Code of Conduct

Goals and Philosophies

The purpose of East Ridge’s swimming & diving team is to promote physical fitness, develop leadership qualities and sportsmanship, encourage team involvement, foster self-discipline and self-confidence, and to provide a competitive experience and environment where an athlete’s potential may be reached. The biggest interest is to use swimming or diving for teaching life skills, such as:

Goal Setting – Helping the athletes to set and accomplish goals.

Prioritizing - Helping the athletes to place the important things in their lives first.

Self-Motivation - Most things in life come from within, not the outside.

Work Ethic - Hard work always pays off.

Limits and Boundaries - Each athlete should strive to be the best they can be and not worry how others. Athletes are encouraged to be in control of the things they can control and not about what they cannot.

Team Work - A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Responsibility – Everyday, decisions are made that will affect life.

The team’s philosophy emphasizes self-improvement. Few athletes become professionals or Olympians. An athlete’s focus should be on doing all they can to achieve their goal. The most dedicated often see the best results.

Attendance

Practice and meet attendance is expected. Each athlete has the option to use 2 personal days. These personal days may be used any reason; studying for a test, catching up on school work, mental break, etc. An excused absence will be granted with notification from a parent or teacher. Any other absence will be considered unexcused.

Three unexcused absences will lead to a forfeiture of earning a letter and sitting out the following meet. Any further unexcused absence will also lead to ineligibility of the next meet.

If practice the day before a meet is missed, the athlete will automatically be forced to sit out the meet. This includes excused absences and Personal Days.

Athlete will lose eligibility for the week’s meet if two practices are missed.

*Excused absences include illness, family vacation, religious conflict, college visits—only with proper notification.

Behavior

All athletes are expected to abide by the code of conduct set forth by ERHS and MSHSL. Any occurrences of mistreatment, disrespect, prejudice, racism, language, etc. will have consequences that will be dealt by the head coach as deemed appropriate. Consequences may include but are not limited to suspension, forfeiture of letter or dismissal from team.

Drug and Alcohol

                  Athletes must abide to East Ridge policies and laws set forth by the State of Minnesota.

1^st offense: 2 week suspension from any team activity and forfeiture of letter.

2^nd offense: Dismissal from team

NO EXCEPTIONS