BEACH BREAKERS
Vision, Benefits, Responsibilities and Guidelines
Revised 6/25/13
Vision
Our desire is for Beach to be competitive, and for Beach to be an organization
that people look up to. (We are a Christian organization and as such we are
ambassadors for Christ. As an organization we want to be good ambassadors.)
Our desire is to give our athletes the best possible opportunities that we can.
This means giving them as many tools as we can to succeed. We need to open
as many doors as possible for them to be noticed by scouts and hopefully gain
scholarships.
In order to accomplish our vision, Beach as an organization needs to have
consistency. It is important that we have consistency in coaches, players, and
teams.
Consistency in team means we work to have Middle School, JV and Varsity
teams. Consistency in players means we work to ensure we have a program that
encourages returning players, players who will be with Beach from Middle
School through to Varsity, and working their way up the ranks. Consistency in
coaches, means getting the right coach in place, coaches who have the same
desires as Beach. They have the skills to help all the Beach athletes succeed,
and are willing/able to work within what being part of a homeschool sports
league brings.
Middle School Teams The purpose of MS sports is for students to develop an appreciation and
enjoyment of the sport. Priorities at this level are: to encourage participation, to
build basic individual and team skills. Every athlete will be given equal
opportunity to play minutes that will impact the game. (.ie. Designated
challenger players play an abundance of minutes in challenger games.)
Everyone should get playing time. The goal is to get as many 5th and Middle
School students involved as possible. Coaches should be encouraging
participation and building basic skills. This will strengthen the athletic program
in the future.
*MS players may be asked to practice and sit the JV bench according to the
athlete’s ability and approval of JV/V coach. (Any player starting for MS
should not start for JV.)
Junior Varsity Level The purpose of Junior Varsity sports is for students to continue to develop
enjoyment of the sport and improve basic individual and team skills. Every
athlete should get the opportunity to play, in a way that will best impact the
game. However, playing time will not be equal. Athletes should be introduced
to the concept that each player has a specific role on the team. The emphasis at
this level should shift toward developing the most competitive team possible.
*JV players may be asked to practice and sit the V bench, according to the
athlete’s ability and approval of the V coach. (Any player starting for JV should
not start for V.)
Varsity Level The purpose of high school sports is for students to enjoy the sport by playing at
a competitive, high level. Athletes should be pushed to attain the highest level
possible. Varsity level players are expected to have a solid grasp of the
fundamentals. They should have excellent skills [related to their sport,] and they
should be in good physical condition. Conditioning is necessary to compete
appropriately at the varsity level. The concept of teamwork and playing a
specific role on a team should be mastered at this level. Playing time decisions
for each player at the varsity level are left totally to the coach’s discretion.
Playing time is not guaranteed and each athlete should understand that God has
gifted everyone in different ways. Their goal should be to become the best
athlete they can be with those abilities.
Benefits
Beach wants our coaches to know just how much they mean to us.
The Varsity Coach for basketball will put in roughly 100 hours with Breakers
kids between October and March, and that does not even take into account prep
time or any coach improvement time. If they get on varsity kid for free for the
season, we are essentially paying them the equivalent of $3.00 an hour for their
services.
1. Head coaches will have their own family taken care of.
2. We will make available off season training through the NFHS website.
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Guidelines
Parents
Parents have ultimate authority over their children. However, due to the
seriousness of the commitment, to the entire team, and the community of
schools we play, if a player is not living up to the parents' expectations in
academics, attitude, or assigned duties, at home, the parents are asked to discuss
problems with the coach and not use participation in practices or games as a
reward or punishment.
Parents will be asked to complete a coach’s evaluation form at the end of each
season. This is to help track trends and spot potential problems and/or gain
insight into better coaching techniques. It is not to be considered as the main
component in the evaluation of coaches.
Coaches Eligability
Spiritual Accountability: All Breakers Coaches must have made a profession of
faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and be under the spiritual covering
of a pastor; or in the case of a pastor being a coach, a governing church body.
All coaches must be 21 years of age or older for the following reasons:
Maturity and experience, dealing with parents, and the possibility of a parent
using age as a reason for a lawsuit. An exception can be made as long as the
Asst. Coach is 21 years or older. The Head coach is directly accountable to the
Athletic Director and to the TEACH Board. Homeschooling parents are
preferred and encouraged; however, exceptions can be made as long as there is
an Asst. Coach or parent available to answer homeschooling questions. Ideally,
the Head coach recommends the Asst. to the A.D.
Players Eligability
No more than 50% of a student's schooling may come from a public or private
secondary school. Failure to maintain academic performance satisfactory to the
parents' expectations will result in temporary suspension until parental
expectations are once again met.
The student must play exclusively for BEACH (recreation, church and travel
teams excluded.)
