1) Be a good teammate…everyone is a valuable part of the team, regardless of ability level.

Stress the concepts of “Team Unity” and being a “Good Sport.”   Being a “Good Sport” is fundamental to the chemistry and success of this team and the program as a whole.  Focusing on “Team Unity” means understanding that decisions made by the coaches are made for the best interest of the team as a whole.   Both of these concepts stress encouraging your teammates at competitions and practices and respecting decisions made by your coaches.

Understand that the role of a “Team Captain” is that of a liaison between the coaches and the athletes.   The coaching staff will have athletes vote (virtually) for the Team Captains at the start of the season.  Team Captains are leaders that go beyond just participating in the sport.  These athletes lead by example, keep the team moving in the right direction, motivate their teammates at practice and competitions, and treat everyone with respect.   Captains help maintain a unified front with coaches on decisions that impact the team.

Look forward to an exciting and rewarding season.  Contribute to a positive atmosphere at practice.   Having a negative attitude at practice and/or a competition towards other athletes or coaches may result in being dismissed from practice or being dismissed from the competition.   If you are dismissed from practice and/or a competition due to a negative attitude, you will be issued a strike.

2) Be accountable…showing up is the first step.

Note- training for the entire week will be communicated by the coaching staff, even though we meet only TUES and THURS.

Note- other days for practice, optional weight room sessions (TUES, THURS 4:45pm-5:45pm), will be communicated.  Only cleared athletes on the Indoor Track & Field Roster will be permitted to attend.

Let coaches know of any injuries that you may be experiencing.  If you are injured, notify your coaches.  They will ask some questions regarding the injury in question and then direct you to the USCHS athletic trainer.   Listen to the USCHS athletic trainer’s instructions regarding your injury.   After you have seen the athletic training, you will discuss the visit with your coaches in order to understand the nature of the injury, and the next steps to get you healthy as directed by the athletic trainer.  Follow up with your coaches to keep them informed of any treatment the USCHS athletic trainer is providing.  If the USCHS athletic trainers want you to see prior to practice, email the head coach and your event coach before practice that day.

Attend all practices and competitions.  We do understand there may be circumstances beyond your control impact you getting a ride to practice, being permitted to practice from parents/guardians, etc.  Being at practice on a regular basis will be factored into decision making for coaches registering athletes for competitions.

COMMUNICATION is key- email the head coach and your event coach if you won’t be able to attend practice or a meet for whatever reason. Communication BEFORE the situation presents itself so we know where you are and the situation impacting your attendance.  This ensures everyone is safe and we know who is and is not at practice.  If we haven’t seen much of you at practice, we may decide it is not in your best interest to compete at a meet.

In past years, we have been reasonable in terms of understanding individual situations for students if they have to miss a practice.  However, being at practice and meets is directly related to your improvement as an athlete.  If you have missed multiple practices, The Coaching Staff may determine that it does not make sense for you to compete in a meet. As coaches, our priority is to put athletes in a position to succeed.  If we haven’t seen much of you at practice, it is difficult for us to determine if competing in a meet will be a positive experience for you.  Furthermore, during the Indoor Track & Field Season, we  have restrictions on the number of athletes permitted to attend and compete at meets due to meet directors and facility protocols.   

You MUST communicate missing practice by emailing the coaches and explaining the reason you have to miss practice.  If you DON’T notify the coaches via email about missing practice, you will be issued a strike.  But if you miss multiple practices without explanation during the season, you will be removed from the team immediately.   You must turn in your school-issued uniform and warm-up the following week if you are dismissed from the team.  If you quit the team or are dismissed from the team at any point during the season, you will forfeit any varsity letter earned for that season.

After 3 strikes you will be removed from the team immediately and will forfeit any letter awards you may have earned from the season.

Ride the school bus to and from all away competitions.   Riding on the bus is a privilege- you must be masked up the entire time on the bus.  No loud music, no speakers, no shouting on the bus- behave as if you are in the classroom.  Per school rules, athletes are permitted to leave an away competition with a parent/guardian only if a note has been presented to one of the coaches prior to leaving the event.   ATHLETES ARE NOT PERMITTED TO DRIVE THEMSELVES TO or FROM EVENTS.  Furthermore, this note must be signed by both the parent and a high school administrator- no exceptions will be allowed.   In order to make sure there is no confusion between parents-administrators-coaches regarding the note, be sure to get the note(s) signed at least 2 days in advance of the designated event.  Make sure you notify a coach and sign out with a coach when you leave with your parent/guardian.  If you do NOT notify a coach and do NOT sign out with a coach before you leave a competition/meet/invite, you will be issued a strike.

3) Be coachable…your coaches will always put you in the best position to succeed.

Follow your coaches’ instructions. The USC High School Track & FIeld Coaching Staff will structure the workouts that all athletes will complete.   NO consideration will be given to requests from outside coaches and/or personal trainers on changing/modifying workouts, running or not running in competitions, skipping workouts, etc.  We will use feedback from our USC Athletics Trainers to adjust training as needed per their direction.   If you are receiving supplemental training, supplemental coaching, and/or participating in supplemental workouts due to an out-of-season sport, then you should understand that USCHS Track & FIeld is the priority during the Spring Sports Season.  The USCHS TF Coaching Staff are the only individuals in charge of determining your workouts and participation in competitions.   Not following coaches’ instructions may be grounds for dismissal.

