 Arlington Athletics The mission of the Arlington Christian School athletic program is to utilize sports in an excellent way as a vehicle to help each student grow as Jesus did, in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Sportsmanship at ACS: Mirriam-Webster defines sportsmanship as œconduct becoming to one participating in a sport. Furthermore, it is œfairness, respect for one s opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing. Arlington Christian School believes that sportsmanship is more valuable than winning. If we win without sportsmanship, we will consider it a loss. If we lose, but exhibit great sportsmanship, we will consider it a victory. Helping our students grow in favor with God and man is part of our mission as a school. Therefore, we must use sports to gain favor! If you choose to coach a sport, participate in a sport, or become a spectator at a sporting event, we encourage you to exhibit sportsmanship at all times. Your decision to do anything less will be considered a negative reflection upon our school and a total disregard for our mission. Good sportsmanship will become standard operational procedure at ACS.  We strive for excellence:
We strive for excellence in our athletic program. Winning is a by-product of excellence. We may lose on the scoreboard at times but we measure ourselves by excellence. If we have used our talents to our fullest, given our all during the contest, and exemplified the character of Christ during competition ¦then we consider ourselves as having been successful. Basic Tenets: - Our priorities are to put the Lord first, our family second, academics third, and our sport fourth.
- The team always comes before the individual.
- Equal playing time for all sounds good for a recreational team but is not realistic nor is it our goal.
- Year round specialization in one sport is not a good thing for the athlete and school nor is it encouraged by our coaching staff. Receiving the full benefits of sport means sitting at the feet of many different coaches, learning how to work with different sets of teammates, and fitting into different roles on different teams.
- Community service should be integrated within all of our teams.
- Performance Training is an opportunity for which every serious ACS athlete should take advantage. One cannot find more qualified instructors. The instructors develop sport-specific work-outs. It s a great opportunity to ˜bond with other teammates. It obviously works. And it s free!
- School loyalty is something that is critical to the success of an athletic program and it can be demonstrated by the support and loyalty that is shown to all ACS activities.
- ACS school events/activities come before club/travel teams. If one is ˜sold on the mission of the school then this ˜tenet is quite easy to understand. A simple comparison of the goals and objectives of both will help the parent make an easy decision when there is a conflict.
- Good sportsmanship is more important than play-off victories.
- High school sports were established to be tools to œbuild young people not to win families college scholarships
Life Lessons that should be learned by athletes: - Spiritual Growth
- Academic responsibility
- Humility
- Teachable spirit
- Integrity
- Leadership
- Selflessness
- Discipline
- Mental Toughness
- Confidence
- Accountability
- Spirit of Cooperation
Expectations for ACS Coaches: - Character: To be godly men and women. To be willing to make the tough choices regardless of the consequences
- Competent: To be the ˜expert . To be innovative.
- Committed: To have a vision for the program yet be able to balance family and work.
- Caring: To be an encourager. Set high standards for which the athletes must strive.
- Communicator: To be a ˜teacher of the game and one who is willing to listen to his/her athletes.
- Consistent: To be willing to enforce the team s rules regardless of the situation or the athlete involved.
Expectations for ACS Parents: - Sportsmanship: If parents desire for their children to be ˜good sports then parents must model sportsmanship during competition for their child. (Test: if your spouse is too embarrassed to sit with you during a contest then you are ˜out of control .)
- Teamwork: Parents must encourage a œteam first mentality by encouraging their child to œtake the high road and not allow them to have their own little ˜pity party .
- Encouragement: Parents should encourage their child to have fun. ( they need a mom and a dad ¦ so don t try to be their coach)
- Life Lessons: Parents should help their child learn the life lessons that can be learned from participation such as œovercoming adversity . Help them learn to deal with the disappointment of not making a team, or not playing the ˜role for which they had their hearts set. The first question that should be asked by a parent when they observe the disappointment of their child is œhave you spoken to the coach? If not ¦then they (not you) should do so. This aids in the maturing process of your child. You will not always be there to fight their battles for them.
- Respect for other parents and other athletes at sporting events.
Appropriate concerns to discuss with coaches: - Concerns regarding your child s spiritual, mental, and physical status.
- Ways to help your child improve in the activity.
- Concerns about your child s behavior.
Issues not appropriate to discuss with coaches: - Your child s playing time. (This is always a coach s decision and he/she is being paid to make that decision).
- Team strategy and play calling “ again the sole responsibility of the coach.
- Other student athletes.
Proper steps to take when there is an athletic concern: - Encourage your child to œspeak to the coach .
- If your child gets no satisfaction then request a time when you, your child and the coach can sit down and talk. œGetting satisfaction doesn t mean ˜getting your way but it means œgetting a reasonable answer as to why the coach has made the decisions that he/she has made . An attempt to talk to the coach before or immediately after a game is ALWAYS inappropriate. Abide by the 24 hour rule. Wait at least twenty-four hours then request the meeting mentioned above.
- If you and your child get no satisfaction then it would be appropriate for you to contact the athletic director. The first question the athletic director will ask you is œhave you spoken to the coach? If the answer is yes then the athletic director will then schedule a meeting between the parent, child, and coach to resolve the issue.
Arlington offers a full-range of athletic opportunities.
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Athletics
