Introduction

The purpose of this handbook is to provide pertinent information as it pertains to being a student-athlete at Sacramento City College. It is our hope that while you are a student-athlete at Sacramento City College, you will have the best possible educational experience, both academically and athletically. The intent of this handbook is to help support that educational experience by providing you with information that is critical to your knowledge base, as it pertains to your status as a student-athlete, and as it pertains to your status as a student at Sacramento City College. Please take some time, by looking through this booklet, and familiarize yourself with all the services that Sacramento City College has to offer.

Division Mission Statement

The mission of the Physical Education, Health, Recreation, and Athletics division is to provide a positive, educational setting in which students can achieve skills for the personal management of life-long health and wellness.

Within athletics, an integral part of the total educational process, we strive to promote the mission of the college through student-athlete participation in an integrity-based, collaborative, and equitable athletic program. Sacramento City College's athletic program aims to provide the opportunity for student athletes to realize their full potential both academically and athletically.

Division Phone List: Full-time Staff

Faculty/Head Coaches

California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA)

The California Community College Commission on Athletics and Athletic Association Constitution and Bylaws, together with the Sport Guides, constitute the policies and procedures of the California Community College Commission on Athletics and Athletic Association, which govern the administration of California Community College intercollegiate athletics.

Big 8 Conference

Sacramento City College is a member of the Big 8 conference. This conference is made up of:

• Sacramento City College
• American River College
• Cosumnes River College
• Sierra College
• Diablo Valley College
• Santa Rosa Junior College
• San Joaquin Delta College
• Modesto Community College

Football belongs to the Northern California Football Association (NCFA), and the Mid-Empire Conference. The members of the Mid-Empire Conference are:

• Sacramento City College
• American River College
• Mendocino College
• Feather River College
• Siskiyous College

Decorum

Big "8" Conference Decorum Policy
Section 2 states that participants in any Conference athletic contest who exhibit inappropriate behavior, including, but not limited to, those outlined, shall be subject to the appropriate penalties:

• Fighting in conjunction with an athletic contest.
• The first offense of fighting will result in an ejection for the balance of the contest, plus one additional contest.
• A second offense will carry a penalty of ejection for the balance of the contest and suspension for the balance of the season (minimum of three contests), including championships. If the season ends prior to the conclusion of the suspension, the penalty will carry over to the next conference season of the same sport.
• Fights that occur prior to, or immediately following, the contest will be treated as if they occurred during the contest.
• Student athletes who leave the bench during a fight, whether as a peacemaker or participant will be ejected for the balance of the contest.
• Physically attacking or otherwise verbally abusing a game official, coach, assistant coach, or college-appointed contest supervisor will result in the following:
  1. The first offense will result in ejection for the balance of the contest, plus the next two conference contests.
  2. The second offense will result in ejection for the balance of the contest and suspension for the balance of the season (minimum of three contests), including championships. If the season ends prior to the conclusion of the suspension, the penalty will carry over to the next conference season of the same sport. A full investigation of the incident shall be conducted by the student athlete's college administration and a written report filed with the Commissioner, prior to the student athlete's reinstatement of playing status. The Commissioner shall review the report immediately and may make additional recommendations he/she feels are appropriate. The college may impose additional consequences based upon their findings.
• Unsporting tactics shall be defined as: disrespectfully addressing contest participants, using profanity, vulgarity, taunting, ridiculing, pointing of finger, making obscene gestures baiting an opponent, or inciting undesirable crowd reactions.

Each Sport Supplement shall address the penalties associated with unsporting tactics that result in an ejection. If the Sport Supplement does not address said penalties, Article IX.2.1 shall prevail.

Sacramento City College Decorum Policy
To be presented and signed at each team's preseason Eligibility meeting.

Athletic Eligibility at Sacramento City College

Current Enrollment:
9/12 Rule (Bylaw 1.3): Every student-athlete must be currently enrolled in at least 12 units in the semester that s/he is participating (i.e. competing) in their sport. If, during an academic term, a student-athlete is not enrolled in either 9 academic or 12 total units and competes in a contest, that contest will be forfeited by the team and that student-athlete will be immediately ineligible for any future contests.

• Nine of the 12 units must be classified as "Academic" units. Sport, Fitness, Dance and Physical Activity (PACT) classes do not count towards the nine "academic" units.
• Wait List classes do not count towards current enrollment.
• Late start (i.e. 2nd eight-week or other term) classes do not count towards current enrollment until the actualstart date of the class.
• The student-athlete must be enrolled in the "Sport" class in order to participate.
• While the athletic office checks eligibility on a daily basis for those sports that are in-season, the eligibility of the student-athlete is his/her responsibility.
  2nd Year of Participation:
  18/24 Rule (Bylaw 1.6): In order to participate in a second season of competition at a California Community College, a student-athlete must pass 24 semester units. The 24 semester units must be successfully completedprior to the beginning of the semester of the second season of sport (the unit count begins with and includes the units taken during the first semester of competition).
• 18 of the 24 units must be classified as "Academic" units. Sport, Fitness, Dance and Physical Activity (PACT) classes do not count towards the 18 "academic" units.
• Student-athletes must also achieve and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA.
• Wait List classes do not count towards current enrollment.
• Late start (i.e. 2nd eight-week or other term) classes do not count towards current enrollment until the actual start date of the class.
• While the athletic office checks eligibility on a daily basis for those sports that are in-season, the eligibility of the student-athlete is his/her responsibility.

