Athletic Handbook

Dear Athletes, Parents and Coaches,

On behalf of the FIS Administrative Team I wish to welcome you to the FIS Athletic Department - Home of the Warriors. 

The Athletic Handbook has been developed to give FIS student-athletes and their families a better understanding of the policies, procedures, responsibilities and expectations involved with participation in the athletic program. 

FIS has enjoyed many years of success in a wide variety of sports and boasts a fine reputation across Europe for its athletic program. FIS recognizes the values students gain from participation in a well-organized, high quality athletic program and is dedicated to excellence in this pursuit. We also pride ourselves on our reputation for not only challenging our student-athletes to be the best, but also for developing social responsibilities and nurturing true ambassadors of sportsmanship. These are key elements of our program, and we pay particular attention to the sportsmanship of FIS teams. 

FIS was a founding member of the International School Sports Tournament (ISST) in 1973. ISST is the premier organization of competitive varsity sport for international schools in Europe, providing high quality end-of-season tournaments. The Sports Council for International Schools (SCIS) provides quality competition for Varsity, Junior Varsity (JV) and Grade 6-8 teams, and we also compete in the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) with our Track & Field and Cross Country teams.

As a parent of an FIS athlete you are automatically a member of the FIS Athletic Booster Club (ABC), a voluntary parent group that works to support the teams. The ABC is involved with operating a concession stand for athletic events, sponsoring sports award evenings honoring athletes, fundraising for special events or projects and organization of the school bookstore. I encourage you to ‘get involved’ with this very active and welcoming group. Further details about the Athletic Booster Club are contained in this handbook.

I certainly feel privileged to work in such a wonderful school and with so many talented student-athletes, and I look forward to working with you as we strive to produce lasting memories for our Warrior Athletes.

Go Warriors!

Will Moncrief

Athletic Director

Our mission is to be the leading, culturally diverse and family-oriented international school with English as the principal language of instruction. We inspire individuals to develop their intellect, creativity and character to become independent, adaptable, socially responsible and internationally minded citizens, by ensuring a dynamic, inquiry-driven education of the highest standard.

The Athletic Program is an integral part of the Frankfurt International School experience. As an extension of the learning environment, we provide student athletes the opportunity to further develop their physical, social, emotional and intellectual potential. We believe that the success of our program is based on our student athletes' personal growth, development of a strong moral character and ability to perform in a team environment. We strive to foster the Warrior spirit, instill pride in our school, and above all, ensure that our athletes leave with positive memories and a lifelong love of sport.

The athletic program strives to support the FIS Mission of becoming independent, adaptable, socially responsible and internationally minded citizens and is particularly well suited to implementing the FIS Beliefs that:

• Expectations that are challenging lead to higher levels of performance and allow us to reach our potential.

• Leading a healthy and active lifestyle improves the quality of life.

• Commitment, enthusiasm and perseverance lead to success.

• Honesty, integrity and respect are essential for building trusting relationships.

• All people are responsible for their actions.

Frankfurt International School is fully committed to upholding the ISST Statement of Sportsmanship and has adopted the following statements.

The purpose of the FIS Athletic Department is to provide a venue for student–athletes to compete in an environment that is safe, challenging, professional and educational. Each athlete is given the opportunity to demonstrate their best athletic ability while maintaining a spirit of respect and cooperation with fellow athletes from various international backgrounds.

Each event involves students and adults in their different roles; these include the athletes, coaches, sports officials, parents and spectators. All those involved in the event are expected to uphold the same spirit of respect and cooperation. This spirit is demonstrated by fair play among athletes, positive encouragement from coaches, impartial judgments from officials and respectful enthusiasm from parents and spectators. The behavior of the adults is crucial to the successful educational aspect of the event.

The adults act as role models for our athletes. Therefore, profanity, deliberately distracting noises to interfere with the performance of a competing athlete, the condemnation of coaches or officials, or any behavior that is disrespectful or degrading is not allowed. Such conduct jeopardizes the FIS standard of sportsmanship and, most of all, the quality of the experience for the athletes.

FIS asks that all of our parents, coaches, officials and athletes keep this vision of our purpose in mind.

