Running head: Coaches Handbook

It is the mission of the California Interscholastic Federation, San Diego Section (CIFSDS) to promote high standards of sportsmanlike and ethical behavior in and around athletic contests played under its sanction and, in life, in general. Citizenship, Integrity, and Fairness are embodied in that mission. CIF and CIFSDS contests must be safe, courteous, fair, controlled, and orderly for the benefit of all athletes, coaches, officials, and spectators, and behavior by all involved at all times should manifest the highest standards of conduct.

• It is the intent of the section membership that poor sportsmanship, unethical behavior, and violence, in any form, will not be tolerated in athletic contests or practices. In order to enforce this policy, the membership, through its Board of Managers, has established rules and regulations.
• Coaches assume the responsibility to teach and demand high standards of conduct of their athletes both on the field of play and in everyday life, in season and out of season.
• Coaches are responsible to know and abide by the rules of sport, the CIFSDS, and CIF State rules, regulations, and policies and penalties for violation of these rules.
• Coaches agree to accept and abide by determination of the CIFSDS and to demand compliance by parents and athletes under their supervision with any penalties imposed.
• It is the coach’s responsibility to support the school principal’s responsibility to enforce all CIFSDS rules and regulations and to demand high standards of conduct from coaches, athletes, and spectators.
• The CIFSDS Board of Managers requires that the following Code of Ethics be issued to and signed by each student-athlete, parent, coach, and officials’ association. Penalties for failure to submit a signed Code of Ethics are:

1. Athlete Ineligibility for participation in CIF-San Diego Section athletics
2. Coach Restricted from coaching in CIF-San Diego Section contests
3. Officials Association Not approved to officiate in the CIF-San Diego Section
4. Parent Prohibition/Removal from attendance at CIF or CIFSDS event

• Failure to abide by the standards of behavior as agreed with result in a referral to school-site administration for discipline.

1. CODE OF ETHICS FOR STUDENT-ATHLETE, PARENT/GUARDIAN/CAREGIVER, COACH, CONTEST OFFICIAL
2. Comply with the six pillars and 16 Principles of the Pursuing Victory with Honor program (on reverse side).
3. Be courteous at all times with school officials, opponents, game officials, and spectators.
4. Exercise self-control.
5. Know all rules of the contest, of CIF State, and the CIFSDS and agree to follow the rules.
6. Show respect for self, players, officials, coaches, and spectators.
7. Refrain from the use of foul and/or abusive language at all times.
8. Respect the integrity and judgment of game officials.
9. An athletic director, sports coach, school official or employee or booster club/sport group member may not provide any muscle-building nutritional supplements to student-athletes at any time. A school may only accept an advertisement, sponsor, or donation from a supplement manufacturer that offers only non-muscle building nutritional supplements. A school may not accept an advertisement sponsorship or donation from a distributor of a dietary supplement whose name appears on the label. Permissible non-muscle building nutritional supplements are identified according to the following classes: Carbohydrate/electrolyte drinks; energy bars, carbohydrate boosters, and vitamins and minerals. (Revised – Federated Council May 2007.)
10. Win with character; lose with dignity.

Accept consequences of conduct deemed inappropriate or in violation of rules.

I have read, understand, and accept the Policy Statement, Code of Ethics, The Pillars and Principles of Pursuing Victory with Honor, and the Violations, Minimum Penalties, and Appeal Process (on attached page) of the CIF-San Diego Section ETHICS IN SPORTS Policy. I agree to abide by this policy while participating and/or being a spectator at CIFSDS athletic events regardless of contest site or jurisdiction.

Negligence in Athletics

A failure by the school or athletics programs to use rational care which acts as the actual cause or the proximate cause of an injury to a player, coach, spectator, official or other party.

4 Elements Required to Prove Negligence

1. Duty: what were the legal obligations of the school & its athletics personnel under the circumstances?
2. Breach: was reasonable care exercised to fulfill those legal duties?
3. Causation: was a breach of legal duties the actual & proximate (foreseeable) cause of the injury?
4. Damages: adequate proof of financial damages related to the injury? (Meyerhoff, 2017).

14 Duties Related to Negligence and Best Practices

1. Duty to Plan – a coach must show the ability to know the maturity, physical development and preparation of athletes for instruction, games, supervision and conditioning.

• Have a yearly, weekly and daily plan and keep to it
• Develop plans and strategies as well as be prepared in all areas such as coaching, medical screening, warnings to athletes, knowing athlete’s maturity, physical development, playing environment and injury response
• Responsibility to report child abuse or neglect

2. Duty to Supervise – a coach must always be there, supervise and control their own behavior

• Physically present and prevent injuries if possible
• Age-appropriate and physically-appropriate activities
• Provide proper instruction and growth for athletes
• Supervise during events as well as before/after events

3. Duty to Assess an Athlete’s Readiness for Practice and Competition – practices must have skill and conditioning progression and development

• Athletes must have a physical by a doctor within the past year
• Must know the athlete’s readiness and level of skill and physical condition
• Injured athletes must be seen and have permission by a doctor before they return to play

4. Duty to Maintain Safe Playing Conditions – coaches should understand and know safe playing conditions for practice and games

• Ensure equipment and fields/courts are safe
• Weather conditions should be paramount as well along with a plan
• Report unsafe conditions or equipment

