Elementary Student Participation with LMS Athletics

Ledyard Middle School interscholastic athletic teams exist primarily for members of the LMS student body. Practices and competitions are, therefore, designed and scheduled as best benefits middle school athletes. While there may be circumstances, in accordance with the guidelines below, which would allow our town’s elementary students some degree of participation in practices and informal scrimmages, representing LMS in the scoring of interscholastic games and meets is reserved for our seventh and eighth graders exclusively.

Program Availability

  • Participation will be permitted on only those years when numbers of LMS athletes are sufficiently low to allow proper supervision of practices by the coaching staff. What is “sufficiently low” may vary with the sport and the needs of that season’s LMS athletes. In no case will elementary students displace grade 7 or 8 students. The decision of the LMS Principal in consultation with the coaching staff on these matters will be final.

Eligibility

  • Participation will be limited to athletes whose physical and emotional readiness and experience are sufficient to cause practices and scrimmages to be beneficial to him/herself and LMS athletes. The decision of the LMS Principal in consultation with the coaching staff and elementary principals on this matter will be final.

  • Participants’ behavior and academic performance must be in keeping with the standards of their elementary schools as determined by the respective elementary school principals.

Parent Responsibilities

  • Transportation to and from practices and competitions will be the responsibility of the athletes’ parents/guardians. Continued participation requires that transportation be prompt and dependable.

  • All costs associated with participation (equipment, entry fees, etc.) will be the responsibility of parents/guardians.

  • Parents/guardians must submit documentation/forms showing that all Ledyard Public Schools medical requirements have been met.

Times

  • No students may leave school early in order to participate. Though times may vary, most practices begin at 2:30 and end in time for LMS students to leave on our late bus at 3:45.

[January 9, 2007]