The District's Athletic Handbook is for players, parents/guardians, coaches and fans. Every athlete will receive a copy of this handbook every year. If you have questions regarding anything in this handbook, contact Amanda Zgrodek at 845-456-1100 x 5020.

Athletic Handbook for the 2024-2025 School Year

Warning: Participation by a student in athletic activities involves some degree of risk of physical injury. Such physical injury can occur in any type of sports activity, be it a contact or a non-contact sport. By volun­teering to participate in a school sponsored athletic activity, a student and his/her parents acknowledge the potential for an accidental physical injury or death to occur.

PHILOSOPHY

          The athletic program, is an extension of Eldred Central School District’s academic goals and ideals, and is an important and integral part of the total educational experience. As such, all involved accept the responsibilities, rules and regulations that are unique to an interscholastic athletic program. Open to voluntary participation by all students the program places high expectations on athletes with regard to time, behavior, energy, commitment, and loyalty. Interscholastic athletics, unlike recreational sports are not “just play.” Athletes, coaches, parents and fans are the school’s most visible representatives and are expected to display acceptable and appropriate behavior both in and out of the playing arena.

Coaches, Student-athletes and Spectators, should demonstrate:

Competency - knowledge and possession of skill, strategies, fitness, healthy behaviors

Character - responsibility, accountability, dedication, trustworthiness, fair play, self-control

Civility – respect toward others, fairness, caring for self, team and opponents

Citizenship – loyalty, commitment, teamwork, role modeling”

(NYS Framework for Athletics)

An athletic contest is only a game, not a matter of life or death for a player, coach, school, official, fan or community. “We do not always win, but we succeed when we continually STRIVE to WIN. Winning is not everything, but making the effort to win is!” - Vince Lombardi

Participation in interscholastic athletics is a privilege and not a right and those who are unwilling to uphold these high expectations may be subject to consequences.

Please remember that joining an athletic team is a large commitment of not only the athlete’s time and efforts but those of the athlete’s parents and/or guardians as well.