GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF HANDBOOK Please refer to the Office of Athletics Staff Handbook that is made available to every GGC staff member. This handbook will give full explanations of rules, guidelines and procedures for all staff members.
Last update: 9.22.2017
GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Georgia Gwinnett College Office of Athletics Forward .......................................................................................................................3 Philosophy and Purpose ............................................................................................3 Office of Athletics Vision ............................................................................................3 Office of Athletics Mission .........................................................................................3 Intercollegiate Athletics Committee ..........................................................................4 GGC Student Athlete Advisory Committee ................................................................4 I.
Academics .......................................................................................................7
II.
NAIA Compliance .............................................................................................9
III.
Student Athlete Financial Aid .........................................................................24
IV.
Roster Management ........................................................................................26
V.
Fundraising and Development ........................................................................29
VI.
Athletics Communication................................................................................33
VII.
Athletics Business Office ................................................................................38
VIII.
Sports Medicine...............................................................................................40
IX.
Emergency Action Plan ...................................................................................47
X.
Strength and Conditioning ..............................................................................59
XI.
Camps and Clinics ...........................................................................................60
XII.
Grizzly Athletic Complex (Facilities and Grounds).........................................60
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Forward This manual was developed to help each athletics office personnel understand and operate within the guidelines and procedures of the Office of Athletics. Questions can be directed to the Director of Athletics or any other athletics administrative staff. Coaches are expected to administer their program ethically, within the guidelines of the College and the NAIA, and efficiently, within the parameters of their individual budgets. The manual will not duplicate information and forms readily available in other formats; each coach is also expected to be knowledgeable of, and to operate within the guidelines and procedures published in the NAIA Manual and College publications such as the GGC Administrative Policy Manual, the Purchasing and Procurement Manual, the Student Handbook and the Student-Athlete Handbook. Office of Athletics Vision To be the model NAIA intercollegiate athletics program. Core Purpose To develop lifelong leaders of character through academic and athletic excellence. Core Values Pursue Excellence, Responsibility, Leadership, Service and Sportsmanship. Philosophy and Purpose of the Intercollegiate Athletics Program The Office of Athletics supports the stated mission of the College and the academic achievement and whole development of each student-athlete who represents the GGC. Toward these ends, it is the intention of the athletics administrators to shape a program characterized by honesty and integrity. Because it encourages broad student, faculty, administration, staff, and community participation, the Athletics program is grounded in the expectation that intercollegiate athletes at Georgia Gwinnett College will emphasize academics first; academic progress of players will be a primary aim of the program. Further, student-athletes are expected to meet their academic responsibilities as students progressing toward degree completion; to be positive role models for the institution, both on and off campus; and to strive toward becoming effective, contributing members of society.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL As an integral part of the total education offering at Georgia Gwinnett College, the athletics program is under the control of the president of the College, the CFO, and the Director of Athletics. Standards relating to admissions, academic standing, and academic progress of student-athletes are all subject to, consistent with, and often are even higher than standards exacted by the institution of all other students. The Intercollegiate Athletics Committee Membership The Intercollegiate Athletics Committee is appointed by the President and consists of GGC Athletics staff, several GGC faculty members, the Director of Admissions, and is chaired by the Director of Athletics. Purpose The committee’s purpose is to provide liaisons between the faculty, staff and administration concerning the athletics program of the College. The committee will ensure that the philosophy and policies of the athletics program are in harmony with the institution’s Mission Statement and Statement of Purpose. The committee meets periodically at the call of its chair to perform its function as stated above. Georgia Gwinnett College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Purpose The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, also known as SAAC, was designed to assist with communication between student-athletes and administration and to help members further develop leadership skills, while promoting the opportunity for the exchange of ideas among student-athletes of different sports. Student-athletes should also strive to be "role models" for Georgia Gwinnett College and the community of Gwinnett as well. This committee will also be assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience and to offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athlete's lives. Mission and Goals a) Provide insight on the student-athlete experience; b) Offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes' lives on NAIA member institution campuses and; c) Generate a student-athlete voice within the Office of Athletics; d) Build relationships between athletic teams and foster a sense of community among all GGC athletic teams;
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL e) f) g) h)
Promote communication between student-athletes and GGC athletic administrators; Provide feedback and insight into department issues, team concerns, etc.; Organize and implement community outreach events; Create a vehicle for student-athlete representation on campus-wide committees (e.g. Student Government Association, etc.) and; i) Promote a positive student-athlete image on the GGC campus. Membership SAAC is comprised of student-athlete representatives from Georgia Gwinnett College’s 6 sports. Each team has two reps serving on SAAC. SAAC is composed of an Executive Board, 3 sub-committees and upholds a Constitution and Bylaws created and amended by the committee. The President of the Georgia Gwinnett College SAAC along with a selected member of the committee will serve as our representative to the AII Conference. Selection Process Each athletic team will be responsible for selecting two SAAC representatives. These representatives shall be selected and their names should be submitted to the SAAC advisor or President by the first meeting in April. If special circumstances arise a third or additional member may be chosen at that time. All SAAC members will hold this position for two school years. Membership Requirements: a) The officers and members of this organization must meet the following requirements: b) Have at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA at the time of their selection and it should be maintained through the duration of their term c) Be in good standing with the college d) Be a Junior or senior. (No first-year student or first-year athlete will be allowed to serve as a SAAC member). All are subject to removal from this organization by the Executive Committee or SAAC advisor, should the SAAC member fail to maintain the requirements described above. The following is a breakdown of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee: - 2 representatives per program (12 total) - President - Vice President - Secretary - Student-Athlete Welfare Committee (1 Chair)
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL - Community Outreach Committee (1 Chair) - Marketing and Promotions Committee (1 Chair) In addition to fulfilling the Committee’s obligations and goals, a major responsibility for each delegate lies in communicating with fellow team members. The voting members of SAAC shall establish and maintain open channels of communication with their teammates, and all student-athletes, in order to appropriately express concerns relevant to student-athletes. Evaluations Staff evaluations will be formally conducted once each year. Coaches will also be evaluated at the conclusion of their sport seasons in the following areas of emphasis: social, financial, wins / losses, and service. Head coaches will evaluate assistant coaches yearly.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL I.
ACADEMICS
A. Class Attendance The classroom experience is a vital component of the college learning experience. Interaction with instructors and with other students is a necessary component of the learning process. Students are expected to attend regularly and promptly all class meetings and academic appointments. Students who are absent from classes bear the responsibility of notifying their instructors and keeping up with class assignments in conjunction with instructor provisions in the course syllabus. An individual instructor bears the decision as to whether a student’s absence is excused or unexcused and whether work will be permitted to be made up; the decision of the instructor in this case is final. Students who are absent because of participation in college-approved activities (such as field trips and extracurricular events) will be permitted to make up the work missed during their college-approved absences, provided that the student discussed with and obtained approval from the instructor to make up the work missed prior to the student's going on the field trip. Individual instructors may establish additional attendance requirements appropriate to their course’s context, e.g., lab attendance. A student whose class schedule would otherwise prevent him or her from voting will be permitted an excused absence for the interval reasonably required for voting B. Missed Class Policy for Games 1. Home competition a. Student athletes shall not miss any classes prior to two hours before the scheduled competition time. b. *Non-competing student athletes (ineligible or red-shirt) are not allowed to miss any classes in order to attend a home game or contest. 2. Away competition a. Competition with same day travel- student athletes shall not miss any classes prior to 60 minutes before the scheduled time of departure. b. Competition with overnight travel- no team shall depart more than 30 hours prior to the time of competition. Unless approved by the Assistant Director of
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Internal Operations. C. Non-Competing Student Athlete Class and Travel Policy Non-competing (ineligible or red-shirt) student athletes will not be excused (athletically related excuse) from class for attending their team’s home or away competition (scrimmage, exhibition, or countable contest). Non-competing student athletes are required to obtain prior approval from their professors if they choose to attend. Additionally, non-competing student athletes shall not miss class for any team related activities (practice, conditioning, weight training, film sessions, team meetings, walkthrough drills, and individual skills workouts involving a member of the coaching staff) at any time. It is permissible for a non-competing student athlete to travel with the team, via approved GGC Office of Athletics transportation, if he or she will not miss any class time due to the travel. If a non-competing student athlete decides to travel to the off-campus contest on their own, he or she releases GGC Athletics from any liability or risk involved. Additionally, the student is responsible for their own lodging and meals while away from campus. If it is an extended trip, non-competing student athletes are not allowed to participate in practice activities with the team. D. Course Registration GGC provides student-athletes with the privilege of early course registration. The compliance coordinator or faculty athletic representative will notify all coaches as to the applicable registration dates and time. Student-athletes are responsible for removing all registration holds (i.e. Business office, health services) prior to the day of registration. Those who are unable to register early due to holds, should contact the compliance coordinator immediately. E. Study Hall Programs Coaches are encouraged to conduct study hall programs for their team members, especially for those experiencing academic difficulty. Policies for study hall attendance are left to the discretion of the coaching staff. Study hall programs should always be
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL monitored by the head, assistant or student-assistant coach. Facilities used for study hall programs should be left in good condition. F. Academic Advising An athletic academic advisor will conduct bi-weekly academic meetings with all freshman and transfer student athletes to assess academic progress and inquire about personal and academic problems throughout their 1st year at GGC. G. Tutoring Student athletes are expected and in some cases required to use the GGC Academic Resource Center for tutoring needs. One on one tutoring can be set up through the Grizzly Athletic Academic Center on a case by case need. II.
