INTRAMURAL SPORTS & RECREATION Participant s Handbook

INTRAMURAL SPORTS & RECREATION Participant s Handbook 2016-2017 Austin Community College Intramurals Coordinator: Coach Tracy Partin Intramurals Office: (512) 223-8233 tpartin@austincc.edu Rainout Hotline (512) 262-6543

Table of Contents Section 1: Intramural Sports & Recreation.1-6 Mission and Goals Intramural Sports Program Format Intramurals Male and Female Athlete of the Year Contacts Waivers Concussion Protocol Emergency Notification/Insurance Section 2: Team Captain s Role and Responsibilities...7 Meeting w/ Intramurals Coordinator Rosters Playoffs Section 3: Eligibility Requirements...9 Eligibility Requirements Eligibility for Competing in End of Season Playoffs and Tournaments Guidelines Section 4: Entry Procedures..10 How to Enter My SL Online Individual or Team Section 5: League, Playoffs, and Tournament Scheduling 11 Play/Game Times Game Schedules Team, Individual and Dual Leagues Inclement Weather Policy Section 6: Sportsmanship/Discipline/Accountability/Alcohol-Drugs 13 Sportsmanship Code of Conduct Pledge Ejected Player Consequences Additional Information on Ineligible Players No Alcohol/Drug Policy In Regards to ACC Intramurals Functions Section 7: Rules by Sport..15 Rules followed by the ACC Intramurals Sports & Recreation Program Section 8: Protest 16 2

Player Eligibility Section 9: Special Sporting Events..17 Kickball ACC vs. Australia Basketball Game Section 10: Evaluations of Programs 18 Paper Evaluations Event Summary Section 11: Referees & Court Managers...19. Contract Labor Training 3

Section 1 Intramural Sports & Recreation A. Mission and Goals Mission Statement The Intramural Sports and Recreation Program has a mission of providing quality programs that offer both social and health benefits to all students participating. The program is structured to encourage and stimulate enthusiasm, leadership qualities, and energy of every campus student. All programs are based upon both healthy and social interactions within a sports and recreational environment. Goals A. To provide a safe and enjoyable environment at all locations for our participants. B. To encourage the development of positive attitudes through both team and individual sports and recreational activities. C. To encourage social interaction. D. To develop a healthy body through exercise obtained in all of our sports leagues and special events. E. To offer opportunity for all participants to improve their development of sport skills through participation in the programs offered. F. To provide an opportunity for participants to develop sportsmanship and respect to other participants and the sports officials. G. To learn the meaning of teamwork through league play and learning to work as a group toward a common goal. H. To provide a leadership opportunity for all participants that will not only blossom while at school but continue on in future life. I. To provide opportunities for all participants, regardless of skill level or physical capacity to enjoy the Intramural experience. B. Intramural Sports Program Intramural Sports and Recreation offers competition in team, 4

individual, and dual sports for men, women, and co-rec teams (male and females on same team). Competition is provided in the form of leagues, tournaments, and special events. The sports offered are selected based on student interest and the availability of resources and facilities. C. Intramurals Male and Female Athlete of the Year Each April, the Intramural Sports and Recreation Coordinator selects one male and one female athlete, who characterize the ideals of leadership and good sportsmanship in Intramural sports competition. This award will be presented at the annual Nite in the Life awards banquet. Waivers D. Contacts: Coach Tracy Partin Coordinator of Intramural Sports & Recreation (512) 262-6543 tpartin@austincc.edu All students participating in Intramural Sports and Recreation will be required to fill out a waiver at the time of registration that provides contact information and emergency contact information. The waiver will be required for any student before they can participate in any Intramural activity. Participants are encouraged to have the approval of their personal physician prior to competition if needed. Injuries/Accidents Students are covered by the Student Accident Insurance program when they pay the class fee at registration. This insurance provides $25,000 medical benefit for injuries as part of school sponsored activities. The insurance is a primary pay policy with a $25.00 deductible per incident claim. Please see the Student Accident Insurance at 5

http://www.austincc.edu/offices/environmental-health-safety-and-insurance/studentinsurance/questions-and-answersfor complete details. Students incurring injuries requiring them to stop participation and all head injuries must provide medical clearance from a licensed health care provider to return to active participation in the intramural activities. See Concussion Protocol. Concussions Protocol Removal from play Students must be removed from a practice or competition immediately if one of the following persons believes the student might have sustained a concussion: 1. A coach; 2. A physician; 3. a licensed health care professional; or 4. the student's parent or guardian Return to Play The Texas law contains more detailed provisions on return to play than any of the other youth sports concussion safety laws enacted thus far. An athlete may not return to practice or competition following a suspected concussion until: the student has been evaluated, examined by a physician chosen by the student or the student's parent; the student has successfully completed the requirement of the return-to-play protocol established by the Intramurals Coordinator necessary for the student to return to play; the treating physician has provided a written statement indicating that, in the physician's professional judgment, it is safe for the student to return to play. 6

