Student Athletic Handbook

Dear Student Athletes, Parents/Guardians, and Community Members,

Dorchester School District Two’s (DD2) interscholastic athletics serve one of the largest populations of student athletes in grades 7–12 in the state of South Carolina. Our schools serve over 12,000 students. The athletic office oversees 26 athletic offerings across three seasons. It is the department’s mission to provide high-quality educational-based athletic programs and learning experiences to engage and enhance the holistic growth of students. Our goal and vision through DD2 educational-based athletic programs is for our students to develop skills which will help them in college, career, and life.

We have seen first-hand that athletic programs teach our students teamwork, goal setting, self-discipline, sportsmanship, leadership, and many more valuable life skills. The acquisition and application of these lessons are put into practice daily as our young people become leaders and effect positive change in their school, communities, and society. Our department plans to continue building by developing additional athletic programs and leadership opportunities to serve our student athletes.

To ensure quality programming is put into action, we have developed a resource for our student athletes and families. The information provided in this handbook is compiled from many different sources. It is intended to serve as a resource to help you with common athletic-related questions and procedures such as eligibility, competitions, rules, etc. For more detailed information, I recommend visiting the following websites:

• https://ddtwo.org/district/departments/athletics
• www.schsl.org

All student athletes who participate in Dorchester School District Two interscholastic athletic programs are subject to the handbook’s rules, regulations, and guidelines. Please review it thoroughly. Your signatures in the registration packet verify you read, understand, and agree to the handbook.

In addition to the provided websites, I encourage you to connect with your school’s athletic director as a resource for any questions or concerns. If our department can be of any assistance, please reach out to our staff. I look forward to your student participating in interscholastic athletics this school year.

Thank you,

Tyronne Drakeford
District Director of Athletics
tdrakeford@dorchester2.k12.sc.us

Dorchester School District Two

Board of Directors

• Dr. Ashley Wimberly (Chair)
• Ms. Kellie Bates (Vice Chair)
• Ms. Cynthia Powell (Secretary)
• Mr. Evan Guthrie
• Mr. Justin Farnsworth
• Ms. Anny King
• Mr. Jim Lee

Superintendent

Mr. Chad Daugherty

Affiliations-League, District, State

Dorchester School District Two high schools are members of the SCHSL, Class 5A Region 7. All high school sports are subject to the regulations and policies of these organizations. Coaches should be familiar with the regulations pertaining to their sport. Our district middle schools are SCHSL affiliated and play within the district’s middle school athletic league.

District Athletic Department

The District Athletic Department, under the direction of the District Director of Athletics, is responsible for coordination and oversight of the district’s athletic programs and provides support and guidance to schools as needed.

District School Board and Superintendent

The School Board and the Superintendent determine and implement school district policies. They delegate authority to the District Athletic Department Office for the operation of the district’s athletic programs.

Mission Statement

It is the mission of Dorchester School District Two athletics to foster the development of interscholastic student-athletes, both on and off the playing fields in a manner that is consistent with the high school’s mission.

Core Values

• Discipline
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Accountability

Vision

Students that participate in our education based athletic programs will develop skills that will help them in college, career, and life.

Students and parents/guardians should read the handbook prior to signing the consent form in the Registration Packet. This section contains notable updates to rules and regulations.

To ensure our community is aware of changes or updates to rules as they relate to participation in interscholastic athletics, we ask that you review this section in depth. It is important that our community is made aware of recent changes and clarifications to rules that apply to our student-athletes. Key updates and clarifications are as follows:

• Falsification of an address or residence to attend a school the student is not zoned for will be cause for withdrawal from the student’s school assignment and returned to their proper school. Students must reside within the Dorchester School District Two boundaries and attend school within their zoned areas. Questions about school assignments should be sent to the District Office.

• Coaches must not recruit or otherwise manipulate eligibility standards for the enrollment of student-athletes.

If you are not clear on the updates or clarifications above, contact your school's Athletic Director or the District's Athletic Department.

Athletic Registration and Physical Form

Athletic Safety Program

The health and welfare of student-athletes is our top priority within the Athletic Department. Dorchester School District Two has taken several measures to improve athletic safety and to minimize potential risk to student/athletes while participating in interscholastic activities. The Dorchester School District Two Board has adopted an athletic safety program which includes:

• Sport safety guidelines for each sport
• Implementation of a formal selection process for coaches
• Adoption and funding for a certified athletic trainer program at the high school level

Coaches are critical in our work to serve student-athletes; for example, coaches are expected to work as part of an entire healthcare team to provide proper care for all student-athletes.

All coaches are required to have:

• Hands-on First Aid/CPR Certification (Hosted by American Heart Association or Red Cross)
• Fingerprinting/Background check (Dorchester School District Two)
• Adult Sexual Misconduct Training (SCHSL)
• Concussion Protocol Certification (SCHSL)
• Sudden Cardiac Arrest Certification (SCHSL)
• Sport Specific Rules Clinic and all other coaching standards (Hosted SCHSL)
• Any additional certifications required by the District or State including but are not limited to:
  • Preseason screening of student-athletes
  • Proper conditioning
  • Prevention of injuries
  • Recognition, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Injury reporting

Dorchester School District Two, in line with the SCHSL, supports sportsmanship and positive behavior at its athletic events. Participants are required and responsible for conforming to the rules and regulations of their school, the League, and the SCHSL, and to conduct themselves in a safe and sportsman-like manner. Violators are subject to probation, suspension, or expulsion by the Athletic Director and or School Administration.

Controlled Substances and Violations Overview

• Possessing or Using Illegal Drugs and Controlled Substances - Possessing, using, or being under the influence of illegal drugs, controlled substances, or any food item with illegal drugs in it, and/or possessing drug paraphernalia, including, but not limited to, electronic vaping devices containing a controlled substance, pipes, and hand-made devices.

• Possessing or Using Alcoholic Beverages - Possessing, using, or being under the influence of alcohol, including any beverage with alcohol content.

• Possessing or Using Marijuana - Possessing, using or being under the influence of marijuana, whether prescription, home-grown or street purchased.

Violations and Athletic Eligibility

Each SCHSL member school shall adopt reasonable rules and regulations, in line with their school district policies, pertaining to the use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products. The school principal supervises all discipline measures at their building; they can contact the District Athletic Office for additional support or recommendations.

Transportation isn't always provided by the school district for some athletic events. In some cases, the budget provided to schools for athletic transportation isn't enough to cover all activities. In other cases, depending on the location and nature of other athletic events, District-provided transportation isn't practical.

Here are a few examples:

• When teams have a small number of athletes, providing a bus isn't warranted.
• When some events are constantly rescheduled or made up due to weather conditions, there isn't enough time to cancel and reorder buses.

As a result, in circumstances where the district won't provide transportation to such practices or competitions, a student-athlete's parent assumes full responsibility for personally transporting their student, or for arranging transportation of their student-athlete, to and from such practices or competitions.

The following rules will be enforced whenever it's necessary to travel to other schools for athletic contests or to alternate off-campus activity/game sites:

• All athletes must travel to and from athletic contests with transportation provided by the school district, except that an athlete may travel with their own parent if the parent arranges with the coach to transport the athlete in their own vehicles.
• Athletes will remain with their team and under the supervision of their coach when attending any contests.

Misconduct during participation in interscholastic athletic activities will be subject to school disciplinary actions. Student-athletes are direct representatives of their school, community, and family, and should conduct themselves accordingly.

Student Eligibility Requirements