Gorman Sportsmanship Code

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deed could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself on a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat."

--Theodore Roosevelt

Remember

Your support of this athletic endeavor does not accord you the right to verbally assault other people. Supporters who can not follow the guidelines for good sportsmanship will be asked to leave.

Gorman Sportsmanship Code For Parents, Students and Friends

• Interscholastic competition exist for students foster sportsmanship, leadership and teamwork; fans should set the example of good sportsmanship
• Every child is equally important
• Fans should always conduct themselves as an example of Christian behavior
• Fans should support and encourage in everything they do and say; they should never verbally assault others
• The only people who talk to officials during a competition are the coaches or administrators, not fans or parents
• The only people who talk to coaches during a competition are the other coaches, officials or student participants, never parents or fans
• Understand and follow the distinctions: the coach’s role is to coach, the officials’ role is to officiate, the player’s role is to respectfully participate; the fan’s role is to support
• Remember that coaches and officials are human
• Remember to do all for the glory of God

Purpose and Philosophy of Extra Curricular Activities

Through the interscholastic program at Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Middle and High School, the students will gain a greater awareness of himself/herself and his/her potential for growth as a Christian and that, through honest and sincere competition, will learn respect for others. In particular, he/she will learn "good sportsmanship," which encompasses such qualities as fairness, self-control, self-discipline, respect, cooperation and fairness in dealing with them.

The aim of the extracurricular programs are to give students the opportunity to develop self-expression as well as the personal qualities of courage, self-confidence, alertness, maximum effort and resourcefulness. In relation to the school community, these programs foster a wholesome school spirit, create an atmosphere of unity and fellowship within the school, and stimulate support for and interest in the entire school program.

Finally, these programs are one of the principle means by which Bishop T. K. Gorman Middle School and High School makes its presence know in the outside community. It is one of the main reasons for alumni to continue to take pride in TKG and be associate with it. It is a source of attraction for new students, alumni and parents.

Eligibility

All High School Varsity and Junior Varsity teams are governed by the rules of Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS.) Specific rules for academic eligibility appear in the Bishop T. K. Gorman handbook. Middle School is governed by the East Texas Christian Conference (ETCC) and the Private Schools Interscholastic Association (PSIA.)

Prior to participating in any activity, the student must meet all eligibility requirements for that activity, have proof of insurance, obtain parental permission for his/her participation in that sport, and have a complete physical examination. An athlete can not begin working out until all paperwork has been submitted.

The students are responsible for for the care and return of any and all equipment issued.

Eligible students will attend all practices unless excused by the moderators. Students shall be present for the whole school day in order to participate in extracurricular competition.

Each student-athlete is responsible for helping to maintain the cleanliness and neatness of the locker rooms and those locker rooms used at away games.

Each student will conduct himself/herself as a representative of Bishop T. K. Gorman Middle School and High School and will uphold the high standards of the school. Students are responsible for picking up assignments in a timely fashion prior to any missed classes and for making up all assignments which are missed due to activity participation.

Dress Code of Athletic Competition Days

On athletic competition days students may be allowed to wear team attire approved by the Athletic Director. All athletes will travel to competition dressed in Gorman school uniforms.

Letter Jackets

A student can earn a letter or a participation award by involvement in the following school sponsored activities; all TAPPS sponsored competitions (art, academic, music and athletic), drill team and cheerleading.

At the end of a season, the coach, teacher, or sponsor will evaluate the student's commitment and dedication to the activity. A student will be classified as either a letter winner or a participant. Each individual coach, teacher or sponsor will explain the criteria for achieving letterman status. When a student earns 7 Letter Awards or a combination of 10 Letter and Participation Awards, they will be given a Bishop T. K. Gorman Letter jacket. If a student has limited their efforts to a small number of activities and not on track to earn a letter jacket by their junior year, a committee of the athletic director, academic coach, music department head and the art teacher will meet and evaluate the students. This committee will evaluate students who receive a nomination by any teacher.

This process of earning letter jackets will begin with the class of 2004.