Policy 6145.2 - Athletic Competition

Interscholastic Competition

Rule 6145.2

Health and Safety

The Superintendent or designee shall annually distribute to student athletes and their parents/guardians a concussion and head injury information sheet. The student and parent/guardian shall sign and return the information sheet before the student’s initiating practice or competition.

District employees shall take every possible precaution to assure that athletic equipment is kept in safe and serviceable condition.

Football helmets shall be checked for NOCSAE seals in accordance with the National High School Federation Rule Book. Coaches shall train players to report any cracks in helmets which may result from play and to minimize injuries by considering the helmet as a protective mechanism and not as an offensive or defensive weapon.

Whenever a player incurs an injury or wound that produces bleeding or other body fluids, the practice or game shall be stopped in accordance with California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) guidelines and the player shall be escorted away from the playing field for appropriate treatment. The player shall not return to the practice or game until the bleeding has stopped and the wound is properly covered.

If a student athlete is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in an athletic activity, he/she shall be immediately removed from the activity for the remainder of the day. The student shall not be permitted to return to the activity until he/she is evaluated by a licensed health care provider trained in the management of concussions and receives the health care provider’s written clearance to return to the activity. If the health care provider determines that the athlete sustained a concussion or head injury, the athlete shall also complete a graduated return-to-play protocol of no less than seven days in duration under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.

The Superintendent or designee shall notify the student’s parent/guardian of the date, time and extent of any injury suffered by the student and any actions taken to treat the student.

The Superintendent or designee shall provide training to coaches and/or athletic trainers regarding concussion symptoms, prevention, and appropriate response.

High school football teams shall not hold a full-contact practice during the off-season and shall not conduct more than two full-contact practices per week during the preseason and regular season (from 30 days before commencement of the regular season until the completion of the final interscholastic football game of that season). In addition, the full-contact practice means a practice where drills or live action is conducted that involves collisions at game speed, where players execute tackles and other activities that is typical of an actual tackle football game.

Nondiscrimination and Equivalent Opportunities in the Athletic Program

No student shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, be denied equivalent opportunity in, or otherwise be discriminated against in interscholastic, intramural, or club activities on the basis of actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnic group identification, race, ancestry, national origin, religion, color, mental or physical disability or any other basis specified by law.

The Superintendent or designee may provide single-sex teams where selection for the teams is based on competitive skills.

Each student shall be allowed to participate in any single-sex athletic program or activity consistent with his/her gender identity and for which he/she is otherwise eligible to participate, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records.

When a school provides only one team in a particular sport for members of one sex, but provides no team in the same sport for members of the other sex, and athletic opportunities in the total program for that sex have been previously limited, members of the excluded sex shall be allowed to try out and compete with the team. The same standards for eligibility shall be applied to every student trying out for the team, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or protected group status.

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that equivalent opportunities are available to both sexes in athletic programs by considering, among other factors:

1. Whether the selection of sports and levels of competition offered effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of both sexes. The athletic program may be found to effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of both sexes using any of the following tests:
   1. Whether the interscholastic-level participation opportunities for male and female students are provided in numbers substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments
   2. Where the members of one sex have been and are underrepresented among interscholastic athletes, whether the district can show a history and a continuing practice of program expansion that is demonstrably responsive to the developing interests and abilities of the members of that sex
   3. Where the members of one sex are underrepresented among interscholastic athletes and the district cannot show a history and continuing practice of program expansion as required in item #b above, whether the district can demonstrate that the interests and abilities of the members of that sex have been fully and effectively accommodated by the present program
2. The provision and maintenance of equipment and supplies
3. Scheduling of games and practice times, selection of the season for a sport, and location of the games and practices
4. Travel and per diem allowances
5. Opportunities to receive coaching and academic tutoring
6. Assignment and compensation of coaches and tutors
7. Provision of locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities
8. Provision of medical and training facilities and services
9. Provision of housing and dining facilities and services
10. Publicity
11. Provision of necessary funds

Beginning with the 2015-16 school year and every year thereafter, each school that offers competitive athletics shall post the following information on its web site, or on the district web site if the school does not have a web site, at the end of the school year:

1. The total enrollment of the school, classified by gender
2. The number of students enrolled at the school who participate in competitive athletics, classified by gender
3. The number of boys’ and girls’ teams, classified by sport and competition level

The data reported for items #1-3 above shall reflect the total number of players on a team roster on the official first day of competition. The materials used to compile this information shall be retained by the school for at least three years after the information is posted on the website.

Parental Notifications Before a student participates in interscholastic athletic activities, his/her parents/guardians shall receive a notice which:

1. Explains that there is an element of risk associated with all athletic competition and that the district cannot ensure that any student will not be injured, despite the staff’s commitment to provide every participant with due care
2. Requests parental permission for the student to participate in the program and if appropriate, be transported by the school to and from competitions
3. States the district’s expectations that students adhere strictly to all safety rules, regulations and instructions, as well as rules and guidelines related to conduct and sportsmanship