A student athlete who represents the Vigo County School Corporation must exhibit at all times the highest standards of personal behavior. Participation in athletics is a privilege requiring that a student makes a commitment to practice before or after school hours with perfect or near perfect attendance, to work hard to excel, to learn cooperation and team efforts, and to exemplify good behavior both at school and away from school. Athletes are representatives of the Vigo County School Corporation and their school and always serve as role models at school and in the community. Students who cannot accept this challenge and and responsibility should not become involved with the athletic program. There is a legitimate school interest and an expectation by the coaching staff of the Vigo County School Corporation that students follow the Athletic Code of Conduct at all times (beginning with the students’ attendance at their first official middle/high school sports practice and continuing for 365 days each year through completion of student’s involvement in athletic events their eighth grade or senior year). Therefore, he/she should conscientiously fulfill all the rules established for the athletic program and the sports for which he/she is participating.

General Rules include, but are not limited to:

1. Use of tobacco in any form is prohibited (first offense will be “athletic suspension”, and a second offense will cause “athletic exclusion”.)

2. Possession and/or use of any substance/device/object which is, or is represented to be alcohol/drugs as identified in Rule II or III of the Student Rights and Responsibilities policy of the School Corporation is prohibited (first offense will be “athletic suspension”, additional offenses will cause “athletic exclusion”.)

3. Providing or transmitting any substance/device/object which is, or is represented to be alcohol/drugs as identified in Rule I or IV of the Student Rights and Responsibilities policy of the School Corporation will cause “athletic exclusion”.

4. Being found guilty of violating city, state, or federal codes/laws will cause a warning, or “athletic suspension’ or “athletic exclusion”.

5. Reference Rule C-8-1 IHSAA By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation:

“Contestants’ conduct, in and out of school, shall be such as (1) not to reflect discredit upon their school or association or (2) not to create a disruptive influence on the discipline, good order, moral or educational environment in the school.” Note: “It is recognized that principals, by the administrative authority vested in them by their school corporation, may exclude such contestants from representing their school.”

6. Additional rules may be established for each sport by the individual coach. Such rules must be approved by the athletic director and principal, providing in writing to the student-athlete, and discussed with the student-athlete.

Due Process to be Expected:

1. Athletic Suspension – The student-athlete cannot participate in twenty (20%) percent of the games/meets for the sport the student is currently, or will be, involved in until the penalty is completed (this may necessitate suspension in more than a single sport season or school year). The number of games/meets will be determined by 20% of the current or immediately next sport, which ever comes first. (clarification-(not a part of the policy)-number of games/meets in the regular season will be used to determine the 20%-fractions will be rounded off in the normal manner – suspensions will extend into tournament play).

2. Athletic Exclusion – The student-athlete will be ineligible to participate in any athletic program for 365 days from the date of infraction.

Parent/Legal Guardian appeals will occur through normal due process channels to the building principal.

Other Items:

1. School Suspension – Any athlete placed on out-of-school suspension is not eligible to practice nor participate until the student has returned to school. This ineligibility will begin at the time the student is notified of the suspension (either orally or in writing).

2. Dress Code – Student athletes are expected to be neat, clean, and well groomed for both away and home games.

3. Changing Sport in Mid-Season – From the time a student’s name appears on the official eligibility list for an inter-scholastic sport, he or she may join another team, or compete in another inter-scholastic sport only with approval of the athletic director and coaches involved. Mid-season change of teams may be permitted under the following conditions:

(1) If the student presents to both coaches involved a doctor’s certificate recommending that he/she drop the first sport for reasons of health and permits participation in the second sport.

(2) If both coaches involved and the athletic director agree that a mid-season change of sports would be beneficial to the player without being unfair to the players of either teams.

4. Any athlete in grades nine-twelve who is a member of a school team cannot tryout, practice, or play in a similar sports program sponsored by any other organization between the date of the first IHSAA authorized contest in that sport and the completion of that team’s school season.

Each coach is responsible for the administration of this code for his/her activity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ATHLETIC CODE OF CONDUCT

My signature below acknowledges that I have reviewed the Athletic Code of Conduct from the Vigo County School Corporation.

____________________________________ _________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Date

____________________________________ _________________________________Student’s

Signature – Print Student Name Grade

File: 7966 approved by Secondary Athletic Council by unanimous vote May 22, 2001

approved by the Board of School Trustees by unanimous vote July 23, 2001

McMillan Award

September 15, 1969

Mr. John T. Royse, President

The Merchants National Bank of Terre Haute

701 Wabash Avenue

Terre Haute, Indiana

Dear John:

Following our recent conversation concerning the LaVerne K. McMillan Athletic Award, there follows our authority to continue the granting of the award to the most outstanding high school athlete in the county high schools.

