Strong Rock will compete in the Georgia High School Association, Region 1-A Private. Softball will play in Area 2 A and Lacrosse will play in Area 7. All athletic contests are operated under the rules and regulations governing that sport by the National Federation of High School Athletics and the Georgia High School Athletic Association.

The mission of Strong Rock Christian School is to glorify God and partner with families in educating and inspiring their children to impact the world for Jesus Christ – The Strong Rock.

Our Athletic mission is to compliment and advance the school mission

• Present the mission
• Promote the mission
• Practice the mission
• Preserve the mission

Striving to empower Christ-like character while nurturing God-given physical gifts.

“Creating winners for Christ through competition”

Spiritual
To foster growth through Spiritual and Biblical character development:
I will be accountable to God for this: what did I do with all those kids he gave me? What did I do to build his kingdom?

• Culture
• Discipleship
• Missions

Academic
To acquire an education for life after sports:

• Standard of excellence
• Rigorous college prep curriculum

Athletic
To prepare physically and mentally to compete:

• In-Season training
• Out-Season training
• Skill development
• Competitive culture

Social
To appropriate positive interaction with fellow students, faculty, and the community:

• Team activities
• Build unity
• Mission opportunities

Commitment
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23

Integrity
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.” Proverbs 2:6-7

Unity
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no division among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

Excellence
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Accountability
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

Excellence in Competition

• We will strive for excellence as coaches by teaching solid fundamentals, building leaders, and developing the best offensive and defensive schemes to fit our personnel.
• We will always strive for excellence as players by giving our best and encouraging others to give their best.
• We will strive for excellence as fans by modeling Christ in promoting an environment that is rich in sportsmanship.

Student athletes at Strong Rock Christian School participate in interscholastic sports. Parents and student athletes should have a clear understanding that interscholastic sports are competitive and successful programs combining the attributes of winning with the objectives and philosophies of participation as stated earlier in this handbook. The staff of dedicated, committed and professional coaches must make decisions on the playing status of all student athletes based on what are the best options for the team and program to be successful. The Principal, Athletic Director and Head Coaches will operate with an open-door policy with parent(s) and student athletes to discuss any issues that need to be addressed concerning the various aspects of the student athlete’s participation in the sport. However, the parent(s) and student athlete must make prior arrangements for an appointment with all parties to ensure that the most productive atmosphere exists in discussing issues of concern.

Please do not attempt to confront a coach before or after a contest or practice. These can be emotional times for both the parent and the coach and generally do not promote a resolution.

Appropriate concerns to discuss with coaches are: (1) mental and physical treatment of your child; (2) ways to help your child improve; and (3) concerns about your child’s behavior. Issues that are not appropriate to discuss with coaches are: (1) team strategy; (2) play calling; and (3) other student athletes.

The Athletic Director oversees the entire athletic program. The AD works with Leadership and High School Principals to provide a quality program. Each Assistant Coach, Academy, or JV Coach reports to the Head Coach of their sport, and all Head Coaches report directly to the Athletic Director. Questions or concerns about a specific team will be first addressed to your son/daughter’s coach. If your questions are not sufficiently addressed, feel free to make an appointment with the Head Coach of that sport and then the Athletic Director. Parents are strongly encouraged to support the decisions of the coach. While you may not agree with every decision of a coach, how and when you express your feelings may have a negative effect on your child and on the team. The time immediately following a contest is an emotional time, so please refrain from approaching a coach with issues at that time. A good standard to follow is “right time, right place and right spirit.”

The athletic program at Strong Rock Christian School will provide each participating student adequate opportunities for:

• sharing Jesus Christ with teammates, opponents, coaches, and stakeholders of Strong Rock Christian School
• physical, mental, and emotional growth and development
• the acquisition and development of special skills in the activities of each student’s choice
• directed leadership and supervision that stresses self-discipline, self-motivation, excellence, and the ideals of good sportsmanship exemplified through winning and losing graciously
• being a part of a unified team composed of the student body, faculty, and the community
• the achievement of goals established by the individual student, the team, and the school
• the development of skills and an appreciation of sports that may be used throughout life as a participant and/or spectator

The overall goal for the athletic program of Strong Rock Christian School is for each student athlete to become a better overall person through his or her participation in athletics. The major points of emphasis throughout the program will be:

• developing as a Christ-follower
• teamwork
• maximum effort, dedication and commitment
• respect for authority
• discipline within an organization

All the following criteria must be satisfied prior to any student athlete’s participation in any athletic practices, games, or team function:

• eligibility status filed and verified by the Georgia High School Association as well as all local requirements as specified by Strong Rock Christian School; the GHSA requirements for eligibility are as follows:
• A student must be a regular student taking 3 or more units, per semester in Grades 9 through 12.
• All student athletes must have passed a minimum of 5 classes taken during the previous semester.
• There are other stipulations concerning eligibility that are set forth by the Georgia High School Association that are too numerous to mention here. If you have any questions concerning eligibility, please feel free to contact the Athletic Director. Eligibility is taken very seriously by the administration at Strong Rock Christian School. Infractions concerning eligibility have been dealt with very seriously by the Georgia High School Association and infraction penalties may include fines imposed on offending schools and/or the forfeiture of games.
• A complete physical examination form on file with DRAGONFLY, http://www.dragonflymax.com/, school Athletic Director and the Head Coach of the sport in which the student athlete wishes to participate stating that the student athlete is cleared to participate without restrictions or with specific restrictions noted. The physical form can be obtained either from the School Website, Head Coach, Athletic Director or Athletic Trainer.
• Completed forms for heat policy, concussion awareness, and sudden cardiac arrest prevention. (Found on Dragonfly)
• Emergency Care card on file with the school Athletic Director, trainer, and the Head Coach of the sport in which the student athlete wishes to participate.
• Documentation of current and active insurance coverage for the student athlete
• Parents guardians and/or school athletic department; in addition, a statement signed by the parent/guardian of the student athlete verifying the understanding that the school is not responsible for any financial obligations above and beyond the primary and secondary insurance coverage payments in the event of an accident and/or injury in the normal course of athletic participation by the student athlete.
• In the event of an injury, a written doctor’s medical release must be on file with the school Athletic Director, trainer and the Head Coach of the sport in which the student athlete wishes to participate that clears the student athlete to participate without restrictions or with specific restrictions noted on the release.

Strong Rock Christian School maintains that academics and athletics are collaborative partners in the overall development of the student athlete. Based on this principle, the athletic department believes and will require each student athlete to meet the following academic requirements:

• School generated progress reports (issued every 9 weeks) will be used to track any academic deficiencies of our student athletes. The Athletic Director and Head Coaches will meet and review the progress reports results to identify those student athletes with academic deficiencies. If at any of those grade report intervals a student athlete has a failing grade in any course(s), the student athlete may be placed on academic /athletic probation and be required to attend either mandatory tutoring sessions for at least 2 hours per week in any and all courses in which they have a failing grade if the academic deficiency is the result of academic problems as determined by the teacher of the course. If it is due to work ethic as determined by the teacher, then the student athlete may be required to attend mandatory study hall Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. This process will continue until the next grade report is issued. The student athlete may continue their participation in athletics if they attend the mandatory tutoring or study hall sessions as required. Failure to attend the required tutoring will result in suspension from the team until the student athlete meets the tutoring requirements.
• If at the next grading period the student athlete has made Satisfactory Progress (as determined by the teacher of the course(s), the School Athletic Director and the Principal) in correcting the earlier grade deficiencies, the student athlete will be allowed to return to non-probationary status. If the student athlete has not made satisfactory progress in correcting grade deficiencies they will be prohibited from practice, games, and team functions until the point in time that the grade deficiencies have been corrected to an acceptable level.

Students need to check with teachers for assignments and tests prior to release. Students are required to make up tests and assignments based on our handbook and teacher syllabus.

Each athletic team at Strong Rock Christian School will have the most objective method possible to pick teams for the sports that have tryouts to determine their final team roster. Each Head Coach will submit to the Athletic Director a written plan detailing the criteria and procedures used for determining team membership. The criteria will be clearly communicated in writing to all potential team members prior to the beginning of any tryout sessions and the results of tryout evaluations will be documented and available for review at the conclusion of any tryout period.
Include the following:

• Dates and length for try-outs
• Set measurable expectations that you will be evaluating
• Keep a written evaluation and be ready to show and tell.
• Meet with students face to face; be willing to give advice and counseling for students who do not make the team.
• Be ready and willing to meet with parents.

