INDEPENDENCE TENNIS 2019-2020
GENERAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
PARENT MEETING
Wednesday, August 21st at 6:00 PM in the IHS Lecture Hall.
All players must have at least one parent in attendance. If you are unable to attend, email Coach Paine and the information will be emailed to you.
You will have the opportunity to order short sleeve Knights Tennis dri-fit shirts, car decals, and yard signs.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT PLAYERS WILL NEED
Water Jug
Extra black practice shorts or skirts
Extra practice t-shirts (details below)
Towel
LOCKER ROOM
Every player is issued a locker. We cannot assume responsibility for lost or stolen articles. Nothing should be left on the benches or floor. Please make sure your locker is locked securely when you leave. You should not take food or drinks into the indoor facility.
TRAVEL POLICY
We will travel to all off campus matches in a FISD vehicle. You are required to travel with the team to and from competitions. Team building is an important part of this program. Pre-game and Post-game interaction among players are an excellent opportunity to share in each other’s successes and failures. Younger players can learn a great deal from the more experienced players on the team if given the opportunity. If a situation should arise that requires a player to have to leave with a parent, the parent must discuss with Coach Paine prior to leaving a match or tournament. Players cannot be released to anyone other than their parents. Convenience is never a reason to not travel with your team.
MATCHES
All players are required to stay at matches until the last match is finished. That includes tournaments. If you are no longer competing in a match, it is your responsibility to find a teammate to support in their match. We expect to see players not competing to be actively supporting their teammates. You cannot only win the matches that you participate in, but you can also be a part of your teammate’s victories with your support. If there are several matches being played, players should spread out so that all matches have enough support. Make sure to take care of homework assignments ahead of time on match days. CELL PHONES will need to be put up during practices and matches. We want players engaged and focused on tennis and don't want cell phones to be a distraction.
MEALS AND SNACKS
All players will be required to contribute to the Booster Club evenly for snacks and meals on match days. All players will have access to snacks and Gatorades during matches and tournaments. Varsity and JV players annual dues will be $50 each.
MATCH START AND END TIMES
While tennis matches are not timed events; we are able to control timelines in Junior Varsity matches much easier than Varsity matches. A JV match that is scheduled to start at 4:45 pm would generally end around 8:00 pm. We try to get as many matches played as possible while still getting our players home at a decent hour on school nights. However, Varsity matches can take more time depending on the number of courts that we are able to use. All Varsity competitions include a minimum of 19 matches during Team Tennis. We attempt to get all players a match which will increase the number of matches to between 22 and 24 matches. A close Varsity competition could easily last 4 – 5 hours. Be prepared for an extended day on the days of matches. Varsity Matches will start at 4:15 this year but we will be playing a shortened format this year due to shortening the length of time. Format for Varsity and JV matches will be mini 4 game sets, win by 2 games, and super tiebreaker if a split occurs. This format will be played in doubles and singles.
DAILY PRACTICE
Expect to practice every day. Do not try to predict the weather. Failure to be prepared for practice will not be tolerated. JV practice will be during 3rd period. Varsity practice will be from 2:40 to 5:00 each day. Be on time to practice. Varsity players should be at the Athletic Facility before the tardy bell rings. There will be tournaments throughout the year when we will require players to come in before school. Players will be given advance notice of such occasions in order to make transportation arrangements. PLAYERS ARE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY COACH PAINE THROUGH REMIND 101 OR EMAIL AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU HAVE TO MISS A PRACTICE FOR ANY REASON AT ALL.
MISSED PRACTICE POLICY
I will allow 3 missed practices, after that any player who misses a practice will have to run a mile on the track for EACH practice missed. They will do so on Tuesdays during the class period for JV players or on Wednesdays during study hall for varsity players. If a student must miss for a school related activity this miss practice policy will not apply. Whether a student is sick, is out of town, has an appointment, they will still have to make up the practice with this policy. This is to hold all players to the same standard and to make up the conditioning they miss.
