Athletic Handbook
Athletic Philosophy
The
goal of the athletic program at Lincoln School is to develop students' physical
skills, enhance self-esteem, encourage team and individual accomplishments, and
instill sportsmanship and the spirit of fair play. The school feels strongly
that healthy competition and cooperation in sports not only benefits a girls'
physical development, but influences her academic life by teaching her to set
realistic goals, exercise discipline, and develop time management skills.
While
the athletic program seeks to include every student who wishes to participate
in a team sport, limitations in facilities and staffing mean that some teams
will be forced to make cuts at the beginning of the season.
Code of Sportsmanship
Students
Lincoln
School student athletes are expected to live up to a high standard of
sportsmanship established by the school, leagues and coaches. Lincoln School
expects all of its athletes, coaches and spectators to behave in a
sportsmanlike manner at all contests. All opponents and officials should be
treated with respect and all athletes should accept seriously the privilege of
representing the school and the Lincoln community.
Parents
Parents
are expected to maintain a manner of conduct which supports the standard for sportsmanship
within our community.
Program Offerings
Lincoln
School offers students in Grades 9-12 the opportunity for team participation in
the following nine interscholastic sports:
Fall
| Winter
| Spring |
| Cross
Country | Basketball | Crew |
| Field
Hockey | Squash | Lacrosse |
Tennis
|
Swimming | |
Soccer
| | |
The
school is a member of the Southeastern New England Independent Schools Athletic
Association, The Rhode Island Interscholastic League, and The New England Prep
School League.
Student Load and Overlap
A
student may only participate on one school team during each of three seasons.
League rules prohibit the school from organizing practices, training sessions,
or competitions in the same sport for more than one season. Lincoln School
depends on our athletes participating on several different teams throughout the
year; however, it is important that our students find the proper balance
between their academic requirements and their commitment of time and energy to
the athletic program.
Participation
on an athletic team releases the student from Physical Education class that
semester, and fulfills the state Physical Education requirement. A student who
participates on an athletic team receives physical education credit on her
transcript.
Students
who participate in sports can expect at least one week off between the end of
an athletic season and the start of the next season or their re-entry into the
Physical Education program.
Independent Athletic Program
A
student, who is involved in a year-round sport outside of Lincoln School, may
petition the Physical Education Department for course credit.
Special
exemption from participating in athletics and receiving Physical Education
class credit is granted on an individual basis to the student who is
participating in a competitive or performance-based sport not offered at
Lincoln School. The student must
be training a minimum of eight hours a week and be supervised by a coach who
submits a written end-of-the-season report.
Levels of Participation and
Time Commitment
Of
the nine varsity sports that we offer at Lincoln School, several also offer
competition at the junior varsity level. Being selected as a member of the team
means that you should be willing to fill the role that most benefits the team
as a whole.
Upper
School students are eligible for selection to the varsity squad. Varsity teams
are very competitive and play to win. Varsity teams and starting lineups are
selected on the basis of a variety of factors, including skill, motivation,
experience, potential, and attitude. The starting line-up is the result of a
well-coordinated process including the coaching staff's close practice and game
observations, both over the long term and during recent practices. There are no
other people better informed to make the selection for the starting line-up.
Similarly, the amount of playing time for each team member is a function of the
coach's assessment of both a player's skill level and what skills are needed to
effectively respond to the opposing team's strengths and weaknesses.
Players
on the junior varsity teams should expect to have considerable playing time in
games, provided they have met expectations with respect to practice and
attendance, have developed an acceptable level of skill for competition, and
have demonstrated that they can compete safely.
Length of Season
The
length of the season for varsity teams from pre-season to the end of regular
season play varies from ten to twelve weeks. If the team qualifies for post
season tournament play, the season could be extended for an additional one to
two weeks.
| Fall | August
to November |
| Winter | November
to February |
| Spring | March
to May
|
Schedules
Schedules
of practices and games will be issued to all athletes at the beginning of each
season. Updates and changes to the
schedule will be available daily on the athletic line at extension 2 and at
www.lincolnschool.org.
Practice and Game Commitment
Lincoln
School expects total commitment to its teams. Students must be at all practices
and contests. If a conflict arises, the student-athlete must communicate
directly with the coach well in advance of the practice or contest. Students
and parents should carefully review their family's schedule before committing to
participating on an athletic team.
