Parent Expectations

Dear Trinity Hall Parents:

One of the goals of our athletic program is to provide our student-athletes with the experience of being on a team. This valuable experience provides our young women with the opportunity to work together to reach a common goal, to raise the performance level of the team and the individual, and to successfully manage the ups and downs of a season while at the same time promoting the core values of the school: leadership, respect, perseverance and faith.

As a parent, you are an influential and important part of our athletic community; therefore we also expect you to model the school’s core values as you experience the season with your daughter and ask that you follow these general “fan-friendly” guidelines and expectations:

Positive comments from the sideline are welcome. Negative comments to anyone, including your own daughter, are not welcome. Be aware, however, that the coaches will tell their athletes to listen to only them during games. Please refrain from offering instruction in order to avoid contradicting what the coaching staff may be trying to do.
Referees and officials are off limits. Allow the coaches to address any concerns with the officials.
Please allow and encourage your daughter to address any concerns directly with the coaching staff. It will be her responsibility to check her e-mail or the alert system for updates on practices and games. Coaches will be available throughout the season to address concerns with your daughter.
After your daughter has spoken to the coach, you may address any other concerns you may have directly with the coach. Please do this via e-mail. Coaches are not obligated to discuss playing time, practice tactics or team strategy, and may choose not to discuss these matters.
Please plan family vacation time, doctors’ appointments, and the like so that they don’t interfere with your daughter’s participation in her sport. Our schedule does not allow for much flexibility, and rescheduling games is extremely difficult with divisional and conference obligations. Sports are active even when school is not in session, and that includes August preseason and the winter and spring breaks.
At the varsity level, it is difficult for athletes to be fully committed to a sport if they are involved in more than one activity or sport during their season. We ask that you consider the time commitment required of an athlete in a high school season, and decide together with your daughter if she is able to commit completely before the season begins.
We are working on outfitting our teams with great uniforms so please take care when washing the uniforms and follow the instructions. The uniforms must be returned in a similar condition to when they were distributed. The coaches will let their players know what is acceptable to wear under the uniforms or as a warm up as the requirements differ from sport to sport.
The Shore Conference, NJSIAA, and NJISAA all ask that our athletes, parents, fans, and coaches adhere to strict sportsmanship guidelines.

The following excerpt in an example of what is to be read before and during all NJSIAA sanctioned home events:

Today’s contest is being conducted according to the rules of the New Jersey State High School Athletic Association. These rules provide for fair competition among players. Spectators can help promote good sportsmanship by observing the rules of fair play. Any verbal, written, or physical conduct related to race, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or religion shall not be tolerated, could subject the violator to ejection, and may result in penalties being assessed against your team. Each one is requested to take personal responsibility for the keeping this competition at a high level of good sportsmanship.

The following public service announcement is from the Shore Conference and is to be read prior to home contests:

On behalf of the Shore Conference of High Schools, we welcome you to ________________________. Please draw your attention to the banner located on the _____________. This banner marks the philosophy of the Shore Conference of High Schools. It will serve as a reminder that promoting good sportsmanship is the primary purpose of High School athletics. All members of the Shore Conference remind you that interscholastic events are an extension of the classroom, and that lessons are best learned when proper respect is accorded to all. Please let your good sportsmanship show during the game. Thank you for your cooperation and enjoy tonight’s contest. And now I would ask you to please rise as we honor America.

One of the greatest awards an athletic program or team can receive is the Sportsmanship Award. This past spring, our lacrosse team accomplished that feat, winning the Shore Women’s’ Lacrosse Officials Association award as voted on by the officials. Our coaches will work hard to accomplish this every season and we ask our parents, players, and fans to do the same.

The coaches at Trinity Hall will always have the best interests of not only your daughter but the entire team in mind as we progress through our athletic seasons. Athletes are inherently competitive and want to win, but we as coaches understand that many times you learn more from losing than from winning. The coaches are also expected to promote the core values of Trinity Hall, regardless of the result of the contest. If asked what you should do on game day, your daughter will tell you to sit back and enjoy watching the game, match or meet.

Thank you, and go Monarchs!