PARENTS----- Please do not schedule Dr. or Dentist appointments during practice. Under no circumstance is it acceptable to schedule a private tennis lesson where a player must leave practice prior to 5:00pm in order to travel to the lesson. Players, who are participating in a junior development program may be allowed to leave our practice at 4:15 PM in order to get to a JD program but need to communicate such with Coach Paine ahead of time. Players will be able to leave practice at 4:15 for JD NO MORE than 2 days out of the week and NOT on the day before a dual match. If playing in a tournament over the weekend and you must leave practice early on Friday to travel, please let Coach Paine know ahead of time so that practice can be planned accordingly. Also, students leaving practice early for JD will fill out a proof of lessons sheet and show the coaches weekly.
MATURITY
It is very important to begin to think and act for yourself. If there is something that you do not understand about our program, ask the coaches. You may do so privately if you feel more comfortable in that setting. We are always available to discuss things with you. Don’t expect Mom or Dad to find out for you. If there is a serious concern, we will be happy to sit down and discuss any problem with you and your parents. It is absolutely poison for a perceived problem, whether real or otherwise, to not be addressed. There are always solutions to problems when all parties work together. Any time there is an issue, it is best resolved by going directly to the individual involved. Do not create DRAMA on our team. If the coaches have a problem with a player, we will discuss the problem with the player privately. If you have a problem with a coach or a teammate, you should discuss the problem with the coach or teammate privately as well. Most situations get blown out of proportion when they are not properly dealt with.
ACADEMICS
Academics are first, extracurricular activities are next. Both are important but you are here to get a good education. Communicate with your teachers in advance when you know that you will have to miss classes due to tennis. Tutorials should be scheduled in the morning for Varsity players and in the afternoon for JV players when possible.
PROPER DRESS FOR MATCHES AND PRACTICES
JV players will be issued 1 black short/skirt, 1 black Knights Tennis dri-fit practice shirt, 1 purple Independence Tennis match shirt, a hoodie/warmup bottom, and a black Nike hat. Varsity players will be issued 1 black Knights Tennis dri-fit practice shirt, 1 White Nike Shield shirt, 1 Purple and 1 Black Match Polo for boys, 1 black skirt, 1, purple skirt, 1 white short/skirt, Nike purple pullover, a hoodie/warmup bottom, and a black Nike hat. We will decide what to wear prior to each Varsity match. JV players will wear the Purple dri-fit shirt and black short/skirt for matches. All players will wear the white, purple, or black KNIGHTS TENNIS shirt with black shorts/skirt for all practices. EACH PLAYER WILL BE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE additional practice dri-fit shirts at a cost of $10 each for practice. These shirts will be worn for practice. While players will be issued 1 black skirt/short, players should purchase additional black shorts/skirts for practice. Players not in appropriate dress for a match will not be able to participate in that match. If a player likes to wear a hat or visor, it must be approved by Coach Paine and must be worn with the bill of the hat facing forward. You can’t wear a hat backwards--- Roddick style. The general guideline for acceptable hat or visor is: 1. Hat must be black, white, or purple. 2. Hat can be an IHS hat or a Nike hat (no college hats). All players will be well groomed with male athlete’s hair length to be mid ear on the side and top of collar on the back. Hair for all players should be short enough on front to be out of their eyes and put in a ponytail for girls. (It is hard enough to play tennis when you see the ball!!)
DETENTIONS AND OTHER SCHOOL MEETINGS
Detention is not a place for Independence Knights Tennis players. Unfortunately, it happens. Most of the time it is due to tardies. GET TO CLASS ON TIME. If you have detention, do not schedule it during tennis practice. If you have a club that you are involved in, try to meet with the club sponsor early in the morning or see if they can send you the info instead of missing during tennis practice. Let them know that you won’t be able to miss tennis practices to go to these meetings. I have spoken to many of the club sponsors and they understand your commitment to athletics and your teammates. When we are not in season, you will have no problem attending.
SCHEDULES, DIRECTIONS, AND OTHER INFORMATION
Go to knightstennis.weebly.com for news and information about IHS tennis.
Our schedule will be on Rank One. Rank One will have playing site information.