5.1 The FIS student-athletes are responsible for maintaining their academic level while participating in the athletic program. The student-athletes must organize their time to meet the combined demands of after-school practices, competitions and away trips, and still meet the rigorous demands of the FIS academic program. 

5.2 Many FIS student-athletes find that a well-planned study schedule combined with the stimulation of participating on an athletic team often results in their most productive academic work. 

5.3 If a student-athlete is having a problem with any academic area, they should take the initiative to meet with the specific teacher and the respective school counselor and bring the matter to the attention of the coach of the team. The student-athlete is responsible for making up any work missed while away from school representing FIS at an athletic competition.

5.4 Student-athletes must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Students in grades 6-12 will be eligible to participate and travel provided they remain in good standing. Good standing is defined as follows:

The athlete is  

1. fulfilling Upper School (US) attendance requirements

2. up to date with all classroom work and homework tasks 

3. maintaining grades of 4 or better 

4. one course grade may be lower than a 4.

5. setting high standards of personal behavior

5.5 Any athlete not meeting any of the above, may in the first instance, not be permitted to miss any lessons to attend sports trips and may be placed on travel probation. They must remain with the team for practices and local competition.

5.6 In order for the athlete to be reinstated on the travel team, they must re-establish “good standing”. 

5.7 If an athlete does not meet all of the criteria set forth in a) - e) above, their status will be reviewed by an Academic Review Committee panel consisting of the following people: Athletic Director, Upper School (US) Assistant Principal and Year Head.

Step 1: Every Monday before 13:00, a list of athletes selected to travel on the upcoming weekend will be published to all US faculty. Faculty must inform us of athletes causing concern and contact the Athletic Director and US Assistant Principal before 15:00 the next day (Tuesday).

Step 2: The Athletic Director will meet with the US Assistant Principal to discuss the concerns and make a decision regarding the student’s participation on the trip. The Assistant Principal will also liaise with the appropriate Year Head in making this decision.

Step 3: If the decision taken is not to allow the athlete to travel on the trip they will be placed on travel probation. The Athletic Director will inform the coach and the parents of the athlete and request a meeting to discuss the student’s status.

Step 4: Once a student has been placed on travel probation they must fulfill all the conditions of eligibility within a period of 10 school days to be allowed to travel again. If these conditions are not met within 10 school days, their future participation on the team will be reviewed.

Step 5: The decision to remove an athlete from a team can only be taken by the Academic Review Committee with the approval of the US Principal. Prior to any decision to remove an athlete from the team, a meeting with the athlete, parents, the Athletic Director and the US Assistant Principal must have taken place.

Due to the restrictions on travel booking conditions, the following 10 day rule will apply to athlete eligibility for end of season tournaments.

1. The Athletic Director will send the preliminary tournament roster to all Upper School teachers 15 school days in advance of travel date.

2. Teachers must respond with any concerns to the Athletic Director no later than 10 school days prior to the travel date. If a student-athlete does not meet the ‘good standing’ criteria listed in 7.0 Step 4 above, then they will be subject to a review by the Academic Review Committee. Prior to any decision to remove an athlete from the tournament team, a meeting with the athlete, parents, the Athletic Director and the US Assistant Principal must have taken place.

3. Students who become the subject of concern after the 10-day rule will remain eligible to travel to the tournament, however; it may affect their eligibility for the following sports season. 

Each athlete must take responsibility for communicating with their teachers and take a proactive role. As a matter of courtesy, the athlete must inform the respective teachers that they will be missing classes for a sports trip and ensure that all homework and assignments are collected. It is also the athlete’s responsibility to make up missed work.

Teachers of all subjects need to find out how much a student has learned, understood and remembered over a period of time. Tests are given for this purpose. There is an agreement among teachers that a student will not have more than two major tests in one day. If a teacher sets a date for a test and a student already has two tests scheduled for that day, the student must inform the teacher who will then negotiate another date for the test. Short quizzes, for example testing vocabulary in a language or countries of the world in geography do not constitute major tests. A test measures learning of a much larger amount of content, for example after studying the topic of nutrition for six weeks. Please note students who are absent due to school approved sporting or extracurricular events (or other excused absences) should not be expected to take tests or other assessment work the first day they arrive back. Time should be given to a student to seek support or clarification of missed work before having to take assessment work.