NAIA COMPLIANCE A. Mission Statement Compliance with NAIA rules is of the highest priority for our athletics program and institution. As a member of the NAIA, Georgia Gwinnett College is responsible for the actions of its coaches, student-athletes, faculty and staff, fans, boosters, alumni, and friends. We are committed to the principle of institutional control and operating our athletics program in a manner consistent with the letter and spirit of the NAIA and Georgia Gwinnett College regulations. B. Equity Disclosure As of October 1, 1996 the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) requires that all coeducational institutions of higher education that receive federal student aid must make certain information related to intercollegiate athletics available at the public’s request. For information regarding GGC Athletics EADA contact Erin Price at eprice@ggc.edu. C. Ethical Conduct Individuals employed by, or associated with, a member institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall deport themselves with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports. Unethical conduct by a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or a current or former institutional staff member may include, but is not limited to the following: 1. Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of a NAIA regulation when requested to do so by the NAIA or the individual’s institution 2. Knowing involvement in arranging for fraudulent academic credit or false transcripts for a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete 3. Knowing involvement in offering or providing a prospective or an enrolled studentathlete an improper inducement or extra benefit or improper financial aid 4. Knowingly furnishing the NAIA or the individual’s institution false or misleading information concerning the individual’s involvement in, or knowledge of or, matters relevant to a possible violation of a NAIA regulation 5. Receipt of benefits by an institutional staff member for facilitation or arranging a meeting between a student-athlete and an agent, financial advisor or a representative of an agent or advisor (e.g. “runner”). 6. Athletics staff members may be suspended for a period of time without pay, or terminated if found to have been involved in deliberate and serious violations of NAIA regulations. D. NAIA Rules Violations 1. Any possible violation (or allegations of a violation) that come to the attention of anyone within the GGC community must be brought to the attention of the Athletics Director or the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance. 2. At the direction of the Director of Athletics, the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance shall have primary responsibility to gather information and question individuals potentially involved.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL 3. Head coaches/staff/administrators/student-athletes shall be asked to respond to any speculation or allegations with comments addressed to the Athletics Director or the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance. 4. The Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance will document all facts as they pertain to the issues and submit to the Athletics Director all information in writing. In addition, the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance shall monitor the progress of the review to ensure materials are submitted in a timely fashion and the process coincides with the directives mandated by the NAIA. 5. After the review of all facts, the Athletics Director and/or Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance shall inform the President, Faculty Athletics Representative, and College Legal Counsel as appropriate. 6. If, after discussion with the President, it is determined that College Legal Counsel and/or independent consultation is appropriate, the institution will engage their assistance. 7. If it is determined a violation has occurred, all pertinent information will be submitted to the applicable conference and the NAIA, as appropriate, by the Athletics Director, Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and/or College Legal Counsel. 8. Institutional sanctions against coaches/administration/staff/student-athletes shall be imposed as warranted. 9. The Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance shall monitor the progress of the review by the applicable Conference and/or NAIA to ensure that a decision or finding, as it affects involved parties, is rendered in a timely fashion. 10. Both the Athletics Director and the Office of Athletics Compliance are responsible for ensuring any sanctions imposed by GGC, the Conference, and/or the NAIA are carried out, monitored, and documented as appropriate. E. Rules Education The primary responsibility for the rules education process rests with the Athletics
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Compliance Office. The Athletics Compliance Office, during department meetings, will review any changes in NAIA legislation, recent interpretations and address questions from the coaching staff. Periodically, athletics staff members will be provided with written correspondence related to NAIA legislation. Staff members are encouraged to contact the Compliance Coordinator with any questions they may have. Additionally, the Athletics Compliance Office will annually prepare educational seminars and educational emails to coaches, staff, and student athletes on pertinent rules In addition, the athletics department will hold a mandatory orientation meeting for all student-athletes at the beginning of each academic year. The purpose of this meeting is to educate student-athletes regarding applicable NAIA, conference and institutional regulations. F. Recruitment of Student- Athletes Recruiting Philosophy: Consistent with the College, the Office of Athletics is committed to the quest for excellence in all areas and to the highest standards of integrity, ethics and honesty. GGC will conduct all recruiting activities in accordance and in compliance with all conference, College, NAIA, state and federal rules and regulations. Prospective student-athletes and their families should be able to fairly and ethically assess their opportunities for academic and athletic success at Georgia Gwinnett College. The Athletics Office personnel should be afforded the opportunity to fairly and reasonably evaluate a prospective student-athlete for admission and participation in the College’s intercollegiate program. G. NAIA Recruiting Rules and Regulations A coach or another representative of GGC shall not initiate contact with an athlete who has enrolled at either a 4-year or 2-year institution unless the 2-year student has completed an academic year in which he or she utilized a season of competition. A coach should never under any circumstances contact his or her counterpart at the other institution and discuss this contact and the possibility of this student's transferring. All correspondence must be between the respective AD’s, FARs, and Compliance offices. 1. If you are contacted by a student athlete at another institution, the following steps should be taken:
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL a. You must cease all communications immediately with the prospect b. The statement should be, "Thank you for your contact but I cannot speak with you any further until proper NAIA procedure is followed." c. Notify the GGC office of compliance of the contact. 2. The GGC office of compliance will notify the student’s institution within 10 days. a. An email will be sent with you being copied on the email. b. Once the email has been sent, you may continue the contact. 3. The institution does not have to have a release (written or verbal) from the institution to talk to this student. The institution has fulfilled its ethical obligation under this regulation by notifying the other institution in writing of the contact. 4. There is never a period of time (during the year or the summer vacation period) that we are not required to notify the student-athlete’s previous institution if a contact occurs. 5. We are required to notify the institution where the athlete is: a. presently enrolled; b. or if it is during a summer vacation period, the institution where the student was previous enrolled; or c. The institution the student participated for within the last two semesters or three quarters. H. Contact Defined A contact can include a phone call, phone message, email, letter or any other form of notification from the student, parent, and relative, friend of the family, coach, or acquaintance on behalf of the student. It will also be considered contact if someone outside the athletics department at the institution notifies you of a possible transfer student. It is the responsibility of all representatives of the athletic program to be familiar with the rules that govern recruiting. Each year, periodic educational sessions will be held to review existing rules and update changes in those rules. I. Campus Visitation Guidelines a) Planned or intentional visit
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Submit a Campus Visitation and Try out form to the compliance office prior to the student’s visit. b) Unplanned Visit Submit a campus Visitation and Try out form to the compliance office after the visit occurs. J. Tryout Guidelines 1. It is not mandatory for coaches to hold tryouts. 2. Visitation of prospective students shall not involve loss of school time 3. Except where such visitation occurs as a part of the total visitation program of the institution, approved by the administration of both the host institution and the institution of the visiting prospective student. 4. Individual or group tryouts may be conducted: 5. On the member institution’s campus only, 6. For the purpose of assisting in the assessment of athletics promise if tryouts are a part of the general institutional policy in the evaluation and admission of students with special talents. 7. Shall be limited to no more than two days for a specific student at a member institution. 8. Prospective students (entering freshman and transfers) are not permitted to practice or compete with an institution’s team prior to the beginning of the 24-week season, regardless of the student’s stated commitment to the institution. 9. This includes practice and competition (including foreign tours) during the summer prior to the student’s enrollment at the institution. 10. Prospective students are allowed to engage in informal conditioning activities with continuing student-athletes.
Procedure: Coach submit a tryout and campus visit form to the compliance office.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL
1. All students trying out must complete an insurance liability form. 2. The Office of Athletics Compliance confirms requirements have been met so that the student is eligible to begin his/her tryout.
K. Playing and Practice Season Regulations It is ultimately a head coach’s responsibility to maintain a permissible playing and practice season per NAIA rules. Scheduling of the beginning of the year compliance eligibility meetings are based on first practice and competition dates as reported on Playing and Practice Season Declaration Form. 1. The Playing and Practice Season is defined as the period of time between the first practice session and the last competition or practice session. Recognized practices and competitions can only take place during the playing and practice season as defined on the Playing and Practice Season Declaration Form. 2. Each sport shall have a maximum 24 week practice and competition season established by each member institution. Frequency of play, practice and scheduling policies shall be applied only during the period of August 1 to May 15. a. Frequency of play, practice, and scheduling outside of this period is governed by each member institution and will not be regulated by the NAIA. 3. There shall be no more than three break periods during the 24 weeks. NAIA approved postseason participation shall not be counted as part of the 24 week period. 4. Practices or competitions during the academic year (August 1st through May 15th) must count toward a sport’s 24-week season
Procedure: Each head coach is required to submit a completed Playing and Practice Season
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Declaration Form with an up to date competition schedule prior to the beginning of a playing season. 1. All sports must submit a completed form to the Compliance Office by the first day of class. 2. All outside competitions, including scrimmages, exhibitions, and alumni games must be reported. 3. A coach must define their week starting with Monday. A week is defined as Monday (12:01 a.m.) through Sunday (11:59 p.m.). Any practice or competition during this period shall constitute one of the 24 weeks permitted. 4. The Compliance Office will review the form and schedule for playing season compliance, maximum and minimum dates/competitions, minimum participants, and sports sponsorship. L. Team Activity Participation A team activity is defined as one of the following: practice, weight training, conditioning, and competition. M. Practice Guidelines: Practice will be defined as follows: An activity organized and/or directed by an identified member of the coaching staff of that sport in which appropriate equipment is used or instruction and/or evaluation of the athlete takes place. 1. Student-athletes can be eligible to practice, but not to compete. 2. Coaches are ultimately responsible for ensuring only student-athletes who have been certified to practice and compete are participating in countable athletically related activities. 3. In order to participate in team activities (practice, conditioning, weight training, film sessions, walkthrough drills, and individual skills workouts involving a member of the coaching staff), all student athletes must meet the following requirements:
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL a. Be enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours; (a student may be enrolled in less than 6 hours if he or she is in their last semester before graduation). b. Have received a final determination (eligible or ineligible) from the NAIA Eligibility Center: i. 1st time GGC student athletes will have until the following dates to receive a final determination from the NAIA Eligibility Center before having to stop participating in team activities: ii. Fall Semester:
September 15th
iii. Spring Semester:
February 15th
Exception: If the NAIA Eligibility Center has received all required documents and the determination says “Review in progress – no additional info needed at this time”, then the student may continue/begin participating in team activities. Any other determinations (i.e. profile submitted, pending, not completed, review in progress-more information requested, etc.), shall not satisfy this regulation 4. Provide proof of medical insurance which covers intercollegiate athletic injuries. 5. Must have an approved physical examination rendered by a licensed M.D. prior to any athletic participation. 6. Must have read and signed the Student Athlete Handbook 7. Must have signed the following compliance forms: a. NAIA Certificate of Clearance b. NAIA Champions of Character N. Competition Guidelines Coaches are ultimately responsible for ensuring only student-athletes who have been certified eligible to compete represent GGC against outside competition. Coaches can
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL either access up-to-date eligibility rosters via your team’s server or can directly contact the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance with any specific questions.
