MISSION STATEMENT
The Athletic Department of the Wyomissing Area School District is committed to excellence both on and off the playing field. In partnership with athletes, coaches and parents, it is our mission to create an environment that will complement and enrich the educational experience for all students. To this end, we shall:
- Provide age appropriate athletic opportunities that will enable students to reach their inpidual potential.
- Promote characteristics such as respect for self and others, integrity, responsibility and good sportsmanship.
- Encourage all students to develop healthy lifestyles.
BELIEFS
We believe that:
- Interscholastic athletics are an integral part of the total educational experience.
- Participation in education-based athletic programs promotes student academic achievement.
- Student participation in interscholastic athletic programs is a privilege.
- Interscholastic participation develops good citizenship and healthy lifestyles.
- Interscholastic athletic programs encourage involvement of a perse population.
- Interscholastic athletic programs promote positive school/community relations.
- Properly trained coaches promote the educational mission of the interscholastic experience.
We believe that athletes must:
- Share the responsibility for their learning.
- Contribute to the quality of the learning environment.
- Work hard to improve their performance.
- Be accountable for their actions, choices and behaviors.
- Pursue the highest ideals of citizenship, academic performance and sportsmanship.
- Accept and respect others.
We believe that parents must:
- Provide an environment that supports learning and fosters positive athletic experiences for their children.
- Take primary responsibility for teaching their children ethics, morals and values.
- Support the goals and efforts of the coaching staff.
We believe that coaches must:
- Hold high expectations for all athletes.
- Treat each athlete with dignity, care and respect.
- Demonstrate exemplary ethical and moral conduct.
- Utilize effective and safe teaching strategies associated with increased athletic performance.
- Promote the benefits of multi-sport participation.
We believe that the School District must:
- Provide students with a variety of athletic opportunities (both interscholastic and intramural).
- Provide an appropriate and safe environment for practices and games.
- Promote teamwork and the common good among the adults and athletes.
- Support professional growth for all staff.
- Demonstrate responsiveness and resourcefulness to the needs of the athletes.
PHILOSOPHY
The Wyomissing Area School District believes that the purpose of an interscholastic athletic program is to provide learning experiences that will contribute to the personal, physical, and psychological development of the inpidual student-athlete. These learning experiences will be consistent with the educational goals of the District and will complement its academic program.
The Wyomissing Area School District interscholastic athletic program is both voluntary and competitive and will be designed to meet the needs of student-athletes. In order to participate, students must be physically healthy, academically qualified, and willing to make a significant personal commitment to maximize the development of their knowledge, skills, and attitudes relative to the particular sport.
All athletic teams will operate under the leadership and supervision of an effective coaching staff committed to accomplishing the educational goals of the school system. Members of the coaching staff will employ safe and educationally sound techniques designed to actively promote the development of the student-athlete as a whole person. Also, the coaching staff will encourage the principles of good sportsmanship and fair play.
The interscholastic athletic program will be increasingly competitive from the junior high school through the junior varsity to the varsity levels. The earlier levels will serve as developmental programs for the more advanced levels. Team goals will reflect these objectives. Varsity coaches will work with junior varsity and junior high school coaches to coordinate the developmental aspects of each program.
At the junior high school level, coaches will emphasize instruction and maintaining sufficient levels of participation in the sport. Participation and development of skills will be valued above the winning of contests. The needs of the team will be balanced with the developmental needs of the inpidual team members. The number of participants accepted for team membership, however, must support this commitment to high levels of instruction and participation.
At the junior varsity level, instruction and the development of inpidual skills will continue to be emphasized. However, team success in inter-school competition will also be valued. Athletes will become increasingly aware of the importance of teamwork and a positive attitude toward team success. The number of athletes selected for the team will allow the coaches not only to instruct and assist the participants in their inpidual development but also to teach teamwork as an important factor in interscholastic competition.
At the varsity level, coaches will have the dual responsibility of fostering inpidual skill development and achieving team success. To achieve this end, the most effective athletes as judged by the coaching staff, will be given the opportunity to further develop their athletic abilities and to participate at the most advanced levels of interscholastic competition. Coaching emphasis will be placed on helping the members of the team to work together and developing a strong desire to attain the highest possible levels of team success.