College visits, appointments, and vacations should be reviewed before a
student makes a decision to participate. Failure to attend practices and games
on a regular basis may result in suspension from games or from the team. In
order to be eligible to participate in any athletic activities, a student must
be in school by 10 a.m.
Upper
school teams practice five days a week for approximately 2-21/2 hours per
day. Pre-season
practice during non-school days can range up to four hours per day.
Non-School Competition
If
a conflict arises between Lincoln School team practice/competition and an
out-of-school practice/competition on the same day, the Lincoln School team
practice/competition must be honored by the student athlete.
Pre-Season or Captain's
Practices
In
accordance to the rules and regulations of the leagues in which Lincoln School
competes no pre-season or "Captain's" practices may be held before the official
starting dates of the season. Lincoln School does not authorize such practices
and discourages students from organizing them. Lincoln School's athletic
facilities and equipment are not made available until the official starting
date of the season.
Eligibility
A
student's participation in athletics constitutes one aspect of her whole
experience at Lincoln School. The student-athlete is expected to contribute to
all areas of the community in positive and constructive ways. If her behavior,
attitude, academic work, or respect for school rules should for any reason come
under review, then her eligibility for athletics will also be subject to
reconsideration.
In
order to participate in athletics, a student must submit the following forms:
- Health form (required)
- League eligibility form (when required)
- Assumption of risk form (when required)
No
student may participate in tryouts, practices or games without having submitted
the appropriate documentation.
Expectations of the Athletes
Lincoln
School athletes serve as highly visible representatives of the community, both
at athletic contests and outside of school hours. It is expected that each
Lincoln School athlete will conduct herself according to the guidelines set
forth in the Student Handbook. If her behavior violates these guidelines, her
eligibility for participation in athletics will be reviewed. In the most
serious cases, violating these guidelines may result in suspension or expulsion
from the school.
Uniforms
The
Athletic Department issues uniforms/equipment to all members of interscholastic
teams. These uniforms/equipment
are to be cared for by each student and returned cleaned and in good condition
promptly at the end of each season. Parents of athletes who do not return their
uniforms/equipment will be billed for the cost of replacement.
Graphic Identity
Lincoln
School logos, lettering and graphics is the exclusive property of the school
and may not be duplicated or used for any purpose without the written
permission of the Director of Operational Affairs.
Transportation
Students
are expected to travel to all practices and games in transportation provided by
Lincoln School. The only exceptions are made for licensed seniors and juniors
who with parent permission may travel by themselves to practices. No other arrangements may occur
without specific permission from the Athletic Director or Upper School
Principal.
Returning to Campus
All
student athletes returning to school after practices and games are to wait in
the dining room for their transportation to arrive.
Athletic Training
All
student athletes must have on file a current year medical form in order to
participate in any practices or games. If there has been an injury or apparent
change in the athlete's health, the athletic trainer may request an updated
health form from the students physician. If a student is injured, she should
report the injury immediately to the athletic trainer. The athletic trainer
will evaluate the injury to determine a course of action. The athletic trainer
will then contact the parents of the athlete to discuss the injury. If an
athlete needs emergency treatment, first aid will be administered and the
parents will be contacted as soon as possible.
Any
athlete who has not been able to participate because of an injury or illness
will need to be evaluated by the athletic trainer before resuming
participation.
Registration
Prior
to the start of each season sign-up sheets are posted to allow students to
choose the sport in which they would like to participate. After the completion
of the first week of the season students will not be allowed to join a team.
Students who decide not to continue their participation on a team must report
immediately to the Physical Education Department for class assignment.
Varsity Letters
Players
earn a varsity letter through a high level of participation in interscholastic
competition and an extensive commitment of time and energy to the team. If a
student is dropped from a team for disciplinary reasons during the season, she
may lose her eligibility to earn a varsity letter.
Sport Fees
The
Lincoln School Athletic Department offers a wide variety of choices for
interscholastic sports. Most of our sports are offered either on the Lincoln
campus or at our facility at Faxon Farm. Some programs however, need to be held
at off-campus sites. Specifically, swimming is offered at Fox Point Boy's and
Girls Club, squash at Agawam Hunt Club, and crew at Narragansett Boat Club. If
you choose to participate in one of these sports a fee is charged to your
account and applied toward the cost of renting the facilities.