Procedure: In order for a student-athlete to be certified eligible to compete, ALL of the following requirements must be completed:
1. The student-athlete must have been certified as eligible to compete 2. Receive official certification of continuing eligibility certified by the Compliance Office, Registrar, and the Faculty Athletics Representative.
3. Freshmen and first-time NAIA students must have final, “eligible” NAIA Eligibility Center certification (academic and amateurism) on file in the Compliance Office;
4. Freshmen must receive a sports physical from a team physician; and 5. Transfers must have official Transfer Student Certification on file in the Compliance Office. 6. When all requirements have been met, the Compliance office will inform the coach that the student-athlete is eligible to compete. 7. For any student-athlete not eligible to compete after the initial academic certification, the compliance office will send an e-mail to the head coach informing the coach about which individuals have not been certified to compete. 8. As previously ineligible student-athletes become eligible, the compliance office will notify the head coach via an update to the certification file to indicate eligibility for competition. 9. Student-athletes who are ineligible to compete may travel with the team if they are not going to miss any class time. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Director of Athletics (see policy below).
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL O. Summer “Team Activity” Participation Play, practice and scheduling during the summer is governed by each member institution and not the NAIA. Coaches may conduct team practices and competitions with continuing students during the summer, provided the institution does not have rules against such activities Summer practices and competitions may only involve students with continuing identification at the institution not prospective students. 1. Enrolled Student Athletes: Currently enrolled students are defined as students who have identified with the institution through competition and/or enrolling in 12 or more institutional credit hours and attending regularly scheduled classes. 2. Prospective Student: An individual who has never identified or whose previous collegiate identification was with another collegiate institution. 3. Prospective students are not permitted to practice or compete with an institution’s team. a. EXCEPTION 1: A prospective student may practice and compete with an institution’s team during the summer (May 16th-July 31st) if the student is a high school graduate (or the equivalent) and not identified with any other institution of higher learning, and: i. Enrolled in a full-time class load, as defined by the institution, for the applicable summer term (GGC=12), or; ii. Enrolled in at least 12 institutional credit hours for the immediately subsequent fall term. iii. Such practice activities and competitions are not considered to be a tryout. EXCEPTION 2: A prospective student, who is a high school graduate (or the equivalent) and not identified with any other institution of higher learning, may practice with an institution’s team(s) prior to the start of the institution’s academic term, or between regular academic terms, if the practice activity occurs during the team’s 24-week season. Such practice activities are not considered to be a tryout. (GGC = August 1st - 18th)
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL
Procedure: Coach must submit a Summer Practice/Training Clearance Form to the Office of Athletic Compliance prior to a PSA participating in summer practice, weight training, or conditioning activities.
P. Game Scheduling Director of Athletics, working in cooperation with the coaches, is basically responsible for the scheduling of intercollegiate athletic events. The majority of the events may be initiated by the coach of the specific sport. Attempts should be made to schedule a minimum of 50% of all contests at home each year. Each head coach is expected to prepare their sport contest schedule in concert with directions from the Director of Athletics, who must give final approval to all schedules. Scheduling shall follow institutional, conference, and NAIA regulations as to dates and number of contests. The following guidelines suggest the maximum number of contests per sport. Expanded schedules require the approval of the Director of Athletics and the actual number played will be determined by budget restrictions. Q. Schedule Changes Every effort should be made to verify dates, contest sites, and arrangements with institutional opponents prior to submission of the tentative schedule for final approval and distribution. Schedule changes that occur following approval and distribution create many problems for the Department and should only occur out of absolute necessity. Schedule changes after approval and distribution will be acceptable only upon approval of the Director of Athletics. Proper planning ensures a minimal number of changes. R. Amateurism I.
Acts that result in a loss of amateur standing: a. Receiving (directly or indirectly) expense reimbursement beyond actual expenses of travel, meals and lodging only. Expenses must be itemized and properly documented.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL b. Signing a contract with any professional team. c. Participating in any athletics contest as a professional or as a member of a team where the student in question receives remuneration exceeding the actual expenses of travel, meals and lodging only.
S. Competitive Experience The competitive experience rule helps ensure students in the NAIA are competing against other students with similar levels of training and experience. For each year after high school graduation in which a student does not play college sports, and the student participates in “countable� competition, the student can be charged one of the four allowable seasons of competition. A student, who represents his or her institution in a given year and, during the same year, competes unattached or as a member of an outside team will be charged only one season of competition. T. Unattached Student Athletes The rule will affect students who participate as unattached athletes in individual sports or as members of outside teams, regardless of whether the competition takes place while the student is practicing with his or her NAIA institution’s team during the season or in the off-season. A student who participates in three or more individual events or any team sport competition considered countable under the new competitive experience rule will result in the student being charged a season of competition. U. Gambling NAIA membership committees have adopted specific rules prohibiting athletics department staff members and student-athletes from engaging in gambling activities as they relate to intercollegiate or professional sporting events. Particularly, gambling related to sports sponsored by the NAIA is prohibited. Listed below are the responsibilities of the student-athlete and athletics staff members with respect to gambling and bribery. 1. Never accept money, gifts or favors in exchange for supplying team information or
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL for attempting to alter the outcome of a contest. 2. Never provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletic competition. 3. Never solicit a bet on any intercollegiate team. 4. Never accept a bet on any team representing the institution. 5. Never solicit or accept a bet on any intercollegiate competition for any item (e.g., money, clothing, dinner, etc.) that has tangible value. 6. Never participate in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate athletics or professional athletics, through a bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling. V. Violation of Gambling Policy Any prospective or enrolled student-athlete that is found in violation of this policy shall be ineligible for further intercollegiate competition. W. Extra Benefits The term “extra benefit� refers to any special arrangement (financial aid or assistance in money or in kind) to a prospective or enrolled student athlete except that which comes from members of their immediate family or from those upon whom they are legally dependent. Financial aid or assistance in money or in kind offered to a prospective or enrolled student athlete from a person not identified as a member of their immediate family or from those upon whom they are legally dependent must be administered by the institution under policies and procedures established by the institution through its regularly constituted committee on student loans and scholarships. X. Student-Athlete Transportation
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL All competing student-athletes must travel to and from an off-campus event by way of the approved GGC Office of Athletics transportation. Any exception is at the discretion of the Head Coach with the approval of the Director of Athletics.
Transportation exception: a) A student-athlete 18 years of age or younger may not travel apart from the team without written parental approval and a Student Athlete Travel Release Form submitted to and approved by the Director of Athletics. b) A student athlete over the age of 18, may complete a Student Athlete Travel
Release Form prior to the team travel, requesting permission to travel separately from the team. c) An approved Student Athlete Travel Release Form only permits a student-athlete to travel separately with a parent, legal guardian, or spouse and does not allow for the student athlete to travel in his/her personal vehicle. d) The Student Athlete Travel Release Form releases GGC Athletics from any liability or risk involved in the alternate travel plans. e) The Student Athlete Travel Release Form must be submitted to the Director of Athletics at least 48 hours prior to the date of departures III.
STUDENT ATHLETE FINANCIAL AID Athletic Grant-In-Aid It is the role of the financial aid office to coordinate athletics aid with any other financial assistance for which a student-athlete is eligible. This coordination is to ensure that Georgia Gwinnett College is in compliance with all NAIA, federal, and institutional policies regarding the awarding of financial assistance to student-athletes.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL
A. Institutional Financial Aid Institutional aid consists of scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, loans, certain types of employment arrangements and government and private grants for which the institution determines the recipient and the amount of aid received. Refer to the NAIA manual or consult the assistant Athletics Director for Compliance or the Financial Aid Director to determine whether such aid is countable toward team equivalencies. B. Renewal and Non-Renewal In accordance with NAIA regulations, student-athletes must be notified by July 1 regarding the renewal, non-renewal or reduction of their athletic grants-in-aid. If the student-athlete believes the reduction or cancellation to be unjustified, he or she is entitled to a prompt hearing before the institution’s regular Financial Aid Committee. The request for a hearing must be submitted in writing to the director of financial aid within two weeks of receipt of the award notification. The notification of renewals, non-renewals and reductions must come from the institution’s financial aid authority and not from the athletics department. C. Scholarship Increase During the period of the award, it is permissible to increase the grant-in-aid, provided the institution can demonstrate that the increase is unrelated to an athletics reason (e.g. a special circumstance). In addition, athletic grants-in-aid may be increased before the period of award begins. D. NAIA regulations The period of award begins with the first day of practice or the first day of class, whichever is earlier, E. Graduation or Cancellation of Scholarship
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL During the period of the award, the institution shall not increase a student-athletes grant-in-aid if such an increase is based on an athletics reason. It is permissible to increase the grant-in-aid, provided the institution can demonstrate that the increase is unrelated to an athletics reason (e.g. a special circumstance). In addition, athletic grants-in-aid may be increased before the period of award begins. Under NAIA regulations, the period of award begins with the first day of practice or the first day of class, whichever is earlier. The institution may reduce or cancel a student-athletes grant-in-aid during the period of the award, if the student-athlete voluntarily withdraws from the team for personal reasons, renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition, fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement, or engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty. The grant-in-aid cannot be reduced or cancelled during the period of the award based on an injury or illness, athletics performance or for any other athletics reason. F. Appeal Procedure If a student-athlete believes the decision to terminate the athletics scholarship is unjustified, he or she may request a hearing before the institution’s financial aid appeals committee. If the student-athlete requests a hearing, the financial aid director will make the necessary arrangements with the appeals committee. The decision of the committee will be final. If the student athlete chooses to appeal, he or she must submit the required materials to the Office of Athletics within fifteen (15) days of receiving this email correspondence. For more information, the appeals procedure can be found in the GGC Student Athlete Handbook (pg. 27) located on the GGC Athletics website. IV.
