SHAWNEE MISSION WEST BASEBALL 2015 HANDBOOK
PARENTS and STUDENT-‐ATHLETES Welcome back to our returning student-‐athletes and hello to our new student-‐athletes. For some, you are continuing a great tradition and for others, you are about to experience for the first time what it means to be a Shawnee Mission West baseball player. As coaches, it is our goal to make this a positive and memorable experience for all. In this handbook, you will find details about the direction of the SM West Baseball program, as well as the expectations of the coaching staff. Please take time to read through this handbook and direct any questions you might have to any member of the coaching staff. The coaching staff is very excited about the upcoming season and the opportunity to not only develop baseball players, but to also help build quality young mean. We also look to continue the tradition of SM West Baseball and continue moving it in a positive direction not only for the members of the program but for the community who supports it. Again, welcome to the 2015 season and keep in mind, we are ALL in this together.
COMMITMENT This program has high expectations for your son both academically and on the field. The coaching staff is deeply committed to providing your son with the necessary tools to develop the skills necessary to lead successful, productive lives, and to become leaders; both on and off the field. To do this, the coaching staff needs your commitment to support the program to help your son and the program succeed. We will continue to reinforce this commitment throughout the season.
WHO? WHAT? WHERE? Athletic Director Head Varsity Varsity Assistant JV C Team Practice Field
Don Perkins, 913-‐993-‐7843,
[email protected] Todd Reed, 913-‐993-‐7935, Cell: 913-‐568-‐5803,
[email protected] Jacob Bauer, 913-‐993-‐8008,
[email protected] Kris Scheuerman, 913-‐993-‐7949,
[email protected] Todd Klamm, 913-‐993-‐8031,
[email protected] Broadmoor, 6701 West 83rd Street, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204
*Note: All efforts to contact the coaching staff should be directed to their office e-‐mail or phone, unless it is an emergency.
SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 1
MISSION STATEMENT: To build a baseball program that represents Shawnee Mission West by producing student-‐athletes who are responsible, respectful, competitive and positive role models in the community.
PHILOSOPHY (As a Coach and as a Person): ! I BELIEVE IN DISCIPLINE: The greatest discipline in the world is self-‐discipline. This means knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong and having the discipline to do the right thing. ! I BELIEVE IN HARDWORK: Always remember that each day you either get better or worse. As an athlete, you never stay the same. Always expect the best and work as hard as you can to make it happen. You get out what you put into it! ! I BELIEVE IN GOALS: You must know what you want as an individual and as a team before you can ever attain it. Set an attainable goal and work together as a team to achieve it. ! I BELIEVE IN BEING A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL: A true test of a person’s character is doing the right thing when no one else is looking. ! I BELIEVE THAT BASEBALL SHOULD BE FUN: Show your positive emotions on the playing field, especially the emotion of joy! ! I BELIEVE IN COMMUNICATION: The best way to work together as a team is to stay on the same page and talk to each other.
LINE OF COMMUNICATION The coaches will make every effort to keep the line of communication open directly with the student-‐athletes and in some instances the parents. However, should questions or concerns arise; it is the responsibility of the student-‐athlete to first discuss with their team coach. If the question/concern cannot be resolved, the following guidelines should be used: 1) Student-‐athlete discusses questions/concern with parents. 2) Student-‐athlete and parents schedule meeting with team coach and Head Coach 3) Student-‐athlete, parents, and coaches schedule a meeting with the Athletic Director
SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 2
SM WEST BASEBALL PROGRAM COVENANTS 1. 2. 3. 4.
All players are on the same level whether they are a senior or a freshman. The most important thing is winning, but not winning at all costs. Academics come first – not baseball. Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm. Discipline and attention to detail at the plate, in the field, in the dugout, during practice, and in the classroom will keep our program to the echelon we want it to be. 5. Play hard and play with confidence. Don’t ever leave the field thinking that you were out hustled or unprepared. Don’t be arrogant and don’t be complacent. Be confident because you know you are well prepared. 6. Moral victories don’t cut it. Expect to win each and every game. No high school baseball team is unbeatable. 7. Culture of responsibility. It’s much easier to blame others: teammates, coaches, umpire, etc. Look inward and not outward.