Section 2 Team Captain s Role and Responsibilities Each semester a team captain will be selected to represent each sports team by the Intramurals Coordinator or the players of the team. As the captain you are responsible for attending the meeting with the Intramurals Coordinator, ensuring your players are eligible, informing your players of game times, and the behavior of your players. A. Meeting w/intramurals Coordinator Captains are to attend a meeting scheduled by the Intramurals Coordinator that will cover the general rules of the specific sport, policies and procedures, code of conduct, and other necessary information. If a captain cannot attend, a team representative can be sent to represent that team. Game schedules will be handed out at this time and also posted at the Intramurals Facebook fan page. B. Rosters Captains are responsible for ensuring that all players on roster are eligible prior to participating. Rosters/teams will be formed by the Intramurals Coordinator prior to the specific season unless a team is formed by themselves. The teams will be sent their team roster by email with their game schedule and contact information of all players. All rosters must be finalized by the 3 rd week of the season for players to participate in the playoffs or end of season tournament. Each sport has a limit of how many players can be on a team roster. See below: Men s Basketball 10 players Women s Basketball 10 players Women s Volleyball 10 players Men s Flag Football 12 players Men s Soccer 8 players Women s Soccer 8 players Co-Rec Softball 15 player C. Playoffs Playoffs will be held for most all Intramural sports at the end of the season with one or two sports having a tournament to finish off the season. After the playoff 7

schedule is determined and which teams qualify, the Intramurals Coordinator will send out by email the playoff schedule or tournament draw to all players. It will be the responsibility of the team captain to make sure all of the players on his/her team are aware of the game days/times. Only the Intramurals Coordinator can make exceptions or last minute changes to the playoffs or tournament if needed. Player rosters will be checked to make sure all players are eligible. All players must have participated in at least one league game to be eligible for the playoffs or tournament. Any team found to be using an ineligible player will be penalized by the Intramurals Coordinator. 8

Section 3 Eligibility Requirements A. Eligibility requirements The following groups are eligible for participation in ACC Intramural Sports: ACC currently enrolled students at any ACC campus.(enrolled in the current semester, example must be enrolled in the Fall to play Fall sports) ACC Faculty and Staff at all campuses and offices. Men s Division all team members must be male Women s Division all team members must be female Co-Rec/Open team rosters must consist of both male and female players B. Eligibility for Competing in Playoffs and Tournaments Rosters must have players that are deemed eligible to participate in the playoffs and tournaments at the end of the season. Players who have competed in at least one league play game will be eligible to compete at the end of the season in the playoffs or tournament. All team roster maximum number of players will still apply. Any team found to be using an ineligible player will be penalized by the Intramurals Coordinator. If there are a small number of teams in a division, the Intramurals Coordinator reserves the right to adjust the league or mix teams. C. Guidelines Individuals may participate on more than one team during league play if that said team is short of players for the night. But, during the playoffs or tournament only players on a specific team roster may only play on one team. If needed, the only exception is if the Intramurals Coordinator sees a need to place a player on a team. Individuals may NOT participate on more than one team during the playoffs. 9

Section 4 Entry Procedures A. How to Enter Intramural Sports All entries, team and individual, must be submitted prior to the entry deadline. Entries are submitted via the internet using the Intramural Sports and Recreation registration link which is located at: bit.ly/fa15sports Registration must take place during the dates indicated on the page, which is also the ACC Student Life webpage. If a specific sport fills up with entries, the registration will tell you that you have been placed on a waiting list in which you will be notified by the Intramurals Coordinator if and when a spot opens up. For online entry problems, email the Intramurals Coordinator at tpartin@austincc.edu. B. MySL Online/Individual or Team At bit.ly/fa15sports you will find a link titled Fall 2015/2016 Intramurals Registration. Click on that link, once you get to the My SL page, you will sign-in using your student ID number. You will be using your assigned ACC email address. Once at registration, you will be given the choices of signing up as an individual or as a team. If signing up as a team, make sure you put your team name or the friend s name on the registration so the Intramurals Coordinator will know to add you to that said team. The Waiver and the Code of Conduct forms must both be read and signed before you can participate in any of the activities. One difference you will find is registering for sports located at : SoccerZone South. Once you choose these sports, it will take you to a link at SoccerZone South. Just follow the directions to finish up registration. If you do register as an individual, the Intramurals Coordinator will place you on a team with other individuals. As registration gets closer to the deadline, you will be notified by the Coordinator by email with your team roster and game schedule. If registering as a team, the Intramurals Coordinator will check to see if you have enough players on the team. If not, the Coordinator will add some players from the registration list or from the waiting list. 10

