EAGLES

BENOLD

August 23, 2007

Dear Benold Football Players and Parents,

On behalf of the Coaching Staff at Benold Middle School, let me welcome you to our football family!  We are very excited about the school year, especially the upcoming seasons in athletics.  We are thankful for the opportunity to be part of your son’s athletic career and look forward to getting him ready to someday be a Georgetown Eagle!

We encourage all boys who want to play football to be a part of our program, regardless of athletic background.  All students who sign up for football will be given an opportunity without a tryout, except:

• Students who transfer into GISD/Benold Middle School or who transfer from another GISD School must have left their previous school in good standing.  This includes academic and disciplinary standing.
• Students who have been continuously enrolled at the school (Benold) but have not been playing football must also be in good standing.  The decision to allow you son to enroll in football will be the decision of the Boys’ Athletic Coordinator at Benold Middle School.
  • Possible reasons for not being allowed into the football class could be:
    • History of Disciplinary infraction, Excessive BIC, or previous suspension.
    • Previous Alternative School admission (GAP).
    • Lack of Academic Success.
    • Trouble with Law Enforcement.

If you are not allowed enrollment in the Athletic Period at the beginning of a semester you may petition the Boys’ Athletic Coordinator for a meeting to determine if he will be allowed enrollment at the beginning of the next semester.  We will remove any boy from the Athletic Period who fails to meet these and the standards stated below and in the Student and District Handbooks.

It is our desire as coaches to develop your son’s athletic abilities, while at the same time give many players the opportunity to participate.  For these reasons, we will have 2 Teams on both the 7^th and 8^th Grade level.  We will divide the players into their respective teams based on many factors.  Some of these factors will be determined by:

• Athletic Development
  • Some kids will have developed and matured much earlier than others.  We will put your son in the best situation for him to be successful. 
• Athletic Achievement
  • Some kids have a knack for the game, or are gifted in some manner that separates them from other kids their age.  We will be evaluating every player every day.  As players progress in their knowledge and performance on the field we will do our best to give them ample playing time.
• Being Coach able
  • We want our players to be TEAM Oriented.  We will never ask a player to do anything that will harm him and when we ask him to do something we expect it to be done.   This includes on and off the field behaviors.
• Being Dependable
  • You have to practice to play.  We know that there will be individual cases when a player has to miss or be late for practice.  These situations must be brought to the attention of the Athletic Coordinator as soon as possible.  This dependability factor will extend into the classroom and halls as well.  
• Being Eligible
  • We are all familiar with the Texas UIL NO Pass-No Play Rule.  If a player becomes ineligible, he will not be allowed to practice again until the Athletic Coordinator receives notification that he is passing all his classes, including the ones the he was passing at the time of grade check.  He will NOT be allowed to play in a game until he has been reinstated at the next grade check.  Any player who is habitually ineligible may be removed from his Athletic Period to be allowed to concentrate on his Academic Commitment.
• Upholding the standards set forth by the Coaches for a competitive, sportsmanlike program.
  • We will demand that our players play hard, play smart, and play together.  We will view any violation of this area as a determent to our TEAM Goals and will be dealt with immediately.  If a player is ejected from a contest, he must fulfill the penalty from the UIL and a conference with the Player, his Parent, the Athletic Coordinator and Principal must occur before he is allowed to play again.  Any un-sportsmanlike infraction in the program will not be tolerated.  This includes violations of the GISD Student Code of Conduct as well.  Any player who is suspended (in-or out) from school will be suspended from participation in Athletics until a conference with the Player, his Parent, the Athletic Coordinator, and the Principal has occurred.

Due to the ongoing evaluations, we will post our A Game/B Game Rosters on the Friday before the next game is to be played.

Be Proactive

We will coach you son to the best of our ability and in turn ask you to also encourage you son by making every effort to support the Athletic Program at Benold Middle School.  If you have a question or concern, we ask that you make an appointment to speak with the Coach or Coaches with whom you have an issue.  This meeting will occur at the convenience of the Coach, and WILL NOT occur after a game or practice. 

It is proven that the more a Parent is in being positive about a child’s athletic experience, the better the more positive the experience is for the player. 

Don’t be afraid to speak up on behalf of your sons’ Athletic program if you hear criticism.

PRACTICE TIMES and PLAYER INFORMATION

7^TH GRADE: 

            Practice will begin each morning at 7:30 a.m. (Monday-Friday).  We will have the Locker Room open by 7:05 each morning to give Players time to change clothes before we begin.  The Locker Room Door will be locked at 7:30 am.  Any player who is late must report to the field no later than 7:50 a.m.  If you are later than this, you will not be allowed in the building until the normal 1^st Bell and then report to the practice field. You may not get to practice, but your attendance is still required.  Practice will end at 9:05 a.m.

7^th Grade Football Players will not practice after school.

8^TH GRADE:

            Practice will begin during 9^th period and last until no later than 5:30 p.m. each day (Monday-Friday).  The Locker Room Door will lock at 3:25 pm.  Players showing up to the field after this time will be counted tardy and possibly absent if not there by 3:45 pm.  If you are late, you may not be allowed to practice, but your attendance is still required.

EQUIPMENT:

Each Player will be issued a Locker and Lock.  If for any reason the lock we issue is lost, broken, or stolen, we require a $5.00 replacement fee. You will also be issued a laundry strap.  Again, if lost, broken, or stolen, we require a $5.00 replacement fee.

You are responsible for purchasing Practice Gear.  As an Athlete, you will be required to purchase the T-Shirt, Shorts, Sweats, and Game Day Sox through us.  The cost is $40.00.

You will be responsible for purchasing your own Cleats.

You will only be able to use equipment issued by Benold Middle School, its Coaches, and Georgetown ISD.  You MAY NOT use any Helmet, Shoulder Pad, Hip-Butt-Knee-or Thigh Pad unless it is issued by us.  Failure to comply with this rule will result in immediate suspension from play.

Any “accessories” to the Uniform must be approved by the Boys’ Athletic Coordinator before use.  This includes any item that may alter the appearance of the Team Uniform.  We will all look like Benold Eagles when we step out on the field!

Players will turn their Game Uniform in immediately after every game.  At away games, if you ride home with your Parent or Guardian, you must turn your uniform in before leaving the game site. 

DO NOT TAKE YOUR UNIFORM HOME and NEVER WASH THE UNIFORM.

Players will not be allowed to ride home with a parent(s)/Legal Guardian unless they have signed the check out sheet from the coach in charge.  Parents and legal Guardians are the only persons who may take a player home from a game.  No Exceptions.

Parents will not be allowed on the field, sideline, or locker area unless they are part of the game administration (volunteer) and approved by the Boys’ Athletic Coordinator.

LOCKER ROOM:

We will encourage all Players to use good hygiene.  Showers are available and should be considered.  We have a limited supply of towels, so please bring one for use.  We will wash practice gear regularly.  Again, no equipment should be taken home.

Starting times for B Games is 5:00 and 6:45 for A Games.

All 7^th and 8^th Grade Athletic Schedules, news, and directions to opponent stadiums are available online at: www.georgetownisd.org/benold/boysathletics.