A Player within the conference is not allowed to move from team to team. We
are a varsity conference and therefore, where you start the season is where you
end the season. If you start out playing soccer with the Breakers then your
option for Basketball is the Breakers another team within the conference will
not be able to take you on as a player. Same going the other way if you have
played somewhere else to start your year and then decide you want to play your
next sport for the Breakers we will not be able to take you onto a Breakers team
without being in violation of conference rules.
Varsity will be limited to 8th grade (13 before 1 September) and above.
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Students in grades 8-12 are eligible for varsity competition.
Students in grades 6-10 are eligible for junior varsity competition.
Students in grades 5-8 are eligible for MS competition.
For us homeschoolers a 5th grader will be considered no younger than nine
years of age.
6th Grade is no younger then 10 but the preference is 11. A 10- year-old will
be an exception and will be decided by the AD, after discussion with the coach
and parents, based on skills, size and maturity.
8th grade is no younger then 12.
12th graders who turn 19 on or before September 1st are ineligible.
Players who turn 17 on or before September 1st are ineligible for JV.
Players who turn 14 on or before September 1st are ineligible for MS.
1st String Varsity cannot play down to JV even if they are age eligible.
1st String JV cannot play down to MS even if they are age eligible.
In other words, a player is only able to move up, but not down.
1st String players can play up according to their ability.
Players will be required to make practices, to play. No practice, No play!
Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration.
It is T.E.A.C.H.'s policy to try to field Varsity teams first for two reasons:
(l) so that seniors will have the opportunity to complete their high school sports
experience; and (2) to keep the momentum going within our conference and so
that we don't lose scheduling opportunities with schools outside our conference.
We do take J. V. players who would benefit the Varsity teams, and we do take
M.S. players who would benefit the J.V. teams, but only if this is what the
player and the parents want to do. The coach cannot coerce or force a
player to move up. The decision is totally up to the parents.
Team Development
The first thing to consider when it comes to team development is that the player
is the primary concern to the Breakers. We will always do our best to field a
varsity team to compete in our varsity conference. If there are other JV teams
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and we can field a JV team we will look to do that. Being a part of a MS
conference, if we have the numbers, we will field a MS team as well. In putting
our teams together we will always consider what is best for the player first. We
want every player to be able to shine. Players may be asked to play up to a
higher level to benefit Beach. If that is the case, their primary team should
always be the team which will best benefit the athletes and make them shine.
The idea of fielding a higher level team should never be done in a way that will
put a player in a situation that will make them just a par player when they could
have been a stand out player, if playing in their actual age group.
The coach is responsible for the conditioning, training, assignment, safety and
discipline of the players. Our goal is to have the best team we can have.
We do not run our program like a rec league (if you pay, you play). The coach
is not mandated to play every player on the team evenly. Conference bylaws,
rules and Beach expectation for playing time must be followed.
After try-outs, a coach should have some idea as to if they plan to have a player,
as starter or bench relief. In some cases, if they will ever even play them in a
game. Communication is the key. The coach must communicate with players
and parents. The coach should inform the parents and players up front so they,
too, understand their sports experience may very well be instructional until they
have reached a level of expertise that wins them a playing position.
In fielding teams, the plan is to field three distinctly different teams. We ask
people to double up on teams out of necessity for the growth of Beach and our
respective conferences. We will always keep in mind what is best for the
athlete. What we must consider is what will be best for the athlete,
developmentally, and what will allow them to shine.
Each team will have a starting squad and a bench. The bench will need to be
communicated with to know what position they are expected to be able to play,
whose primary back up they are, and what they need to do to compete for a
starting role, to beat out the starter to have their position.
Each team is to be a distinct team. Our JV 1st String starting team should be
distinctly different then our Varsity 1st String starting team. The only time it
might not be distinctly different is if we are short players and a player has to
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play two teams either because we don't have the numbers overall or we don't
have position-specific players. For instance, a pitcher for baseball - not
everyone can pitch.
Please remember we are building for the long haul not just today. We want to
bring kids up through the ranks from middle school to varsity, with a desire to
shoot for varsity. We need varsity to be the goal, as it would be at any school.
With that thought in mind, the varsity coach sets the standard for what is needed
for the teams. In other words, they chose their team first after evaluation or
tryouts, then JV leaving the rest to middle school. (All of this is the ideal, but
the fielding of all three teams needs to be taken into consideration when picking
the teams. This means age and number of players available has to be taken into
account.. First and foremost we will take into account what is best for the
athletes we are dealing with. Therefore, the AD will review the final roster
and discuss needed changes with the coaches. The AD and the Varsity coach
will have the final say on each roster.)
The varsity coach should also set the standard as to what the athletes should be
learning so they are ready for varsity play when they arrive there.