STUDENT-‐ATHLETES (Academic Eligibility) As an SM West Baseball student-‐athlete, you are held accountable for your academics and you must be an active participant in your learning. You are a student first, an athlete second. The Kansas State High School Activities Association requires that all students must pass at least five (5) new subjects (those not previously passed) or unit weight, or its equivalency, the previous semester or the last semester of attendance AND be enrolled in and attending a minimum of five (5) new subjects (those not previously passed) of unit weight, or its equivalency, during the current semester. Athletic Eligibility is governed by the SMSD district policies*, school policies and finally by this program’s policies. Student-‐athletes are required to complete an eligibility card each week during the season if Mr. Perkins declares them ineligible on Monday. The following eligibility card must be completed and turned in by the student to Mr. Perkins by the end of the day on Monday. I will receive an e-‐mail every Monday telling me who is ineligible for that week of competition. On Tuesday of each week I will receive an e-‐mail notifying me of students who have a D, F or I in a class. This will take place of the Friday eligibility card that players in the past have had to carry.
SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 3
ELIGIBILITY CARD FOR THE WEEK OF: _________ through __________. STUDENT’S NAME: _______________________________ DATE: ___________ GRADE: __________ Teachers are encouraged to put the earned letter grade under the pass column or fail column. SCHOLASTIC HOUR SUBJECT TEACHER SIGNATURE PASS FAIL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
*ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION
1. Academic -‐ Participants on athletic teams must have a minimum of five passing grades in subjects of unit weight from the preceding semester. A student's eligibility to compete depends upon the student's average grades from the beginning of the semester to the close of the week prior to the student's participation. If a student is eligible the closing day of the week, the student is eligible for all activities beginning Monday of the following week. A student must have passing grades in at least five subjects of unit weight at the end of the previous semester or last semester of attendance. Interpretation: Any subject taken one full period daily, five times a week is considered as one of the five subjects of unit weight required for eligibility. Subjects for whom two units of credit are awarded toward graduation shall be counted as two subjects of unit weight toward eligibility. Classes previously taken for eligibility and passed cannot be counted again. a. Senior high school athletic participation rules must be in accordance with the KSHSAA rules and board policy.
DRUG/ALCOHOL POLICY The SM WEST baseball program’s drug/alcohol policy is in accordance with the SMSD “Zero Tolerance” policy. TOBACCO/ALCOHOL/DRUG CONTRACT DISTRICT CONTRACT REGARDING TOBACCO/ALCOHOL/DRUG AND EXTRA-‐ CURRICULAR ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION The Shawnee Mission School District and Shawnee Mission West High School are committed to provide a wide variety of wholesome, well supervised extra-‐curricular activities. We encourage each and every student to become involved and participate as representatives of his/her school. The following contract will apply to each student who represents his or her school in any extra-‐curricular activity. Students participating in any Shawnee Mission School District extra-‐curricular activity must have a signed tobacco/alcohol/drug contract on file in the SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 4
principal’s office. The signed contract will be in effect during the student’s entire enrollment in a Shawnee Mission school. Board of Education policies JICH and JICG expressly prohibit the use, possession, transfer, or sale of any alcoholic or cereal malt beverage, restricted substances, or tobacco on school property or at school activities. Students participating in Shawnee Mission High School extra-‐curricular activities are expressly prohibited from the use, possession, transfer, or sale of any alcoholic or cereal malt beverage, restricted substances, or tobacco. Violation of this restriction by any Shawnee Mission student will, in addition to consequences set forth by the Board of Education; result in the following consequences listed below. Students in violation of this contract are encouraged to seek appropriate counseling or treatment. A. FIRST OFFENSE IN SEASON VIOLATION: A conference including a building administrator, the student, parents/guardians of the student, and the coach or sponsor will be conducted. If verification is found to be sufficient by school