The Board recognizes the value of a program of interscholastic athletic activities as an integral part of the total school experience to all students of the District and to the community.  The program of interscholastic athletic activities shall include all activities relating to competitive sport contests, games, or events, or exhibitions involving individual students or teams of students of this District when such events occur between separate schools within this District or with any schools outside this District.  

As permitted in RCW 28A.600.200, the Board recognizes that the District and its schools are members of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (“WIAA”) and delegates control, supervision, and regulation of the WIAA rules and regulations to the WIAA.  The Board shall require that all schools who participate in WIAA-approved activities follow the rules and regulations established by the WIAA.  The Board retains the right to establish eligibility standards that meet or exceed the rules and regulations of the WIAA.   

The Board recognizes that all comprehensive District high schools are members of the Metro Athletic League (“Metro League”) and that any newly opening or re-opening comprehensive high school will be a participating member of the Metro League.  The Board shall require that all schools who participate in Metro League-sanctioned activities will follow the rules and regulations established by the Metro League.      

The Board expects that: 

1. All students (grade 9-12) participating in interscholastic activities maintain a 2.0 grade-point average in all subjects, be enrolled in courses that ensure normal progress towards graduation, and maintain the number of credits necessary for advancement to the next grade level. The Board authorizes the Superintendent to establish procedures to waive the 2.0 grade-point average requirement for participation, but only at the start of a semester/trimester. To be eligible for a waiver, the student must satisfy the minimum scholarship standards in the WIAA Handbook and the waiver must be approved in writing by both the building Principal and the Executive Director for Athletics.
2. All interscholastic activities and events shall be in compliance with the rules and regulations of the WIAA and any applicable league rules and regulations. The schools of the District shall not participate in any out-of-season athletics that are not sanctioned by the WIAA. The District shall not be responsible or liable for nonschool-sponsored programs or for programs that are organized, promoted, or participated in by staff members without school approval. The District shall not be responsible for or control and incur liability for summer and/or out-of-season activities unless specifically sponsored by the District. The Superintendent or his or her designee shall establish rules defining the circumstances under which school facilities may be used and under which announcements of summer sports leagues and/or clinics may be channeled to students.
3. An athletic coach must be properly trained and qualified for an assignment as described in the coach’s job description.
4. A job description that outlines the skills, techniques, and safety measures associated with a coaching assignment will be distributed to each coach. A coach must secure permission in advance if he/she wishes to deviate from the job description.
5. Coaching stipends and all gifts to a coach that exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) in a season shall be approved by the Board.
6. In-service training opportunities will be afforded each coach so that he/she is trained to attend to the health care needs of participants. Prior to a sports season, the coach will prepare a plan for handling medical emergencies at practice sessions and games (home and away).
7. Participants will be issued equipment that has been properly maintained and fitted.
8. All facilities and equipment utilized in the interscholastic activity program, whether or not the property of the District, shall be inspected on a regular basis.
9. Nonprescribed medications, including such items as analgesic balms, vitamins, and salt tablets, must be approved by the Athletic Director before they may be available for use by coaches and/or athletic trainers. After athletic training medications have been approved, the coach and/or trainer must secure authorization from the parent or guardian and the student’s doctor before the medications may be used during the athletic season. If such release is not on file, the nonprescribed medications may not be used. This provision does not preclude the coach and/or trainer from using approved first aid items.
10. A sign will be posted that warns students that eligibility to participate may be denied if anabolic steroids are used for the purpose of enhancing athletic ability.
11. The Board recognizes that certain risks are associated with participation in interscholastic sports. While the District will strive to prevent injuries and accidents to students, each participant and his/her parent(s) or guardian(s) will be required to sign a statement that indicates the parent(s) and the student acknowledge the risk of injuries resulting from such participation and give assurance that the student will follow the instructions of the coach.
12. Each participant shall be required to furnish evidence of physical fitness prior to becoming a member of an interscholastic team. A written report shall be completed when a student is injured while participating in a school-supervised activity. A participant shall be free of injury and shall have fully recovered from illness before participating in any activity.
13. Each student participating in interscholastic athletic activities is required to have or obtain medical insurance for expenses incurred as a result of injuries sustained while participating in the extracurricular activity. Students shall provide evidence of coverage or shall obtain such coverage through the insurance plan offered to all students participating in activities in the District. No student will be denied the ability to participate solely because the student’s family, by reason of low income, is unable to pay the entire amount of the premium for such insurance. The Superintendent or his or her designee may approve partial or full waiver of premiums to permit all students to obtain the required medical insurance.

The Superintendent or his or her designee is authorized to prepare rules for the conduct of student activities including, but not limited to, use of alcoholic beverages; use of tobacco; use or possession of illegal and/or controlled substances, including marijuana (cannabis), or opiates not prescribed by a physician; physical appearance; curfew; unsportsmanlike conduct; absence from practice; gambling; or any infraction of civil law.  Rules and disciplinary actions related to rule violations shall be distributed to each participant and his/her parents prior to the beginning of an interscholastic activity season.