Strong Rock Christian School encourages participation in all areas of the athletic department. However, because of scheduling conflicts, student athletes are prohibited to participate in multiple (more than one) sports within an independent season (not including summer athletics). Exceptions to this rule are as follows:

• If a student athlete requests to participate in two concurring sports, a meeting must be arranged for the Head coaches of the two sports, the student athlete and parents, and the school Athletic Director. This group will decide if it is beneficial for the student athlete, the individual sports, and the total athletic department for dual participation within a season. Parameters will also be set during this meeting before dual athletic participation is approved.

Strong Rock Christian School is committed to providing equal opportunities and treatment for both sexes. Any concerns regarding such issues should be brought to the attention of and discussed with the school Athletic Director, Principal and Head Coach of the sport in which the concerns exist. Strong Rock Christian School reserves the right to make decisions for the best interest of the school and school community.

Strong Rock Christian School policy prohibits participation in any extracurricular activity if a student is not present at school for at least one-half of the school day unless there is a clear and justifiable reason for the absence. Any student who is absent for more than one-half of a school day and wishes to participate in an extracurricular activity on that day must receive approval to do so by the Athletic Director.

Student athletes are encouraged to attend all practices, games, and team functions as a part of developing and displaying dedication and commitment to the activity in which they wish to participate. The student athlete should contact the Head Coach prior to missing or being tardy to practices, games, and team functions for the absence or tardy to be classified as excused. The Head Coach will consider emergency situations where contact may not be possible. Consequences for excused and unexcused absences from practices, games and team functions will be at the discretion of the Head Coach and clearly outlined in the individual sports’ ‘Player Contract’ on file with the school Athletic Director and the Head Coach.

Although practice schedules differ from sport to sport it is our philosophy that our student athletes are students first and athletes second. We strongly encourage our coaching staff to take this philosophy into consideration when developing practice and game schedules. There may not be any mandatory or voluntary practices on Sundays. All Wednesday practices will begin no earlier than 3:15 p.m. and will dismiss by 5:30 p.m. with the aim for student athletes to leave by 5:45 p.m.

Practices held during the off-season may not be mandatory nor may they be a prerequisite for participation or membership on a team. This means that a coach cannot require a student athlete to make up a practice they miss out of season. While rewards and incentives may be used to encourage attendance, participation may not be made mandatory. Please note that the GHSA does permit off-season practices to take place in sports. Since many of our student athletes play multiple sports, coaches are discouraged from encouraging student athletes involved in other sports to participate in workouts, etc. for their sport during the off-season. Please feel free to call the Athletic Director if you have any questions about off-season practices.

Students involved in all extracurricular activities at Strong Rock Christian School will be provided transportation to and from all events. The student athletes at Strong Rock Christian School will often have a bus provided by Strong Rock Christian School and a trained driver to drive this bus. This is the safest way for your son and/or daughter to get to and from events. Student athletes at Strong Rock Christian School will not be released to any individual to ride private transportation following contests except the student athlete’s parent(s) or legal guardian. In this case, which is discouraged except in cases of emergency, the parent(s) or legal guardian will have to provide a written request to the Head Coach of the sport in which the student athlete is participating 24 hours in advance. Under no circumstances will student athletes be allowed to be transported by any driver that is not on the “Approved Driver” list that is on file at the school. It is NEVER appropriate for a student to transport another student to/from an athletic practice or event. In the event of a late afternoon or evening practice, students that do not have a driver’s license, may not leave campus between the end of the school day and the beginning of practice. A study hall or team gathering area will be provided by the head coach. If a student has a driver’s license, they may leave campus if and only if, the head coach is provided with a signed permission form for the entire season.

Student athletes are expected to complete the season of the sport in which they are participating in its’ entirety. However, we recognize that conflicts do arise and that there may be no other satisfactory solution than for a student athlete to leave the team. If such a situation occurs, it is requested that the student athlete and their parent(s) meet with the Head Coach, the school Athletic Director, and/or the Principal to discuss the reason(s) for quitting the sport. If a resolution cannot be reached that would allow for continued participation, then all parties will agree that this is the best course of action. If a student athlete quits one sport, he/she will not be allowed to participate in another sport until the first team’s season is over. A conference with Athletic Director, the Head Coach of the sport which the student athlete quit, and the Head Coach of the sport in which the student athlete wishes to participate will need to take place. The welfare of the school’s total athletic program, the teams involved, and the student athlete will be considerations as to whether the student athlete will be allowed to participate. Both long-term and short-term effects will be considerations in reaching a final decision.

