination.
Student athletic interest survey
Every three years, the district will administer to each school that operates interscholastic, intramural, and other athletics the survey developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction to determine male and female student interest in participation in specific sports. The district will consider the survey results when planning and developing recreational and athletic activities offered by the district and when determining whether equal opportunities are available to members of both sexes.
Facilities
The district will provide separate facilities (e.g., shower, toilets, training rooms) for male and female students or schedule the facilities equitably for separate use.
Cross References:
2121 – Substance Abuse Program
3210 – Nondiscrimination
3413 – Student Immunization And Life Threatening Health Conditions
3414 – Infectious Diseases
3416P – Procedure Medication at School
3418 – Response to Student Injury or Illness
4260 – Use of School Facilities
6512 – Infection Control Program
Legal References:
RCW 28A.400.350 Liability, life, health, health care, accident, disability, and salary insurance authorized – Health savings accounts – Premiums – Noncompliance
RCW 28A.600.200 Interschool athletic and other extracurricular activities for students – Authority to regulate and impose penalties – Delegation of authority – Conditions
RCW 69.41.330 Public Warnings – School districts
RCW 69.41.340 Student athletics – Violations – Penalty
WAC 392-190-025 Recreational and athletic activities
Management Resources:
2014 – December Issue 2013 – April Issue
2007 – October Issue
WIAA Handbook
Adopted 11/2015
Revised 06/2018