Section 5 League, Playoffs, and Tournament Scheduling Intramurals reserves the right to change schedules and the format of a league/tournament due to the facility being used or time constraint. Additionally, games may be played at an earlier or later time to help accommodate the number of teams. Most of the time, though, the schedules will stay within the time frame first scheduled. A. Play /Game Times Games are played during the following times: Mondays: 6:30pm-11:30pm (soccer, co-rec softball) Tuesdays: 6:00pm-8:00pm (various sports) Thursdays: 6:00pm-1:00pm (men s basketball, women s volleyball) B. Game Schedules Once completed for each sport, game schedules will be emailed to all participants that registered properly before the season begins. Game Schedules will display date, time of game, location, and which teams are playing each other each date. The Game Schedule will also be posted at the ACC Intramurals Facebook fan page under the Notes section at: https://www.facebook.com/accintramurals If there are questions or concerns with the schedule, you can contact the Intramurals Coordinator by email at: tpartin@austincc.edu If a team forfeits more than two times from the league schedule that team will be dropped from the schedule and the schedule will be adjusted by the Intramurals Coordinator. C. Team, Individual, and Dual Leagues Most leagues will consist of 4-6 teams with some of the more popular sports having 8 teams. Generally, each league will consist of 5 weeks of games with a playoff or tournament at the end of the season. Teams will play once a week, on the same night at various times. Playoffs and Tournaments will involve more than one game for some teams. Each sport has a different format to the playoffs depending on number of teams but all of them will be finished in one night or day depending on the sport. Team sports include: men/women basketball, men/women soccer, women s volleyball, open flag football, and co-rec sand volleyball The one individual sport offered is tennis that will be played with a challenge ladder format. 11

Sand Volleyball is the one dual sport league as it is designated co-rec with a certain amount of males/females per team. Open flag football is open to both male and female but is not set up as a co-rec league with co-rec rules. D. Inclement Weather Policy Most of the Intramural sports programs are played indoors but 2 of the sports are played outdoors with the possibility of having to endure the weather conditions. For the latest updates if the weather is questionable that day of games scheduled, you will call the rainout hotline at 512-262-6543 for the latest info. The decision to cancel games for that night will be made at 4pm of game day. Games will be held if at all possible but rain, lightning, or other threatening weather will cause cancellation of games as safety of our students is foremost. The Intramurals Coordinator will make the decision to whether the cancelled game will be made up or not. It is possible, the game schedule the following week might include double-header games to make-up the cancelled game. 12

Section 6 Sportsmanship/Discipline/Accountability/Alcohol-Drugs ACC has implemented a sportsmanship policy that has been developed to protect the safety and equity of all participants and those affiliated with the Intramural Sports & Recreation Program while supervising or officiating our events. A. Sportsmanship Three very important aspects of the Intramurals Program at ACC are: The foundation of all intramural activities, competitive or recreational, is Participation, Fun, and Enjoyment. Intramurals officials/referees are the backbone of the program. They have a difficult task in calling games and assume an important role. Without the officials, the purpose and organizational aspect of the program would be lost. Unsportsmanlike conduct, abusive language directed toward officials or players, fighting, and any other behavior deemed inappropriate will not be tolerated. Such behavior will be handled immediately by the Intramurals Coordinator. B. Code of Conduct Pledge The code of conduct pledge is a form that is read and signed by the participant at the time of registration. This pledge explains the mission of Intramural Sports and the consequences of inappropriate behavior. Points in the Code of Conduct that are very important are: Physical or verbal abuse of the officials or players will not be tolerated. Individuals who do so will be ejected from the game, and will not be able to play again until meeting with the Intramurals Coordinator. It may also lead to campus disciplinary action. Ejections carry, at minimum, a one game suspension and possibly more depending on the severity of the incident. Profanity or aggressive gestures towards other players/officials/coordinators/court monitors/site staff will not be tolerated and could result in an ejection from the game and possibly from the entire season. Verbal abuse of any kind towards anyone in the facility could result in an ejection or possible removal from Intramural Sports. Fighting will result in immediate ejection, no exceptions! A participant will be ejected if they mistreat the facilities or equipment. C. Ejected Player Consequences If you violate any of the previously stated items you are subject to penalty. Minor penalties will cover leaving the facility for the night. Major penalties will result in suspension from the league and possibly suspended from the complete Intramural season. These penalties and consequences will be at the discretion of the Intramurals 13

