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Student - Athletic Discipline Policy

HARDEN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Student-Athlete Discipline Policy
Dear Student-Athletes and Parents / Guardians,

Congratulations on earning a place on a Harden Middle School athletic team! Being selected to represent our school is a significant achievement and reflects your hard work, dedication, and commitment.

Athletics play an important role in a student's education. Through sports, students develop valuable life skills such as teamwork, discipline, perseverance, leadership, responsibility, and time management. Participation in athletics also teaches students that success comes from commitment, accountability, and respect for rules and expectations.

At Harden Middle School, we firmly believe that student-athletes are students first. Participation in athletics is a privilege, not a right, and that privilege comes with high expectations for behavior both on and off the field or court.

Student-Athlete Expectations
Be Respectful

  • Treat teammates, coaches, officials, opponents, teachers, staff, and spectators with respect at all times.
  • Use appropriate language. Profanity, hate speech, or disrespectful comments will not be tolerated.
  • Follow the directions of coaches, teachers, administrators, campus supervisors, and other school personnel.

Be Responsible

  • Wear the school-approved uniform and appropriate athletic attire.
  • Arrive on time to school, class, practices, meetings, and games.
  • Represent Harden Middle School with pride both on and off campus.

Be Ready to Learn

  • Attend class daily.
  • Participate appropriately in class.
  • Stay focused during instruction.
  • Serve as a positive role model for classmates and teammates.
  • Demonstrate responsibility in both the classroom and athletic settings.

Failure to meet these expectations may result in disciplinary action, including loss of playing time or removal from athletic participation.

Athletic Contract
District policy requires all student athletes and one of their parents / Guardians attend the Athletic contract meeting one time while in Middle school.

Academic Eligibility
District policy requires all student-athletes to maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA.
A student-athlete may have:

  • One failing grade (F), and
  • One Unsatisfactory Citizenship (UN).

Students who do not meet these requirements will be placed on an Athletic Probation Contract.

To remain eligible while on probation, the student-athlete must:

  • Submit a completed weekly grade check to the Athletic Director (typically every Monday).
  • Obtain teacher signatures verifying current grades.
  • Obtain a parent/guardian signature before returning the form.
  • Attend at least one Homework Center session each week.
  • Demonstrate academic improvement throughout the probation period.
  • Correct any citizenship concerns resulting in a UN.

Failure to complete any of these requirements—including attending Homework Center or submitting the required grade check—will result in the student-athlete being ineligible to participate in the next scheduled contest until all requirements have been met.

Student-athletes may only be placed on an Athletic Probation Contract once during their middle school career in the Salinas Union High School District.

Students have five weeks to improve their GPA to at least a 2.0 and/or clear any UN marks. If they fail to meet district eligibility requirements after the probation period, they will become ineligible to participate in after-school athletics.

Attendance

Daily attendance is required for participation in athletics.

If a student-athlete is absent from school or misses any class period without a doctor's note or prior approval from the Athletic Director or Administration, the student-athlete may not participate in competition that day.

Please note:

  • Missing 30 minutes or more of any class period is considered an absence.
  • If an ineligible athlete participates in a contest, the school may be required to forfeit the contest under league rules.

Tardiness and Uniform Violations
Student-athletes are expected to arrive on time and comply with the school uniform policy.

Tardies and uniform violations will be tracked together.

  • The first four combined violations will result in warnings.
  • Upon the fifth combined violation, the student-athlete will be benched for one practice or one game, depending on when the violation occurs.

"Benched" means the student-athlete is still required to attend practice or the game but may not participate.

Each additional tardy or uniform violation after the fifth violation will result in one additional practice or game being served on the bench.

Illegal Drug Use
Student-athletes are expected to remain drug-free.

If the school determines that a student-athlete has used illegal drugs, the student-athlete will be removed from athletic participation until both the student and parent/guardian meet with the Athletic Director.
During that meeting, they will:

  • Review the district's required drug education materials
  • Watch the district-mandated drug awareness video 
  • Sign another behavioral contract agreeing to remain drug-free

A second confirmed incident involving illegal drug use will result in the student-athlete being permanently removed from the team.

School Suspensions
Student-athletes who receive a school suspension for fighting or any other disciplinary offense will also receive an athletic consequence.

Upon returning to school, the student-athlete will be benched for the same number of school days as the suspension.

The student-athlete is still expected to attend all practices and games during this period but will not be permitted to participate.

Final Thoughts
We are proud of every student who represents Harden Middle School through athletics. Student-athletes are ambassadors for our school and serve as role models for their peers.

By meeting these expectations, student-athletes strengthen their teams, contribute positively to our school culture, and prepare themselves for success beyond middle school.

Thank you for partnering with us in supporting the academic, behavioral, and athletic success of our students.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the Athletic Director.

Building Champions On and Off the Field. Go Huskies!!!