Sport Offerings
Basketball
Basketball
is offered during the winter season at both the varsity and junior varsity
level of participation. Practices will focus on refining the essential skills
of dribbling, passing shooting and rebounding along with the development of
complex plays and strategies. The game played with five players on the court
from each team is a fast-paced, physically demanding sport. Players must
develop mental and physical quickness and expect to meet a high level of
aerobic fitness. The season is comprised of a 20-game schedule and practices
run five days a week for approximately two hours.
Crew
Girls
interested in crew generally spend their first season as "novices"
learning about the equipment and the basics of rowing through an instructional
program on "the barge" and on a rowing machine. The novice program
begins after March break and continues until the third week in May. In her
second season, a rower competes for a spot on a shell. Over the course of the
season, a rower continues to refine her stroke in coordination with her fellow
rowers, with the ultimate objective being to row altogether as a team of four.
Rowers who demonstrate both ability and strength graduate to the varsity
program. The varsity team races on a weekly basis for six weeks from the middle
of April to the end of May.
Rowing
is a demanding sport that requires the physical attributes of strength,
coordination, and stamina. Rowing also requires commitment to the team,
especially at the varsity level; a shell cannot go on the water unless it has a
full complement of oarswomen, and so each rower must show up for every
practice. Rowing further requires a certain mental fortitude, since practices
are held on the water in all but the most extreme conditions, and rowers must
learn to endure the vagaries of a New England spring - the cold rains of April,
the ever-present winds, and the inevitable first heat wave of the year. At the
same time, the rewards for such effort, dedication, and tolerance of the
weather are considerable. Rowers learn how even the least movement on their
part can affect the "set," or balance of a boat, and thus the stroke
of every other rower. As dedicated members of a team, rowers learn to push
themselves beyond what they may have thought were their limits of strength and
endurance. In the end, rowers learn how individual accountability, effort, and
performance can contribute to a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Coxswains
play an integral role in the crew program. While their number (and size) is
necessarily smaller than that of the rowers, coxes are the coaches' alter egos
in the boat. A cox is responsible not only for steering a shell and making
decisions that affect the entire boat, but also for monitoring each rower's
performance, encouraging the rowers individually and as a group, and helping
each rower fulfill her potential during each practice and race. Above all, a
cox learns to be a leader.
The
Lincoln School crew program conducts its practices on the Seekonk River, with
the Narragansett Boat Club as its home base. Due to the limitations of
equipment, the number of spots on the varsity crew team is restricted to
approximately 10 rowers per squad. Tryouts for those spots are held in the
weeks preceding March break; selection is based on a combination of past
experience, demonstrated ability as a rower, and performance on an erg test (an
erg is a stationary rowing machine). Practices are scheduled from 3:15 to 5:30,
five days per week.
A
sport fee is assessed for this choice.
Cross-Country Running
One
of four sports that are offered in the fall, cross-country is as much of a team
effort as it is an individual sport. Participants are required to be present at
daily practices as well as participate in the varsity races held over a
two-month season. Practices are held at the main campus of Lincoln School,
which is conveniently located next to a three mile jogging path. Daily
practices always start with a warm-up run and may focus on speed, hills or
distance. Time trials are routinely given and discussed so runners may gauge
their own improvement.
Races
take this team all over Southern New England. A typical race day includes a
course walk from the host team and ample time for warming-up. The first five
runners from a team to cross the finish line are considered the scorers.
Field Hockey
Field
hockey is a sport that is played almost exclusively by girls in the United
States, and was one of the first interscholastic sports offered at Lincoln
School. Over the years, the performance of all of our teams has woven a
tapestry of rich tradition within our community. Our teams today continue to
compete at the highest level within the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.
Field
hockey is a fast skill-based game. Whether a beginner or an advanced player, a
player's enjoyment and appreciation for the game will grow as experience and performance
improve. Practice consists of learning the techniques of hitting, passing, and
dodging a ball while using a field hockey stick. Offense and defensive tactics,
plays and strategy will be taught and players will develop and maintain a high
level of aerobic fitness and muscular strength. (It is common for a player
competing at the varsity level to run between 2-4 miles during a 60 minute
game).
Lincoln
School field hockey competes in Division I of the Rhode Island Interscholastic
League at both the varsity and junior varsity level. Pre-season practice begins
in late August and games are scheduled before the start of school in September.