VARSITY TENNIS
While players will be placed in either the 1st or 4th block of the day for tennis practice based on their challenge match results, a Varsity Letter in Tennis will be awarded based on the criteria below.
In order to earn a Varsity Letter in Tennis the following criteria must be met during the 2019-2020 Tennis Season:
1. Must play ½ of the Team Tennis Fall Season or play in the District Tournament to letter.
2. Must play ½ of the Spring Individual Tennis Season or play in the Spring District Tournament.
3. Must make academic eligibility a priority during the school year, failing no more than 1 six weeks a semester.
4. Must conduct themselves in the highest manner at school, at practice, at tournaments and in the community at all times.
JV LINEUP AND MATCHES
While we have 12 boys and 12 girls practicing in the 4th block of the day, only the top 8-10 players will compete in Varsity competitions. Players at the #9 - #12 positions will compete with the JV team if they do not play in the Varsity match that week. In cases where the #9 or #10 players may not get a match due to an opponent’s lack of players, we will allow those players to compete with the JV team for that week. Players will play weekly or bi-weekly challenge matches in order to be given the opportunity to move up on the tennis ladder. Players’ ladder positions should be mostly set by the end of the first week of school. If I know that a player will not be able to play in a varsity match, I will give them the option of going to the varsity match to support or not attend due to competing in the JV match. JV challenge matches will take place after school and will be scheduled by the players in their spare time once receiving opponent. They will have a full week to play a challenge match and will report score to Coach Paine and Coach Olivares once played. Doubles matches will be played in class.
EXPECTED EXPENSES
Players are expected to contribute to the snack fund for the players use during the year, purchase Independence T-shirts to be used for practice and competitions and purchase previously mentioned shorts or skirts. You can also expect for players to break the strings in their rackets. There will also be opportunities to purchase T-shirts for District, Regional, and State competitions. Those are optional and cost between $18-$20.
The cost for snacks is a yearly fee. Extra practice shirts can be bought throughout the year as needed.
By signing below, both player and parents agree to the above terms and commitment level to the Independence Knights Tennis Program.
____________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Player Signature Parent Signature
GENERAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
PARENT MEETING
Wednesday, August 21st at 6:00 PM in the IHS Lecture Hall.
All players must have at least one parent in attendance. If you are unable to attend, email Coach Paine and the information will be emailed to you.
You will have the opportunity to order short sleeve Knights Tennis dri-fit shirts, car decals, and yard signs.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT PLAYERS WILL NEED
Water Jug
Extra black practice shorts or skirts
Extra practice t-shirts (details below)
Towel
LOCKER ROOM
Every player is issued a locker. We cannot assume responsibility for lost or stolen articles. Nothing should be left on the benches or floor. Please make sure your locker is locked securely when you leave. You should not take food or drinks into the indoor facility.
TRAVEL POLICY
We will travel to all off campus matches in a FISD vehicle. You are required to travel with the team to and from competitions. Team building is an important part of this program. Pre-game and Post-game interaction among players are an excellent opportunity to share in each other’s successes and failures. Younger players can learn a great deal from the more experienced players on the team if given the opportunity. If a situation should arise that requires a player to have to leave with a parent, the parent must discuss with Coach Paine prior to leaving a match or tournament. Players cannot be released to anyone other than their parents. Convenience is never a reason to not travel with your team.
MATCHES
All players are required to stay at matches until the last match is finished. That includes tournaments. If you are no longer competing in a match, it is your responsibility to find a teammate to support in their match. We expect to see players not competing to be actively supporting their teammates. You cannot only win the matches that you participate in, but you can also be a part of your teammate’s victories with your support. If there are several matches being played, players should spread out so that all matches have enough support. Make sure to take care of homework assignments ahead of time on match days. CELL PHONES will need to be put up during practices and matches. We want players engaged and focused on tennis and don't want cell phones to be a distraction.
MEALS AND SNACKS
All players will be required to contribute to the Booster Club evenly for snacks and meals on match days. All players will have access to snacks and Gatorades during matches and tournaments. Varsity and JV players annual dues will be $50 each.
