Academic Bowl Guidelines
by Tracee Orman
September 03, 2006
2006-2007 EHS Academic Bowl Guidelines
Academic Bowl is open to all EHS students. We belong to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and follow their rules and regulations for ALL formal meets. The season begins in October and regionals are in early March. Students at EHS who are involved in Academic Bowl are part of the school drug-testing program.
All participants must follow the rules/guidelines listed below during the season. If not, students may be suspended from play or even removed from the team in certain cases.
GUIDELINES FOR ACADEMIC BOWL
Attendance
1. Practices will be both before (7:30-7:55 a.m.) and after school (3:15-4 p.m.) to accommodate various other extra-curriculars. Students may choose one or the other if both are offered. If a student is unable to attend practice, he/she must see the coach BEFORE the day of practice to discuss alternatives. Alternatives may include homework such as studying/reading practice questions at home.
a. Students who miss practice for the following approved reasons and see the coach ahead of time will not be penalized: another sport/extracurricular, work, volunteer work (church), doctor appointments, illness, family emergency, or pre-planned absence accepted by the coach.
b. Students who miss practice and do not talk to coach ahead of time will be penalized by:
1st unexcused absence: warning
2nd unexcused absence: suspended for one half of next match
3rd unexcused absence: suspended for one full match
4th unexcused absence: suspended for the rest of the season
2. Matches will be both TRAC-8 Conference matches and various non-conference tournaments. The coach will announce the departure time for all matches in the daily announcements. You must see the coach no less than a WEEK BEFORE the match if you are unable to attend. The coach will assume that you are attending the match if you do not see her beforehand. The penalties will be the same as those for an unexcused absence from practice.
Dress Code
1. The following IHSA dress code will be enforced during ALL matches:
a. All students must wear their red EHS academic bowl polo. A white or gray t-shirt may be worn underneath.
b. Unacceptable apparel includes: tank tops, cut-offs, short shorts, clothing that advertises drugs, alcohol, tobacco, explicit material, jeans with holes or patches, hats or non-religious head gear, boxer-type shorts, spandex tights, or pants worn below the hips.
2. The regular EHS school dress code will be enforced during practice.
Student Conduct & Academic Requirements
1. Students are required to follow EHS behavior guidelines as written in the school handbook. Students will behave in a respectful manner toward their teammates, the coach, opponents & coaches, moderators, and scorekeepers at ALL times. Any inappropriate or disrespectful behavior shall result in the following consequences:
1st offense: warning or removal from match (depending on severity of behavior)
2nd offense: removal from match
3rd offense: suspended for one to two matches
4th offense: suspended for the season
2. Behavior, especially COMMUNICATION, during a match is very important. The following forms of communication are NOT allowed by players, coaches, spectators to the players (more in-depth rules are listed in the IHSA handbook, section 4-A):
a. talking, whispering, mouthing.
b. pointing, gesturing, signaling (including air signaling).
c. passing of papers.
d. deliberate physical contact to get a player’s attention.
e. looking over another player’s written materials for answers.
3. The BLURT rule went into effect last year, which means you MUST WAIT until the moderator calls on YOU before you answer the question. Five points will be deducted from the team’s score if you do not!
4. Because a student’s work in the classroom is most important (and the best practice for academic bowl), students should keep their grades up above a C average while competing in academic bowl. If a student is on the D/F list for one week, the coach will meet with the player to discuss what needs to be done to improve his/her grade. The team will follow the school handbook for academic requirements; however, the coach may be able to sit a player if they are not able to get their grade(s) higher than a D/F.
Expectations
1. The player is expected to be on time for all practices and meets; give 100% during practice and meets or communicate with the coach if they need to be replaced in a match; be responsible for the uniform (red polo) or pay for its replacement ($20) if damaged or lost; bring a pencil or pen to all practices and meets.
2. The player should talk to the coach if they have any concerns or reservations or questions regarding the season. However, the coach will not discuss playing time, team strategy, or other student players with the player or parent. If there is a problem that cannot be resolved between the coach and player, the parent may request a meeting with the coach and athletic director and/or principal.
Playing Time
Playing time is determined by the coach. Participants will be assessed at practices to determine the starting players. Only five participants can start in a match and typically, players are not subbed until the half time break, if at all. Oftentimes in Varsity matches (especially conference matches), the same five starters play the entire match. It is important for participants to attend weekend tournaments and non-conference matches if they wish for more playing time.
Varsity Letter Requirements
A player will earn a varsity letter by competing in the majority of varsity meets throughout the season. Students will be granted JV status for all freshmen, sophomore or fresh/soph competitions. A player must compete in at least one match throughout the year to earn the JV status.