Coordinator in relation to reports gathered from the Intramural officials, scorekeepers, and/or the court monitor. It may also lead to campus disciplinary action. Ejections carry, at minimum, a one game suspension and possibly more depending on the severity of the incident. The ACC Intramurals Staff reserves the right to indefinitely suspend any participant or team from intramural competition for behavior detrimental to the mission and purpose of the Intramural Sports & Recreation Program at Austin Community College. D. No Alcohol/Drug Policy The presence of alcohol or other drugs consumed on campus or off campus at an ACC Intramurals event or before coming to the premises will not be tolerated. If alcohol or other drugs are suspected, the Intramurals Coordinator has the right to eject a player or ask a fan to leave the premises. 14

Section 7 Rules of Sport Soccer/Flag Football will be governed by SoccerZone South and SoccerZone Lakeline and must be adhered to while playing for the safety of all participants. The soccer program does play on a smaller field playing with 3-4 players in an indoor league. Flag football does use a 7 on 7 format playing on a full-size football field indoors. For rules of our basic sports, go to the link below which is located at the NIRSA page. NIRSA: http://www.sotx.org/get-involved/coaches/resources-and-rules/nirsa-rules.pdf The Men s basketball league does play with a regular 5 on 5 format on a regulation size indoor court. Now, one difference in the men s league is that the players make their own calls during league play. At the end of the season, game officials are brought in to call the games in the end of season single elimination tournament. The Women s basketball league does play on a smaller court playing with a 4 on 4 format. The women do have one official who makes calls for them during the season. The women have a playoff at the end of the season, not a tournament. The Women s volleyball league follows basic USA Volleyball rules using a 6 on 6 format. There is one official who makes the calls for this league and they have a playoff at the end of the season. The Co-Rec sand volleyball league will also follow USA volleyball rules using at 6 on 6 format. They will be making their own calls during the league. There will be a court manager there to make sure all runs smooth and provide score sheets. The men s basketball tournament will follow interscholastic high school/college rules with exceptions listed in the house rules provided on the next page. 15

Section 8 Protests In order to keep a fair playing field, a captain may protest an ineligible player during the playoffs or a misapplication of a rule or the way the rule is interpreted, but may not protest judgment calls made by officials. A. Misapplication/Misinterpretration of Rules A team may not protest judgment calls made by the Intramural sports official. On the other hand, though, a team captain can protest an official s misapplication of a rule. To protest an alleged misapplication of a rule, only the team captain must call a time out and notify the official immediately before play resumes of the intent of the protest. The officials will try to make every effort to resolve the protest immediately but if not resolved, the game can continue played under protest. Once finished, within the next 24 hours the Intramurals Coordinator will look at every situation and make a decision on the protest. If the Intramurals Coordinator decides to uphold the protest, the game will be replayed at a later time. A decision will be made by the Intramurals Coordinator within 48 hours and both team captains will be contacted about the results of the protest. Again, judgment calls that officials make are not calls that can be protested. B. Player Eligibility Protest In the ACC Intramurals Sports Program, league play does allow different players to play on different teams where needed especially if a team is running short of players. This applies to all sports. Once the playoffs or end of season tournament begins all teams must use roster listed players only. Players cannot play for more than one team. A player s eligibility can be protested by the team captain or even the court manager or the Intramurals Coordinator. Eligibility protests can be made prior to or during the game, but not after the game. If the player s eligibility comes into play before the game, the Intramurals Coordinator will alert the team captain of the player in question. If a player s eligibility comes into question during the game, the Intramurals Coordinator will notify the captain of the player in question. Captains will be notified through email the results of Eligibility Protests within 48 hours. 16