Grade/age eligibility for FIS interscholastic teams is determined by the policies of the various athletic organizations in which FIS holds membership i.e. ISST and DoDEA, and by FIS Athletic Department and school policy. The following provides a summary of these requirements as they pertain to the various FIS teams and sports.

FALL SPORT TEAMS

Girls & Boys Cross Country, Grades 6-12

Boys Rugby Varsity, Junior Varsity & 6-8 Teams, Grades 6-12

Girls Soccer Varsity & Junior Varsity Teams, Grades 9-12

Girls Soccer Grade 6-8 A & B Teams

Boys Soccer Varsity & Junior Varsity Teams, Grades 9-12

Boys Soccer Grade 6-8 A & B Teams

Girls Volleyball  Varsity & Junior Varsity Teams, Grades 9-12

Boys Volleyball  Varsity & Junior Varsity Teams, Grades 9-12

Girls & Boys Tennis, Grades 6-8

WINTER SPORT TEAMS

Girls & Boys Swimming, Grades 6-12

Girls Basketball Varsity & Junior Varsity Teams, Grades 9-12

Girls Basketball Grade 6-8 A & B Teams

Boys Basketball Varsity & Junior Varsity Teams, Grades 9-12

Boys Basketball Grade 6-8 A & B Teams

SPRING SPORT TEAMS

Girls & Boys Track & Field, Grades 6-12

Girls Softball Varsity Team, Grades 9-12

Girls Softball Grade 6-8 Team

Boys Baseball Varsity Team, Grades 9-12

Boys Baseball Grade 6-8 Team

Girls & Boys Tennis Varsity Team, Grades 9-12

Girls & Boys Golf, Grades 6-12

Girls Volleyball Grade 6-8, A & B Teams

Boys Volleyball Grade 6-8, A & B Teams

Maximum age for all sports:  Students must still be 18 years of age on 1 September of the school year.

Varsity Rugby – students must be 15, 16 or 17 years of age on 1 June prior to the start of the school year.

Junior Varsity Rugby – students must be 13, 14 or 15 years of age on 1 June prior to the start of the school year.

FIS participates in the Department of Defense Education Activity Cross Country and Track and Field. Students in grades 6-12 can participate in team practices. It should be noted that students in grades 7 and 8 may only participate in regular season cross country and track and field DoDEA meets as “exhibition” or “unofficial” participants. They may not take part in DoDEA championship events. 6th grade students may not compete in DoDEA meets.

12.1 FIS Interscholastic Athletic Programs are organized by seasons (Fall, Winter and Spring). These competitive seasons are common to the other schools and leagues in which FIS participates. Occasionally, opportunities arise for local and area competitions and tournaments outside of the normal seasonal athletic calendar. 

12.2 Coaches wishing to conduct pre-season conditioning programs for students are encouraged to do so. Such programs may be conducted through the school’s REAL program which can be open to all students.

12.3 Students on in-season FIS teams should not be involved with the out-of-season events if they conflict with or compromise their in-season team commitments in any way. Coaches are instructed to clearly communicate to students participating in out-of-season events and conditioning programs that their participation neither ensures selection to future teams nor is construed as a basis for future tryouts.

12.4 Student participation in summer and holiday sport camps is highly encouraged. The Athletic Office will make every endeavor to assist coaches and students in making contacts with available sport camps.

13.1 All FIS athletes fall under the Code of Conduct of the Frankfurt International School, which is detailed in the Upper School student handbooks (6-8 Handbook & 9-12 Handbook) and the FIS Policy Manual. Disciplinary infractions will be dealt with according to the provisions of the Frankfurt International School and FIS Athletic Department. The ISST and SCIS regulations for students are incorporated into the FIS Athletic Code and are the official policy of the Frankfurt International School Athletic Department for all regular season as well as tournament competition.

13.2 The FIS Athletic Code for students must be signed electronically by each athlete and the parent or guardian in Veracross before the athlete can participate in any competition.

Frankfurt International School

Athletic Department Athletic Code

The following rules and regulations apply throughout the athlete’s respective season(s).

1. Attendance at all published practices is compulsory. Excused absences can only be granted by the coach. Athletes are expected to be punctual to practices and games. Regular absence or persistent lateness may result in suspension or dismissal from the team. 