ROSTER MANAGEMENT A. Adding a Prospective Student Athlete (PSA):
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Coaches Role: 1. Coach must submit a completed Roster Addition Form to the Office of Athletics Compliance. 2. Must indicate whether or not the PSA is to receive a Letter of Intent, or an Offer of Athletics Participation agreement. Office of Athletics Compliance Role: 1. The Office of Athletics Compliance will attain the required signatures of approval and file the Roster Addition form in the appropriate place. 2. If the PSA is to receive an athletic scholarship, the Office of Athletics Compliance will notify the Financial Aid office through the approved upon procedure for issuing student athletes financial aid. 3. If it has been indicated that the PSA is to receive a Letter of Intent, the following procedures will apply. 4. The Office of Athletics Compliance will prepare the Letter of Intent. Once prepared a copy will be sent to the issuing head coach and the Director of Athletics For approval. 5. Once approved, the Office of Athletics Compliance will send the Letter of Intent to the PSA via email. 6. The PSA has 14 days to sign and return the Letter of Intent to the Office of Athletics Compliance. If the PSA and their parent/legal guardian (if necessary) fail to sign this offer of athletics financial aid within 14 days after the date of issuance, it will be declared null and void. 7. If for any reason the Letter of Intent becomes null and void, a coach will need to reissue a Roster Addition Form to begin the process over. B. Removing a Student Athlete From The Roster:
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Coaches Role: 1. Coach will submit a completed Student Status Form to the Office of Athletics Compliance indicating the student athlete’s removal from the team. 2. The institution may reduce or cancel a student-athletes grant-in-aid during the period of the award, if the student-athlete voluntarily withdraws from the team for personal reasons, renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition, fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement, or engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty. 3. The grant-in-aid cannot be reduced or cancelled during the period of the award based on an injury or illness, athletics performance or for any other athletics reason. 4. If the coach desires that a student-athlete’s athletics scholarship be terminated, either during the period of the award, subject to applicable to NAIA regulations, or for the ensuing academic year, he or she must submit a Student Status Form to the Office of Athletics Compliance. The Office of Athletics Compliance will follow the procedures set forth by the Financial Aid Office recommending termination of the student-athlete’s athletics scholarship. Office of Athletics Compliance role: 1. Upon receipt of the Student Status Form, the Office of Athletics Compliance will send the student a Team Removal Letter indicating their removal from the team and all of their student athlete privileges (i.e. building access during non-business hours, priority registration, weight room and training room usage, etc.). C. Roster Maintenance Coaches Role:
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL 1. Coach will submit a completed Student Status Form to the Office of Athletics Compliance. 2. Coach will indicate the student athlete’s scholarship status for the upcoming year (remain the same, increase, decrease, or removal). Office of Athletics Compliance role: 1. Upon receipt of the Student Status Form, the Office of Athletics Compliance will compile the roster using Banner and follow the procedures set forth by the Financial Aid Office to award athletic scholarships. D. Ineligible/Part-time Student Athlete Scholarship Approval Athletics scholarships issued to student athletes who are determined “ineligible for competition” for any reason (NAIA Eligibility Center and/or GGC academic policies) and/or attending GGC at a part-time status (less than 12 hours), must be approved by the Director Athletics prior to being awarded.
Exception: If a NAIA determination is not issued prior to the start of the award period, he or she may receive their athletic scholarship; however if an “ineligible” determination follows, his or her scholarship is subject to removal. Decisions for scholarship issuance will be based upon a student athlete’s academic history, degree progress, academic eligibility requirements, sport scholarship budget, and the 10 semester rule limitations. V.
FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT
A. Coordination of Fundraising 1. All Athletics fundraising and development efforts are coordinated through the Assistant Athletics Director for External Operations (AADEO) along with the Director of Athletics. With an Athletics program and college that are extremely young, coordination and communication are incredibly crucial as the AADEO meets regularly
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL with the Georgia Gwinnett College central Office of Development/Advancement to coordinate Athletics efforts among College priorities. 2. All fundraising and development efforts must adhere to GGC policy and federal, state and University System of Georgia tax implications and regulations, with zero exceptions. If any coach is first contacted by any outside individual or business regarding Corporate Sponsorship or fundraising/development opportunities, those requests must be referred to the AADEO. Coaches or Athletics Staff may not solicit funds of any type without prior authorization from, and close coordination with, the AADEO. B. Methods of Athletics Fundraising The primary methods by which Athletics fundraising takes place are through Corporate Sponsorships, Annual Giving (the Grizzly Club) and Major Gifts. These funds are solicited with a stated purpose to be used by the Director of Athletics in the area of most pressing need, often including but not limited to scholarship opportunities, travel costs, postseason championships and student-athlete development. Priorities for the distribution of fundraised dollars lie solely with the Director of Athletics. More information about sportspecific fundraising is found below. An annual department-wide review of fundraising and development efforts will occur to keep staff informed of the department’s goals and objectives. 1. Corporate Sponsorships A brochure with Corporate Sponsorship information will be generated and published both in print and on the Athletics web site. Additionally, a list of active Corporate Sponsors are displayed on the Athletics web site. The full extent of the Athletics Corporate Sponsorship agreement is cash and/or business trade accepted by the Office of Athletics in exchange for sponsorship only (not advertising, per IRS guidelines), including but not limited to stadium signage, banners, game day publications, digital placement on the web site or video network, and announcements at Athletics events. Dollars secured through Corporate Sponsorships are allocated at the discretion of the AD, just like any other fundraised dollars. No Athletics coaches or staff, nor GGC students, faculty, staff
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL nor any other GGC entity are required to utilize any Athletics Corporate Sponsor for operational needs, and no written quid-pro-quo agreement may be included with any sponsorship. However, use of Corporate Sponsors’ businesses for day-to-day operations of the program or a specific team, within the guidelines of College policy (such as on-campus events), is encouraged in order to foster a strong working relationship with GGC and the Athletics program. On occasion and at the discretion of the AD, individual sports may become the beneficiary of certain aspects of Corporate Sponsorships such as meals or team operations. Athletics coaches and staff are not permitted to negotiate any type of Corporate Sponsorship agreements, including stadium signage at the facility in which they compete. Coaches and staff are, however, permitted to engage businesses freely as it relates to day-to-day operational needs, such as team meals, equipment, travel, or any other day-to-day operation. Coaches should be prepared to discuss with the AADEO the amount of business they conduct annually with a given corporation for consideration as a potential Corporate Sponsor or partner in various areas. 2. Grizzly Club/Annual Giving The Grizzly Club is the booster club for Grizzly Athletics that raises private support for the program and its teams. The Grizzly Club falls within the charitable giving standards of the Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation as a registered educational not-for-profit fund. Within the Grizzly Club, an overall Athletics fund exists, as do sport-specific funds that have been established for each of the Grizzlies’ programs. Donors may choose to support the overarching Grizzly Athletics fund, which has its goals and objectives as determined by the Director of Athletics, or a sport-specific fund, which is designed to augment a given sport’s operational budget. a. For sport-specific funds, head coaches may allocate these dollars per the same policies that govern their spending of operational dollars, with approval of the AD and Athletics Business Office. b. Annual reports will be generated and shared regarding the total of dollars available in such funds, and are available to head coaches upon request through the Athletics Business Office.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL c. Several policies govern Grizzly Club checks that any Athletics staff member, including coaches, receives: First, all checks must be made out to “GGC Foundation”, with the specific fund stated on the memo line, such as “Men’s Soccer Fund”. Next, appropriate contact information must be collected at the time the check is received in order to process and enter the funds into the appropriate account. This information required can be collected either on the Grizzly Club brochure tear-off (provided to the coaching staff by the AADEO), or the Orange Form which can be completed by the Athletics Business Office. An especially important piece of information that must be obtained from the donor is whether or not they intend to waive or accept the benefits to which they will be entitled, which will impact the amount of their gift that is taxdeductible. (Benefits depend on the level at which an individual donates, are included in the Grizzly Club brochure, and commonly include game tickets and apparel. For sport-specific gifts, coaches are responsible for allocating a small portion of their budget for sport-specific t-shirts and hats to be given out when an individual has contributed directly to their program and qualifies for a benefit which is not otherwise covered by the Office of Athletics, such as game tickets). The donor’s complete contact information and benefits declaration, along with the check, should then be turned in to the Athletics Business Office, and the AADEO should be notified that the gift has been received. This information is then transferred to the GGC Office of Development for gift processing and tax acknowledgment. Alternatively, supporters may also give online, through the Grizzly Club page on the GGC Foundation web site at https://www.ggcfoundation.org/athletics/grizzly-club-form, where the appropriate contact information and benefits information can be collected digitally. Coaches and staff must work closely with the AADEO through the thank-you and gift recognition process, as this also fits within the larger giving
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL structure at GGC. By federal law, coaches are not permitted to extend extra benefits to the donor outside of the designated allotment (such as extra apparel, tickets, travel or meals). 3. Sport-Specific Campaigns In order to augment sport-specific needs, certain team-specific campaigns (such as letter-writing campaigns) may be approved in close concert with the AADEO. Coaches are responsible for developing such ideas and scheduling a time with the AADEO for review. Such campaigns must also be approved by the Director of Athletics. Implementation of sport-specific campaigns must be coordinated closely with the AADEO, including adhering to all guidelines set forth by the GGC Office of Development. Typically, this will include the following: Head coach and players first developing a contact list of individuals they wish to solicit, plus the formal letter they wish to use for the appeal. Both items must be approved by the AD, then by the GGC Office of Development, in order for the campaign to proceed. The AADEO will help teams coordinate efforts from there, including tracking of correspondence that goes out. Teams should be prepared to cover related costs such as printing, mailing, etc. Gifts that are received through such campaigns automatically enroll donors into the Grizzly Club and are governed by all the same regulations of the GGC Foundation. Corporations MAY NOT be solicited by coaches or players for sport-specific giving and teams may not solicit current student-athletes who are not members of their own programs. 4. Major Gifts One-time gifts that exceed a specific threshold (set as $10,000 at Georgia Gwinnett College) are designated as Major Gifts. These require special coordination between
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Athletics administration and the GGC Office of Development, as these two entities actively cultivate prospects for major capital and/or facilities projects and program expansion. These processes often require the implementation of wealth-screening tools and many meetings of varying type over a longer period of time. Coaches are obligated to immediately communicate with Athletics administration should a potential gift exceed the Major Gift threshold.
