Athletes are ambassadors of Portola High School, and therefore the behavior of all athletes, in and out of competition, is of paramount importance. As a  Privilege and not a right, interscholastic athletics is a voluntary program and students are not obligated to participate. Participation is not required for  graduation. It is the responsibility of the athlete to conform to the behavioral expectations set forth by the school’s athletic department.

Expectations

All Portola athletes represent not only their specific sport, but also their entire high school. It is imperative that athletes are a positive reflection of Portola High School and behave accordingly. The following is a list of expectations for all athletes:

• The possession or use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes/vapes or performance enhancing drugs, in or out of season during school time or at a school event, or based on verifiable information outside of school, is prohibited.
• Athletes will refrain from profanity, cheating, or illegal tactics during competition and in the classroom.
• Athletes will show respect for teammates, opponents, officials and coaches at all times. Ejections from games will be reported to the AD within 24 hours of the incident and will result in an athletic council meeting.
• Athletes that are suspended from school for any reason may also face athletic disciplinary action.
• Athletes will obey all required locker room procedures and conduct themselves appropriately while in the locker room. No photography/video, horseplay, or vandalism will be tolerated. Athletes are expected to change and exit the locker room as quickly as possible.
• All athletes are expected to be modest in victory and gracious in defeat. Our athletes will win with character, lose with dignity, and strive for self-discipline at all times.
• No athlete may be members of any secret clubs (i.e. fraternity or sorority).
• Athletes should dress neatly and be well groomed at all times.
  • No jewelry will be worn during athletic contests. This conforms to the CIF Officials Code for Safety.
  • An athlete should dress neatly and wear shoes when traveling to an event.
• All athletes will behave in a manner commensurate with being a representative of the Portola High School community.

The Portola High School Athletic Department will not tolerate any student behavior that reflects poorly on the athletic program. Upon violation of the Athletic Code, an athletic council, consisting of an athletic administrator and at least one on-campus coach, will examine all infractions, including any of the following consequences, but not limited to:

• Immediate removal of the athlete from participation in all athletic contests.
  • For single-sport athletes, they will be suspended no less than 20% of their games.
  • For multi-sport athletes, the 20% suspension may be divided up between all of their sports.
  • If the student is out of his/her athletic season, their suspension will begin in their next eligible season.
•  Immediate removal from athletic participation for the remainder of the season, up to one calendar year with an appeal process available to the
  student at the end of the season.
• Zero Tolerance: Hazing of students, fighting, sexual harassment and harassment via social media will not be tolerated. Any violation will result in the immediate removal of the athlete from participation in all athletic practices and contests during the time of suspension. In addition, further consequences may be considered.

Note: Sanctions are to be applied after an athletic council meeting. It is the prerogative of the individual coaches to have additional policies and codes and to
impose additional sanctions on athletes who violate the Athletic Code or individual team codes.

Eligibility

The following requirements have been established by C.I.F. and the Irvine Unified School District for all students competing in interscholastic competition:

• To be academically eligible, a students must meet three criteria:
  • Students must pass a minimum of 20 units of work in the quarter preceding the athletic season.
    • Only 5 units of Physical Education may be counted towards those units.
    • In addition, students must be currently passing 20 units of class work.
  • All athletes must be enrolled in a minimum of 25 units of coursework during the season of the sport.
  • All athletes must have a GPA of 2.0 or better on a 4.0 scale.
    • If athletes do not meet the GPA criteria, but meet the credit criteria, a one-time probationary option is available. Athletes may use probation
      only once in their entire high school career.
    • Each year all potential athletes must complete athletic clearance online via www.athleticclearance.com. This includes having a physical exam and a completed form on file in the Athletic Office to be eligible to participate. Physical exams are good for one calendar year.
    • The student must be residing with the parent or legal guardian within the boundaries of the school attendance area. If not, the student must be eligible under an intra- or inter-district permit.

Note: See the specific guidelines for athletic eligibility, which deal with insurance, physicals, parent consent, emergency cards and residential eligibility. Detailed guidelines are listed at web.iusd.org/phs.

Care of Equipment

Respect all equipment and use it safely and appropriately. Athletes are responsible for any uniforms or equipment they are issued. All athletes will go through a formal check-out and check-in process to ensure the quality and care of equipment is monitored. Any loss or damage to athletic equipment will result in a fine. No athlete will be allowed to play on any athletic team until all uniforms and equipment from a prior sport are returned and/or paid for. The athlete will not be allowed to participate in any award ceremony or receive a letter until all obligations have been met. Grades may also be held until an athlete clears up any uniform or equipment obligations.

Removal, Dismissal, or Quitting a Team

Any student who is removed, dismissed or leaves a team for any reason will be subject to the following regulations:

• An athlete has three weeks from the official start of practice for the season to determine whether they wish to leave a team. If, after the third week, an athlete leaves a team for any reason, the athlete may not join another team. The athlete may join another team only at the conclusion of the season of the team he/she left.
• If an athlete leaves a team after a three-week period and is in the 9th grade, they shall be returned to regular P.E. class.
• Athletes dropped from a team for disciplinary reasons (in or out of season) may not go out for another sport until the season of the sport from which they were dropped has concluded.
• The Portola High School philosophy of working with athletes includes honoring your commitment to a team. An athlete may withdraw from an athletic team without penalty if he/she drops the team prior to the date of the first allowable contest as defined by CIF in the CIF Blue book for each athletic  season, or the 3rd week of the grading period in which the season falls. Athletes will be issued a “WF” for removal, dismissal or quitting a team during weeks 4-7 of the grading period. Removal, dismissal or quitting a team after the 7th week will result in an “F” grade.

Non-Discrimination Policy

The Irvine Unified School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. District programs and activities including membership in student clubs shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying of any student based on the student’s actual or perceived characteristics such as race or ethnicity, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, ethnic group identification, age, religion, actual or potential parental, family, or marital status, or the exclusion of any person because of pregnancy or related condition, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, or genetic information; the perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

I have read the Guidelines for the Student Athlete and agree to honor them. I am aware of and have read The Parent’s Handbook and the Athletes’ Handbook located on the district website (www.iusd.org) under Parent Resources, especially as it pertains to conduct of spectators and athletes. I have discussed the expectations for both athletes and spectators with my family and I take full responsibility for my actions.