You are NOT permitted to work with any outside trainers/outside coaches/outside personnel other than your USCHS TF Coaches- during USCHS Practice and/or during USCHS Meets/Invitationals.  If any outside trainers/outside coaches/outside personnel show up at USCHS Practice and/or USCHS Meets/Invitationals to work with (coach) an athlete, the individual will be dismissed from the practice and/or the event.  The athlete will then receive a strike.   The individual’s parents or guardians will be contacted and any further violation of this rule may result in the athlete being removed from the team. Please do not participate in non-USCTF competitions during the season.  Your coaches have planned the training for the HS schedule, and competing in other events will interfere with the HS season. 

Represent Upper St. Clair properly by following school conduct rules at all practices and competitions.  Improper conduct will result in immediate dismissal from the team.   Some examples of improper conduct are use of profanity, destruction of property, littering, bullying, use of drugs and/or alcohol, noncompliance with safety procedures during practice/competitions, participation in conduct detrimental to the team, etc. Hazing and ridiculing other athletes is strictly prohibited.  As a reminder, poor behavior on Social Media can impact your status on sports teams; this includes practice and meets for the USCTF Team.

At competitions and invites if a coach/individual from an opposing team “disqualifies” you, keep competing until the meet official has directed you to stop competing.  Do not engage into a verbal altercation with the coach/individual.  Bring the “disqualification” to the attention of your coaches after you finish so that they can gather the facts and determine if the disqualification is legitimate or not.  Proper conduct must be followed at all times- on the bus, in the tent, while walking the course, racing, etc.

4) Be informed…communication between coaches and athletes builds trust.

All Healthy Roster online forms are due by WEDS 11/9/22  no later than 3pm.

Understand that the last day to rectify incomplete forms/ last day to join the Indoor Track & Field team is TUES 11/9/22 by 3pm  

Payment of registration fee ($75) online through a link on the Athletics Website which opens on 11/18/22 at 9am.  Pay the registration fee no later than 12/18/22 by Noon.

No athletes will be permitted to join the team after that date- all paperwork must be completed online and approved status in Healthy Roster at that point in time.

Due to restrictions on the number of entries for meets, the coaches will use professional judgment to determine filling the fields for competitions.

Coaches will may assign “pods” of athletes during training to adhere to protocols.  Each “pod” will have a Pod Leader that is responsible for the entire pod of athletes.  Pod Groups and Pod Leaders may be fluid and may change throughout the season based upon the coaches’ discretion. This system ensures that athletes are accounted for and minimizes physical contact. If any athletes leave practice without informing a coach (or before the official end of practice), this is grounds for dismissal from the team. Safety is priority number one when training.

Give your personal best at all times and understand the purpose of each practice session. Be responsible by keeping track of individual progress.   If you score a point for the team by placing in a competition, keep track of this for your own records.   Understand that scoring a point in a varsity competition will allow you to earn a varsity letter.  

Wear the USCHS-issued uniform for all competitions.  Failure to wear your school-issued uniform may result in your coaches not letting you participate in a competition; furthermore, you may be issued a strike for this violation of team rules.  It is your responsibility to wash and dry your uniform throughout the season.   If it is damaged, stained, stolen, lost, it is your responsibility.  If you lend another athlete your uniform and it is damaged, stained, stolen, lost, it is still your responsibility.  If you give another athlete your uniform to turn in the coaches and it is damaged, stained, stolen, or lost, it is still your responsibility.  It is your responsibility to wash and dry your uniform before returning it on either of the two turn in dates.

Return all school-issued warm-ups and/or uniforms at the end of the season during either of the two coach-specified time/dates to be announced.…  Turn-In Day 1 is to be decided, and Turn-In Day 2 is to be decided; both dates/times/locations will be announced at practice and via remind.com.  (Letters, pins, and other athlete-earned awards will not be distributed to an athlete until the school-issued items have been returned.  A fine will be issued to any athletes that do not turn in these items at the coach-specified time/date in the athletic cage.)  The current fine for lost, stolen, damaged, stained, or unwashed uniforms are $60 per item.

For competitions, USCTF Coaching Staff will decide which athletes are competing.  Due to online registration deadlines and facility protocols, decisions by the coaches on participation may have to be made well in advance of the competition date.   USCTF Coaching Staff  have the final decision on race rosters- NO EXCEPTIONS.  Due to online registration deadlines, decisions by the coaches on who attends/competes at the WPIAL Championship may have to be made well in advance of the event date.   Additionally, the roster for the WPIAL (TSTCA) Championship will be determined based upon the meet manager (typically top 18).  USCTF Coaching Staff  have the final decision on the Championship rosters- NO EXCEPTIONS.

All communication to the Coaches must be done in a respectful manner.  Aggressive, hostile, or demeaning language from a parent or athlete to a coach through electronic, face to face, or voicemails will be treated seriously.  Any communication of that nature will be reported to an administrator.   Coaches may choose to cease communication if it is aggressive, hostile, or demeaning.  

Understand that if you advance to the WPIAL (TSTCA) Championship and/or advance to the PIAA (PTFCA) Championship either individually or as a part of a relay team, you will be required to compete at said championships and represent Upper St. Clair.   These events are “no scratch competitions.”  Your coaches will carefully review with you the events in which you are entered before the deadline for the championship.  Scratches will only be permitted based upon the guidelines of the WPIAL (TSTCA)  and PIAA (PTFCA) window PRIOR to the entry closing date. If you are unsure about competing in an event at either Championship, your coaches may determine NOT to enter you in the event(s).