2. Athletes not attending school on a particular day will not practice or play on that day. Athletes out of school on a Friday will not be eligible for Friday competition, but are eligible for Saturday competition, if selected by the coach. Athletes not in school due to illness or an unexcused absence on a day prior to the team travel day may not travel. (See Section 19.0)

3. Athletes must meet the academic eligibility and behavioral standards of the school as outlined in the FIS Upper School Student Handbook. Failure to meet these standards may result in suspension from competition or practice for an unspecified period of time. Subsequent failure to meet these standards may result in dismissal from the team. 

4. Athletes shall obey all instructions given them by their host parents and their coaches as if these instructions were given to them by their own parents. This applies to all activities irrespective of location undertaken during the period of the competition or Championship.

5. Smoking, vaping or any other use of tobacco products, and the use of drugs is forbidden at all times during a student’s season of participation.

6. The consumption of alcohol is forbidden throughout the duration of a weekend competition or the entire duration of a tournament. A weekend competition is typically defined as the period from Friday until Saturday when the team has returned home from competition.

7. Athletes may not engage in disrespectful and inappropriate use of social media and other digital communication tools. Athletes are expected to have read and agreed to our Student Responsible Use Agreement.

8. Hosting arrangements made by the FIS Athletic Department or host school may not be changed. All athletes involved in weekend athletic competition must meet the curfew hour imposed by the host school. This includes FIS athletes who may not have a hosting commitment.

9. Neither host families nor students may negotiate changes to the Athletic Code with respect to curfew, hosting arrangements, the use of tobacco, alcohol, drugs or other rules or provisions set forth by the host school.

10. Athletes in grades 6, 7, 8 are not allowed out of the host’s care unless chaperoned by the host parent and/or their coach. 

11. Photographic and video images may be recorded for coaching/research, publications, social media or ISST purposes.

12. In accordance with ISST regulations and host country law, students may NOT engage in any illegal downloading or streaming at FIS, the host school or the host family’s home.

The above rules and regulations apply to all student-athletes, both those from the host school and visiting school. They apply throughout the weekend of competition or tournament duration including travel to and from the host site.

Violation of these regulations will be reported to the Athletic Director and to the Upper School Principal. The offending athlete will be removed from the competition and from the host family’s home, and will either be placed under the direct supervision of their coach or sent home at the parent's expense.

13.3 Should an FIS athlete become involved in a violation of these regulations, the following disciplinary measures may be applied:               

1. The athlete will be suspended immediately from competition and will be suspended from the following weekend of competition. They will be subject to a disciplinary hearing with the US Assistant Principal and Athletic Director. The athlete may continue to practice during this time.

2. The athlete will be placed on athletic probation for the remainder of that season. 

3. If the violation occurs during the latter quarter of the season, the probationary period will extend throughout the athlete’s next competitive season.

4. Any further infraction of the code of conduct during the probationary period will result in expulsion from the athletic program for the school year.

14.1 Season schedules have generally been completed for the current school year but may be updated and supplemented. The schedule is posted on the school website and the Athletics bulletin boards (outside room 294 for grades 6-8 and room 363 for grades 9-12).

14.2 Game schedules, tournament dates and locations, trip letters, consent forms and scores can be accessed from the athletics homepage on the Warriors Portal on the FIS school website.

14.3 The first line of communication should always be between the athlete and the coach. Parents with any further concerns relating to their athlete’s welfare should talk directly to the coach. If not resolved between the parent and coach, then contact should be made with the Athletic Director. If the matter cannot be resolved at this level, then the US Assistant Principal and/or Principal will be informed and involved.

14.4 Any parents willing to share their photos for the FIS website, yearbook and other publications may contact Liza Kamstra. Photos may be submitted on a memory stick, downloaded directly from a digital camera or shared via Google Drive. Photo files need to be at least 2 Megabytes if they are to be printed.

15.1 It is acknowledged that ‘playing time’ is an important and sensitive issue among both athletes and parents. The FIS Athletic Department maintains a philosophy that grade 6-8 student-athletes should be given meaningful, though not necessarily equal, playing time in all regular season games. At this level, the enjoyment of playing the game is paramount; therefore, all athletes should play in every game. Coaches are instructed to plan effectively to allow all team members to play a meaningful part. Not getting a player into a game at this level in regular season games is unacceptable.