Prospecting and Team Needs 5. Each head coach will meet annually with the AD and AADEO to cover the areas of need for their specific programs, as well as help identify potential Grizzly Club prospects for sport-specific giving. VI.
ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS The purpose of the Athletics Communications Office is to promote the flow of information surrounding Grizzly Athletics. This office- not coaches or other personnel- is the sole source of official Athletics information and dissemination. The following guidelines and procedures must be followed to ensure adequate and accurate information is obtained and publicized. This information is of public nature and readily accessible to the media. Any questions should be directed to the Sports Information Director. A. Sports Information The Sports Information Director is responsible for promoting Grizzly programs through a variety of ways, primarily updating the official Athletics website (GrizzlyAthletics.com) with schedules, statistics, recaps, rosters, bios, feature stories and additional related information. The SID is the primary contact for all media personnel covering Grizzly Athletics. This individual does not report to any head coach or team staff member, but rather to Athletics Administration. As such, the SID must allot time in their schedule to accommodate each of the Grizzlies’ programs effectively. 1. To assist the SID in their day-to-day function, coaches are responsible for: a. Relaying all outside media inquiries promptly to the SID
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL b. Making times available in their daily schedules for the SID to coordinate any interviews with outside media c. Arranging time with the SID to preview upcoming season/games d. Relaying all approved schedules of competition or schedule changes e. Keeping SID updated on pertinent team matters (injury, player updates, etc.) f. Providing SID post-game comments after every competition via brief in-person or over-the-phone interview 2. Coaches are required to inform the SID of any of the following: the signing of a recruit; a player leaving the squad/any roster changes; a significant player injury; any uniform number change; any potential public appearances by the team or the coach.
3. Upon arrival of every new student-athlete that has been cleared for competition, coaches must have each player complete a Sports Information questionnaire. This document authorizes the publication of certain pertinent background and athlete information, including listing on the official Athletics web site. The updated version of this form will be maintained by SID. The complete form must be returned by the student-athlete prior to team activities. 4. Coaches must work to arrange important dates on the calendar with the SID such as media day/team photos, or the release of significant information such as team schedules. 5. Coaches will be asked to help identify compelling stories about their athletes for publication. 6. Coaches must provide SID with accurate, up-to-date bio/resume for media guide and web site when arriving at GGC. 7. The SID is the official game day statistician and statistical record keeper for the Office of Athletics. Coaches may not alter or change any statistical information. At times, especially with contests away from home at which the SID is not present, it may be necessary to help relay or verify statistical information.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL
8. Coaches must allocate dollars in their travel budgets to accommodate the SID on select road events where applicable. The SID is encouraged to attend all postseason competitions in which the Grizzlies compete. When attending road contests, the SID should first coordinate sufficient staffing of any home contests that may conflict. 9. It is the duty of the SID, and no other staff member, to operate the press box in a professional manner on game day. This includes the scheduling of staff for the essential Sports Information positions of Statistician, Scoreboard Operator, Public Address Announcer, Music Operator, Digital Message Center Operator (if applicable) and Photographers or Videographers. Any unauthorized personnel, including staff deemed unnecessary for game day operation, may be asked to vacate the press box. Since Grizzly Athletics contests are operated with a level of professionalism, coaches may not operate an official intercollegiate contest at the Grizzly Athletic Complex without the SID’s knowledge or by substituting in their own personnel. Photographers and/or working media may be allowed access to team areas for publication of the event so as to not interfere with team operations. B. Social Media It is each coach’s responsibility to ensure that both they and their athletes maintain a positive climate of communication on social media. The Communications office will provide training in this area annually and as needed. C. Marketing & Promotion Marketing and promotion of Grizzly Athletics is an important piece of helping to engage and grow the Grizzlies’ fan base. All marketing efforts are coordinated through the Assistant Athletics Director for External Operations (AADEO). Each year, resources are spent by the Office of Athletics on promoting the program in the community and beyond. These items may include everything from schedule posters and pocket schedules, to promotional giveaways like t-shirts and printed items, to digital signage, billboards and marketing events. Distribution of marketing items is coordinated by the AADEO, though coaches and teams may be given a certain quantity to help distribute to their own
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL contacts within their sport. Coaches and players will also be periodically asked to assist with events or major promotion, such as handing out flyers or appearing at pep rallies. They are reminded that they are representing their team, Athletics program and institution at all times, especially when participating in such a marketing capacity.
D. Brand Identity As a young and rapidly-growing program, maintaining brand identity standards is vitally important. All Athletics coaches and staff must refer to the Brand Identity Guide (Updated July 2015), available on the Athletics server, for information regarding Athletics marks, logos, fonts and colors. E. Grizzly Digital Network The Grizzly Digital Network (GDN) is the broadcasting and video production arm of the Office of Athletics, established to assist with the positive promotion of Grizzly Athletics. The GDN is responsible for live streaming of all home events (excluding tennis, except where appropriate), plus practice reports, segments from the road, weekly coaches’ shows and original features. The staffing, budgeting, and direction of events is under the supervision of the Athletics Video & Broadcast Coordinator, which similarly reports to Athletics Administration, rather than any coach. 1. Pregame Interviews- prerecorded interviews on game day will occur one hour prior to game time on the field of competition. 2. Postgame Interviews for Regular Season Contests a. After losses and ties, the head coaches will be required to conduct a LIVE postgame interview within 10 minutes of the game concluding b. After victories, game day staff will select a student-athlete for Grizzly of the Game to conduct a LIVE postgame interview which will also need to be made available within 10 minutes after the conclusion of the game.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL
3. Postgame interviews for postseason contests national tournaments for studentathletes and coaches will be arranged on a game-by-game basis depending on the circumstances and organized by the Broadcast Coordinator and Sports Information Director. 4. Priority- During live broadcasts, the Grizzly Digital Network will have first priority to the access of student-athletes and coaches above all other media outlets unless otherwise noted previous to game time. 5. Coaches Shows- Coaches will be given at minimum 24-hour advanced notice for an appearance on the Athletics coaches show, Grizzlies LIVE. Coaches will be required to properly represent their program with their attire, interview content and attitude. All guests will be required to arrive 15 minutes before air time. 6. Game Film a. Requests for game film must be made prior to the beginning of the season to ensure proper equipment and staffing is in place. b. At the conclusion of each game, an email will notify the coaching staff of the available game film and its archived location. c. Coaches will control the online On-Demand password of all broadcasted games. Password changes must be made through the Broadcast & Video Coordinator. 7. Additional Filming- Requests to film practices, video ideas, or additional interviews must be made a week in advance to ensure proper production equipment and staffing is in place. VII.
ATHLETICS BUSINESS OFFICE A. Prior Approvals A prior approval form needs to be filled out and signed prior to all staff travel, team travel, and supply purchases. Both forms can be found on the server in the Athletics Business
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Office folder. B. Expense Reports Upon return from all travel, an expense report must be filled out from the PeopleSoft website. Printed and signed expense report and all receipts must be turned into Athletics Business Office for approval. Expense reports will then be forwarded to the GGC business office for reimbursement. C. Travel Guidelines To ensure compliance and avoid incurring non-reimbursable expenses, it is important that each staff member review the State travel regulations prior to any travel. All regulations can be found on in USG Business Procedures Manual which can be found at the following website: http://www.usg.edu/business_procedures_manual/section4/ Here are some important highlights for recruiting, team, and personal development travel: 1. When traveling, staff must be gone 13 hours and travel more than 30 miles from campus to receive any per diem. 1. Staff can only receive 75% of each meal per diem on first and last day of travel or on single day travel. 2. It is the staff member’s responsibility to know the per diem for each location they are traveling to before leaving. a. Out of state per diem can be found – www.gsa.gov b. In State per diem i. High cost counties (Chatham, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Glenn, Richmond) 1. Breakfast $7, Lunch $9, Dinner $20 ii. All other counties 1. Breakfast $6, Lunch $7, Dinner $15 D. Cash Advances
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Submit cash advance request 2 weeks prior to departure date. Cash Advance forms can be found on the Athletics server in the Athletics Business Office folder. A signature page must be given to the Athletics business office no more than 5 days after return to campus. E. P-card Regulations Use the Pcard whenever possible when purchasing supplies. When Pcard is not available, staff members may purchase supplies with their personal credit card, but must present tax exempt card to cashier. No reimbursement will be made for any sales tax paid in the state of Georgia. Pcard allowable uses: 1. Supplies – tax exempt 2. Flights for staff members or recruits 3. Memberships or registrations 4. Hotel rooms for athletes/volunteers/athletic trainers F. Hotels Coaches’ selection of accommodations should be the most economical lodging available consistent with the purpose of travel. When staying in the state of Georgia, make sure the hotel is provided with both the sales tax exempt form and the hotel tax exempt form (these forms can be found on the server in the Athletics Business Office folder). There are 3 options for payment for hotels while traveling with a team: a) The Head coach can choose to pay for all of the rooms on his/her personal credit card. Upon return from trip, an expense report must be completed along with a payment request and a memo stating the head coach paid for the assistant coach’s hotel room on his/her behalf. b) The Pcard can be used to pay for the hotel rooms for the student athletes,
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL volunteers, athletic trainers, and bus driver. A personal card must be used for the rooms for all GGC staff members.
c) A check request can be submitted 2 weeks in advance, so a check can be hand
delivered to the hotel upon arrival. The hotel must be set up as a vendor for the college before check can be cut by accounting services. In order to set up as a vendor, a W9 must be received from the hotel.
G. Charter Buses Coaches must provide the Athletics Business Manager with away trip departure and arrival dates and times for all road trips when requested. The Athletics Business Manager will get quotes and confirm all trips. Please provide any changes to the Business Office as soon as they are confirmed. VIII.
