Frequently Asked Questions About Athletics

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Athletics at St. George’s Collierville

What is the role of athletics at St. George’s?

The purpose of athletics at St. George’s is to further the overall mission of our school. Our goal is for each student, regardless of athletic ability or talent, to be enriched by his or her athletic experiences while at St. George’s. The athletic program encourages students to become well rounded, fit, and team oriented. As students gain an understanding of their abilities, we expect them to enhance their awareness of group dynamics, gain a deeper sense of self, and learn how to strive for personal excellence. Through a strong emphasis on sportsmanship, the school’s commitment to character education is also reinforced.

How does the school balance an emphasis toward participation with a desire to be competitive? Is there a difference between the middle school program and the upper school program in this regard?

Joe Paterno said, “Excellence grows from within a person, is largely within that person’s control, and its meaning lasts. Success is measured externally, by comparison against others, is often outside of our control, and it is perishable.” Gryphon athletics is focused on developing students of excellence. Success, as defined above, with its external measurements of winning records and championship trophies, will occur if we stick to the process of developing personal excellence. The middle school philosophy regarding athletics falls between a recreation program and full-fledged competitive sports program. At the middle school level, it is vital to provide as much participation as feasible for team members while also striving for “successful” seasons. By allowing as many athletes as possible the opportunity to gain experience, hone skills, strengthen character, and physically mature at the middle school level, we benefit by giving ourselves a greater chance of being “successful” at the upper school level. Unfortunately, it may not always be feasible, because of numbers and space issues, to accommodate every student who would like to participate in certain sports (e.g., golf, cheer, pom, tennis, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, and soccer). Some sports may require tryouts. Currently, there are no try-outs for sports such as football, cross country, swimming, wrestling, lacrosse, and track, thereby providing an opportunity for more students a chance to be part of an interscholastic sports team. Becoming a part of any middle school team does not guarantee equal amounts of playing time; however, coaches constantly try to reconcile individual participation and team success.

Membership on an upper school team generally requires several years of experience in the sport. This level is more competitive, with the goal being to win through the development of personal excellence. Our sole focus, however, is not on winning, but rather on improving each athlete’s level of personal excellence. Winning is the result of this process. Some sports, because of the limited number who can play in a single game, will require tryouts (golf, cheer, pom, tennis, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, and soccer, e.g.). For other sports such as football, cross country, swimming, wrestling, and track there are no tryouts, thereby providing more students with a chance to be part of an interscholastic sports team. Becoming a part of any high school team does not guarantee playing time. At the upper school level coaches will stress team success over individual playing time, focusing on the importance of team over self which promotes the importance of each team member.

How is the athletic department staffed?

The athletic department is staffed administratively with an Athletic Director, an Assistant Athletic Director, and an Athletic Coordinator. Coaching staffs include full-time school employees, experienced non-parent coaches who are employed elsewhere, and, at times, by parent assistant coaches who have a son or daughter on the team or at school. A parent who has a child on the team is rarely, if ever, in a head coaching position.

What is the school’s approach toward parent volunteers on coaching staffs?

Each head coach has the option to have volunteer parent coaches to help with practices, but generally we try to provide enough hired coaches to meet the teams’ demands. Parent volunteers can be valuable resources and are expected to follow the guidelines laid out by the head coach and support the philosophy of the school and the athletic department.

How is the Gryphon Athletic Volunteer organization structured?

The GAV is our “booster club.” It is a service organization with a mission to support each team at each level. It is composed primarily of parents who serve as chairs of various committees. The goal is that each team will be assisted by their team parents in areas related to communication, stats, awards, videotaping, scorekeeping, concessions, gate, and/or game management. Parent involvement is a crucial piece in providing a top notch experience for our athletes and the GAV is the organization that administers this aspect of the athletic program.

What are some TSSAA regulations by which the school must abide with regard to hiring coaches?

Head coaches for upper school baseball, football, basketball, softball, and track must be employees of the school. Coaches cannot recruit players from other schools, which includes initiating contact with a student or parent at another school with the purpose of encouraging a school transfer. Once a student contacts our admission office then coaches can talk with potential students, but cannot exercise undue influence. In the upper school, there can be only two assistant coaches in any sport who are not employees of the school or meet other criteria such as teaching at another school or being a retired teacher and/or coach.

When hiring coaches, what type of coaching philosophy and attributes does the school expect?

The school expects an individual’s coaching philosophy to reflect the school’s overall philosophy and that of the athletic department. Additionally, the school seeks to hire coaches who have coaching experience and are knowledgeable in the sport(s) they coach. Coaches are expected to be sportsmanlike, organized, professional, and to treat their players with respect. Coaches are expected to be firm, but fair.

What is the athletic department’s approach toward cuts? Does it vary between middle school and upper school?

In accordance with our philosophy of athletics and our desire to see as many students as possible participate in the athletic program while at St. George’s, we encourage coaches to keep as many students as they can while maintaining the integrity of their sport. Obviously, time, space, facilities, equipment, personal preference, and other factors will place limitations on the most effective squad size for any particular sport.

Why are students only allowed to play on one interscholastic team per season?

In order to maintain the integrity of each team, students are allowed to play on only one team per season. It is not realistic to assume that an individual can commit equally to two teams with regard to practices and/or games. In many situations, there will be scheduling conflicts that cannot be reconciled and a choice will have to be made to attend one practice or game over the other. This creates inconsistency and unpredictability for the coach and, as importantly, other teammates. There is also an issue of fairness involved. Should a player who misses a practice in order to meet a commitment with another sport be allowed to start in the next game? Furthermore, when cuts are made during a tryout process it brings to question whether or not it is fair to keep someone who may be committed to two teams and miss practices/games over someone who would be committed to only the one team. For these reasons, it is the school’s policy that students participate on just one team per season.

As we move into varsity level athletics, what is to be expected in terms of a student-athlete’s commitment?

There is a higher level of commitment for a varsity athlete. For example, players need to always be punctual; there will often be practices during school vacations; players will be expected to be engaged in conditioning during the season and also in the off-season; some athletic contests may require travel out of town. To be good it takes hard work, time, daily dedication, and sacrifice. Such skills will hopefully have meaning in a young person’s life beyond athletics. Additionally and importantly, it is irresponsible to put our athletes in a competitive situation and ask them to compete at a high level if we have not worked to ensure that they are as well prepared for the challenge as possible.

Will my student be eligible to participate in sports under TSSAA guidelines?

The rules  governing TSSAA eligibility can be found by clicking here.