Expectations of Athletes

Expectations of Athletes - Pike athletes share a commitment to themselves, their teammates and to the school. 

Student-athletes are expected to exhibit:

• Respect – For oneself, teammates, coaches, opponents, officials, fans, bus drivers, and athletic staff.

• Responsibility – By attending practices/games; being on time every day, and being prepared to improve in skill level and knowledge of the sport. Athletes are expected to adhere to the school rules and expectations as stated in the Athletic Handbook. 

• Sportsmanship– Every action, body language, attitude and spoken word is a reflection of oneself and a reflection of the school. Student-athletes should be committed to demonstrating fair and equitable behavior to others.

• Students must understand that playing athletics at the Pike School is a privilege.

Pike School athletes are expected to maintain good sportsmanship at all times. Opposing team players and officials should be treated with respect. It is important to represent Pike in a positive manner.

• Realize that athletics are part of the educational experience, and the benefits of involvement go beyond the final score of a game;

• Encourage students to perform their best, just as we would urge them on with their class-work.

• Participate in positive cheers and encourage our athletes, and discourage any cheer that would redirect that focus;

• Learn, understand, and respect the rules of the game, the officials who administer them and their decisions;

• Respect the task our coaches face as teachers, and support them as they strive to educate our youth;

• Respect our opponents as students, and acknowledge them for striving to do their best; and

• Remember that we would all like to be victorious in every situation we face in life, but sometimes this is not the outcome.

 

Interscholastic Sport Teams

Members of Pike Interscholastic teams are expected to make a commitment to their team and to participate in all scheduled practices. Players may only miss practices or games for excused absences. Reasons for an excused absence include illness, injury, or specific situations for which advanced notice has been given to the coach or athletic director (i.e, doctors appointment, family obligation). Members of Pike sports teams are required to notify their coach in advance if they need to miss a game or practice. It is important to look at the entire game schedule on the Pike website at the beginning of the season, to avoid any last minute absences. If a student needs to be excused from physical education and/or athletics for an extended absence (three days or more), the student should provide a doctor's note from home explaining the reason.  If a student is not healthy enough to participate in PE class, they will not be able to participate in a game afterschool. To help to ensure the safety of athletes, if an athlete is absent and did not tell the coach, a phone call may be made home to make sure the parent/guardian knows that their child is not at a game or practice.

 

• Pike Athletics Family Acknowledgment Form 

• Two unexcused absences will result in a one-game suspension. 

• Three unexcused absences will result in dismissal from the team. 

• Athletes must attend the majority of the school day in order to play in a game or participate in practice. 

 

Attendance Requirements for Intramural Program

• Attendance is not mandatory for the intramural program, however for safety reasons we do ask to let us know if your child is not able to attend on a certain day. 

• Intramural programs run a maximum of two days each week, and gives students flexibility in their schedules. Great option for students that want to try something new, be physically active, or further develop their skills. The programs focus on skill development, learning how to play the game, and participating in weekly games with their peers in a fun and safe environment.

Pike School strives to provide athletic opportunities for all students. Some of our interscholastic teams may have a maximum number of participants that requires limiting the number of players so that all team members have a meaningful experience. If needed, a try-out period will be held at the beginning of each season. If there needs to be a limit to the number of players for a team, the head coach will inform all players of their status on the team in a face-to-face meeting. Athletes who do not make the interscholastic team of their choice may participate on another team if there is space on the roster, or participate in the intramural programs.

When there is a high number of signups for a specific sport that the interscholastic teams can’t support, the School may offer an Intramural program for all interested students. The Intramural program is open to all students in grades 5th-9th that are not on interscholastic teams at Pike and is a great option for students who want to try something new or further develop their skills. The program requires a minimum number of students to sign up. The days of the program are contingent on the schedule in each sports season. The program is one large all gender group and will focus on skill development, learning how to play the game, and participating in weekly games with their peers in a fun and safe environment.

 

• The Athletic Director will distribute uniforms after team rosters have been made.

• It is the athlete’s responsibility to bring their uniform to every game. 

• Uniforms may only be worn for Pike games, not PE class, practice, or any time outside of school.

• Uniforms must be returned promptly at the end of the season. If a uniform is lost, the family may be charged the cost of a replacement uniform.

• Each team member is responsible for bringing a water bottle to games and practices. It is important to stay hydrated.

 

• Parents/Guardians are responsible for picking up their child at Pike after home athletic events and practices. 

• Students need to be picked up no later than 15 minutes after a practice or game has ended. Any student still without a ride will be sent to Pike Plus and will be charged for late pickup. 

• The school will provide van or bus transportation to and from away games.

• For away games, an email will be sent out to parents with an ETA of when the bus will return to Pike. Students need to be picked up no later than 15 minutes after the bus returns. 

• Parents/Guardians are allowed to take students home from away games. However, for safety reasons, we please ask for the students and parents to communicate with the coach beforehand if they won’t be taking the bus back to Pike from away games. 

•  Students who are injured or who need doctor's clearance to return to play will not be able to travel with the team if there is an away game. If there is a Home game they are encouraged and welcome to come to the game and support their teammates. 