SPORTS MEDICINE The sports medicine staff works in a cooperative effort with health-care providers and student-athletes to provide quality health care throughout the academic year. The athletic training staff will provide student athletes with the basic health care needs and direct them to the appropriate team physician when referral is necessary. The NAIA rules state that the Office of Athletics is responsible for medical services administered to student-athletes who are injured in a practice or game that was under the Georgia Gwinnett College coaches' supervision. The word "injury" applies only to those ailments that are caused by the participation in a supervised practice or a game. Ailments such as bronchitis, tonsillitis, or influenza are some examples of medical problems for which the Office of Athletics cannot be monetarily responsible. Participation in sports will not cause conditions such as these, and according to NAIA rules we cannot be responsible for costs associated with their remediation. We are permitted to administer medical aid during the student-athlete's competitive season and out-of-season practice, but only for those ailments that are sports related and occur in a A. Health Insurance
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL
All student athletes are required to have a personal insurance policy (that covers intercollegiate athletic injuries). This policy will function as the primary insurance policy for the athlete in the event of an injury. If an athlete has an ailment that is deemed a “medical problem” (i.e. sickness, vaccinations, STDs, etc.) then this insurance policy will be the only insurance policy used by the medical provider for billing. 1. All international student athletes are required to purchase the GGC health plan. 2. If the athlete does not provide proof of medical insurance he/she will not be allow to participate in any athletic activities (including practice, games, weights, conditioning, etc.) until proof of insurance (copy of insurance card front & back) is provided to the head athletic trainer. If the athlete has a change of insurance at any point during the school year, it is the responsibility of the athlete to provide a copy of the new insurance card. Failure to provide the new medical insurance information to the athletic training staff will result in the athlete being responsible for payment of any/all medical bills that he/she may incur if the information is not on file. 3. In the event an athletic related injury occurs, GGC Athletics has a secondary insurance policy that will pay any bills not covered by the athlete’s primary insurance. All bills received after an athletic injury should be brought to the attention of the head athletic trainer for submission to the secondary insurance company for billing. 4. How Student-Athletes Apply for International Insurance Waivers a. Contact the insurance company (from home country) and make sure the policy covers injuries/illnesses that occur in intercollegiate athletes with a minimum of $5000 of coverage per incident. b. Make sure the coverage is from Aug. 1st – Dec 31st of the calendar year if applying for the waiver in the fall. Be certain the coverage is from Jan. 1st – July 31st if applying for the waiver in the spring/summer.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL c. Request a Certificate of Insurance from the insurance company stating the above mentioned coverage. d. After completing the online waiver, the student athlete must fill out the Health Insurance Waiver Application Form. (This can be obtained from the GGC Office of Internationalization). 5. Once the above steps are completed, the following documents need to be submitted to the Head Athletic Trainer: a. Completed Health Insurance Waiver Application Form b. Certificate of Insurance c. Copy of current insurance card d. Contact information for an English speaking person/department for the insurance company 6. After all the above have been presented to the Head Athletic Training, they will review the policy and send to GGC Office of Athletics Compliance for reimbursement. The reimbursement will be placed on the original form of payment, which may take up to two weeks. B. Medical Bills The following is an account of normal procedures to be followed in the event that medical bills are incurred as a result of athletic participation: a. If the athletic trainer decides that medical referral is indicated due to an athletic injury, an appointment will be made for the student-athlete with the appropriate physician or healthcare provider. The student-athlete will take a referral sheet from the athletic trainer authorizing treatment, as well as the athlete's personal insurance information. Normally, the physician's office staff will use that
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL information to file bills directly with the student’s/parent’s insurance company unless requested otherwise. b. If the athletic trainer decides that the medical referral is due to a non-athletic injury or illness, an appointment will be made for the student-athlete with the appropriate physician or healthcare provider at the student’s request and will not be covered by athletic insurance. 2. After the insurance company reviews the charges (usually 4-6 weeks), they will send to the policyholder an "Explanation of Benefits" (E.O.B.) which details specific amounts that are covered and for which they have issued payments. 3. When the E.O.B. is received by the policyholder, a copy should be taken to the athletic trainer as soon as possible. The athletic trainer will then file claims related to athletic participation with Georgia Gwinnett College athletics insurance. C. Important Points To Remember Athletic injury bills are not paid automatically, and cooperation on everyone's part is necessary in order to minimize confusion and have all bills paid in a timely manner. If any bills have not been paid within 2 months of the injury, the student or parent should check with their insurance company to make sure all necessary documents have been submitted, and that payment is being considered. Bills submitted to Georgia Gwinnett College insurance more than 52 weeks after the date of injury, will not be considered for payment, and will become the full responsibility of the athlete and/or parents. Georgia Gwinnett College insurance covers only athletic injuries received while participating on behalf of Georgia Gwinnett College. Any injury or illness outside of supervised athletic participation will be the responsibility of the individual student-athlete. Only charges for medical services that have been pre-approved by the Head Athletic Trainer will be submitted for payment. D. Physical Examination All athletes must have an approved physical examination rendered by a licensed M.D. prior to any athletic participation at Georgia Gwinnett College. The orthopedic portion of the examination must be rendered by the Georgia Gwinnett College team physician. All
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL potential athletes will be provided an opportunity for a complete physical examination, performed by the medical staff at no charge; however, this must be completed at the assigned date and time. Otherwise a charge for the examination will be incurred which will be the responsibility of the student-athlete. Should the pre-participation examination reveal a need for medical history, tests, x-rays, treatments or therapy etc. in order to clear an athlete for participation, Georgia Gwinnett College cannot be responsible for any charges incurred. If for any reason there should be any question regarding physical qualifications for competition, the team physician will be charged with making the final decision as to when, or if a prospective student-athlete is physically suitable for participation. E. Training Room The purpose of the Athletic Training Room and its staff is to provide for the prevention, care, treatment and rehabilitation of athletically related injuries for all student-athletes. All training room rules and procedures are formulated to serve athletes in the best possible manner, while allowing them to receive the best care available. Outlined here are general guidelines to be followed in the event injuries occur. Specific procedures regarding training room usage will be posted in the training room. Training room usage is a privilege that can be revoked if all procedures are not followed. F. Injury Reporting Procedures If a student-athlete receives any injury as a result of participation in a supervised practice or contest, it should be reported immediately to the athletics training staff so that a thorough evaluation can be made. Some injuries may be unnoticed until after training room hours. If that happens, injuries should be reported to the training staff as early as possible the following day. Early intervention into the injury process can yield an early return, while the opposite can also be true. Medical bills incurred for athletic injuries that have not been reported in a timely manner will become the responsibility of the studentathlete. The training staff maintains and documents reports regarding illnesses, injuries, evaluations and progress notes for each student-athlete. The training staff makes
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL decisions regarding activity restrictions and communicates those restrictions to coaches and players daily. G. Injury The athletic training staff, in conjunction with the team physician, is responsible for judgments regarding the amount and type of participation in which an athlete may engage. All medical referrals and other treatments must be coordinated and approved in advance by the athletic training staff. Only the athletic training staff is authorized to arrange the necessary appointments with consulting physicians. Even though an athlete may be injured, practice sessions must be attended unless released by both the coach and head athletic trainer. H. Treatment & Rehabilitation Programs All treatment and rehabilitation activities will be supervised by the athletic training staff and team physician. In order for an athlete to return from an injury as quickly and safely as possible, it may be necessary that they receive treatment one to two times daily. The training staff will provide regular information to the coaching staff regarding the progress of student-athletes, as well as compliance with treatment and rehabilitation regimens. Coaches and trainers generally view missed appointments, tardiness, or non-compliance with treatment regimens in an unfavorable manner. Coaches will be notified each time that an athlete is late or absent from treatment or rehabilitation sessions. All student athletes are expected to be at morning treatments between 7am – 10:30am daily if they are going to miss any/all of practice. I. Medical Second-Opinion (Medical Referral) The sports medicine staff realizes the importance of an athlete feeling comfortable when dealing with a health care specialist. If a second opinion is in order, or if an insurance company dictates that a second opinion be sought, the head athletic trainer will arrange an appointment with a second physician as soon as possible. Bills incurred for examination by the second physician will be dealt with in the same manner as charges from the team physician. Should the student-athlete or family members prefer to seek medical care from other specialists the following guidelines will be followed:
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL 1. Georgia Gwinnett College will not be compelled to: a. Assume financial responsibility for any charges incurred b. Render any follow-up medical care c. Allow the student-athlete to participate until the following conditions have been met: i. Received a detailed written report from the attending healthcare provider that releases the student-athlete to participate. ii. Passed a pre-participation physical examination by the team physician and athletics training staff; and iii. Demonstrated full skills and other physical capabilities necessary for full participation in the particular sport as approved by the athletics training staff. J. Concussion Management Plan Information will be disseminated and all student athletes will be baseline ImPACT tested upon their arrival to GGC. In the event that a concussion is suspected, a full clinical evaluation will be administered by the certified athletic trainer. Patient education will be given on best practices to promote the safest and quickest return to play. As part of the evaluation and management process, the athlete will take a post-concussion ImPACT test (typically 24-72 hours post injury). The athletic trainer will refer and utilize other medical providers and concussion specialist when applicable. Return to play rehab will begin as soon as safely possible for the injured student athlete. All concussions will be handled on a case by case basis and will be managed in conjunction with the Concussion Institute at Gwinnett Medical Center. IX.