Section 9 Special Sporting Events During the Fall semester of each year, Intramurals holds 2 special sports events for the students of ACC. In the month of October, a special kickball game is held between the students of ACC against the staff of ACC. It is a fun affair with all having an enjoyable evening of kickball. During the month of December, the ACC all-star basketball players face off against the traveling all-star team from Australia in an international exhibition game. KICKBALL the game is held at Krieg softball complex in South Austin using slow-pitch softball rules. The game is usually held from 7:00pm-9:00pm. Both teams field a team of 10 players with both men and women playing as a co-rec team alternating in the batting line-up. The ACC students do register through the online Intramurals registration as they would for any Intramural event. A team captain is appointed by the Intramurals Coordinator for both teams. ACC VS. AUSTRALIA basketball game is held in the month of December at one of the City of Austin recreation centers. The country of Australia fields both men s and women s top-notch basketball teams that tour the United States during December. ACC is represented by all-star players that are chosen by the Intramurals Coordinator after observing the complete Fall Intramural season and the players who worked hard and had top-notch skills. Players were selected off of each team that participated in the Fall Intramurals season. This selection process was used both for the men and the women. The game has always been a wonderful international experience for the students as the students get to spend some time together and get to take a team picture together. The game follows the same interscholastic rules that are used during the Intramurals tournament with the game being called by the same officials that are used in the tournament. 17

Section 10 Evaluation of Programs A. Paper Evaluations At the end of the Intramural season in each sport, paper evaluations are handed out to the students to receive their feedback on the specific sport. Evaluations are then tabulated and entered online at the Survey Monkey website under the Intramural folders. The Survey Monkey website is located at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/ Different areas of the evaluation covers how the students feel about the different aspects of the Intramurals program such as: Was the Intramural staff helpful? Did this event help you meet new students? Would you like to see this specific event offered again? Would you recommend this event to other students? Was the registration process user friendly? Are you interested in attending more future Intramural events? Comment box is open at the bottom of the evaluation for the student to make write down their opinions of the program. B. Event Summary Once the evaluations are received from all the different sporting events and logged into Survey Monkey, then the event summary process takes place to allow yourself as the Coordinator of the program to look at what was successful and what possibly needs improving. Many different areas are looked at critically with the event summary such as: Did all events start on time as proposed to begin the season? Was the Coordinator happy with the venue and the staff? How was the event marketed? Was it successful? If marketing was not successful, how could it be improved? Did the cost of the event stay the same as proposed or did the cost change? Total attendance in comparison to what total number was proposed And, finally, did the event end on time as proposed when it began? The safety and cleanliness of the venue is important, how did the venue rank? 18

Section 11 Student Leadership Opportunities: Referees & Court Managers A. Any referees/officials that are hired during the Intramural season are hired as contract labor staff. All of the referees/officials work for approximately 5 weeks and issued a paycheck at the end of this time that covers all the hours worked during the 5 week period. They are paid by the hour at a certain pay rate that is recorded on the Prior Approval form. Two types of officials are used during the Intramural season: Non-student referees/officials these are hired officials that have extensive experience in the field of officiating usually with a certification or an organization link performing these duties year-round. These officials are used for the end of season men s basketball tournament and also the ACC vs. Australia basketball games. Student referees/officials these referees/officials must go through a training process under the direction of the Intramurals Coordinator and with the help of the Head Official. Procedures, rules, and game management are all covered in the training. Most of the time these students do have prior knowledge of the sport they are officiating either having played it or officiated it with youth sports programs. Student referees can be used within the Women s Volleyball or the Women s Basketball programs. All sports programs that are held at both SoccerZone South and Lakeline are covered by SoccerZone game officials in regards to soccer and flag football. B. Court Managers Court Managers are a very important part of the Intramurals Program as they control the flow of the event on each night of play. The Intramurals Coordinator cannot always be on site every hour each night, therefore the Court Manager performs a very important duty. Duties of the Court Manager are as follows: Set up sign-in table with sign-in sheets displayed for both players and public. Check with venue staff to make sure everything is ready to go such as scoreboard, seating, trash dispensers, bathrooms opened, and check area for safety issues. Contacts Intramurals Coordinator with any problems or concerns immediately. Works well with the students and tries to help out with any registration or eligibility problems on the spot. The Court Manager should be able to jump in and run the scoreboard if the scorekeeper is not there. Most important, though, is to keep all games moving along as the Intramurals event is always on a time frame and needs to finish on time at the end of the night. 19