Athletics
ATHLETICS
Middle school athletics are governed by policies from the North Carolina Department of Instruction (NCDPI), the Davidson County Middle School Conference (DCMSC) and the Davidson County Schools Board of Education.
ELIGIBILITY
A student upon entering the sixth (6th) grade begins his/her process for obtaining eligibility to compete on seventh (7th) grade athletic teams. [For South Davidson a student upon entering the fifth (5th) grade begins his/her process for obtaining eligibility to compete on sixth (6th) grade athletic teams-except football.] This is a conference regulation with mandates a higher eligibility standard than reflected in state guidelines.
A student shall not participate on a seventh (7th) or eighth (8th) grade team if the student becomes 15 years of age on or before August 31 of that year.
A student who is not academically eligible at the beginning of a semester period is not eligible at any time during that semester. (Exception: A student who receives an “incomplete” in a course which causes him/her not to meet minimum scholastic requirements is ineligible until the course is satisfactorily made up and eligibility is restored.)
No student may be eligible to participate at the middle school level for more than four (4) consecutive semesters beginning with the student’s entry into seventh (7th) grade.
Davidson County Schools Board of Education Policy 6.5 requires a student (1) to receive a final grade of 60 or higher in Language Arts AND Mathematics courses and (2) to receive a final grade of 60 in social studies OR science courses (to pass 3 of 4 courses) in which he/she was enrolled during the previous semester in order to be eligible for participation for athletics during the current semester. At the end of the academic year, students must meet promotion standards to be eligible for participation in athletics for the fall semester of the next school year. It is important to note that administrative promotion (promotion to the next grade regardless of meeting standards) is not the same as meeting promotion standards (outlined above). This is a district regulation which mandates a higher standard than reflected in state guidelines.
STUDENT CONDUCT
A student found guilty of misconduct may be (1) reprimanded, (2) placed on probation or (3) suspended from participation in a sport or sports for a period of time. If a team member not participating in the game comes onto the playing surface during an event or immediately thereafter to engage in conflict, that team shall be placed on probation and may not participate until a decision is rendered by the conference.
ATTENDANCE
A student must have no more than 8 absences in the semester prior to the season in order to be eligible. Fall eligibility is based on the 3rd and 4th quarters from the previous spring, and spring eligibility is based on 1st and 2nd quarters from the current academic year. If absences have been formally waived by the principal, these shall not count toward the total number of absences for eligibility purposes.
PHYSICALS
A student must have a current physical within the last 395 days to be eligible for participation.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Parents and students in DCS must sign a Student Athletic Participation form and adhere to the conditions of that form in order for the student to maintain athletic eligibility.
SAFETY
Parents and students must sign a Gfeller-Waller Concussion Information form and adhere to the conditions of that form to remain eligible.
RESIDENCY
Parents and students must sign a Residency Verification Form and adhere to the conditions of that form to remain eligible. Students and their custodial parents must be domiciled within the attendance zone of the school for which the student-athlete is participating. Failure to adhere to the residency rule renders a student-athlete ineligible and results in the team forfeiting games during which that student-athlete was a member of the team.
INELIGIBLE PLAYER
Any school that uses an ineligible player in any contest is required to immediately dismiss the player from the team and forfeit all games for which the ineligible player participated.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICY
Any student who violates the DCS Board of Education policy on Narcotics, Alcoholic Beverages and Stimulant Drugs (Including Drug Paraphernalia) and Other Prohibited Substances and is subsequently suspended as prescribed and will forfeit all rights to participate in the athletic program or extra-curricular activities program as set forth in the policy.
Additionally, if while off school grounds, and/or while not under the supervision of school personnel a student is arrested, receives a criminal citation, or other similar type charge, including but not limited to alleged to be delinquent, that would constitute a violation of this policy if committed while on school grounds, that student shall be disqualified from athletic and extra-curricular activities participation for the time set forth herein.
See Davidson County Board of Education Policy 6.11 Rule 6 for more information