OFFICE OF ATHLETICS EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN A. Lightening Procedure
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Lightning is a dangerous phenomenon. Athletic teams that practice and compete outdoors are at risk when the weather is inclement. The Athletic Training staff has developed a lightning safety policy to minimize the risk of injury from a lightning strike to Georgia Gwinnett College athletes, coaches, support staff and the fans. To monitor lightning the Athletic Training staff will utilize both the Flash-Bang method and a Lightning Detection system. Our policy is in accordance with the NCAA recommendations regarding lightning safety. 1. General Policy: A member of the certified Athletic Training Staff will monitor the weather and make the decision to suspend activity in the event of imminent lightning. In the absence of the Athletic Training Staff, the monitoring of weather conditions is the responsibility of the coaching staff in coordination with the Athletic Facility and Event Manager. 2. The Decision to Suspend Athletic Activity Is Based upon: Baseball and Softball: strike at the 12 mile mark allows time to tarp the fields and seek shelter safely. Any strike within a 6 mile radius will suspend activity and result in seeking safe shelter for all sports. Tarping the Fields: If a storm is approaching, the Athletic Training Staff will notify the coaches/umpire when lightning is within the 30 mile mark warning range. If it is decided to tarp the field, it needs to be started no later than when lightning is detected at the 12 mile mark. Tarping must be completed prior to lightning reaching the 6 mile mark. Once Lightning hits the 6 mile mark then all spectators and athletes will be required to exit fields and stadium. a. Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Tennis: Seek shelter when lightning occurs within the 12 mile mark allowing for evacuation to shelter by the 6 mile mark. 3. Utilization of the Flash-Bang method revealing lightning within 6 miles (a 30 second or less count between the flash of lightning and the bang of thunder). Prior to Competition: A member of the Athletic Training staff or Event Management Staff will greet the officials, explain that we have a means to monitor the lightning,
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL and offer to notify the officials during the game if there is imminent danger from the lightning. Announcement of Suspension of Activity: Once it is determined that there is danger of a lightning strike, the Athletic Training staff member will notify the head coach and or official and subsequently (via horn/whistle, or verbally) summon athletes from the playing field or court. Evacuation of The Playing Field: Immediately following the announcement of suspension of activity all, athletes, coaches, officials and support personnel are to evacuate to an enclosed grounded structure. If you are unable to reach shelter immediately, seek a flat area (do not choose an open area where you will be the highest object) or a ditch without water, crouch down wrapping your arms around your knees, lower your head and wait for the storm to pass. Remember: an automobile, golf cart, or open shelter may not protect you from a lightning strike so these are not adequate shelters. B. Event at GGC 1. Tennis Match or Practice: Evacuate to Tennis Complex and into inside hallway and weight room 2. Softball Game or Practice: Evacuate to G Building (Varsity Athletic Complex) 1st floor hallway 3. Baseball Game or Practice: Evacuate to G Building (Varsity Athletic Complex) 1st floor hallway 4. Soccer Game or Practice: Evacuate to G Building (Varsity Athletic Complex) 1st floor hallway *Athletes should not stand in groups or near a single tree or light pole. There should be 15 ft. between athletes. (NLSI, 2000)
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C. Away Events A member of the Athletic Training Staff will discuss emergency procedures and emergency shelter with the home team athletic trainer and report this information to the coaches and team. D. Evacuation of The Stands During a competition once the official signals to suspend activity, a member of the Sports Information staff will announce via the PA system: 1) Fans are advised to immediately seek shelter in an enclosed grounded shelter, 2) REMEMBER: an automobile, golf cart, or open-sided shelter may not protect you from a lightning strike so these are not adequate shelters. E. Resumption of Activity Activity may resume once a member of the Athletic Training staff gives permission. This decision will be based on: 30 minutes has passed after the last lightning strike within the 6 mile suspension radius. F. Other Lightning Safety Tips 1. There should be no contact with metal objects (bleachers, fences, bats) 2. Standing under trees and standing in a group should be avoided. 3. If there is no other shelter you may seek refuge in a hardtop vehicle. It is not the rubber tires that protect from lightning; it is the hard top metal roof that dissipates the lightning around the vehicle. (NCAA, 1999) 4. The existence of blue skies and/or absence of rain are not protection from lightning. 5. Lightning can strike 10 miles from the rain shaft. (NCAA, 1999) 6. Do not lie flat on the ground
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7. Avoid using a land line telephone. 8. Persons who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge, therefore you can provide care. CPR is what is most often required. Be sure to move the victim to a safe location. 9. If in a forest, seek shelter in a low area under a thick grove of small trees. 10. ⅓ rule: ⅓ of strikes occur before the storm, ⅓ during the storm, ⅓ after the storm. 11. 80% of lightning victims are male. 12. ⅔ of strikes occur between 12 noon and 6 p.m., and the months of June through August. 13. An inadequate shelter (not grounded) is worse than being out in the open. G. Script for Conversation with Official “Hello, my name is ______________ I am a member of the Georgia Gwinnett Athletic Training Staff. I would like to speak with you regarding our lightning safety procedures. On site we have a lightning detection system. GGC’s policy is to seek safe shelter by the time lightning reaches a 6 mile radius and/or 12 miles for baseball/softball in order to tarp fields. For Men’s Soccer and Women’s Soccer evacuation will begin at 12 miles to allow time to seek safe shelter.” H. Directions for Lightning Safety 1. Prior to practice or competition, monitor weather forecast to include calling local agencies for up to date information. 2. Monitor the weather for the following: sudden decrease in temperature, increase in air movement, sudden increase in humidity, visible dark clouds (though these do not have to be present for a lightning strike to occur)
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL 3. Communicate with officials and/or head coach prior to activity about potential for bad weather and our monitoring system. 4. Once you have determined that there is imminent danger of a lightning strike, communicate to the head coach and/or head official. 5. Evacuate the field and stands to an enclosed-grounded building. REMEMBER, a golf cart, automobile, or open shelter does not provide protection from a lightning strike. 6. If there is no available shelter IE, soccer, each individual should see an area that is flat and in the open. Crouch down wrapping your arms around your knees and remain in that position until the danger of lightning has passed. 7. Activity may be resumed only IF the danger of a lightning strike is no longer present. 8. This decision to resume activity is to be made by a member of the Athletic Training Staff. I. FLASH – BANG Lightning Detection Method 1. This method of lightning detection should be used in conjunction with the Lightning detector. 2. Prior to practice or competition, monitor weather forecast to include calling local agencies for up to date information. 3. Watch for the flash of lightning. 4. Begin to count (one, one thousand, two one thousand . . . . 5. Stop counting when you hear the bang of thunder. 6. Take this number and divide by 5. This will give you an approximation of how far away the lightning is (5 seconds = 1 mile). EXAMPLE: You see a flash of lightning and you begin to count. You reach 45 before you hear the bang of thunder. 45á5 = 9. The lightning would be approximately 9 miles away. Using this method you would suspend activity with lightning at or within 6 miles.
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7. Activity is resumed with the permission of a member of the Athletic Training Staff 30 minutes after the last lightning detected at or within 10 miles. 8. A condensed version of this method should be located where athletes using the facility without supervision of a coach, athletic trainer, etc. can monitor the lightning for themselves and evacuate to shelter. 9. Lightning Detection Procedures for Athletes during Non-Supervised Activities Examples: Athletes using facilities in the off season, or outside of regular practice hours 10. Lightning is a dangerous phenomenon. Athletic teams that practice and compete outdoors are at risk when the weather is inclement. The safest measure to take is to proceed indoors whenever you see thunderclouds forming and remain until the storm passes. Just because you cannot see lightning does not mean you are not at risk if you are outdoors. Other warning signs of impending bad weather include: sudden decrease in temperature, sudden change in humidity, increase in air movement, and visible dark storm clouds (though these are not always present during a lightning strike). 11. The Athletic Training staff has a lightning detection policy in place for practices and games; however, we are aware that athletes often use GGC’s athletic facilities when there is no supervision from the coaches. In the event athletes are using the facilities without supervision, the Athletic Training staff would like to educate you and encourage you to use FLASH-BANG method to monitor the proximity of the lightning. THE FLASH-BANG Method is an approximation of the distance of the lightning. NO METHOD OF LIGHTNING DETECTION CAN DETECT EVERY STRIKE. 12. *The National Severe Storms Laboratory recommends that by the time the spotter obtains a “flash-to-bang” count of fifteen seconds, all individuals should have left the athletic site and reached “safe shelter. J. PA Announcement During Inclement Weather “May I have your attention? We have been notified of approaching inclement weather. Activity will cease until we have determined it is safe and the risk of lightning is
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL diminished. We advise you to seek shelter in the following areas.” K. Event at GGC 1. Tennis Match : Evacuate to Tennis Complex and seek cover in interior halls and weight room 2. Softball Game: Evacuate to G Building (Varsity Athletic Complex) or to your vehicle 3. For a tornado, seek shelter in the Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer locker rooms and interior hallway. 4. Baseball Game: Evacuate to G Building (Varsity Athletic Complex) or to your vehicle 5. For a tornado, seek shelter in the Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer locker rooms and the 1st Floor interior hallway. 6. Soccer Match: Evacuate to G Building (Varsity Athletic Complex) or to your vehicle 7. For a tornado, seek shelter in the Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer locker rooms and the 1st floor interior hallway. 8. Though protection from lightning is not guaranteed, you may seek shelter in an automobile. L. EAP - Men’s & Women’s Soccer Fields 1. Emergency Personnel A certified athletic trainer is on-site for all practices and competitive events. Student athletic trainers may be present when supervised by a certified athletic trainer. 2. Emergency Communication: Cell phones provided by the certified athletic trainers or coaches. 3. Emergency Equipment First aid supplies (athletic trainer’s kit, biohazard bags, vacuum splints, crutches,
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL immobilizers, and braces). The crutches, braces, and immobilizers can be found in the athletic training room located in either Varsity Athletic Complex or behind home team bench. Epipens are located in the training room, or in the athletic trainer’s kit. One of automatic defibrillators is located in the athletic training room in the Varsity Athletic Complex, in the Assistant Athletic Trainers office. A second automatic defibrillator will be located on site at each athletic event. 4. Storm Safety Location In the event of lightening or severe thunderstorm warnings, move all individuals to the lobby of the G building complex until weather permits returning to the field. The shed located at the men’s soccer field is not a storm safety location. Visiting teams may utilize their buses or vehicles until weather permits returning to the field. In the event of a campus lock down during an athletic event due to criminal activity, all athletes are to report to the Varsity Athletics complex 1st Floor hallway until the all clear signal is given by Campus Safety or another college official. 5. Roles of Emergency Care Team Members a) Immediate care/assessment of injured/ill student-athlete. b) Emergency equipment retrieval (appropriate for the emergency) c) Activate the emergency medical system by calling 911 first and then the Office of Public Safety at 5333 or 678-407-5333. d) Identify yourself and your role in the emergency. e) Specify the location and telephone number you are calling from f) Give name of injured individual and approximate age. g) Give the condition of the victim h) Give an approximate time of the incident/accident i) Tell the care that is being provided j) Give specific directions to the soccer field: From 316 go North on Collins Hill Road. At the campus main entrance turn LEFT on University Center Lane then an immediate RIGHT on Lonnie Harvel Blvd. past the Baseball field. EMS will use the access road down the left field line of the Softball field to the soccer field round about. k) Open appropriate gates (gate is located on the back side of the soccer fields where Ambulance enters)
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL l) Assign an individual (a coach, assistant coach, student trainer, other member of the team) to “flag down” EMS and direct them to the scene.
