Ashtabula Area City Schools

 

The Ashtabula Area City Schools support the philosophy that a quality interscholastic athletic program is vital to the positive social, physical, and educational development of students. The interscholastic athletic program enhances and supports the academic mission of the school system. We are committed to promoting the proper ideal of sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and fair play at all athletic contests. We support high standards of good citizenship and propriety, along with regard for the rights of others. Furthermore, we support diversification over specialization regarding interscholastic participation by student-athletes.

 

The Athletic Administration, coaches, and players will perpetually work together on a plan of continual improvement for playing excellence that will produce winning teams within the bounds of good sportsmanship.

 

Participation in interscholastic sports is a voluntary privilege. Such participation will always be based on healthy competition between team members for starting positions and playing time. An attitude of entitlement, on the part of any team member, has absolutely no place in any of our athletic programs.

 

All interscholastic sports in the Ashtabula Area City Schools are team sports. Consequently, while our various programs will continually stress individual development, it will always be within the framework and emphasis on the Team. Each time participants step into a school or onto the practice field and anytime they participate in a contest they are expected to represent themselves, family, team, school, and community in a responsible, sportsmanlike manner.

 

Interscholastic sports in the Ashtabula Area City Schools are meant to develop character, sportsmanship, self-confidence, teamwork, unselfishness, responsibility, leadership, competitive spirit, decision- making, and physical skills through the processes of hard work, commitment, and loyalty. Below is a brief synopsis of each of the aforementioned qualities:

 

Character: strong-minded, ability to deal with adversity, disciplined, a strong work ethic; portrays moral and ethical strength

 

Sportsmanship: being graceful in both victory and defeat, constantly mindful of team, school, and community representation

 

Self-Confidence: the side-effect of hard work, attentiveness, and learning; competence

 

Teamwork: the sense of togetherness, unity, acceptance, and trust

 

Unselfishness: to give of oneself, to sacrifice in an attempt to come to the aid of others

 

Responsibility: taking care of business; fulfilling one’s duties and obligations while accepting the consequences of individual mistakes without blaming others; finishing what one starts

 

Leadership: being self-aware and acknowledging the fact that the very nature of interscholastic competition draws attention to oneself; the ability to set a positive example for others to follow

 

Competitive Spirit: relentlessness, resilience, faith, and a positive attitude; the drive to succeed

 

Decision Making: thinking before acting; weighing the consequences of actions before taking action; the awareness of right and wrong

 

Physical Skills: strength, power, agility, coordination, balance, speed, and endurance