Practices are held five days a week at Faxon Farm and end at approximately
5:15. A typical practice would include a two-mile run, sprints, stick skills,
strategy practice and a full field scrimmage. Varsity and junior varsity games
are played back-to-back making for a longer time commitment on game days.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse
is a fast paced free flowing running game that requires endurance,
coordination, quickness
and speed. Lacrosse is played with a stick, the crosse, which must be mastered
by the player to throw, catch, dodge, carry, and scoop a hard solid rubber
ball. The player must have highly developed eye-hand coordination to play this
aerial game of grace and skill. Unlike men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse does
not allow physical contact between body and or body and stick.
A
lacrosse team consists of eleven field players and a goalkeeper and is played
on a hundred yard long playing field. The game is played in two twenty-five
minute halves.
Lincoln
School offers both varsity and junior varsity lacrosse. Practices are held at
Faxon Farm in Rehoboth and are approximately two hours in length. Busses leave
Lincoln School at 3:00 and return about 5:30. A typical practice would include
a two-mile run, sprints and fitness training, skill drills, practice of
specialty game situations and full field scrimmage. Competition is within the
SENE private school league. Games are usually played back-to-back for varsity
and J.V., making for a longer time commitment on game days.
Soccer
Lincoln's
varsity soccer team competes each fall in the Southeastern New England
Independent Schools Athletic Association league. Pre-season training begins in
late August in preparation for weekly games held from early September through
early November. Five-day a week practices and all home games are held at Faxon
Farm in Rehoboth.
Practice
and training for soccer are essential to individual and team success. The
player who works hard to develop her skills, improve fitness, and learn tactics
will enhance her own enjoyment of soccer and make a positive contribution to
team play. Players are encouraged to work on fitness levels during the summer and
to play soccer whenever possible. Practices during the season focus on skills
development, with an emphasis on ball control and passing, fitness enhancement,
and learning tactical aspects of the game.
The
soccer program at Lincoln School offers players an opportunity to enjoy the
game while developing confidence, decision-making, and leadership skills.
Squash
Squash
has both individual and team components. The squash team consists of a ranked
order of players, called a "ladder." In competitions with other
teams, each player competes against her counterpart on the other team; e.g.,
the number 1 players compete against each other, the number 2 players compete,
and so forth down the ladder. In a team match, the results of the top seven
players on the ladder count; a team wins its match by winning four of seven
individual matches. An individual player wins her match by winning three out of
a possible five games; and an individual player wins a game by scoring 9 points
before her opponent does. Points are earned only when a player is serving.
Although
it is played on the confines of a relatively small court, squash is a
physically exacting sport that requires a high degree of conditioning, speed,
upper-body strength, and hand-eye coordination. In addition to being able to
hit a squash ball with power and accuracy, a player must learn to watch her
opponent's moves and anticipate in a split-second where her opponent's return
shots will end up. A player must also master a variety of shots that will
enable her both to return her opponent's shots as well as move her opponent
around the court. In competing against a previously unknown opponent, a player
must be adaptable; she must quickly analyze the strengths and weaknesses of her
opponent's skills and adjust her own game plan accordingly. Finally, squash
requires, and thus teaches, mental toughness: individual matches at this level
are often won by the player who most successfully embodies the will to win by
both outplaying and outlasting her opponent.
Lincoln
School practices and plays home matches at The Agawam Hunt Club in East
Providence. Since Agawam has only three courts, and our court time is limited
to an hour and a half each day, the number of squash players Lincoln School can
support is restricted to no more than twelve. Lincoln School can therefore
instruct players new to the game only on a very limited basis. Many of the top
players on the team earn and keep their spots in part by attending squash camps
during summer vacation and during the fall and winter months.
A
sport fee is assessed for this choice.
Swimming
Lincoln
School's swim team is able to accommodate a wide range of abilities from the
beginner to the advanced level swimmer. Swimmers must be able to swim freestyle
and have an introductory level of experience in the backstroke, breaststroke
and butterfly. Students must embrace hard training with practices consisting of
long endurance swims, fast sprints and technique drills in all four strokes.
The practice sessions also involve a combination of starts, turns and stroke
instruction as well as customized training for both endurance and sprint sets.
Swim
meets provide the opportunity to perform in four events. Events range from
short (50 yds.) to long (500 yds.) and are contested in all four strokes.