M. Emergency Phone Numbers: EMERGENCY NUMBER: 911 CAMPUS POLICE: 678-407-5333 TEAM PHYSICIAN: Dr. Gary Levengood – 770-846-0607 SPORTS MEDICINE STAFF: Harris Patel, PA-C, ATC – 678-471-7909 Lindsey Garrison, PA-C – 678-614-6476 Diana Dean, PA-C – 770-363-3151 *James Williams, ATC – 678-989-9770 *Joe Mosher, ATC – 845-392-5824 Shira Williams, ATC – 251-545-5236 ATHLETIC TRAINING ROOM: 678-407-5262 *Denotes staff member most likely at this location N. EAP - Baseball and Softball Fields 1. Emergency Personnel A certified athletic trainer is on-site for all practices and competitive events. Student athletic trainers may be present when supervised by a certified athletic trainer. 2. Emergency Communication Cell phones provided by the certified athletic trainers or coaches will be used. 3. Emergency Equipment First aid supplies (athletic trainer’s kit, biohazard bags, vacuum splints, crutches, immobilizers, and braces). The crutches, braces, and immobilizers can be found in the athletic training room located in the GGC Varsity Athletic Complex or in the home dugout.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL Epipens are located in the training room, or in the athletic trainer’s kit. One of automatic defibrillators is located in the athletic training room in the Varsity Athletic Complex, in the Assistant Athletic Trainers office. A second automatic defibrillator will be located on site at each athletic event. 4. Roles of Emergency Care Team Members a. Immediate care/assessment of injured/ill student-athlete. i. Emergency equipment retrieval (appropriate for the emergency) ii. Activate the emergency medical system by calling 911 first and then the Office of Public Safety at 5333 or 678-407-5333. b. Identify yourself and your role in the emergency. c. Specify the location and telephone number you are calling from d. Give name of injured individual and approximate age. e. Give the condition of the victim f. Give an approximate time of the incident/accident g. Tell the care that is being provided h. Give specific directions to the baseball/softball field i. 1030 Collins Hill Road. Enter the parking lot and then park by the entrance of the building. The baseball field exit will be the leftfield gate and the softball field exit will be the right field gate. ii. Assign an individual (a coach, assistant coach, student trainer, other member of the team) to “flag down” EMS and direct them to the scene. 5. Storm Safety Location In the event of lightening or severe thunderstorm warnings, move all individuals to the Varsity Athletic Complex. Dugouts are not considered a safe location during severe weather. Visiting team may seek shelter on their bus until weather permits returning to the field. In the event of a campus lock down due to criminal activity during an athletic event, all athletes are to report to the 1st level hallway in the Varsity Athletic Complex by the baseball and softball locker rooms until the all clear signal is given. Athletes are not to attempt to enter campus or return to their dorms. O. EAP - GGC Tennis Facility 1. Emergency Personnel
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A certified athletic trainer is on-site for all practices and competitive events. Student athletic trainers may be present when supervised by a certified athletic trainer. 2. Emergency Communication Cell phones provided by the certified athletic trainers or coaches will be used. 3. Emergency Equipment First aid supplies (athletic trainer’s kit, biohazard bags, vacuum splints, crutches, immobilizers, and braces). The crutches, braces, and immobilizers can be found in the athletic training room located in the Varsity Athletic Complex or the Tennis complex. Epipens are located in the training room, or in the athletic trainer’s kit. One of automatic defibrillators is located in the athletic training room in the Varsity Athletic Complex, in the Assistant Athletic Trainers office. A second automatic defibrillator will be located on site at each athletic event. 4. Roles Of Emergency Care Team Members a. Immediate care/assessment of injured/ill student-athlete. b. Emergency equipment retrieval (appropriate for the emergency) c. Activate the emergency medical system by calling 911 first and then the Office of Public Safety at 5333 or 678-407-5333. d. Identify yourself and your role in the emergency. e. Specify the location and telephone number you are calling from f. Give name of injured individual and approximate age. g. Give the condition of the victim h. Give an approximate time of the incident/accident i. Tell the care that is being provided j. Give specific directions to the Tennis Courts: i. 100 Countryside Place, Lawrenceville, GA-Drive North on Collins Hill Road and 1.0 mile past the Varsity Athletic Complex and the Tennis Courts are located on the left side of the road. k. Assign an individual (a coach, assistant coach, student trainer, other member of the team) to “flag down” EMS and direct them to the scene.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL 5. Storm Safety Location In the event of severe weather or lightening, evacuate all athletes and coaches to the Tennis Complex building until weather permits returning to the Tennis Courts. Visiting teams may choose to take shelter on their bus or in their vehicles until weather permits return to activity. In the event of a campus lock down due to criminal activity during an athletic event, all athletes are to report to the weight room in the Tennis Complex until the all clear signal is given by campus security or another college official. X.
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
A. Weight Room 1. Hours of operation 7am – 5pm Monday thru Friday during fall and spring semesters. Summer and winter break hours will be altered. Should your team need to lift at a different time, please schedule an appointment with the athletic training staff. 2. Scheduling a. In-season sports have priority on team lift times and a coach MUST BE present. b. There will be no free lifting if a team lift is scheduled. c. If you need to change your team’s lifting time, you must provide at least 24 hours’ notice to the Strength and Conditioning Coach or to the Head Athletic Trainer to prevent schedule conflicts. d. Weight room privileges will be revoked should your team not follow posted weight room rules. 3. Apparel
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Only Grizzly Athletics apparel may be worn in the weight room. Any other items of clothing (i.e. other college, high school, or professional attire) will not be permitted. 4. Music Music in the weight room should be kept at a respectful level at all times. With permission from the strength and conditioning coach, a student may use his or her iPod, cell phone, etc. to play music. Music with vulgar or offensive words/language will not be permitted and will result in loss of radio privileges. 5. Cleanliness and Maintenance Once the workout is completed, all benches/mats/etc. that were used during the workout session, must be wiped down using the disinfectant spray. Additionally, all equipment used during the session must be placed back in its original spot. XI.
CAMPS AND CLINICS Refer to the Georgia Gwinnett College Camp Guidelines and Procedures Manual.
XII.
GRIZZLY ATHLETICS COMPLEX (FACILITIES AND GROUNDS) A. Playing Fields and Game Days 1. Coach’s responsibility: To schedule all competition and practice dates and times (soccer field use is coordinated between the Men’s and Women’s Soccer head coaches), and have approved by the Athletics facilities staff. Any changes after schedules have been set should be submitted to Operations Manager to avoid any conflicts with rental groups. 2. Operations responsibility: a. Dates & times will be reserved on the calendar. b. All playing surfaces and surrounding area will be prepared by Facility Operations/ Grounds Manager for practices and game days.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL c. All visiting teams will be hosted by Operations manager which will include greeting, parking vehicle, arranging dressing rooms and shower facility. d. Transporting officials to and from field e. Acting as or securing a game administrator B. Golf Carts 1. Coach or Staff responsibility: a. Only Athletics/Events staff may operate golf carts. b. Usage must be coordinated through the Operations Manager. Reservations will be posted to the Athletics calendar. It is generally accepted that each soccer coach will use a cart to get down to practice which should allow for one cart for use at the main building at all times. Should the need for alternate plans arise, the Operations Manager will work out those details. c. After usage, golf carts must be returned to the golf cart shed and parked in the appropriate space. The key should be turned off, left in the ignition, and the cart should be connected to a battery charger. C. Lockers All coaches will assign individual lockers to their team in their respective locker rooms. The Operations Manager will keep a master copy of all combinations should the coach or player need the combination. D. Outside Groups All requests for use of GGC athletic facilities or fields by outside or rental groups should be directed to the Operations Manager to avoid any schedule conflicts. This will also ensure that we have a contact name and valid copies of a team’s insurance. These dates will then be posted on the Athletics calendar. Unauthorized persons are not allowed to utilize GGC playing fields.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL E. Team Equipment It is understood that all teams will be responsible for their own equipment which will include uniforms, game equipment (bats, balls etc.) and field equipment. All teams are responsible for storage and inventory of all their equipment. Coaches should contact other coaches if there is a need to borrow a piece of equipment. F. Laundry All coaches are responsible to assign managers or players to do laundry for their respective teams. If there is a need for any training or there is a problem with the washers or dryers the Operations Manager should be contacted. The Operations Manager will be responsible for ordering detergent and bleach as needed. No one should ever put another teams game uniforms in a dryer without first checking with a coach from that team. If in doubt contact the Operations Manager. G. Repairs or Cleaning Any necessary repairs or cleaning in the athletics building should be reported to the Operations Manager. This could include things like lights being out or carpets needing cleaning. The Operations Manager will then contact Sodexo to come and fix the issue. If there is any problem with day to day regular cleaning please communicate this to the Operations Manager who will then make any requests known to the cleaning staff. H. Team Meeting Rooms All requests for Team Meeting rooms must be requested through the Operations Manager. These requests will be placed on the athletic internal calendar to avoid any duplication. I. Lessons Any coach or assistant coach providing lessons to outside students should request time and space from the Operations Manager. All lessons should be cleared through the head coach.
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GGC OFFICE OF ATHLETICS STAFF MANUAL J. Concessions/Bookstore The Operations manager will act as the liaison with concessions and the GGC bookstore (game day merchandise). Any event outside the regular intercollegiate schedule that a coach would like to have concessions at should be requested through the Operations Manager. No incoming group should sell their own concessions without Aramark (concessions) having the first right of refusal.
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ATHLETICS STAFF SIGNATURE FORM I, the undersigned Georgia Gwinnet College Athletics staff member, have read and understood all of the information contained in this 2018-2019 Athletics Staff Handbook. By signing this form, I understand and agree to abide by the rules and regulations set forth by this handbook.
_______________________________________ STAFF MEMBER NAME (PRINT)
_______________________________________ STAFF MEMBER SIGNATURE
_______________________________ DATE
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