Head Coach: Bobby Edwards Assistant Coach: Marco Ojeda
Phone: 575-631-6514 Phone: 575-318-3176
E-mail: edwardsr@hobbsschools.net E-mail: klmaradio@yahoo.com
Heizer Boys’ Basketball will follow ALL* guidelines and procedures established by the New Mexico
Activities Association. The NMAA handbook can be accessed at http://www.nmact.org/nmaa-handbook
*Some team rules are more stringent than NMAA rules
Success is simply defined as “WINNING”. Winning involves intentional actions pursuing a feat of excellence. Winning involves character. If you “win” an athletic competition by cheating, you are a loser who didn’t get caught. Winning is a lifestyle. Each and every day a Heizer Hornet is expected to “Win the
Day (“WTD”).
Winning the day encompasses three areas:
1) In the classroom (any area involving school academics)
2) On the court (any area involving school athletics)
3) Off the court (any area not mentioned above)
Basketball is a privilege not a right. If you fail to win in the classroom then you fail to make yourself eligible for competition.
A.
Academics- See “ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY” for academic eligibility rules.
B.
Conduct - Any player who receives detention (D-Hall) during the week must attend thus leaving practice early. This is an UNEXCUSED absence from practice. An unexcused absence from practice will result in suspension from the next game. The player must return to practice after the detention has been served or face an additional game suspension. Any player who receives a
Saturday or Thursday morning detention, on campus suspension (OCS), office referral, or out of school detention will also be suspended for one game. Suspended players are not allowed to dress out or travel with the team. There is NEVER a good reason for receiving D-Hall or showing a lack of respect towards a teacher, principal, or other school official.
C.
Study Hall - Students who have been assigned to study hall must attend. The first infraction will result in D-Hall. The second infraction will result in Saturday D-Hall.
Regardless of athletic ability, experience, etc., WINNING on the court starts with not just winning that day but winning every play. I WILL NOT substitute a player who has made a single mistake. I WILL substitute a player who is lacking hustle or focus. If a player continues to make the same mistake it is clear they are lacking focus. A player may possess all the talent in the world but if they are not committed to hustling and focusing on the task at hand they will have great difficulty getting playing times in games.
Winning is measured by goals achieved. “A goal without a plan is a wish” –Herman Edwards. Wishing upon a star, “Starry night, sky so bright, make my jump shot silky tight” will never make you a better jump shooter. You must have a plan on how to improve your skills! Goals involve a process!

The 3 steps to achieving your goals are:
1) Desire to wear the attire – A Heizer Hornet must earn their jersey. They must desire to win every play through hustle, fundamentals, and reception to coaching thus winning the day! Any goal that doesn’t make use of these concepts is not worth obtaining on the basketball court.
2) Dedication to preparation – A Heizer Hornet must be dedicated to prepare for each practice and each game. Lack of preparation is a failure to win the day on the court.
Mental Preparation a) “Hello! You play to win the game!” – Herman Edwards. The Hobbs Eagles Press is not an aerobic exercise used to lose weight or get in shape (although it will certainly achieve those results). The Hobbs Eagles Press, any other defensive or offensive scheme, or any other defensive or offensive drill used in practice or during the game is designed to win the game.
If you do not have the desire to win the game by winning every play then you are unprepared to play. b) If you are unfocused or unmotivated in practice, you will be asked to participate in conditioning drills until a desirable level of focus or motivation has been achieved. If this occurs during the game, you will sit on the bench cheering on your teammates on the floor who have dedicated themselves to preparation. c) A Heizer Hornet prepares for adversity, disadvantages, etc. and responds with character, class, and respect - a winning attitude. Hornets will NOT i.
Criticize referees verbally OR non verbally ii.
Verbalize with opponents other than to shake hands before/after competition, ask if someone is “ok” if they are hurt, or appropriate basketball language approved by iii.
the coaching staff. (It is acceptable for a Hornet to yell “ball, ball, ball” when defending an opponent.)
Engage the audience – Tell your mom or whomever “hi” BEFORE practice or a game.
Practice begins after the tardy bell rings for 7 th hr Athletics. PRACTICE SESSIONS ARE iv.
CLOSED to the public to eliminate distractions. A “game” begins the minute we step off the bus or step into the locker room to dress. Pre-game warm-ups are for warming up. If you are on the bench during the game, you are encouraging your teammates, learning, and preparing for possible entry into game and NOT looking in the stands. This is a sign of lack of focus.
At halftime, players will jog off the court regardless of the score.
Physical Preparation a) If you are injured and unable to participate in practice, you MUST still attend practice. You will be expected to support your teammates and focused on learning from the sidelines. If you are unable to participate in a game, you will be allowed to travel with the team and support them from the bench. If you are injured, you are not physically prepared to play.
You need to take the appropriate steps to heal properly. b) If you are injured during a practice or a game the school nurse, trainer, or appropriate official will determine your availability to continue play. I WILL NOT allow an injured player to continue regardless of game time or situation against the wishes of the respected official. c) I DO EXPECT you to play “hurt”. Bumps, bruises, soreness (non muscle strain), etc. are parts of the game. d) Nutrition and Hydration are important to physical preparation. Water will be provided during games and practices.