15.2 Grade 6-8 tournament play, where games are often of shorter length, is significantly different. Both parents and athletes must understand that it is possible that some athletes may not participate in some games; however, it is an expectation that all members of the tournament team are given a fair opportunity to play in the tournament. It is unacceptable for a grade 6-8 athlete not to play in the end-of-season tournament if that athlete has been selected to the tournament team (not all athletes are selected for the tournament team). 

16.1 At Junior Varsity and Varsity level it is recognized that playing time in competition greatly enhances the total development of athletes; therefore, during season games all players should be given meaningful playing time. Playing time at this level should be earned by the athletes through their skills, effort and attitude during both practices and games. The athletes should begin developing an understanding of individual roles within the team concept.

16.2 At all levels it is understood that playing time may be affected by injuries, illnesses, practice attendance or if players are under some disciplinary restriction within the team or from the school.

16.3 It is recognized that at tournaments, playing time may be limited for some athletes. 

17.1 As a general guideline teams will practice as follows:

• Varsity and Junior Varsity Teams - 3-4 times per week

• Grade 6-8 Teams - 2 times per week 

17.2 Grade 6-8 students on Cross Country and Track and Field teams will practice according to the Varsity Schedule unless otherwise notified.

17.3 Practices are generally either early 15:15-17:00 or late 17:00-18:45.

17.4 It is an FIS athletic expectation that players will attend every practice i.e. all practices are compulsory. Dental and/or doctor appointments should be scheduled outside of practice time. The only excused absence is a medical one when a student is home sick and absent from school. Coaches will communicate this to their team during the pre-season meeting. If an athlete must miss a practice session, clearance must be obtained directly from the team’s coach prior to the practice session.

17.5 Any changes to the normal established practice times or locations must be approved by the Athletic Director.

17.6 In the event of lightning, it should be remembered that lightning is the most consistent cause of weather related deaths. 

• Coaches must suspend practice or activities at the first sight of lightning. 

• Practice should NOT resume until 30 minutes has elapsed since the last sight of lightning.

• If there are less than 10 seconds between lightning and thunder (i.e. a storm is less than 3 km away), seek safety immediately.

• Shelter should be sought in a fully enclosed building with plumbing.

• If suitable safe shelter is not available then avoid trees, light poles etc.

• In an open field people should crouch with their legs together, weight on balls of feet, arms wrapped around legs, head tucked in, hands over ears. Minimize contact with the ground. Do NOT lay flat.

18.1 Students absent from a full school day may not practice or compete on that day.

18.2 Students absent from school on a Thursday may not travel on a Friday. If a student after a Thursday absence attends a full day of school on a Friday, the athlete may then travel to the event with their parents once permission is granted by the coach and the Athletic Director.

18.3 Students absent from school on a Friday may not travel or compete on that day.

18.4 Students absent from school on a Friday may be considered for selection by the coach for Saturday competition; however, the coach is under no obligation to select them.

19.1 A trip information letter will be published to the FIS website and provided to all coaches, parents and students on the Monday afternoon prior to travel on the Friday. This letter contains details of trip reference number, cost, payment method, trip itinerary, departure/arrival times, emergency phone numbers, etc. The mobile telephone number(s) of the FIS coach(es), host school Athletic Director and FIS coaches’ hotel are also listed.

19.2 All team members are expected to participate in all home and away games and the end of season tournament if selected. If a student does not intend to participate in an away trip for any reason, this information must be communicated via the parents to the coach AND Athletic Director as early as possible.

19.3 The coach to athlete ratio conforms to the FIS Board policy. The gender of students and chaperones must also be taken into account, with both male and female chaperones available to support a mixed gender group of students. All athletic trips require a minimum of two chaperones unless special circumstances exist as approved by the Principal and Head of School.

19.4 Coaches take attendance on all trips and inform the athletic office prior to departure if a player has not traveled. A student withdrawal from a trip can affect transportation arrangements, trip budget, housing and/or hotel arrangements and many other aspects.  Unless there is a doctor’s medical certificate confirming the medical reason why the athlete could not travel, then the trip fee must be paid in full.

