ATHLETIC POLICIES

Eligibility
In order for any student to be a member of an athletic team, he/she must meet the following requirements:

• A student may not participate if he/she turns fifteen (15) years of age on or before August 31st of the current school year.
• A student must be in attendance 85% of the previous semester (no more than 14 days absent).
• A student who fails two or more classes in the fall semester is ineligible for spring semester. A student who is promoted at the end of the school year to the next grade automatically meets the academic requirement for the fall semester of the school year.
• Athletes, including cheerleaders, are required to maintain academic eligibility as defined above each semester and meet the attendance requirement as stated above each semester. All sports have the same eligibility requirements.

Participation
BCS middle schools are members of the French Broad Middle School Athletic Conference. This conference includes the following middle schools: Reynolds, Asheville, Cane Creek, Enka, Erwin, Madison, North Buncombe, Owen, and Valley Springs. The opportunity to be a member of all sports teams is open to all students in grades seven and eight. By North Carolina Athletic Policy, sixth graders are not eligible to participate in interscholastic sports. Sixth grade students who would like to be involved in athletics should speak to a coach concerning the possibility of becoming a manager of a team.

Tryouts
Coaches will conduct tryouts in each sport at the beginning of each season. (Students who tryout and do not make an athletic team are encouraged to participate in outside sports activities to continue to develop athletic skills.) Continued hard work and participation may make students even better players than some of those who were selected for athletic teams.

Physical Examination - Student Athletic Packets - Insurance
Each athlete and cheerleader must have a physical examination by a doctor before he/she will be allowed to participate in tryouts. The physical examination is only valid for one year from the date of the physical.

Transportation Fee
A $40.00 fee is charged to all student athletes one time during the school year to help cover the cost of transportation to athletic events. This fee is paid only once, so students who participate in two or more sports pay the transportation fee at the time they first participate in a school sport.

Student Athlete Expectations
All student-athletes represent Buncombe County and their respective schools. Therefore, each student athlete's actions both in and out of school must reflect positively on the district and school community or the participant will not represent the school in any athletic activities.