(A) Each year a secret committee of not less than three persons, staunch patrons and supporters of high school athletics in Terre Haute and not directly connected with the school activities; such committees to be selected each year by the Trust Officers of the Merchants National Bank and the personnel of the committee kept entirely secret so that no influence can be brought upon them in making their selection.

(B) This shall be distinctly an athletic award and the chief consideration shall be the ability and attitude in athletics. The boy should have good passing grades, and consideration should be given for his future prospects in athletics and in life. In other words, what are the prospects of his developing into an even greater athlete in the future and does he have the mental balance and personality to make good in life?

(C) The award will be known as the Vernon R. and LaVerne K. McMillan Athletic Award. It will be a trop and will be a special design made especially for this award. We hope to continue this award annually for an indefinite period. Arrangements for the granting of the award you are authorized to make through McMillan Sports, Inc.

To further elaborate, so that you may properly instruct the members of the committee which will be appointed, we suggest that this should be a new committee each school year and the members thereof should not be known to each other until they meet in the spring to make selection of the winner.

It is not necessary that the winner be selected from the Senior Class, as on occasion a lower classman will be a more outstanding athlete than any Senior in the county and therefore the award should be given to him

because of the possibility of injury in his Senior year.

It will not be possible to make definite selections before near the end of the school year because of the spring athletic program, as frequently the race may be very close between two boys who are outstanding in major athletic events and the determining factor might be the ability of these two boys in spring athletics.

Mr. John T. Royse

September 15, 1969

Page 2

It is not desired that any consideration be given to rotating the award among the schools. In other words, it is altogether possible that any one of the high schools might be honored with winning this in two or three

successive years, and what high school the boy comes from does not enter into it at all.

You will notice that some consideration should be given to mental balance and personality, as occasionally a very outstanding athlete makes a poor citizen and has no future or prospect in life. In other words, there are such things as athletic bums, and it is not desirable that the award be given entirely on the basis of performance in games and that this phase have some consideration to offset the possibility of rather a poor personality or

individual getting the award.

Another minor consideration is the possibility of the boy in the future. Sometimes a 20 year old boy may be very outstanding but a 17 year old boy shows the earmark of being a greater athlete and is very much a comer. In that case, the younger boy, who is more or less undeveloped, should have a little more consideration if the decision is a close one.

We appreciate very much your cooperation in this, and of course will appreciate the assistance of every member of your various committees in keeping this on a very high plane and making it much sought after as an award.

Sincerely yours,

Martha A. Lindner

Sally K. Arthur

October 19, 1938

Mr. John Royse

Mer. Natl. Bank

Terre Haute, Ind.

Dear John:

Following our recent conversation concerning the LaVerne K. McMillan Athletic Award, I quote below from the minutes of the October 11, 1938 meeting of the Terre Haute High School Athletic Board of Control which has accepted this award, which is to be presented annually, near the end of each school year, to the most outstanding high school athlete of the 4 Terre Haute High Schools.

“(A) Each year a secret committee of not less than 3 persons, staunch patrons and supporters of high school athletics in Terre Haute and not directly connected with the school activities; such

committees to be selected each year by the Trust Officers of the Merchant’s National Bank and the personnel of the committee kept entirely secret so that no influence can be brought upon them in

making their selection.

(B) This shall be distinctly an athletic award and the chief consideration shall be the ability and attitude in athletics. The boy should have good passing grades and it is desirable that he be among the top half of his class as to grades. Consideration should be given for the future prospects of the boy athletics and in life. In other words, what are the prospects of his developing into an even greater athlete and does he have the mental balance and personality to make good in life?

(C) The award will be known as the LaVerne K. McMillan Athletic Award. It will be of gold with a diamond insert and will be a special design made especially for this award. Mr. McMillan expects to continue this award annually for an indefinite period.”

To further elaborate, so that you may intelligently instruct the members of the committee, which you will appoint, I will say that this should be a new committee each school year and the members of the committee should not be known to each other until they meet to make selections of the winner. Information about any of the boys under consideration can be occurred by any of the members of the committee through you from the schools or any other source.

It is not necessary that the winner be selected from the Senior Class, as possibly a lower classman occasionally will be a more outstanding athlete than any Senior in the city and therefore the award should be given to him

because of the possibility of injury in his Senior year.

The number on the committee selected can be any number, three or more. On the scholastic side I do not mean that the boy need not be a good student, but I do mean that if it is a close race, as an example between two boys, one an A student and the other a B student, that this phase of it should have no consideration, so long as both are good students and the grades should not, in this case, be a determining factor at all.