19.5 All team members must travel with their team by the means of transport organized by the Athletic Department. Travel to an athletic event by private car is not permitted. 

The only exception to this rule is if the event takes place in the Rhein-Main region (e.g. Wiesbaden) and when the Athletic Director has granted permission for parents to drive students to the event. Parents are, however, permitted to pick up their athletes following the end of the competition, e.g. in order to have a family sight-seeing weekend in combination with an away event. In that case, the parents need to clearly communicate to the team coach when they pick up the athlete(s).

19.6 Parents should be familiar with the policies regarding payment of sports trip fees. Parents pay 100% of the travel costs. Payments must be made by bank transfer. Bank transfer details are contained in the trip letter. Please note that unless trip costs are paid in full by the deadline indicated in the trip letter (usually the week after the event), the student-athlete may be withheld from any future sports trips.

19.7 Coaches submit a travel roster for each trip to the athletic office containing housing preferences a minimum of four days prior to travel (e.g. Monday for Friday trips). A housing roster listing grade level, allergies and any special dietary requirements is then submitted by the athletic department to the host school, and students are matched up with host families based upon this information. Parents are requested to keep any medical/allergy information up to date in Veracross. In general, these team rosters are sent to the host school a minimum of three  days in advance of the event. For tournament events the deadline for housing rosters is normally three weeks in advance. It is very important that before these travel rosters are sent to host schools the athletic department be aware of any students not traveling.

19.8 External speakers are prohibited on sports trips. Personal devices with headphones, however, are encouraged.

20.1 The team image is important when representing the school at away fixtures and tournaments; therefore, we ask athletes and coaches to wear their team jackets and black or khaki bottoms.

21.1 Sports Uniforms for athletic competition are provided by the school. In most sports the uniforms are signed out to the athlete. All uniforms have been barcoded. The athlete is expected to return the uniform to the coach at the end of the season, washed and in good condition and showing only reasonable wear and use. Uniforms that are lost or damaged become the financial responsibility of the athlete.

21.2 Athletes may be asked to purchase some uniform items or team supplies from the school bookstore at nominal cost. These items remain the property of the athlete.

21.4 Athletes must purchase a Team Jacket at the beginning of their first athletic season. This jacket is to be worn on all away trips and tournaments.

22.1 FIS fully supports students wishing to play club sports outside of school and also play on an FIS school team, since this can enhance not only the development of the individual but also the quality of the FIS team. 

22.2 Club players wishing to play for an FIS team must commit to the school team for an agreed number of practices each week. This agreement must be made between the coach, parents and athlete with direct communication to the Athletic Director. 

22.3 Club players may not miss seasonal games or end-of-season tournament games to play for their club. If there is a conflict this can be handled at the coach’s discretion.

22.4 Any breach of the above agreements may result in the club player being removed from the school team. 

23.1 The ABC is a volunteer parent group with the primary purpose of supporting and enhancing the FIS Athletic Program.

23.2 The ABC is involved with operating concession stands for athletic events, running the bookstore daily for all students, sponsoring the end of season awards evenings and fundraising for special events or projects.

23.3 The ABC website can be found via the Athletics homepage on the school website www.fis.edu  (Community Life > Athletics > Athletic Booster Club).

23.4 Please note that a condition of your athlete’s participation on an FIS athletic team is that you host visiting athletes, as is common practice for our International Schools sports program, and  volunteer in the concession stand. 

24.1 As a parent of an FIS athlete you are required to volunteer in the ABC concession stand one or two weekends during the season. The concession stand schedules are planned in advance and parents receive information showing the dates available to volunteer in the concession stand. 

24.2 At the beginning of the week you will receive an email with a link to the ‘volunteer spot’. This link will take you to a sign-up sheet where you can write yourself in for the time slot that suits you best.

24.3 Families NOT signed up by the Wednesday prior to their child’s home event will receive a reminder to select a time slot on that weekend or a subsequent weekend.

25.1 The FIS Athletic Department organizes all hosting of visiting athletes for the regular season home games, which is typically a one night hosting commitment on Friday night.

25.2 The FIS Athletic Department also organizes all hosting of visiting athletes for end-of-season tournaments hosted by FIS which is typically a two night commitment, Thursday – Saturday.