A player playing on more than one team will ideally be a starter on one team,
and bench on the other team. However, there are times that a player may be
playing on a second team out of necessity for the growth of Beach, simply
enabling Beach to field a team in an older age group. In that case, a player
should not be penalized and not allowed to start on the team that would most
benefit them as an athlete and allow them to shine. This exception has to be out
of necessity to keep a team a float not just because a player or coach thinks they
would be a good player for them, but, so they can win and be more competitive.
The Athlete has to be the primary consideration.
There are times that a player playing on two teams may have a conflict in
scheduling. If so, then the primary team they are on will be the team they play
for during scheduling conflicts.
We will follow all conference rules. We will take the steps necessary to follow
VHSL rules. (Due to our size, and the number of players, who are available for
the season, there may be times that we will not be able to meet VHSL
requirements, but we will always need to meet all conference requirements.)
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Playing Time - (these are the ideal providing we have the numbers to implement
each of these. If we don't have the numbers then we will do our best to comply
with each of the below.. If we don't have the numbers then we refer to the
section team development for clarification.) (As we consider these, although
they may not be easy, remember, as our conference grows they may become
mandatory to follow and added to the conference bylaws. We do not want to get
caught unprepared.)
A. General
(1) Maximum of four swing players may play both ways (JV/Varsity)
(2) No swing players may start at the higher level.
(3) No varsity starter may play a JV game.
B. Basketball
(1) Players can play 4 quarters for their primary starting team and only 2
quarters for the team they are moving up to. But they cannot play in the 1st
quarter of the Varsity game.
(2) J.V. and M. S. players should be noted in both books.
(3) Overtime is considered a quarter.
C. Soccer
(1) Players are limited to playing in only the first or second half of the soccer
game for the team they are moving up to. (In an Overtime period: A player who
plays in one half of a soccer game will be ineligible to play in an overtime
period).
D. Volleyball
(1) Players may not play in the 1st game of the match they are moving up to
play in or start any game thereafter.
(2) Players moving up are limited to 3 games of the match they are moving up
to play in.
E. Baseball/Softball
(1) Pitchers in the Varsity team may not pitch down.
(2) Baseball pitchers are limited to 10 innings pitched on consecutive days.
(3) Players moving up are limited in games they move up to play in. (i.e.
three innings for a five-inning game, four innings for a seven inning game.)
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General Coaching
Varsity coaches will run all tryouts with the help and input of the MS & JV
Coaches. The Varsity coach will set team rosters considering the needs to field
3 distinct teams at their appropriate levels.
Coaches should use wisdom and discernment when putting together their teams,
considering each athlete as unique individuals created in the image of Christ.
Off-season conditioning, clinics, and tournaments are encouraged; however,
players who are either preparing for, in the middle of, or are finishing up a
regular season - their commitment is to that sport first. It is up to the family to
decide if they want to participate in another BEACH activity as well. However,
if the coach sees that a player is declining in their energy level or skills for their
primary sport, the coach should give warning that the player's participation
could be affected.
There must be a female adult at every practice and game when the Coach is a
male. This also goes for a female coach having a male covering when the
players are males; however, male adult coverings are not always available
because of work, so there will be a parent in place.
An Adult Covering has to be at all practices and games in case someone needs
medical attention. The rule of thumb for injuries is R-I-C-E: rest, ice,
compression, and elevation. The Adult Covering is responsible for getting an
injured player to his/her parents, clinic, or emergency room, not a coach.
Scholarships are NOT granted at the discretion of a coach or coaches.
Scholarships are awarded by the TEACH Board. Any coach wishing to secure a
full or partial scholarship for any player MUST submit a request to the TEACH
Board, either through the Athletic Director or another member of the TEACH
Board.
No coach or assistant coach should ever be alone with a player. This is for your
protection as well as the player.
Coaches re-apply to the TEACH Board every year. An email to the Athletic
Director will start the renewal process.
Our rule books come from the National Federation of State High School
Association (NFHS.org) and all of our equipment must meet their safety
standards.
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We order two game balls for each team and any other equipment that is needed.
Coaches have the option of carrying around a supply of BEACH practice balls,
or they may ask players to bring their own. The Head Coach is responsible for
the mistreatment of BEACH equipment by self, assistants, and players during
the practice and playing season. The Head coach and anyone he asks to
purchase equipment or supplies for the team MUST obtain PRIOR approval
from the A.D. (Request reimbursement forms from the Dept. Head or A. D. by
email.)
Coaches will include prayer in each practice/game and are encouraged to invite
the other team to pray with our team.
The coach will make sure that the following items are at all practices and
games:
(1) A signed Adult Covering form and the notarized contract for each player;
(2) injury/incident forms, (3) cell phone (emergency or if team or refs don't
show up); (4) first aid kit and (5) plenty of water.
