Being a Lion is a privilege earned in the classroom, the doctor's office and the hallway before it is ever earned on the field.
Before a student steps on the court, grades, a current physical and signed forms must be in place.Every Lion on this roster met the academic, physical and paperwork requirements before the first pitch.
04
Absence from School / Attendance
An athlete must attend at least half of the school day (four class periods) to practice or compete that day.
Pre-arranged absences (funerals, medical appointments, college visits) approved by the principal are exempt.
Athletes absent on a Friday must be cleared by the Athletic Director to participate in Saturday events.
Rationale
Gilbert Christian lists attendance as its own eligibility category, and St. John Bosco ties tardies to participation. I adopted the half-day rule because it is easy for families to understand and reinforces that school comes first, consistent with our philosophy.
Athletes must maintain a 2.0 GPA with no F's at each grading check. An athlete with an F is placed on probation for two weeks and must attend tutoring; if the grade is not raised, the athlete sits out until it is.
Students must be enrolled full-time and in good standing with the school's code of conduct.
Playing time is earned and determined solely by the coach at the JV and varsity levels.
Rationale
Columbia and Gilbert Christian both publish academic eligibility, and Wilmington addresses playing time directly. I chose a probation step before suspension so that discipline is redemptive, not merely punitive — reflecting grace while keeping high standards.
Every athlete must have on file before the first practice: a current pre-participation physical (dated after April 1), emergency contact and medical history form, concussion acknowledgment, and signed handbook agreement.
No forms, no practice — no exceptions.
Rationale
Wilmington Christian includes physicals in its manual, Gilbert ends with a signed handbook agreement, and Temple Christian requires concussion and Lindsay's Law (cardiac) acknowledgment. I combined all three into one checklist so parents have a single, clear list.
Kings Cross Academy reserves the right to conduct reasonable-suspicion drug and alcohol testing of any athlete, with parental notification.
First offense: suspension from 25% of the season, mandatory counseling with the school chaplain. Second offense: removal from athletics for one calendar year.
Rationale
Most of my sources address substance use through behavioral eligibility rather than random testing. I chose reasonable-suspicion testing paired with chaplain counseling, borrowing the behavioral eligibility language from Gilbert and Worthington's 'higher standard' expectation, so the policy protects athletes while offering restoration.
Tryouts last a minimum of three days and are announced at least two weeks in advance.
Cut athletes will meet privately with the coach to receive feedback and a plan for improvement. Lists are never posted publicly.
Rationale
Wilmington Christian has a full section on tryouts and cuts, and Temple Christian covers team and player selection. I added the private meeting requirement because it treats each student with dignity — a direct application of our Christ-centered philosophy.
Step 1: Athlete speaks with the coach (24-hour cooling-off period after a contest).
Step 2: Parent, athlete and coach meet together.
Step 3: Written appeal to the Athletic Director within 5 school days.
Step 4: Final appeal to the Head of School, whose decision is final. Playing time and strategy are not appealable.
Rationale
Columbia Christian outlines both informal and formal grievance processes, and Wilmington follows a Matthew 18 style dispute resolution. I used their step-by-step structure and added the 24-hour rule so conversations happen with calm, not emotion.