Important Terms:
CCCAA Manual and Bylaws: All of the rules and regulation, as established by the CCCAA, that govern our participation in Community College athletics are present in this manual, which is located at the following site: "coasports.org"
Red Shirt: This refers to a full-time student who does not participate in any competitions so does not utilize a season of participation. Because they are a full-time student, however, their NCAA "clock" will begin.
Gray Shirt: This refers to a part-time student who cannot, by rule, participate in any competitions and does not utilize a season of participation. Because this student is part-time, their NCAA "clock" does not start.

Athletic Eligibility Upon Transfer:

NCAA Clearinghouse: Any freshmen who wants to be immediately eligible to participate at an NCAA school must first register with the NCAA Clearinghouse and be deemed a "qualifier," based upon a sliding scale that measures their High School GPA in approved core courses, along with their SAT/ACT test scores.

• Qualifier: term for those who meet a certain standard as set by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
      1. Community College transfers who are "Qualifiers" do not need to have an AA degree to be
          immediately eligible upon transfer to a NCAA four-year college.
      2. Community College transfers who are "Qualifiers", in order to be immediately eligible upon
          transfer to a NCAA four-year college, must maintain an average of 12 transferable units per
          full time semester (i.e. if the athlete is at a Community College for 3 years, s/he would
          need 72 transferable units) and have a minimum 2.0 GPA
             a. PE units may count towards these transfer units only if the four-year college in
                question will accept those PE units.
             b. This applies to all NCAA Division I and Division II schools.

• Non-Qualifier: term for those who do not meet a certain standard as set by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
     1. Community College transfers who are "Non-Qualifiers" must have an AA degree,
         average 12 transferable units per full-time term, and have a 2.0 cumulative GPA in
         order to be immediately eligible upon transfer to a NCAA Division I and Division II school.

• Amateurism: Starting April 1, 2007, all D1 and D2 athletes wishing to compete for an
  NCAA institution will have to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse to clear their amateur status.
  It does not matter if you are a qualifier or not.

The site for registration is as follows: www.ncaaclearinghouse.com.

40/60/80 (Progress Towards Degree) Rule:
This NCAA rule states that, for any student-athlete, after two years of full-time collegiate enrollment, s/he must have completed 40% of the degree requirements (48 semester units) at the certifying institution in order to be eligible for competition at that institution.

After three years of full-time collegiate enrollment, s/he must have completed 60% of the degree requirements (72 semester units) at the certifying institution in order to be eligible for competition at that institution.
After four years of full-time collegiate enrollment, s/he must have completed 80% of the degree requirements (96 semester units) at the certifying institution in order to be eligible for competition at that institution.

• This rule pertains to all NCAA Division I institutions
• Four-year institutions, particularly out of state schools, vary on what they consider transferable.
• Not all PE units transfer.
• Transferable units at SCC (to UC and CSUS schools) are courses numbered 300 and above.

6 unit Rule: A student-athlete must pass 6 units (can be non-transferable) in their final full-time semester at a Community College in order to be immediately eligible upon transfer to an NCAA four -year college

Clock Rule:

• Within NCAA Division I, a student-athlete has 5 years in which to participate in four seasons of competition. A student-athlete's clock begins immediately upon enrollment at any collegiate institution as a full-time student (i.e. enrolled in 12 units).
• Within NCAA Division II, a student-athlete has 10 full-time semesters in which to participate in four seasons of competition.

Athletic Counseling Program

We are very fortunate to have a full-time counselor dedicated to the support of our student-athletes. Following are some of the services that are provided via our program:

• Education Plans: Educational plans are completed with the counselor at least once per semester and must be on file before a student-athlete is allowed to participate in competition. Ed Plans may be done more often if you change your major, educational goal, classes,bull etc. These plans map out your two to three year plan here at Sacramento City and are based upon each individual's assessment scores, major, transfer plan, etc. They are kept in your file your entire stay here and help guide you when planning your next semester classes and registration. Educational plans are important for every student, regardless of whether they are planning on competing in athletics at the four-year level.
• Progress Reports: A student-athlete must complete two (2) grade checks each semester. These ensure that the student is meeting attendance, coursework and testing requirements. It also allows us to assess at-risk students and refer them for tutoring assistance if necessary. Our District, Los Rios, requires this process.
• Holds: A hold is put on all student-athletes' records at the beginning of every semester. It will not be removed until after the last day to drop classes, and the student-athlete has updated their Education Plan.
  1. If a student needs to add or drop a class during the semester, they must meet with
      the student-athlete counselor to do so. This helps with transfer rules, tutoring,
      intervention and eligibility.
• SPORT 90: This is our student-athlete study skills lab and is coordinated by Debbie Blair. You must be registered every semester for either 1unit (3 hours per week) or .5 unit (1.5 hours per week). This class is always taught by an instructor and there is tutoring available.
• Athletic Report: The athletic counseling staff tracks the progress of each student athlete during the year and enters their information into a database. By examining the results of the data by individual sport, risk status, year of participation and several other variables, staff can determine where the program is succeeding and where improvements should be made.