3) Institution of execution- You don’t shoot a free throwing hoping to make it. You shoot the free throw to score a point. You don’t participate in a drill because “Coach said so”, you participate in order to master a fundamental. Everything you do must be intentional with the commitment to proper execution. This is why practice is so important! Players who demonstrate the greatest ability to execute tasks will be more likely to receive greater playing time than their counterparts because they’ve put in the worked and earned it.
When a Heizer Hornet has the desire to achieve, is physically and mentally prepared to achieve, and is committed to proper execution, any goal on the basketball court is attainable!
A Hornet represents himself, his family, and his school on and off the court.
A.
Any infraction of a civil law (i.e. stealing, defacing property, etc.) will result in indefinite suspension from games and practice. A player will only be considered for reinstatement once a meeting has been conducted with the player, a parent/guardian, myself, and a school official and appropriate punishment has been fulfilled.
B.
Dress Code- On game days, players will “Dress for Success” and wear a dress shirt, dress pants, and a tie. Boots in lieu of dress shoes are acceptable. Players who are not appropriately dressed will not be allowed to participate in the game as they have not properly prepared.
C.
Uniforms – Home games black jerseys, black socks; Away games white jersey, white socks. If you are not appropriately dressed, you will not be permitted to play. Prepare yourself off the court by having the appropriate attire for the game! a.
Any item not part of a standard uniform (jewelry, headband, wristbands, knee bands, ankle braces, shooting sleeves, etc.) is not allowed. Keep these at home! There have been difficulties with referees in prior years regarding such items. Exceptions to the rule will be items not visible by the referee such as an undershirt that must match the jersey, as well as compression shorts, spandex, etc. and knee bands, ankle braces, etc. that have been approved by a doctor. b.
Uniforms will be handed to players before games and be returned to the coaching staff after games. Uniforms are not allowed to be taken home or kept inside a player’s locker. c.
Tattoos must be covered. Take care of this before the game.
Hobbs Eagle basketball prides itself on hustle. Heizer is the first step on the ladder to becoming a Hobbs
Eagle. Hustle can’t be stressed enough. If a player has no hustle and/or a bad attitude, they will have not play for the Heizer Hornets.
Depending upon the number of student athletes who wish to commit themselves to being a Heizer
Hornet an “A” and “B” team may be formed. Tryouts will be held from October 28 th until October 31 st with A and B team designations being made on November 1 st before practice. Due to lack of facilities, there will be a limited amount of B team games on the schedule. All B team athletes will be expected to attend local A team games when there is no B team game on the schedule. All A team athletes will attend B team games. Some B team athletes will be asked to dress out and sit on the bench for the A team game. All others will be expected to sit in the bleachers directly behind the bench.

There are many considerations that go into determining each player’s time on the court during a game.
These considerations have been addressed above in the “SUCCESS” portion of this handbook. A player may be moved from the A or B team at any time. A & B team designations for game days will be made during official grade checks (after practice the day before a game). Parent’s will be notified immediately to make alternative arrangements for those who do not have the grades (or have been suspended for any other reason such as conduct). Any player or parent/guardian of a player who wishes to dispute their amount of playing time will be asked to submit a typed proposal detailing their grievance and suggested course of action.
Practice begins on October 28, 2013 and will take place during 7 th period Athletics and last until 5 pm
Monday through Friday with two exceptions: Gamedays; Wednesday practices will conclude at 4 pm. All practices will be CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC to limit the amount of distractions.
There will be occasions when we must practice on the weekends or change a practice time during the week. Parents/Guardians will be notified by MYSELF as to any and all practice times. IF YOU HAVE NOT
BEEN NOTIFIED OF A PRACTICE CHANGE BY MYSELF THEN THERE IS NOOOOO CHANGE!!! I must be the one to notify you and not your son. This will limit misunderstandings and allow you to know where your child is supposed to be at all times. Please park in the SW parking lot as all students will be dismissed through those doors. It is school policy that parents DO NOT line up or park in the front of the building to pick up a student after practice. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
If a player is going to miss practice or leave early, I must be notified by a parent/guardian from a phone number on record in order for this absence to be excused. I will program all numbers in my phone. I can’t accept a call or text from a random phone number. This will limit misunderstandings and allow parents to know where they’re son is supposed to be at all times. If a student is absent from practice and I am not notified by a parent/guardian the absence will be considered unexcused and the player will not be allowed to participate in the next game following the unexcused absence. No more than 2 excused absences will be allowed per semester except in case of emergency, medical appointment with a doctor’s note, or participation in a school sponsored activity with note from the sponsor. Any more than two excused absences during the semester will result in a one game suspension. Any student who
has been suspended for 5 games will be dismissed from the team.
Per New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) Handbook:

Rule 6.2.1.A.1, “A Student shall have a 2.0 grade point average with no more than one (1) F, based on a 4.0 grading scale, or its equivalent, either cumulatively or for the six or nine week grading period immediately preceding participation.”


Rule 6.2.1.B.1, “Practice - The student may practice with the team if it is determined by the school’s administration that he/she is demonstrating academic progress towards eligibility.”

Rule 6.2.1.B.2, “Participation - The Student CANNOT participate in any interscholastic event at any level of competition during the period of ineligibility.

Rule 6.2.1.B.3, “Travel - The Student CANNOT travel to any interscholastic event or activity with the team during the period of ineligibility.”

Rule 6.2.1.C, “Pursuant to New Mexico State Statute 22-12-2.1, the Local School District is required to enforce that no student shall be absent from school for school-sponsored interscholastic extracurricular activities in excess of fifteen days per semester, and no class may be missed in excess of fifteen times per semester. Exception - Absences due to participation in post-season and national competitions.”

A student who has a failing grade (F) in any class for the current semester or 9 week period will be considered “ineligible” from competition until the semester and 9 week’s grade is brought up to a passing mark. Each game missed throughout the season due to academic ineligibility (not counting mandatory NMAA ineligibility) counts as a suspension. An official grade check to determine eligibility will be conducted after practice the day before a scheduled game. A parent/guardian will be contacted immediately so arrangements can be made as the student
WILL NOT be allowed to travel with the team.

A student who is deemed “ineligible” by either NMAA guidelines or team guidelines MUST attend and participate in practices. A player ruled ineligible by NMAA guidelines must meet with myself and sign an academic achievement plan.
Students are to follow all policies in the Heizer Middle School Student Handbook (this can be accessed on the Hobbs schools website or the Heizer school website) on road trips as it is an official school function.
The boys and girls team will travel together. As part of the Hobbs Eagle tradition, boys will get on the bus first and get off last. There will be times when we stop to eat meals on out of town games and players will be asked to bring money to cover those meals. The bus driver will eat first, the girls will eat second, the boys will eat third, and the coaches will eat last.
All players who ride the bus to games will ride the bus home from games – across town or out of town.
We play together and we ride together! You may pick up your student in the SW corner of the parking lot when the bus arrives. If you wish to pick up your son you MUST contact Mr. Cantu, Assistant Principal and he will inform me. If you haven’t spoken to Mr. Cantu and he hasn’t notified me, your son must ride the bus back to the school. No exception will be made.
Things NOT to bring on the Bus:
1) Ipods, Ipads, tablets, MP3 players, magazines, etc. The time spent on the bus will be used to fellowship with each other as well as to go over any final game preparation. There will be no discussion when the bus is in city limits in order to limit any distractions for the bus driver.

2) Junk food, energy drinks, caffeinated beverages, etc. Nutritional snacks as well as water or sports drinks will be the only food and beverages allowed.
Cell phone usage will be limited to contacting parents shortly before the bus arrives in town.
Team managers will be held to the same academic and conduct standards as players. A manager is exempt from having a physical exam performed but must fill out the online registration portion of the physical process. Managers will be allowed to travel with the team provided they are deemed eligible.
Any changes to the handbook will be posted to the Heizer school website and all students will be notified orally of any such change. If a major change occurs parents will be directly notified.
A big thanks to everyone in their support of the Heizer Hornets. If there any questions or concerns feel free to contact the coaching staff by phone or e-mail.

I acknowledge I have read, understood, and will abide by all policies and principles contained in the
Heizer Boys’ Basketball handbook.
_____________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
_________________________________
Student Athlete Signature