Practices
are held after school at Fox Point Boys and Girls Club. Students not only learn
to swim well but in addition learn about time management, long-term goal
achievement and team work.
A
sport fee is assessed for this choice.
Tennis
Successful
tennis players possess high levels of aerobic fitness, hand-eye coordination
and the ability to change directions quickly. Endurance is often a deciding
factor in three-set matches, which can take close to two hours to complete.
Equally as important are the player's ability to concentrate, demonstrate
self-control and interpret honestly the rules in a self-governed match. Players
must be mature enough to successfully negotiate the social aspects of the game
both with their opponents (during warm-up and changeovers and when making line
calls) and with their doubles partner. Communication and choreography of
movement and shots are the foundations of well-played doubles. Singles play
relies heavily on the ability to determine a strategy and then adjust it when necessary.
Junior
varsity players learn and practice basic ground-strokes, volleys, serves, and
concentrate on learning the rules of the game, scoring and strategy. Tennis
combines individual and team components. Four singles and three doubles
positions make up the varsity roster. The total number of the seven matches won
determines the team outcome. However, at the State level the opportunity exists
for individual player's and/ or doubles teams to advance.
Public Relations
Lincoln's
athletic program has grown considerably over the past ten years, reflecting the
growth of girl's and women's participation in high school sports nationwide.
Every effort is made by the Athletic Department to distribute information about
upcoming games, and to publicize their results. Coaches are encouraged to work
closely with the Athletic Department to recognize teams and athletes. Lincoln
student-athletes are recognized for their team play, skill level,
sportsmanship, and excellence on the field both through school assemblies, such
as the annual athletic awards ceremony, and through area news media. Student
athletes also have an opportunity to receive All-Division and All-League honors
in their respective sports, which are named by school coaches within the
league, and All-State honors, named by the staff of the Providence Journal.
Lincoln School makes a commitment to both involving and educating girls and
young women about athletics and sports.
New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC)
Code of Ethics and Conduct
Proper Conduct and Good Sportsmanship
At
the heart of this matter lie several terms that are often hard to define - yet,
no more
important
task confronts teachers and coaches than to set standards that are fair and
honorable. Throughout this Code, when such terms as "proper conduct"
and"good sportsmanship" are mentioned, they refer to such standards
as these:
- Treat other persons as you know they should be treated, and as you wish them to
fairly treat you.
- Regard the rules of your game as agreements, the spirit or letter of which you
should not evade or break.
- Treat officials and opponents with respect.
- Accept absolutely and without quarrel the final decision of any official.
- Honor visiting teams and spectators as your own guests and treat them as such.
Likewise, behave yourself an honored guest when you visit another school.
- Be gracious in victory and defeat; learn especially to take defeat well.
- Be as cooperative as you are competitive.
- Remember that your actions on and off the field reflect on you and your school.
Guidelines
for Players
- Players shall at all times represent themselves and their school with honor,
proper conduct and good sportsmanship. They shall understand that competitive
rivalries are encouraged, but that disrespect for opponents is unsportsmanlike
and lessens the value of the rivalries. They shall confine the competitiveness
of the game to the field, and in particular behave properly on the sidelines
and in the locker rooms both before and after games.
- They shall comply fully with the rulings of the officials. In no way, either by
voice, action or gesture, shall they demonstrate their dissatisfactions with
the decisions made.
- Players will not deface property or remove equipment of any kind from their own
or another school.
Guidelines
for Spectators
- Spectators - whether students, faculty, parents, alumnae or friends - bear
important responsibilities
to the school for the atmosphere and conduct of games, whether home
or away.
- Spectators should watch games from those areas defined by each school as spectator
areas. They must not run up and down sidelines, call to players, coaches or
officials in an unsportsmanlike manner, go onto the field of play, or deface
property. Any action, that detracts from the ability of coaches, players and
officials to do their best, is not acceptable.
- Faculty members should remember that their responsibilities for student
discipline and behavior
extend to disciplining and controlling students who misbehave as spectators.
- The use of alcohol and illegal drugs should not be associated with any athletic
event.
Expulsion
Rule
Players
or coaches who are ejected from interscholastic games for "unsportsmanlike
conduct" or other flagrant behavior will forfeit their eligibility to play
or coach in the next regularly scheduled interscholastic game or tournament
game played in that sport. We encourage a conversation between athletic
director, coach and disqualified offender.
