The Lakeside School Interscholastic Athletics
Program is built on the following values: opportunity; choice and commitment;
competition; teamwork; and teaching and learning.
• The Interscholastic Athletics Program strongly encourages multiseason participation. Students learn to balance their commitments because they are making choices among competing priorities.
• Weight training (for grades 9 through 12), proper nutrition, and cardiovascular fitness are fundamental to each sports training program. These activities provide an opportunity to effect proper conditioning for athletics and to establish positive lifelong health habits.
• Curriculum based commitments supersede athletic commitments.
• Coaches have the responsibility to communicate clearly their expectations and time commitments so that students are able to make informed choices and decisions.
• Varsity participation involves rigorous competition and an intensive commitment to training, practices, and games.
• Students will not be barred from varsity
team membership because of school or family commitments. A starting position
on a team is an earned privilege based on demonstrated readiness for competition
as assessed by the coach.
• Rigorous, appropriate competition is a priority of the program, particularly at the varsity level. Individual and team success is a by-product of character, commitment, practice, effort, and teamwork.
• Positive sportsmanship in competition includes fair play and respect for coaches, teammates, opponents, officials, and spectators.
• At the Middle School, Upper School junior varsity, and Upper School junior varsity "C" levels, if a student is healthy, has been attending practice, and displays a positive attitude, he or she will play in contests.
• At the varsity level, coaching strategy focused on team competitiveness determines individual playing time. Playing time is not guaranteed.
• Leadership opportunities exist for all athletes through the support, attitude, and motivation that each team member brings to the team. Leadership has an important corollary—cooperation, the ability to support team goals and objectives above personal goals and objectives.
• In an effective athletics program, respect, fair play, cooperation, effort, loyalty, self direction, and perseverance are some of the outcomes of student participation.
Coaches understand that they are teachers and role models. They teach skills so students can grow in their competence and competitiveness over time. They view each practice and game as an opportunity to teach ethical values and conduct within the context of sport. They model this behavior by their conduct towards their athletes, parents, officials, and opponents, on and off the field.
Parents understand that they are role models. Parents view each practice and game as an opportunity to model ethical values to their children. They exhibit this behavior by their conduct towards all athletes, coaches, officials, fellow parents, opposing athletes, coaches, and other parents, on and off the playing fields and in the stands.
Drafted by the Athletics Advisory Committee, Spring 1999