It will not be possible to make definite selections before near the end of the school year on account of the spring athletic program, as frequently the race may be very close between two boys who are outstanding in major athletic events and the determining factor might be the ability of these two boys in spring athletics.

successive years, and what high school the boy comes from does not enter into it at all. You will notice that I give some consideration to mental balance and personality, as occasionally a very outstanding athlete makes a poor citizen and has no future or prospect in life. In other words, there are such things as athletic bums, and it is not desirable that the award be given entirely on the basis of performance in games and that this phase have

some consideration to offset the possibility of rather a poor personality or individual getting the award.

Another minor consideration is the possibility of the boy in the future. Sometimes a 20 year old boy may be very outstanding but a 17 year old boy shows the ear-marks of being a greater athlete and is very much a comer. In that case, the younger boy, who is more or less undeveloped, should have a little more consideration if the decision is a close one.

I appreciate very much your cooperation in this, and of course will appreciate the assistance of every member of your various committees in keeping this on a very high plane and making it much sought-after as an

award.

Sincerely yours,

McMILLAN ATHLETIC GOODS COMPANY, INC.

VRM/ht

EDDIE CONNORS AWARD

The Eddie Connors Award Committee has decided to use a local service club to maintain and to officiate at the presentation of the awards in order that the award may be continued in perpetuity. After careful consideration, the committee has chosen the Kiwanis Club of Greater Terre Haute to perpetuate the Eddie Connors Award. The club, which has a dedication to the youth of the community, has accepted the committee's request with great pleasure.

Eddie Connors, a citizen of Terre Haute for many, many years, dedicated his life to the encouragement of young men to become good, clean athletes. Practically every play field in the community was visited regularly by Eddie, and he would give freely of his time and advice to the young men who were interested in sports. He was able to both encourage and inspire these boys to work toward improvement. Today, many successful citizens in our community will freely admit that Eddie Connors has been a good influence in their lives.

Some of these men, including Jim Hollis, Sid Levin, and Paul Mascari, decided that a suitable memorial should be provided to honor this man who had made so many fine contributions for the good of the boys of our community. They solicited funds for this purpose, with the hope that the honor might be in the nature of an annual award to some athlete in the community in the name of Eddie Connors, and explored ways to develop the project. The committee had adequate funds available in a relative short time. Recognizing the many awards, which are provided high school athletes, the committee members finally settled on the eighth grade as an area where there has been little recognition and where there was need for motivation. The committee is hopeful that the principals of schools, which have the eighth grade, will cooperate in implementing the project. Below is a statement of the purpose of the Eddie Connors Award and the method by which nominations will be made. Also, criteria for judging nominees for the Eddie Connors Award is indicated.

The Eddie Connors Award has been initiated to motivate eighth grade students toward high quality development commensurate with their potentialities. Each school in Vigo County, which has an eighth grade, is eligible to nominate a candidate for the award. The nomination is to be made by the school principal who will write a letter describing how the candidate measures up to the criteria. Additional information may be included in the letter.

All letters of nominations will be given to the Selection Committee. This committee will make the selection on the basis of their best judgment of the information provided in the letters of nomination.

HISTORY OF EDDIE CONNORS AWARD COMMITTEE

In the fall of 1962, James Hollis, Paul Mascari, and Sidney Levin were having a cup of coffee at the Indios Coffee Shop at Second and Wabash. The usual topics of the day were discussed and we came upon the subject of Sandlot Ball. The name of Eddie Connors being synonymous with sandlot ball, I asked what had become of him. Jim Hollis related that Connors had died and was buried in a pauper’s grave.

After discussing the great good this man had done in promoting sports and sportsmanship with the youth of this area, it was mutually agreed that we would put a marker on his grave and also start an award fund in his memory.

Mr. James Conover and Mr. Donas Dischinger, of the Vigo County School Corporation, were called in to give us assistance in projecting this program to the schools. It was also mutually agreed that the Catholic schools are invited to participate. A public file was made for funds through the Tribune-Star. This gave us sufficient funds and interest to proceed. Certificates were printed and the Mayor was asked to participate in the giving of awards on the City Hall steps. The principal of each school teaching eighth grade in this area was asked to select an outstanding boy who would qualify for the rules which are described on another page in this book.

Our original three men were to serve as chairman each - once in three years. It is coincidental that the original three men consist of Catholic, Protestant, and Jew. At the death of one, the other two shall choose the third man of the religion of the man who succumbs.

Sidney Levin

5/11/74 - A Black Man - Jim Ross is now also on the committee.