administration, the student will be suspended from participation in all extra-‐curricular competition/practices for the remainder of the current season. OUT OF SEASON VIOLATION: A conference including a building administrator, the student, parents/guardian of the student, and the coach or sponsor, will be conducted. If verification is found to be sufficient by the school administration, the student will be placed on immediate administrative probation. Student placed on administrative probation are not considered “in good standing” as described by the KSHSAA Rule 14 and therefore are not permitted to participate in extra-‐curricular activities. A student may be removed from administrative probation by completing the following: Completion of a community service program as designed by the student and parents/guardians and approved by the school administration. This program shall consist of a minimum of 20 hours of service. The designated program must be completed prior to the student participating in any extra-‐curricular competition. B. SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES (Offenses are accumulative throughout the duration of the contract and throughout the student’s entire enrollment in Shawnee Mission Schools.) A conference including a building administrator, the student, parents/guardians of the student, and the coach or sponsor will be conducted. If verification is found to be sufficient by school administration, the student will be prohibited from participating in extra-‐curricular activities for one calendar year after the completion of the due process hearing. SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 5
CODE OF CONDUCT Your obligation as a student-‐athlete is to represent the school, the SM WEST Baseball program and the community responsibly and with integrity. This includes your time on and off the playing field. All student-‐athletes will exhibit good sportsmanship to teachers, teammates, and coaches; as well as umpires, opposing teams and spectators. Your obligations also extend outside the classroom and the athletic field. You are a member of the community. As such, you should represent yourself and the team in positive manner, respect authority, and encourage your teammates to do the same.
ATTENDANCE Attendance at all team functions is mandatory. Student-‐athletes who miss a team function (practice, game, or other activity) are required to notify their respective coach with as much advance notice as possible via written note, e-‐mail or voicemail. The coach will determine whether the absence is excused. If an athlete is absent from school and is excused through the attendance office, he will also be excused for the baseball activity but please notify your coach before practice that day. Coaches will check their e-‐mail and voicemail before practice. If a student-‐athlete is unable to notify anyone due to an emergency, please notify the coach as soon as possible.
TIMELINESS BE ON TIME FOR ALL TEAM FUNCTIONS! Make it to practice 5 -‐ 10 minutes early, not 1 minute late. This means being dressed and on the field when practice starts. Consequences for being late to practice: 1. First offense: Additional running at practice. 2. Second offense: Student-‐athlete will be asked to leave that day’s practice. 3. Third offense: One-‐week suspension from practice and competition Consequences for no notification for missing a practice or game: 1. First offense: Suspension from next practice or game. 2. Second offense: One-‐week suspension from practice and games. 3. Third Offense: Student-‐athlete will be asked to turn in their uniform
PRACTICE EXPECTATIONS ! Be early. ! Hustle or run everywhere you go. Walking shows a lack of respect for your teammates, coaches and the program. ! Be truthful and honest with the coaches, teammates and most of all yourself. ! Help set-‐up practice. ! Keep your t-‐shirt tucked in and your hat on straight/forward. ! Treat the equipment with respect. SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 6
! Practice outlines will be posted daily by the coaching staff outside Coach Reed’s classroom and at practice. ! Practice Information (inside or out & times) will be communicated via Twitter and Remind by 1:00PM each day.
DRESS CODE Practice – All student-‐athletes must wear their practice gear and hats to each practice unless the coach informs otherwise. Be prepared for Kansas weather. Uniform – Uniforms are not to be worn in public (school) unless notified by the coach. The only exceptions would be: Spring sports pep assembly and/or fundraising events (Blitz night, Hy-‐Vee grocery sacking). Hats are to be worn forward-‐facing at all times. If there is an indoor practice, players must wear their team issued practice gear. If they fail to wear this gear, they will be sent home from practice that day.