Athletic Leadership Council

The aim of the ALC is to provide a voice for our student-athletes while rallying support amongst the student body and the community. We strive to create an atmosphere in which our athletes can excel academically, athletically and socially. We are dedicated to producing well-rounded individuals with a great mind for others and their community. We are involved in a Community Service Project every semester. Please ask your coach about getting involved with this great organization.

Athletic Training Room:

The primary role of the athletic training program is to oversee the safety and well being of the student-athlete by monitoring the prevention and care of injuries and illnesses.
Each student-athlete can expect the following to be provided by our Athletic Training Staff:

• In-season coverage of all sports contest and practices by Sports Medicine Staff and student athletic trainers.
• Emergency care of athletic injuries.
• Treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries.
• Access to Sports Medicine facilities for treatment and rehabilitation of injuries.
• Reasonable hours of operation of athletic training room (10:30am - 7pm, Mon. - Fri., morning & evenings a scheduled by the Sports Medicine Staff).
• Orthopedic physician visitations in Athletic Training Room and scheduled home Football Games by the Sports Medicine Staff.
• Secondary insurance coverage of in-season athletic related injuries by LRCCD.
• Sports Medicine supplies as indicated for participation.
• Ice and water provided at all schedule practices and contests.
• Annual general physicals and orthopedic screenings.
• Follow-up medical care for all athletically related injuries that occur as a result of in-season participation in SCC Athletics.
• Maintenance of athletic injury records by the Sports Medicine Staff.

Student-Athlete Responsibilities Regarding Athletic Training:

To ensure proper care, coverage, and safety during athletic participation and to expedite return to activity following injury, each student-athlete is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities (Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches will facilitate):

• Student-Athletes are responsible for completing all physical paperwork requested by the Sports Medicine Staff prior to their participation in SCC Athletics.
• Athletes must have a thorough physical examination, which includes and orthopedic screening performed by the SCC Sports Medicine Staff and physicians, prior to beginning participation in SCC Athletics.
• Athletes are responsible for notifying the SCC Sports Medicine Staff within 24 hours of occurrence of their in-season athletic injury.
• Student-Athletes assigned rehabilitation protocols by the Sports Medicine Staff should consider rehabilitation mandatory and adhere to the appointment schedule.
• To maintain uniformed communication: Head Coach, Sports Medicine Staff and Student-Athlete, referral to any medical physician must be pre-approved by the Sports Medicine Staff.
• Second opinion referrals are the right of the student-athlete but must be facilitated and communicated to the Sports Medicine Staff.
• Adhere to Athletic Training Room Rules and Conduct posted in the main Athletic Training room and Hydrotherapy area as follows:
  
  1. Report all Athletic injuries to Athletic Trainers for proper care.
  2. Athletes must wear appropriate footwear: NO cleats or spikes permitted in the Training Room area.
  3. Leave all athletic equipment and bags in your Athletic Locker or practice area.
  4. Appropriate attire is required for Treatments and Tapings (i.e. gym shorts or sweats).
  5. Avoid self treatments; all tapings, bandages, etc. will be applied by the Athletic Trainer.
  6. Obtain permission to use the Exercise Equipment (i.e. stationary Bike).
  7. Athletes must sign in on Daily Treatment Log indicating treatment or taping received.
  8. NO food or drinks allowed in Training Room.
  9. Obnoxious language, horseplay, loitering, or gossiping in the Athletic Training areas will not be tolerated and is cause for ejection.
  10. Hydrotherapy room only 3 Athletes allowed inside at a time. This is area is used by many athletes - Please get in for your whirlpool treatment and then get out as soon as you are finished.
  11. Please respect your fellow athletes while in the Training and Hydrotherapy Rooms.

Athletic Passes

All SCC students are allowed free admission to all home athletic events with presentation of their student ID card. No other passes are valid and there is no free admission for playoff events.

Sports Information

All of the Panther Sport Information (such as rosters, schedules, results and much more) can be found online at:
sccpanthers.losrios.edu.

For more information on the Sacramento City College Panthers and specific sporting teams, please visit the website. Information pertinent to all Panther teams, such as rosters, schedules, results and various athletic updates are available at this site.