25.3 A condition of your athlete’s participation on an FIS athletic team is the hosting of visiting athletes for weekend games and home tournament events.

25.4 Hosting is an excellent opportunity for athletes and their families to develop friendships with the athletes and families in other international schools and countries. FIS families are reminded that this is a reciprocal arrangement among the international schools, and the success of the weekend sport exchanges and end of season tournaments depends greatly upon the cooperation, participation and involvement of all concerned.

26.1 During the period of the tournament or weekend housing you stand in place of the parents from the students you host. Please exercise with respect to them all the supervision and care that you would normally exercise with your own children

26.2 All visiting students must comply with the ISST rules and regulations. Please immediately report any violation of these regulations by the student(s) you host to the Athletic Director.

ISST Guidelines for Students and Parents

Curfew, Supervision & Safety

The following rules and guidelines are intended to clarify what the expectations are for both host families and guest athletes with regards to curfew and supervision.

General:

1) NO guest athlete is allowed to leave the host family’s local environment without adult supervision. 

Definition: It is acceptable for guest athletes to visit local (walking distance) cafes or take a walk in the local area without adult supervision. It is NOT acceptable for guest athletes to leave the host family’s local environment without adult supervision. In this case, guest athletes MUST return to the host family no later than 22.00.

Student athletes who are in grades 6, 7 & 8  OR in Middle School MUST be supervised by an adult at ALL times.

2) If host family adults take guests out in the evening then it is important that they return at a reasonable hour (22.00-23.00). Furthermore, guests should be mindful that they are in competition and therefore getting enough sleep throughout the visit is important.

3) City centers and high profile tourist attractions: Clearly ISST competitions provide wonderful opportunities for visiting athletes to not only compete but also to visit some of the best cultural sites in the world. However, even if this is a host family’s local environment we urge host families to use discretion if/when visiting such sites. 

4) It is acceptable for guest athletes to travel independently (or with host students) from the tournament venue to the host family after the day’s competition or housing.

26.3 Neither the host families nor students may negotiate changes to the ISST or SCIS regulations for students with respect to curfew, housing arrangements, the use of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs, or any other rules or provisions set forth by the Athletic Director. The curfew for all regular FIS season games is 22:00. For tournaments this may be extended to 23:00, but only in special cases.

26.4 The curfew is in place to ensure that the visiting athletes have returned to the host family home before the curfew deadline, or have been picked up and are under the direct supervision of the host parent at that time. Please note that this curfew also applies to FIS athletes.

26.5 Grades 6-8 Teams, must remain under the direct supervision of their coach and/or the host parent throughout the weekend or tournament, i.e. Grade 6-8 students are not permitted to be unsupervised at any time.

26.6 A detailed itinerary of events will be published which indicates game times, housing pick up and drop off times, venues and emergency numbers. Please make personal contact with your guests as soon as possible after their arrival. The FIS athlete has the first and foremost responsibility to meet their guests and see to their total care and welfare throughout hosting weekends. 

26.7 Please arrange suitable transport. Normally this is expected to be a private car.

26.8 Please provide the students with suitable meals at whatever time may be necessary because of competition scheduling. On a normal weekend, this would be Friday evening meal, Saturday breakfast and a packed lunch for the return journey. 

26.9 FIS ABC sells  “Booster Bucks” at a cost of eight Euros which can be given to the visiting athletes in place of a packed lunch. Booster Bucks are available for purchase at the Bookstore and Concession Stand. They should not be used to provide the evening meal.

All trips and excursions, which are school activities approved by the Head of School, are covered by the state mandatory student accident insurance (Unfallkasse Hessen, Frankfurt/Main). Sickness-related costs are not covered by this insurance; they fall under the student’s family health insurance.

1. All sports trips have been approved by the Head of School.

2. All students have informed the school of their medical insurance coverage. This information is provided at the beginning of the school year electronically in Veracross.