Strong Rock Christian School encourages students to become involved in a variety of extracurricular activities according to their individual interests and skills. The faculty and staff at Strong Rock Christian School are committed to working together to allow maximum student involvement. We recognize that this philosophy will result in conflicts between the many extracurricular activities from time to time. Head Coaches and/or Sponsors, the school Athletic Director and/or Academic Events Coordinator along with the student and parent(s) will meet to work out a satisfactory solution based on the following considerations:

• Best interests of the school.
• Best interests of the student.
• Best interests of the team/activity.

Each student athlete is a representative of Strong Rock Christian School, the community, their family, and themselves. The actions and appearance of the student athlete will be viewed by others as a direct reflection of each of these entities. It is the responsibility of each student athlete to conduct himself or herself in such a manner as to not bring shame and ridicule to all these entities. Any actions that violate this principle will not be tolerated and severe or continuous behavior to that effect may result in suspension of playing privileges or permanent removal from the team or activity. In reference to this responsibility:

• Conduct of a Student Athlete in the classroom and in the total school environment: It is our belief and expectation that a good student athlete will portray himself or herself as a positive role model. A lack of dedication and commitment to uphold this standard throughout the total school environment will translate into a similar lack of dedication and commitment in athletics. We expect each student athlete to conduct himself or herself in such a manner as to exemplify the positive qualities of giving maximum effort to attain success in the classroom and in all other school activities. We also expect each student athlete to conduct himself or herself as a positive role model by adhering to accepted standards of conduct and behavior in the classroom and throughout the school.
• Conduct of the student athlete in athletic participation: It is our belief and expectation that each student athlete should conduct himself or herself as a winner no matter whether they or their team has won or lost an athletic contest. All opponents have worked equally hard to attain success and should be treated with the utmost respect in all situations. Each student athlete should also conduct himself or herself in practices and games in such a manner as to not be detrimental to the specific athletic team, the entire athletic program of the school, the school as a whole and the community.
• Grooming and dress policy for student athletes: As representatives of Strong Rock Christian School, the community, their family, and themselves, student athletes are expected to adhere to all dress code policies as stipulated by the Strong Rock Christian School Family Handbook. Individual Head Coaches may require more stringent rules regarding grooming and dress policies for student athletes on their team; however, those rules must at least meet the minimum requirements as stated in the Strong Rock Christian School Family Handbook. Violations will be dealt with both as a school disciplinary issue as well as a violation of school athletic policy and should be addressed by the Head Coach of the sport in which the student athlete is a current participant.

The Athletic Department of Strong Rock Christian School believes that training rules and regulations are an essential part of achieving the stated objectives for participation in athletics.

The purchase and use of tobacco are illegal by any student under the age of 18. Therefore, the possession and/or use of tobacco in any form by a student athlete will not be tolerated by the athletic programs at Strong Rock Christian School. This will apply to student athletes both at and away from school as well as in or out of season. This rule will be inclusive of any student athlete participating in athletics at Strong Rock Christian School regardless of age. The penalties for the violation of this policy will be as follows:

• 1st Offense: School Disciplinary Referral (if at school or at a school – related function); suspension from participation equal to 5% of the of the total number of regular season scheduled contests for the sport for which they are competing at the time of the incident; student athlete placed on probationary status with the school athletic department.
• 2nd Offense: School Disciplinary Referral (if at school or at a school – related function); removal from the team for the remainder of the current season; the student athlete will be required to enter into an athletic department contract agreement before the student athlete is allowed to participate in any further athletics at Strong Rock Christian School.