The Head coach will show Christ-like character and refrain from displays of
temper. He will not use, or tolerate from team members, cursing and other
types of inflammatory speech, and will be responsible for maintaining team
discipline and enforcement of rules of conduct outlined by the TEACH Board.
(See Dress Code and Sportsmanship attached.) Coaches make the decision
as to what they want their players to wear before and after games where locker
rooms are available, and may more clearly define dress at practice if modesty is
in question. However, since there are times that we have a large age mix you
may find parents who would rather their athlete not spend considerable time
changing in the locker room with older athletes, if so the parents have the right
to explain their reasoning and op out.
The A.D. or the Head Coach, or the Asst. Coach in the Head Coach's absence,
has the singular authority to temporarily stop a game or cancel a game or related
activity. No Board member other than the A.D. has this singular authority.
Coaches should expect, respect and compliance with his/her rules and style of
coaching. If parents or players have a problem with a coach or coaches,
coaches have an obligation to meet with those parents and players. We must
remember that parents are entrusting their children into our care and we are
accountable to those parents. This type of meeting should be between the
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Parent, player, and the coaching staff. The A.D. and the TEACH Board do not
get involved in parent/player concerns without it going to the Coach first. If no
understanding is reached at the coach/parent/player level, a meeting between the
coaching staff and the parents and player will be mediated by the Athletic
Director and one other Board member. Any decision reached at any level may
be appealed by the coaches, players or parents to the A.D., and then to the
TEACH Board.
All coaches of all teams are to work together harmoniously, supporting one
another, as brothers and sisters in Christ, according to Philippians 2:1-4. “If
therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of
love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love,
united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty
conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more
important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.” (NAS).
Middle School and J.V. coaches are preparing players for Varsity; therefore, all
coaches should work together for a common goal in the interest of Beach
Athletics as a whole. The Varsity coach is expected to take the lead for the
sports program of which they are involved. The varsity coach is more or less the
sport head for that season. MS and JV should understand that the ultimate goal
is to have a strong Varsity squad and they are a part of building that squad.
Therefore they should confer with the Varsity coach to ensure everyone is on
the same page and working towards the same goals.
The coach is the only one who invites someone to sit on the bench.
Varsity coaches call the score, stats, and highlights to the Virginian Pilot Sports
Dept. after every home game (see Va. Pilot sheet.)
Coaches are responsible for returning sports equipment to the AD at the end of
the season and reporting any damage.
In Closing
Coaches must view winning from the proper perspective.
Athletics teams have a goal of competing well and playing to win. Excellence is
something that each team should strive for every time they compete. However,
it is important to understand that winning is not just measured on the
scoreboard. The final result of a successful sports team is not dependent on their
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wins and losses. In order to completely understand this principle, coaches must
view their teams from a Kingdom perspective. Instead of counting temporary
victories, seek success in areas that will last. For instance, athletes
demonstrating fruit of the spirit in a difficult situation, someone developing a
desire for the things of God, or boldly sharing their faith with a friend are all
examples of “eternal victories”. As a result, winning is not the only goal. If
coaches keep this in mind, it has a direct influence on the way they will coach
and conduct themselves throughout the season.
When all is said and done, our goal will be to Glorify Christ, which means we
will put our best foot forward to be a light for Him. Our teams will start and
end practices and games with prayer. Coaches, players, and parents will need to
conduct themselves in a manner worthy of a Christian at all times. Sometimes
the greatest test of our Christ-likeness is in the heat of battle and the middle of a
game is the heat of battle. The coach sets the tone! If the coach is getting upset
and losing his composure, due to bad calls, or poor sportsmanship from the
team, it will bleed over. The coache's attitude will be picked up by the players
and the stands. They will begin to mimic what they see in the coach. The coach
is the commander and they will follow his/her lead, good or bad.
As an Athletic Dept we strive to adhere to these rules set forth understanding
that circumstances (such as low participation) may dictate a need to deviate a
little from the rules set forth. There are self imposed guidelines in the handbook
that are the ideal for building the best program possible, so other schools will
see us adhering to, and want to play us. Ultimately they may be deviated from
in order for us to be able to fulfill the overall vision. However, we must and
will always adhere to the guidelines set forth by the conferences we participate
in, as there are penalties set forth for not adhering to those guidelines. The AD
is aware of what the conference requires according to their bylaws and will help
the coaches make the necessary adjustments to help the program move forward,
to be the best it possibly can be. (The TEACH board also has access to all the
conference materials and can also step in as the governing body to help as
needed.)
ASSISTANT COACHES
1. The assistant coach aids the head coach in practice and game situations,
assumes the head coach's duties when the head coach is absent, and is also
expected to set a Godly example.
2. The Asst. Coach is not to leave the field in an emergency. This is the job of
the Adult Covering.
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