FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION PAGE FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENT ATHLETES

What sports are available to tryout for at Lewis Mills and when to tryouts begin?
What do I need to do to tryout for a team at Lewis Mills High School?
My Son/daughter was asked to attend a preseason "Captains Practice" for their sport. Is this required? Does it impact their chance of making the team?
What are the general attendance requirements of teams at Lewis Mills?
What if my child has a conflict between a required academic commitment and a school practice or contest?
What should my child do if they are absent from school due to illness or they become ill during the day and leave school early?
What if my son/daughter is injured at a practice or game?
What if my son/daughter receives a head injury in a game or practice? How soon will she be allowed to return to participate?
How is playing time determined at each level of competition?
What if my son/daughter comes in late to school... may he/she still attend practice or a game?
Are their rules about academic eligibility for incoming freshmen?
What if my son/daughter is a transfer student show participated in athletics at another high school?

What sports are available to tryout for at Lewis Mills?

Lewis Mills sponsors sports across 3 seasons (fall, winter and spring).
The FALL season for 2008 begins officially on August 23rd (August 18th for football conditioning). Prior to the official start date, teams are not allowed to hold any required practices of any kind. They may hold a meeting or two and are allowed to offer optional physical conditioning practice. Athletes must have a current physical to participate in these optional conditioning practices. Attendance at these practices may in no way affect the athletes chances of making a particular team. Sports offered in the fall include: football (JV level), boys and girls soccer, field hockey, girls volleyball, crew, boys and girls cross country.

The WINTER season for 2008-2009 begins officially on November 24th for girls basketball and December 1st for all other winter sports. Prior to the official start date, teams are not allowed to hold any required practices of any kind. They may hold a meeting or two and are allowed to offer optional physical conditioning practice. Athletes must have a current physical to participate in these optional conditioning practices. Attendance at these practices may in no way affect the athletes chances of making a particular team. Sports offered in the winter include: boys and girls basketball, co-ed swimming and diving, indoor track, cheerleading (Cheerleading actually tries out in the spring of the previous year and is not held to the official start date limitations due to participation in Pep Rallies and an occasional other event outside the winter season).

The SPRING season for 2007-2008 begins officially on March 17th and for 2008-2009 on March 23rd for all sports. Prior to the official start date, teams are not allowed to hold any required practices of any kind. They may hold a meeting or two and are allowed to offer optional physical conditioning practice. Athletes must have a current physical to participate in these optional conditioning practices. Attendance at these practices may in no way affect the athletes chances of making a particular team. Sports offered in the spring include: baseball, softball, boys and girls tennis, co-ed golf, crew, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse (club in 2008 season), boys and girls outdoor track, boys volleyball.

For more details about the sports offered, please check out our TEAM FAQ page

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What do I need to do to tryout for a team at Lewis Mills High School?

Prior to actually participating in any physical activity, conditioning or tryout with any Lewis Mills team, all athletes are required to submit a Blue Physical Card to their respective coach. Blue cards are issued by the school nurse and establish proof of a current physical being on file. Physicals are good for 13 months from the date of the physical. In addition, athletes and their parents must complete and sign a Lewis Mills Athletic Policy form and Emergency Medical Authorization form and turn these into the coach prior to trying out for the team. Copies of these forms will be distributed at the initial team meeting in the student athlete handbook and are also available here.

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My Son/daughter was asked to attend a preseason "Captains Practice" for their sport. Is this required? Does it impact their chance of making the team?

Lewis Mills High School does not sanction or condone "Captains Practices". Attendance at any playing, practice or camp opportunity that occurs prior to the season will have no bearing on team selection and is not a requirement to play. Skills, abilities and fitness that athletes achieve through outside participation may enhance their opportunities, but attendance at these events are strictly at the option of the individual athlete and their families.

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What are the general attendance requirements of teams at Lewis Mills?

Every team should expect to practice/play a minimum of 5 days per week during their season. Some teams hold regular Saturday practices and some hold optional Sunday practices. Most practice are between 1:45 and 2 hours in length. Attendance at all practices and contests is required.

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What if my child has a conflict between a required academic commitment and a school practice or contest?