3. If you encounter a medical emergency while on a trip, please take the following steps:

a. Obtain medical assistance immediately. You will have to rely on the host school to assist with arrangement.

b. In Germany, visit a “D” Arzt (Durchgangsarzt), an Unfallarzt, or the Emergency room at a hospital. Remember to advise them that it is a school accident and that all invoices should be sent to 

Unfallkasse Hessen, Leonardo da Vinci Allee 20, 60486 Frankfurt

c. If direct payments are required, keep all receipts. In case of an accident, give the receipts to the school nurse after return so that they can be submitted with the accident report and obtain your reimbursement.

d. In case of advance payment because of sickness, the reimbursement must be obtained from the parents who can then submit to their family insurance. The Admin Asst. in the HOS office can assist with this if necessary.

4. On return, inform the athletic trainer and report the details of the accident. The school is obliged by law to report accidents in a timely manner.

Will Moncrief - Athletic Director 

Office: +49-6171-2024 406

27.1 The Athletic Booster Club (ABC) sponsors an awards evening at the end of each season for athletes and their families. The purpose of these events is to honor the school’s athletes, highlight Senior athletes and recognize the achievements of the FIS teams as a whole.

The typical format for the awards evening is as follows;

• Main Session: Presentations by the Athletic Director, Athletic Booster Club & Student Athletic Council.

• Breakout Sessions: Grade 6-8, Junior Varsity and Varsity Team and parent break-out sessions with coaches for special awards. The ABC provides food and drinks for each team.

27.2 End-of-Season Awards

During team breakout sessions, coaches will recognize the personal growth of all team members and present awards to select individuals.

27.3 End-of-Year Athletic Awards 

At the final athletic awards ceremony of the year in June, the following athletic awards are presented:

1. FIS Varsity Athlete of the Year

2. FIS Athletic Booster Club Award

3. FIS Athletic Director Award

The recipients of the Athlete of the Year and Athletic Director awards are selected in a voting process by the Varsity coaches. The Athletic Director formally requests nominations prior to an award selection meeting. All Varsity coaches are required to attend this meeting.  For the Athletic Booster Club awards, Varsity coaches provide input to the Athletic Booster Club award committee who make the final decision.

27.3 Criteria for End-of-Year Athletic Awards 

Varsity Athlete of the Year

The FIS Athlete of the Year awards are presented to two outstanding athletes at FIS. They have:

- participated in at least two seasons of varsity sports at FIS (during current school year).

- consistently demonstrated outstanding athletic performance.

- shown dedication in the pursuit of excellence in sport and commitment to the FIS Athletic Program.

- demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship. 

- demonstrated leadership and teamwork throughout.

- demonstrated advanced levels of skill on their FIS sports teams.

- displayed true athletic ability that sets them apart from their peers.

- gained the respect of the FIS coaching staff and their peers as an outstanding athlete.

In the event of a ‘tie’, preference will be given to the more senior athlete. 

Athletic Booster Club Athletic Award

The Athletic Booster Club Awards are presented to two varsity athletes who: 

- showed dedication, commitment and leadership to their sport and team;

- brought cohesiveness, camaraderie and spirit to games and practices;

- and demonstrates strong moral character.

Scholar-Athlete Awards

FIS Athletic Booster Club sponsors the Scholar-Athlete Awards which are presented at the end of each semester to grade 9-12 team members who have successfully completed their athletic season and maintained a grade-point average of 5.5 (for grades 9-10) and 6.25 (for grades 11-12). Each season athletes will be presented with a certificate and patch upon meeting the grade criteria. An athlete who meets the criteria for any subsequent season in the same academic year will be presented with a certificate and pin. Fall season awards will be presented at the end of Semester 1. Winter and Spring season awards will be presented at the end of Semester 2.

Athletic Director Award

The Athletic Director award is presented to an athlete who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the FIS athletic program. This athlete should demonstrate traits such as sportsmanship, commitment and a positive attitude within their team and be good citizens, showing dependability and exemplary character.

The athlete’s contribution to the FIS athletic program is the primary criteria for this award. Examples may include, but are not limited to:

• Member of the Student Athletic Council

• Assistant Coach for FIS middle school team(s)

• REAL Assistant Instructor for younger students in their sport

• Leader of off-season training program for fellow athletes

• Seasonal score table official

In the event of a ‘tie’, preference will be given to the more senior athlete.

Grade 8 Athletic Award 

The Grade 8 Athletic Award is presented to two athletes at FIS, recognising outstanding participation, dedication and contribution to the Athletic Program during Grade 6-8.