The purchase and use of alcohol are illegal for any student under the age of 21. The possession and use of drugs are illegal. Also, the misuse or distribution of prescription drugs is illegal. Therefore, the possession and/or use of alcohol and/or drugs in any form by a student athlete will not be tolerated by the athletic programs of Strong Rock Christian School. This will apply to student athletes both at and away from school as well as in or out of season. This rule will be inclusive of any student athlete participating in athletics at Strong Rock Christian School regardless of age. The penalties for violation of this policy will be as follows:

• 1st Offense: School Disciplinary Referral (if at school or at a school function): suspension from participation equal to 10% of the total number of regular seasons scheduled contests for the sport for which they are competing at the time of the incident. The student athlete will continue to practice during the suspension period; student athlete placed on probationary status with the school athletic department; the student athlete and their parent(s) will be required to enter into an athletic department contract agreement before the student athlete is allowed to participate in any further athletics at Strong Rock Christian School.
• 2nd Offense: School Disciplinary Referral (if at school or at a school function); removal from ALL athletic participation for one calendar year.

Social media outlets (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are a great form of communication for school officials, coaches, parents, and students. However, abuse of these outlets by student athletes will not be tolerated by the athletic programs of Strong Rock Christian School. This includes derogatory comments toward staff, coaches, students, or stakeholders within Strong Rock Christian School. As stated above, this policy applies to student athletes both at and away from school as well as in or out of season. This rule will be inclusive of any student athlete participating in athletics at Strong Rock Christian School regardless of age. The penalties for violation of this policy will be as follows:

• 1st Offense: School Disciplinary Referral (if at school or at a school function): suspension from participation equal to 5% of the total number of regular seasons scheduled contests for the sport for which they are competing at the time of the incident. The student athlete will continue to practice during the suspension period; student athlete placed on probationary status with the school athletic department; the student athlete and their parent(s) will be required to enter into an athletic department contract agreement before the student athlete is allowed to participate in any further athletics at Strong Rock Christian School.
• 2nd Offense: School Disciplinary Referral (if at school or at a school function); removal from ALL athletic participation for one calendar year.

Student athletes that do not adhere to the Strong Rock Christian School Family Handbook on a consistent basis will be subject to the following penalties:

• On a LEVEL 3 disciplinary action (Saturday School), the student athlete will face a suspension equal to 5% of the total number of regular seasons scheduled contests for the sport for which they are competing at the time. This suspension will occur in the next immediate contest following the Saturday School. The student athlete will continue to practice and participate in team functions during the suspension period. Disciplinary actions taken by the school may be supplemented by additional team disciplinary action as deemed appropriate and within reason by the Head Coach of the sport in which the student athlete is a participant.
• On a LEVEL 4 disciplinary action (Out of school suspension the student athlete will face a suspension equal to 10% of the total number of regular seasons scheduled contests for the sport for which they are competing at the time. In addition, the student athlete will be placed on Athletic Probation for one calendar year and must adhere to the terms stated later in this document. Disciplinary actions taken by the school may be supplemented by additional team disciplinary action as deemed appropriate and within reason by the Head Coach of the sport in which the student athlete is a participant.
• Any inappropriate actions taken by a student athlete while participating in athletic practices and/or games that are violations of the Strong Rock Christian School Code of Conduct shall be reported by the Head Coach of that sport to the school administration as a disciplinary referral and will be subject to be included in the above stipulations.
• Any student athlete ejected from a GHSA contest will be subject to penalties as outlined under the GHSA Constitution and By-Laws. In addition, any student athlete that is determined to have acted in a manner that is a violation of the expectations as stipulated under the sections “Conduct of student athlete in athletic participation (p. 5)” will be subject to suspension or removal from the team after a conference involving the school Athletic Director and/or Principal, the Head Coach, the student athlete and their parent(s).

If you are a prospective student athlete at a Division I or II college or university, you have certain responsibilities to attend to before you may participate. Information concerning who needs to register with the Clearinghouse and what documents will be submitted can be found in The Guide for College-Bound Student Athletes on the NCAA website, www.ncaastudent.org.

Each student athlete at Strong Rock Christian School that completes their team’s season in good standing will be awarded either a:

• certificate of participation for Junior Varsity and/or Academy competition
• a varsity letter for Varsity competition

Student athletes will also be awarded patches for their letter jackets for being a member of a team that is a region champion, state runner-up, or state champion. Also, if a student is a region champion, state runner-up or state champion in an individual event or competition they will be awarded a patch for their letter jacket.