It is the philosophy of Lewis Mills High School that athletics represents the second half of the school day. Every effort will be be made to avoid these conflicts but they still do occur in rare instances. Athletes are expected to honor their academic commitments first if no other options are available. Athletes should speak with their coaches and teachers when a conflict appears to arise. Many times the teachers/coaches will be aware of it and will already have options available.

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What should my child do if they are absent from school due to illness or they become ill during the day and leave school early?

Any absence due to illness is an excused absence. All teams should have a phone chain or contact list of some kind. In the event that this is unavailable, email addresses of head coaches are available here. Student athletes may be able to get a message to the coach on the day of an an early dismissal through another player or a team captain. This is a good immediate step. Athletes should also make direct contact with their coach at the earliest possible time after the onset of the illness to let them know the situation personally. This information helps coaches with planning and keeps everyone informed.

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What if my son/daughter is injured at a practice or game?

For all home practices and games, our schools athletic trainer (Chris Weaving) will be providing coverage. Chris comes to us every day from Bristol Hospital and has worked with our athletes for many years. In addition, coaches are all certified in first aid and CPR and can provide basic care if necessary. Most off campus practices are not directly covered by our trainer. Coaches will provide immediate care and athletes will be asked to see Chris at their earliest opportunity. In the rare event of a serious injury, 911 may be utilized.

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What if my son/daughter receives a head injury in a game or practice? How soon will she be allowed to return to participate?

Head injuries are very serious and it is very important that the child's brain be allowed time to heal prior to retuning to practice. When a child suffers a head injury/concussion and shows symptoms, the child will not be allowed to return to athletic participation for 7 days after the occurrence of the last symptom. This is the standing order from our school physician. Our athletic trainer is responsible for establishing the safe return timeline for all of our athletes. Due to this being our physicians standing order, there is no process available to override the athletic trainers decision to return to participation earlier. In addition to receiving an information sheet about head injuries, parents are asked to view a short video on the CDC website regarding concussions and the need for a safe return to participation. A link to this video and more information concerning head injuries from the CDC is available here.

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How is playing time determined at each level of competition?

This response is taken directly from the student athlete handbook:

Varsity Athletics: Varsity athletic programs afford opportunities to those athletes who exhibit the greatest skills. These athletes will compete against equally talented athletes from opposing schools. The skills of Varsity athletes will be refined to provide Lewis Mills with the best win-loss record possible. Playing time at the varsity level is based on the coaches decision. Although coaches attempt to get all members playing time, there may be contests where some members of the team do not play.
Junior Varsity Athletics: Junior Varsity athletic programs offer to those students who do not yet possess the skills required of Varsity athletes an opportunity to participate in a competitive setting. Junior Varsity athletes are in the process of gaining valuable knowledge, skill, and experience required for Varsity competition. Junior Varsity athletes may, on occasion, participate in Varsity contests. Decisions of this nature are based on the evaluation of the athletes’ abilities, by the coaching staff, and are not absolute. All athletes in good standing should participate in all JV contests.
Freshmen Athletics: Freshmen athletic programs are designed to provide ninth-grade students with the opportunity to participate in an instructional yet competitive setting. These programs will teach basic skills of the sport and afford athletes an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, skill development, and experience necessary for Junior Varsity competition. Freshman athletes may, on occasion, participate in Junior Varsity or Varsity contests, respectively. Decisions of this nature are based on the evaluation of the athlete’s abilities by the coaching staff. These decisions should not be misinterpreted as an absolute move to the next level of competition. All athletes should see significant playing time at the freshmen level.

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What if my son/daughter comes in late to school... may he/she still attend practice or a game?

By CIAC and Lewis Mills rules, a student athlete must be in attendance for a minimum of 4 hours of the school day to participate in any extracurricular program on that day. Exceptions to this must obtain prior administrative approval and must be due to a serious outside commitment of the student athlete.

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Are their rules about academic eligibility for incoming freshmen?

There are no additional academic minimums required of incoming 9th grade students as long as they are continuing students (moving 8th to 9th grade).

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What if my son/daughter is a transfer student and participated in athletics at another high school last year?

Please contact the Coordinator of Athletics to ensure that any necessary forms are completed to ensure that eligibility requirements are met.

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Have a question that has not been addressed? Please contact the Coordinator of Athletics!