MATCH START AND END TIMES
While tennis matches are not timed events; we are able to control timelines in Junior Varsity matches much easier than Varsity matches. A JV match that is scheduled to start at 4:45 pm would generally end around 8:00 pm. We try to get as many matches played as possible while still getting our players home at a decent hour on school nights. However, Varsity matches can take more time depending on the number of courts that we are able to use. All Varsity competitions include a minimum of 19 matches during Team Tennis. We attempt to get all players a match which will increase the number of matches to between 22 and 24 matches. A close Varsity competition could easily last 4 – 5 hours. Be prepared for an extended day on the days of matches. Varsity Matches will start at 4:15 this year but we will be playing a shortened format this year due to shortening the length of time. Format for Varsity and JV matches will be mini 4 game sets, win by 2 games, and super tiebreaker if a split occurs. This format will be played in doubles and singles.
DAILY PRACTICE
Expect to practice every day. Do not try to predict the weather. Failure to be prepared for practice will not be tolerated. JV practice will be during 3rd period. Varsity practice will be from 2:40 to 5:00 each day. Be on time to practice. Varsity players should be at the Athletic Facility before the tardy bell rings. There will be tournaments throughout the year when we will require players to come in before school. Players will be given advance notice of such occasions in order to make transportation arrangements. PLAYERS ARE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY COACH PAINE THROUGH REMIND 101 OR EMAIL AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU HAVE TO MISS A PRACTICE FOR ANY REASON AT ALL.
MISSED PRACTICE POLICY
I will allow 3 missed practices, after that any player who misses a practice will have to run a mile on the track for EACH practice missed. They will do so on Tuesdays during the class period for JV players or on Wednesdays during study hall for varsity players. If a student must miss for a school related activity this miss practice policy will not apply. Whether a student is sick, is out of town, has an appointment, they will still have to make up the practice with this policy. This is to hold all players to the same standard and to make up the conditioning they miss.
PARENTS----- Please do not schedule Dr. or Dentist appointments during practice. Under no circumstance is it acceptable to schedule a private tennis lesson where a player must leave practice prior to 5:00pm in order to travel to the lesson. Players, who are participating in a junior development program may be allowed to leave our practice at 4:15 PM in order to get to a JD program but need to communicate such with Coach Paine ahead of time. Players will be able to leave practice at 4:15 for JD NO MORE than 2 days out of the week and NOT on the day before a dual match. If playing in a tournament over the weekend and you must leave practice early on Friday to travel, please let Coach Paine know ahead of time so that practice can be planned accordingly. Also, students leaving practice early for JD will fill out a proof of lessons sheet and show the coaches weekly.
MATURITY
It is very important to begin to think and act for yourself. If there is something that you do not understand about our program, ask the coaches. You may do so privately if you feel more comfortable in that setting. We are always available to discuss things with you. Don’t expect Mom or Dad to find out for you. If there is a serious concern, we will be happy to sit down and discuss any problem with you and your parents. It is absolutely poison for a perceived problem, whether real or otherwise, to not be addressed. There are always solutions to problems when all parties work together. Any time there is an issue, it is best resolved by going directly to the individual involved. Do not create DRAMA on our team. If the coaches have a problem with a player, we will discuss the problem with the player privately. If you have a problem with a coach or a teammate, you should discuss the problem with the coach or teammate privately as well. Most situations get blown out of proportion when they are not properly dealt with.
ACADEMICS
Academics are first, extracurricular activities are next. Both are important but you are here to get a good education. Communicate with your teachers in advance when you know that you will have to miss classes due to tennis. Tutorials should be scheduled in the morning for Varsity players and in the afternoon for JV players when possible.