Individual awards for student athletes will be given at the discretion of the Head Coach and the coaching staff. Special recognition awards include All-Region/Area and All-State, which are chosen by area coaches. Recognition will occur at the Athletic Awards Ceremony that recognizes that sport.

Senior Athletic Awards will be awarded at the Spring Athletic Awards Ceremony.

Student athletes that have participated in three or more varsity sports in an individual school year will be given a 3-4 Sport Athlete Award. Recognition will occur at the Spring Athletic Awards Ceremony. The student-athletes will also be honored at the annual Tri-Athlete luncheon.

The Patriot Award is chosen by the coach of each varsity team in recognition of the student athlete that best displays Christian leadership qualities within the team. Specifically, this student athlete develops the team, coaches, and supporters by his/her participation.

High School student athletes will be recognized in three (3) seasonal awards ceremonies. The dates and recognized sports are listed below:

• Fall Athletic Awards Ceremony, November 11, 2020
• Winter Athletic Awards Ceremony, February 11, 2020
• Spring Athletic Awards Ceremony, May 4, 2021

A student athlete may be awarded a letter by completing the season in a varsity sport only and should be earned through dedication and commitment to that sport and making a significant contribution to the total team effort throughout the entire season. The criteria for lettering will be if a student athlete completes the varsity season in good standing as determined by the Head Coach of the sport. AFTER a student athlete has met the criteria for lettering, they are eligible for a letter jacket. Letter jacket fitting/ordering meetings will be held once per school year. A sport specific pin will be awarded for a first-time letter winner. All successive letters will be awarded in the form of a “bar” for the student athlete’s jacket. If a pin or bar needs to be replaced by the school because it was lost or broken, the student athlete will be charged $3.00 for each.

Strong Rock student athletes that are offered letters of intent from colleges and universities are the result of hard work and dedication by not only the signing student, but also their parents, teammates and coaches. Strong Rock will organize signing ceremonies for all SRCS student athletes to celebrate their accomplishments. These ceremonies are normally scheduled during lunch times. Exact dates and times are scheduled by the Athletic Department in cooperation with the parents and with consideration of NCAA rules. Occasionally more private ceremonies are scheduled in the media center.

While Strong Rock recognizes that any student athlete that is offered the opportunity to sign a letter of intent has obviously shown a great deal of individual success, only Strong Rock student athletes participating on a Strong Rock team will be given the opportunity to have a public signing at Strong Rock. A student athlete signing a letter of intent to sign in a sport that is not offered at Strong Rock may be allowed to have a public signing if approved by the Athletic Department.

The desire for Strong Rock student athlete signings is to not only recognize the accomplishments of the individual, but also the team and school.

There are several issues concerning student athlete safety that Strong Rock Christian School has addressed and will continue to address along-side of the Georgia High School Association.

Schools must follow the statewide policy for conducting practices and voluntary conditioning workouts in all sports during times of extremely high heat and/or humidity that will be signed by each head coach at the beginning of each season and distributed to all players and their parents or guardians. The policy shall follow modified guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine regarding:

• The scheduling of practices at various heat/humidity levels
• The ratio of workout time to time allotted for rest and hydration at various heat/humidity levels
• The heat/humidity level that will result in practice being terminated

When a student athlete has an accident or is injured during practice or competition the coach must complete an accident report form to turn-in to school trainer. The forms can be obtained at the school office. These forms are very important if insurance claims are filed later. The originals of these forms will be kept on file in the Athletic Director’s office. When a student athlete consults with a physician to determine playing status, documentation from the physician’s office must be provided to the school. Furthermore, appropriate documentation must also be provided before the student will be allowed to resume participation in athletics.

The Georgia High School Association recognizes a difference between male and female sports. Strong Rock Christian School offers a variety of male sports and female sports at the Academy and High School level. Due to this abundant offering and the Georgia High School Association recognizing a difference in male and female athletic activities, Strong Rock Christian School allows for females to participate in the assigned female sports and males to participate in the assigned male sports for the Academy and High School.

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a default policy to those responsible for making decisions concerning the suspension and restarting of contests based on the presence of lightning. The preferred sources from which to request such a policy for your facility would include your state high school association and the nearest office of the National Weather Service.

During all games, referees will make any lightning determinations after meeting with the person responsible for tracking any lightning for that contest.