PLAYER GROOMING AND APPEARANCE ! No facial hair. ! Hair will be no longer than the collar; nothing over the ears; not touching the eyebrows. (This is done for the safety of the player) ! Slacks and ties or SM West Baseball issued gear will be worn on game days. ! Game ready when getting off the bus.
CLOSED PRACTICES All practices are closed to parents and/or spectators. This allows the coaches and student-‐ athletes to devote their time to team and student-‐athlete development and to remain focused. However, there will be a few open practices and/or scrimmages and the student-‐ athletes will be notified in advance. The information will also be listed on the SM West Baseball website, as well as Twitter, Remind and Facebook.
SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION Important practice and game information (such as time/location changes) will be communicated via GroupMe (players only), Remind (parents), Twitter and Facebook. Please make sure that you sign up for each of these media items. You can also receive scores in the form of a text message by texting follow@smwsports to 40404.
SOCIAL/ELECTRONIC MEDIA GUIDELINES & POLICY ! We understand that social media can be a fun and rewarding way to share your life and opinions with family and friends. Use of social media also presents certain risks and carries with it certain responsibilities. ! Administration will handle all social media as if you were saying it directly “face-‐to-‐ face” to an individual or group. ! Recommendations: Set your security settings so that only your friends can view your profile. If you are ever in doubt of the appropriateness of your online public material, consider whether it upholds and positively reflects your own values and SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 7
ethics as well as the SM West Baseball program and SM West High School as a whole. Remember, always present a positive image and don’t do anything to embarrass yourself, the team, your family, or your school. ! Disciplinary Policy Regarding Social Media: If there is question or concern regarding a student-‐athlete’s use of social/electronic media, there will be a meeting with Coach Reed and the Athletic Director/Don Perkins to determine disciplinary measures which may include possible suspension or dismissal from the program.
PLAYING TIME The coaches are diligent in determining which student-‐athletes will represent the program on the field at any given time. As such, playing time is solely at the discretion of the coaches. No player is guaranteed any amount of playing time in our program. For incoming freshman, this can sometimes become an issue. This can be especially difficult if a player has come from a previous team philosophy that encourages equal playing time. Please respect the coaches on game day and allow them to coach your son. Talk to the players between games and away from the dugout. During the game let them play the game. If you have a question and/or concern about the status of your student-‐athlete, please make an appointment to discuss with their coach. Please note: The coaches will only discuss your student-‐athlete’s development and status on the team. Remember, team placement can change and fluctuate from game to game, week to week, and season to season. Playing time and team placement is not an entitlement: each must be earned.
TEAM STRUCTURE AND EMPHASIS At each team level winning baseball games is our number one priority. However, with each team there may be a unique focus and degrees of emphasis placed on winning, certain skill-‐ sets, and team environment. Naturally, as players continue through our program we expect a natural progression in all areas of the game. ! C-‐Team: o Approximately 15-‐18 players earn spots on this team, which was established to provide more freshman and sophomore athletes an opportunity to participate at the high school level of competition. At the C-‐Team level our goal is to be competitive, but there is a strong emphasis placed on learning the game, improving fundamentals, and gaining baseball experience through practices and games. With that being said, playing time is still never guaranteed. We keep more at the C-‐Team level because it is an opportunity to develop players. ! Junior Varsity: o Approximately 12-‐16 players, freshman, sophomores or juniors, earn spots on this team. These athletes have exhibited a higher skill level than those playing at the C-‐Team level. The coaches feel that these players have demonstrated a definite potential to play varsity in the future, but they still need to refine their skills and further their maturity physically and/or mentally.
SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 8
o With this team comes greater emphasis on competition. The coaches have higher expectations for these athletes to perform up to their capabilities and to begin to develop consistency. Playing time is never guaranteed. There is always an opportunity to move up to the varsity level if the coaches feel that the individual can contribute to the varsity program. It may also be the case that a varsity player could be moved to the junior varsity team if that individual is not getting the playing time that was expected. The coaches expect a positive response from all players in situations of this type. ! Varsity Team o There are usually 16-‐18 players who make up this team. The primary emphasis at this level is competition. Playing time is never guaranteed. Those athletes selected –seniors, juniors, sophomores, or freshman –are expected to perform at the highest level within the program on a consistent basis. These athletes’ posses the qualities that the coaches consider essential to produce a competitive team at the varsity level. Participation is based on each individual’s ability, attitude, and contributions made to the team. Players who have the privilege of earning a spot on the varsity are expected to understand and embrace whatever role (starting position player, pitcher only, courtesy runner, etc.) the coaching staff has determined is best for the overall success of the SM West Baseball program.
VARSITY LETTER REQUIREMENTS ! Be in good standing with the coaching staff and school. ! Represent Shawnee Mission West by being a positive influence on the school and baseball program. ! Student-‐athletes must attend 100% of the practices. If a practice must be missed, inform the head coach prior to the absence (see enclosed Attendance Information). ! Student-‐athletes must abide by all policies/guidelines contained in this handbook.
FUNDRAISING
In order to provide the SM WEST Baseball student-‐athletes with the tools and equipment to succeed, the program may participate in several fundraising activities. These activities are also designed to promote team building and should be viewed as a positive experience. The reality is that it takes money to run this program. Our basic necessities each year can be expensive. Items such as baseballs, nets, and uniforms far exceed our school budget for the baseball program. We are very thankful for the donations that we have received from our school Booster Club in offsetting some of these fees.
SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 9
POST SEASON PLAY Per KSHSAA regulations, only 18 players can be placed on a Regional/State roster. Varsity team placement for most of or the entire regular season does not always guarantee that a player will earn a spot of that Regional/State roster. Sometimes other players may need to be placed on the roster in order to ensure us the best chances of success in the post season.
MISCELLANEOUS In every season situations come up that are not addressed by our team rules or this handbook. In the event that situations like this occur, the coaching staff will investigate the problem in a timely manner and determine the consequence as quickly as possible. School policy, team policy, and KSHSAA policy will be considered in the coaching staff’s decision. Keep in mind the coaching staff has the final say in all disciplinary matters. Everything we do is for the program and no one person is more important than the program.
COLLEGE CHECKLIST JUNIOR YEAR • September 1 of Junior Year-‐ Written contact by college coaches is allowed • Clearinghouse – Request to have your ACT/SAT test scores sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse (there is a box on the application form that you can check for this) • Familiarize yourself with the NCAA admission/eligibility requirements. • Send out your spring high school schedule • Plan visits to as many schools as possible this spring and summer • There are some schools that have “Junior Days” these do not count as official visits, because they are done on your own. • Attend showcase camps in the winter and summer. Make contact with them to see if you qualify. If you do don’t wait to sign up, the good camps fill up early. Camps should be “select” or “advanced” camps SENIOR YEAR • Summer – Send out letter to college programs and tell them about your junior year (season) – it is okay to send stats. JULY 1 • Phone contact from college coaches is okay. • Try to attend more “select” or “advanced” camps
We are excited for this season and thank you for dedicating your time to the program!
SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 10
STUDENT-‐ATHLETE and PARENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As a student-‐athlete in the Shawnee Mission West Baseball program, I have read the 2015 Handbook and understand all information communicated, including but not limited to the following: ____ Academic Eligibility ____ Drug/Alcohol Policy ____ Code of Conduct ____ Practice Expectations ____ Attendance and Timeliness Expectations ____ Social/Electronic Media Policy X____________________________ Player Date X____________________________ Parent Signature Date SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
X____________________________ Coach Date
Page 11
SM WEST BASEBALL HANDBOOK -‐ 2015
Page 12
