School Athletic Code
1. All students planning to participate in interscholastic sports must have passed a physical examination, within the past year, prior to participation in any practice or sport. Physical examinations are acceptable for one calendar year.
2. All coaches should have a player examined by a physician before he/she can return to active competition after an injury requiring medical attention has occurred.
3. If, for any reason, students have to miss an academic class due to interscholastic competition, they must obtain assignments prior to leaving.
4. Managers of athletic teams shall follow the standard eligibility rules.
5. All student athletes must be on time and attend the entire day of school to be eligible to participate in a practice or contest on that day. Extenuating reasons may allow exceptions to this rule if documentation exists and is presented to the athletic director prior to the practice or contest.
6. Students arriving late to school on a game day must have a note from the Director of Athletics before they can play.
7. All students who are members of athletic teams representing the school will go and return to school by the players’ bus unless an immediate member of the family wishes to drive them home. The Director of Athletics must approve any exceptions.
8. A pupil shall not participate in or represent his or her school in more than one sport after the date of the first contest in that sport season, nor may that pupil represent more than one school during a season unless the pupil satisfies the conditions of Eligibility Rule II.C.
9.All students will be responsible for all equipment issued to them.
Athletes Right to Due Process
There may come a time when, because of special personal circumstances, an athlete either commits an act, or fails to perform a duty, which results in his/her being declared ineligible to compete in a high school sport. In some cases, exceptions to the eligibility rules can be granted. All athletes have the right to the due process procedures listed below in seeking to have their eligibility restored.
Step 1: The athlete should first discuss the matter with the appropriate coach or athletic director. If it is felt that the circumstances of the case warrant a request for an exception to the rule, the high school principal should also be informed.
Step 2: The high school principal then requests in writing to the CIAC Eligibility Committee that the matter be examined and an exception granted. Address of the Committee: 30 Realty Drive, Cheshire, CT 06410.
Step 3: The CIAC Eligibility Committee will examine the facts of the case at its next regular meeting. It the situation is such that the matter must be resolved before the next regular meeting, an emergency meeting will be called. The Committee has the right to require that medical reports and/or other relevant documentation be provided.
Step 4: If the Eligibility Committee decides that the circumstances of the case merit an exception, it will be granted and the athlete’s eligibility must be restored subject to the approval of the Board of Control. If, in the judgment of the Committee, no exception is warranted, it will be denied and the student’s ineligibility will continue in force for the period required in the regulations. In no case of denial of an exception is the decision of the Committee communicated to the CIAC Board of Control, so that should the athlete decide to take his case further in the procedure of due process, no information concerning the case will have been made available to the next higher authority in the due process procedure. This protects the athlete’s right to a full, unprejudiced hearing.
Step 5: In the case where a request for an exception is denied by the Committee, the athlete has the right, through the high school principal, to request that an appeal of the committee’s decision be made to the CIAC Board of Control. The principal then initiates such request, addressed to the Executive Director, CIAC, 30 Realty Drive, Cheshire, CT 06410. This request must be made within fourteen (14) days of the ruling of the Eligibility Committee.
Step 6: The CIAC Board of Control will hold a full hearing on the matter in a timely fashion. At that time, the athlete, his/her parents, representatives of the school and any other person the athlete feels may help to present his/her case may appear and present evidence before the CIAC Board. The Board has the right to require presentation of medical reports or other relevant documentation.
Step 7: The CIAC Board of Control will, after a full hearing and proper consideration of the facts of the case, render its decision, either to grant the requested exception or to uphold the ruling of the Eligibility Committee. If the exception is granted, the athlete’s eligibility is restored immediately and retroactively. If it is denied, the student’s ineligibility remains in force for the period required in the regulations.
In all matters of athletic eligibility, the decision of the CIAC Board of Control is final and binding on all parties.