New Procedures: (per GHSA)

• We are moving away from the 6-mile barrier and increasing it to “7-10 miles from the venue”
• 30 minutes after the last strike at least 10 miles from the event site
• When lightning is detected within 15 miles of the venue, a “Heads Up” is given to everyone in the venue. “We are tracking a storm and if we see a lightning strike within the 7-10-mile range, we will clear the venue”.
• When lightning is detected within 7-10 miles of the venue, an announcement is made to clear the venue and move all spectators into “safe locations”.
• 30 minutes after the last tracked lightning strike at least 10 miles from the event site, the “All Clear” can be given and play can resume.
• Any subsequent thunder or lightning after the beginning of the 30-minute count reset the clock and another 30-minute count should begin.

Our Speech:

1. Questionable language or “slang” words will not be tolerated. The athlete will never engage in any language that can be termed “trash talking” or use profanity or questionable slang. Example: In basketball, chants of “air-ball” or screaming while the opponent is on the free-throw line shows poor sportsmanship. In baseball, making noise while an opponent is at bat shows poor sportsmanship.
2. The athlete will address the coach and the officials with respect. The athlete will address the coach as “Coach” or “Mr., Miss or Mrs.” and will take concerns or complaints directly to the coach. Insubordination and divisive speech or behavior will not be tolerated. The athlete should address the officials with “Yes Sir” or “Yes Ma’am”
3. Never criticize the officials or coaches. These people represent the authority figure, the “supervisor”, the parent, the teacher and the “Law”. Obedience to authority is not optional and is not predicated on whether you agree with it. All authority is God-given and disobedience to authority is disobedience to God.

Our Relationships:

1. Develop relationships and a good rapport with teammates and coaches. God has placed you in this situation for a purpose. You have an opportunity to develop life-long friendships. If sports become all about you, you need to not participate.
2. Develop relationships and a good rapport with classmates. Do not attempt to set yourself upon a pedestal. Your classmates will not respect you or support you.
3. Develop relationships and a good rapport with students from other schools. Never miss an opportunity to share Jesus Christ with others.

Our Unity:

1. Develop unity within your team. “It is amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.” John Wooden
2. Develop unity within our school family. God has called each one of us to this school. Each of us has different abilities and different roles. Never be jealous or envious of another person’s role. Be busy fulfilling your role.
3. Develop unity within the Kingdom. We must establish our philosophy with other schools for our ultimate purpose to be met… to further the Kingdom of God. It will take other Christian schools being successful. Pray for them as you pray for Strong Rock.

Our Motives:

1. Be Motivated by the Love of God. Living for Him because He died for us.
2. Strive for victory in order to Glorify God. Athletics is just a means to an end and not an end unto itself.
3. Demonstrating Christ in our lives by abiding by the rules of the game in letter and in spirit. Tactics that promote unfair “gamesmanship” will not be tolerated.
4. Committed to excellence. In all areas – Faith, Practice, Academics and Game Preparation. Play and Act like a CHAMPION!

Our Behavior:

1. The athlete will maintain a good reputation. The athlete’s character will be in good standing with the administration, faculty, staff and church.
2. The athlete will meet all eligibility requirements.
3. The athlete will know and understand all requirements. The athlete will know all the expectations of their team and will follow them both in action and in spirit.
4. The athlete will show respect for all coaches, trainers and all staff personnel. This includes the game plans, methods and philosophies.
5. The athlete will show respect for their teammates. The athlete will respect the seriousness of their commitment by attending all practices, meetings and games as prescribed at the beginning of the season and by working together to accomplish a common goal. Help to hold your teammates accountable for their actions.
6. The athlete will maintain a high standard of appearance. Both in and out of the arena adhering to the strictest interpretations of the school dress code and the team dress and uniform code.
7. The athlete will demonstrate Christ-like character. Both in and out of the arena showing respect in speech and actions for game officials, opponents and all those associated with our opponents.
8. The athlete will never engage in fighting. The athlete will always maintain self-control. Un-sportsman-like conduct penalties will not be tolerated and will be penalized. Penalties include, but are not limited to, suspensions or dismissal from the team.
9. The athlete will know and understand our philosophy. The athlete will respect the seriousness of the eternal effects of their responsibilities as they represent themselves, their families, their school, their church and ultimately their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.