PARTICIPATION ELIGIBILITY

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Participation in Charger sports is open to athletes under age 19 on the previous September 1 who are willing to participate with a good attitude and appropriate behavior. The Association reserves the right to limit the number participants on any given team. Certain conferences or tournaments in which the Chargers participate may impose additional restrictions on participation in their events. Participating athletes and their families are responsible for knowing the information contained in these Guidelines. Registration for a Charger team indicates that these Guidelines have been read, and that the registering athletes and their parents agree to abide by them.

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FAMILY VOLUNTEERS

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Charger sports activities are made possible, and our fees kept low, by the volunteer efforts of homeschool parents and others.  Your participation as a family unit is a vital component of Charger sports objectives.  EVERY family is expected to provide volunteers to support the functioning of the team, which may include maintaining the website, communication, registration assistance, coaching, scheduling, facility coordination, working the gate and concession stand at games, running chains at football games, serving as line judges at volleyball games, and many other things that make this a wonderful opportunity for our student-athletes.

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FEES AND EXPENSES

 

Registration: Registration fees, if any, are due at registration. Athletes may not participate in a sport for which they have not paid their registration fees. No fees may be refunded without the approval of the Athletics Council.

 

Expenses: No expenses are reimbursable without prior written permission.

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Uniforms and Equipment: A uniform/equipment deposit may be required at registration. Deposit checks will be deposited in the Charger bank account. This deposit will be refunded when the uniform/equipment is returned at the end of the season. If the uniform/equipment is lost, damaged, or not returned within 30 days after the last game of the season, the deposit will be kept and applied toward repair or replacement, and the athlete’s family will be responsible for the remainder of the cost of repairing or replacing the uniform or equipment. Each team member is responsible for the proper care of his or her uniform and equipment. Uniforms and equipment purchased by the Chargers are the property of the Chargers, not the athletes.

 

Donations: We gratefully accept donations to cover the many expenses not covered by registration fees. Donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated. Donation checks should be made payable to CenTex Chargers Homeschool Sports Association.

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Attendance at all games and practices is a priority for this family-focused activity. Nonattendance or sporadic attendance at games or practices may result in reduced playing time at the coaches’ discretion. Please call your coach well in advance if you will miss a practice or game.

 

DISCIPLINE

 

By virtue of participation in Charger sports, athletes and their families voluntarily accept the Chargers’ high behavioral standards. All participants are expected and encouraged to exercise personal self-discipline, restraint, and genuine kindness toward others. In dealing with any offense that may arise, it is our intention that the Biblical approach to discipline be applied as found in Matthew 18:15-17: If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector.

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GENERAL BEHAVIOR AT ATHLETIC EVENTS

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For the sake of our young people, it is important that we all rise above the typical adversarial sports atmosphere that tends to stir up and encourage negative sentiments toward opponents or coaches. Let us all put aside negativity and encourage one another in love; may our desire be to build up EVERY person. This applies to the athletes and coaching staff as well as spectators. Ridicule, manipulative intimidation (e.g. making noises during an opponent's free throws), boastful chanting, jeering, booing, and belittling, angry, or hurtful taunts or gestures directed at anyone in attendance by athletes or spectators are not God-honoring and are therefore prohibited. Those exhibiting such behavior will be asked to leave the event and may be restricted from further participation in Charger sports events.