5. Duty to Provide Proper Equipment – coaches must ensure athletes have safe, proper equipment

• Each sport must have certified equipment through proper channels
• “Papering the Trail” – record everything with all equipment

6. Duty to Instruct Properly – proper instruction based on ability and progression

• Explain unsafe techniques and ensure proper up-to-date instruction
• Create practice plans for proper technique

7. Duty to Match Athletes – athletes matched with consideration of maturity, skill, age, size and speed
8. Duty to Condition Properly – progression for physical conditioning must be sequential and ensure safe conditions
9. Duty to Warn – coaches need to warn parents/athletes of possible injuries and sports can result in injury or death
10. Duty to Ensure athletes are Covered by Insurance – athletes must be cleared through athletic office and not be able to play prior to this clearance
11. Duty to Provide Emergency Care – coaches must be able to provide care to a range of injuries and be CPR/First Aid certified
12. Duty to Develop/Follow an Emergency Care Plan – coaches must have a plan in place to provide proper medical care

• Have all athlete medical cards & medical equipment at all practices/games
• Communicate thoroughly and timely with emergency personnel and families/guardian (Meyeroff, 2017).

Supervision Plan

The Guajome Park Academy High School Athletics Handbook states that coaches are expected to “provide for effective locker room supervision prior to and after practices and contests.” In this regard, coaches are expected to:

• Inform parents of rules and expectations regarding supervision of student-athletes prior to and after practices and contests.
• Ensure that student-athletes have viewed the CIF Code of Ethics, which includes information regarding Promoting a Positive Culture and the harmful effects of bullying, hazing, harassment, and abuse.
• Provide for effective locker room supervision and security prior to and after practices and contests
• Accompany teams to all team activities and remain until the event is over and all team members have left school property. If the team is returning to their home school, the coach must accompany them. A visiting team shall not be allowed into a locker room or allowed to begin to warm up unless accompanied by a coach or appropriate school representative.
• Submit a supervision plan to the Athletic Director prior to each season. (MCPS Athletics, 2019)

Injuries

Guajome Park Academy coaches have an obligation to provide safe, secure facilities and proper instruction. Coaches and districts are not responsible for every injury, but they can mitigate sports injuries by following these safety recommendations:

• Require compliance with CIF standards of procedure and Code of Ethics
• Require mandatory/yearly medical examinations and a medical history from prospective athletes before allowing athletes to participate
• Emphasize proper, gradual, and complete physical conditioning in order to provide athletes with optimal readiness for the rigors of their sports
• Seek to have an adequately prepared and qualified team trainer who is a regular member of the faculty
• Prepare and maintain a written emergency procedure manual to deal with the possibility of catastrophic injuries
• Ensure equipment is safe and facilities are safe
• Strictly enforce game rules and administrative regulations to protect the health of the athlete. Coaches and school officials must support the game officials with respect to their team’s conduct at athletic contests
• Know and teach the proper fundamental skills of all sports
• Keep up with ongoing safety research in athletics (rules, facilities, equipment)
• When an athlete has experienced or shown signs of head trauma (loss of consciousness, visual disturbance, headache, inability to walk correctly, disorientation, memory loss), provide immediate medical attention and should not be allowed to return to practice or the game without permission from the proper medical authorities
• Warn athletes and their parents of the risks of injuries, and obtain proper, signed “authorization, waiver and assumption of risk” forms. (ASCIP, 2016)

Risk Management Plan

• Identify any hazard or risky activity before any sport contest or practice is scheduled
• Develop and implement rules for safe play in practices/games
• Provide extremely close supervision for potentially dangerous activities
• Hire qualified personnel
• Provide proper and extensive training for all assistant coaches
• Provide detailed medical emergency procedures for both practices/games
• Determine the physical condition and physical impairments of all participants
• Develop procedures to document and investigate accidents or injuries (ex. Film practice, multiple witnesses, etc.)
• Assemble a risk management committee (include parents) whose paramount concerns is the safety of the participants
• Involve parents
• Notify the parents/players, community and administrations of plan
• Continually update plan and keep on record to show you are making improvements (NCSHAA, n.d.)

Title IX Compliance

Title IX deals with equity between men’s and women’s sports. Equity between the genders are proportional to the population of each gender and equivalency should be apparent in the following areas:

References

1. ASCIP. (2016). Athletics Risk Management Guidelines. ASCIP. Retrieved from http://ascip.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/ASCIP-Athletics-Risk-Management-Fifth-Draft-08-19-2016.pdf
2. CIF. (2019). ETHICS IN SPORTS (COACH). California Interscholastic Federation. Retrieved from http://www.cifsds.org/uploads/2/3/3/6/23368454/3ethicsinsportscoach_-2018-2019.pdf
3. MCPS Athletics. (2019). MCPS ATHLETICS SUPERVISION ACTION PLAN. MCPS Athletics. Retrieved from https://d1dph1psyatsfa.cloudfront.net/bethesdamagazi/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MCPS-High-School-Athletics-Supervision-Action-Plan-and-Template.pdf
4. Meyeroff, J. (2017). 14 Legal Duties of Coaches and Athletic Administrators. WIAA Coaches School Express. Retrieved from http://www.wiaa.com/conDocs/Con1513/Meyerhoff%201.pdf
5. NCSHAA. (n.d.). Risk Management. NCSHAA. Retrieved from https://www.nchsaa.org/risk-management