Students (and a parent/guardian) must complete an online concussion course before they are allowed to participate in Pike sports and attest to completion in Magnus.

A “concussion” is a complex disturbance in brain function, due to direct or indirect trauma to the head, related to neurometabolic dysfunction, rather than structural injury. A concussion can occur with or without a loss of consciousness, and proper management is essential to the safety and long-term future of the injured individual. A “head injury” is a direct blow to the head or indirect trauma to the head including a concussion or traumatic brain injury.

Most athletes who experience a concussion can recover completely as long as they do not return to play prematurely. The effects of repeated concussions can be cumulative, and after a concussion, there is a period in which the brain is particularly vulnerable to further injury. If an athlete sustains a second concussion during this period, the risk of permanent brain injury increases significantly.

As such, the guidelines outlined below should be followed to ensure that students are identified, treated, and referred appropriately, receive appropriate follow-up care during the school day, and are recovered prior to returning to full activity. For questions or concerns at any time, please contact the Athletics Office.

Concussion Awareness

Concussions and other brain injuries can be serious and potentially life threatening. If managed properly, most athletes can enjoy long careers in sports after a concussion. Research indicates that these injuries can also have serious consequences later in life if not managed properly. The School has developed procedures to help to ensure the safety and well-being of student athletes.

A concussion occurs when there is a direct or indirect injury to the brain. As a result, transient impairment of mental functions such as memory, balance/equilibrium, and vision may occur. It is important to recognize that many sport-related concussions do not result in loss of consciousness and, therefore, all suspected head injuries should be taken seriously. Coaches, parents/guardians, and fellow teammates can be helpful in identifying those who may potentially have a concussion, because a concussed athlete may not be aware of one’s condition or may be trying to hide the injury to stay in the game or practice.

Signs and Symptoms

An athlete may report one or more of the following symptoms: Headache or “pressure” in head; double or fuzzy vision; dizziness; tinnitus (ringing in the ears); nausea; just doesn’t “feel right;” sensitivity to light and/or noise; feeling sluggish, foggy, or groggy; concentration/memory problems; and/or confusion.

One or more of the following symptoms may be observed in the athlete: Loss of consciousness; appears dazed or stunned; moves clumsily; unsure of score, opponent, date, etc.; cannot recall events prior to incident; cannot recall events after incident; answers questions slowly; confused about what to do—assignments, position, etc.; forgets an instruction; and/or shows mood, behavior, or personality changes. The School recommends that an athlete should receive prompt medical attention for the following dangerous symptoms of a concussion. These include any of the following:

• Loss of Consciousness

• Vomiting

• Confusion

• Convulsions or seizures

• One pupil is larger than the other

• Difficulty recognizing people or places

• Extreme drowsiness or cannot be awakened

• Any weakness or numbness

• Headache worsens or does not go away after 24 hours

When a student-athlete shows any signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion, the athlete is expected to be promptly removed from practice or competition and evaluated by the athletic trainer and/or the student’s healthcare provider. It is recommended the student be evaluated by a healthcare specialist with experience in the evaluation and management of a concussion.

• A student-athlete diagnosed with a concussion is expected to be withheld from the competition or practice and not return to activity for the remainder of that day.

• Parents/Guardians should be notified at once.

• The student-athlete should be monitored for signs of deterioration.

• The student-athlete should be evaluated by a concussion specialist 

• Return to play will typically follow a medically supervised stepwise process which should be initiated by the concussion specialist in communication with the athletic training staff.

Post-Concussion – Return to Play

The student-athlete must meet all of the following criteria in order to progress to activity:

• Symptom-free at rest and with exertion (including mental exertion in school).

• Have written clearance from the appropriate health care provider.

 

Concussion Prevention Measures

• Make sure that helmets are fitted properly.

• Make sure that student-athletes are wearing properly fitted mouth guards during all practices and games.

• Practice correct hitting, tackling, and soccer heading techniques.

• A student-athlete should not return to athletic activity if they have any symptoms at rest and/or with exertion.

Second-Impact Syndrome

Second-Impact Syndrome (SIS) results from an acute brain swelling that occurs when a second concussion is sustained before complete recovery from a previous concussion. Athletes who have mild symptoms or symptoms that have cleared are still at risk for developing brain swelling after a second impact to the head. It is important to note that virtually all of the second-impact syndrome cases that have been reported have occurred in adolescent athletes.

Physical education is an integral part of the School’s curriculum and is designed to provide optimum growth and development for each student. Therefore, every student is expected to participate. A student who is ill or injured will be excused only if the student has a note from home, the School Nurse, or a doctor. 

Students are responsible for having appropriate and necessary clothing and sneakers for each class. Athletic teams are optional at Pike because students have Physical education classes all 3 terms.

Urgent Notifications

• Parents/guardians are responsible for checking for emails or checking the Pike Website. Athletes are responsible for checking Google classrooms or their school email for updates. This is the most efficient means of communicating updates. 

• Cancellations of practices or games due to inclement weather will be made before 1:30 PM.