PROPER DRESS FOR MATCHES AND PRACTICES
JV players will be issued 1 black short/skirt, 1 black Knights Tennis dri-fit practice shirt, 1 purple Independence Tennis match shirt, a hoodie/warmup bottom, and a black Nike hat. Varsity players will be issued 1 black Knights Tennis dri-fit practice shirt, 1 White Nike Shield shirt, 1 Purple and 1 Black Match Polo for boys, 1 black skirt, 1, purple skirt, 1 white short/skirt, Nike purple pullover, a hoodie/warmup bottom, and a black Nike hat. We will decide what to wear prior to each Varsity match. JV players will wear the Purple dri-fit shirt and black short/skirt for matches. All players will wear the white, purple, or black KNIGHTS TENNIS shirt with black shorts/skirt for all practices. EACH PLAYER WILL BE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE additional practice dri-fit shirts at a cost of $10 each for practice. These shirts will be worn for practice. While players will be issued 1 black skirt/short, players should purchase additional black shorts/skirts for practice. Players not in appropriate dress for a match will not be able to participate in that match. If a player likes to wear a hat or visor, it must be approved by Coach Paine and must be worn with the bill of the hat facing forward. You can’t wear a hat backwards--- Roddick style. The general guideline for acceptable hat or visor is: 1. Hat must be black, white, or purple. 2. Hat can be an IHS hat or a Nike hat (no college hats). All players will be well groomed with male athlete’s hair length to be mid ear on the side and top of collar on the back. Hair for all players should be short enough on front to be out of their eyes and put in a ponytail for girls. (It is hard enough to play tennis when you see the ball!!)
DETENTIONS AND OTHER SCHOOL MEETINGS
Detention is not a place for Independence Knights Tennis players. Unfortunately, it happens. Most of the time it is due to tardies. GET TO CLASS ON TIME. If you have detention, do not schedule it during tennis practice. If you have a club that you are involved in, try to meet with the club sponsor early in the morning or see if they can send you the info instead of missing during tennis practice. Let them know that you won’t be able to miss tennis practices to go to these meetings. I have spoken to many of the club sponsors and they understand your commitment to athletics and your teammates. When we are not in season, you will have no problem attending.
SCHEDULES, DIRECTIONS, AND OTHER INFORMATION
Go to knightstennis.weebly.com for news and information about IHS tennis.
Our schedule will be on Rank One. Rank One will have playing site information.
VARSITY TENNIS
While players will be placed in either the 1st or 4th block of the day for tennis practice based on their challenge match results, a Varsity Letter in Tennis will be awarded based on the criteria below.
In order to earn a Varsity Letter in Tennis the following criteria must be met during the 2019-2020 Tennis Season:
1. Must play ½ of the Team Tennis Fall Season or play in the District Tournament to letter.
2. Must play ½ of the Spring Individual Tennis Season or play in the Spring District Tournament.
3. Must make academic eligibility a priority during the school year, failing no more than 1 six weeks a semester.
4. Must conduct themselves in the highest manner at school, at practice, at tournaments and in the community at all times.
JV LINEUP AND MATCHES
While we have 12 boys and 12 girls practicing in the 4th block of the day, only the top 8-10 players will compete in Varsity competitions. Players at the #9 - #12 positions will compete with the JV team if they do not play in the Varsity match that week. In cases where the #9 or #10 players may not get a match due to an opponent’s lack of players, we will allow those players to compete with the JV team for that week. Players will play weekly or bi-weekly challenge matches in order to be given the opportunity to move up on the tennis ladder. Players’ ladder positions should be mostly set by the end of the first week of school. If I know that a player will not be able to play in a varsity match, I will give them the option of going to the varsity match to support or not attend due to competing in the JV match. JV challenge matches will take place after school and will be scheduled by the players in their spare time once receiving opponent. They will have a full week to play a challenge match and will report score to Coach Paine and Coach Olivares once played. Doubles matches will be played in class.
EXPECTED EXPENSES
Players are expected to contribute to the snack fund for the players use during the year, purchase Independence T-shirts to be used for practice and competitions and purchase previously mentioned shorts or skirts. You can also expect for players to break the strings in their rackets. There will also be opportunities to purchase T-shirts for District, Regional, and State competitions. Those are optional and cost between $18-$20.
The cost for snacks is a yearly fee. Extra practice shirts can be bought throughout the year as needed.
By signing below, both player and parents agree to the above terms and commitment level to the Independence Knights Tennis Program.
____________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Player Signature Parent Signature