 

SOCIAL INTERACTION

 

For the protection of our families, our Christian fellowship, and our testimony within the community, it is vital that we exercise ourselves with godliness at all times and adhere to moral purity. We are not a forum for dating and carousing activities. Therefore, we ask that in all Charger activities, the behavior between individuals be above reproach by avoiding the appearance of wrongdoing. Flirtation or suggestive communications are unacceptable behavior. The Athletics Council reserves the right to determine what interaction is considered unacceptable. (I Timothy 5:1-2, Ephesians 4:29-32)

 

BEHAVIOR WHICH MAY LEAD TO DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

 

Like everything else in these Participation Guidelines, these guidelines apply to both athletes and coaches at any Chargers practice, game, or other Chargers event.  This listing is not intended to be all inclusive, as the coaches and the Athletics Council reserves the right to determine what conduct is considered inappropriate. While we do not expect to see any of this behavior in any of our participants, the following behavior, as well as other behavior determined to be inappropriate, will be subject to immediate disciplinary action:

   • Theft or dishonesty

   • Profanity, vulgarity, or obscenity

   • The possession of media of any kind (including articles of clothing) presenting indecent or immoral activity or ungodly belief or philosophy

   • Immoral conduct, immodesty, and conduct or clothing implying immorality

   • Disorderly or destructive actions, including verbal or physical fighting

   • Use or implied use of tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs, including depictions or references on articles of clothing

   • Defiance of authority, including noncompliance with any provision in these Guidelines

   • Any practices which are forbidden in Scripture

Charger athletes and coaches are visible representatives of the homeschool community and of Jesus Christ, and any behavior, whether at a Charger event or not, which serves to discredit the Chargers, homeschoolers, or our Lord will be subject to discipline.

All Charger athletes and coaches accept this responsibility as an honor and a privilege.

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DRESS AND APPEARANCE CODE

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As in any large group of people, we have a great diversity of convictions and lifestyles. In an effort to minimize offenses to one another, it seems wisest to let the Lord's love restrain us in our selection of clothing and conduct. The following dress code applies absolutely to athletes on all Charger teams at every Charger event, and on any other occasion when they are representing the Chargers. We encourage the athletes' families and friends to abide by the dress code at these times as well.

• Shorts should be no more than 3 inches above the knee, and skirts and dresses should be knee-length or longer. Slits in the dresses or skirts should come no higher than the top of the knee.

• Skimpy, sheer, or tight-fitting clothing is inappropriate and not permitted.  Tank tops and spaghetti strapped tops/dresses may be worn if an opaque shirt/jacket is worn over the top at all times.  No undergarments of any kind should be visible at any time.

• Clothing worn during practice times must be as modest as the game uniform. Girls and women may be required by their coach to wear bike shorts under their uniforms during games and practices.

• Extreme hairstyles detract from team unity and encourage individual attention-getting, and so are inappropriate and not permitted. These include mohawks, long or dyed hair for boys and men, and unnatural hair colors for girls. A clean-cut appearance is always in order.

This dress code is not exhaustive and due to so much variety in clothing styles, the coaches and Athletics Council reserve the right to make a final determination of what dress is considered unacceptable. At all times our dress should reflect godly character by being neat and modest. Charger coaches and the Athletics Council may impose additional restrictions based on appearance that the coach or council deems to be a distraction from the purpose of the event.

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FACILITIES, FIELDS, AND PARKING LOTS

 

Please be good stewards of the facilities, fields, and parking lots we use by leaving them in better condition than you found them (e.g. put equipment back, trash picked up, etc.). Our care of facilities is a reflection on all of us and on the homeschool community.

 

DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

 

Forms of discipline may include restitution (payment for damages), probation (loss of privileges), suspension (removal from roster with an option to reapply after a specified period), or discharge (permanent removal from the program). A discharged individual may not be present at any sports event or function without the written permission of the Head Coach supervising the event.

Disciplinary measures may be levied by the agreement of two coaches who are both coaching the team of the disciplined individual. Any appeal of a disciplinary action must be made to the Athletics Council in writing within seven days after a discipline has been enforced. The Athletics Council may choose to hear the appeal in person or in writing, and the decision of the Athletics Council on the appeal is final.

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REVISION OF THESE GUIDELINES

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These guidelines may be modified and/or added to at any time at the sole discretion of the CenTex Chargers Athletics Council.  All current members will be notified if these guidelines are revised.  Coaches and all participants are required to adhere to any revised guidelines.