To Do Checklist

Below is a list of items that must be completed in order to participate in regular season athletics.  A printable checklist is also available on our Athletic Program Information Sheet.

__ Register in FinalForms 

__ Complete LWSD Middle School Physical Form  Good for two years from date of exam.  Turn the form into Ms. Stephens in the main office.  

__ Pay participation fee ($75) by check or cash to school, or online through the payments portal.

__ Purchase ASB card ($25 for yearly membership) by check or cash to school, or online through the payments portal.

__ Have no fines or fees

Would you like to make a donation towards another student's participation fee?  If so, please contact Ms. Stephens (sstephens@lwsd.org) in the main office.

***Checks can be made payable to: Finn Hill Middle School***

Regular Season Sports Fee

At the middle school level, the athletic participation fee for regular season sports is:

• $75 per sport
  • $150 individual cap
  • $225 same school family cap
• Students also need to have a current school year ASB membership ($25)

Intramurals Fee

The cost for Intramural Sports is $25 per student per session.

• Students also need to have a current school year ASB membership ($25)

Refund Policy 

Refunds for the athletics fee are granted only under the following circumstances:

• Student quits due to illness or injury prior to first contest
• Student quits due to family moving prior to first contest

Refund must be requested prior to the end of the sports season.

Scholarships

If you need assistance paying for athletic fees, please see Ms. Stephens (sstephens@lwsd.org) in the main office to discuss scholarship possibilities.

Practice Info

Practices take place after school on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 3:30 - 4:45pm (end time varies by sport), and Wednesday mornings if necessary.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to participate after registering, students must meet the following requirements...

• 8 practices are required prior to participation in the first contest.
• Student athlete must be in attendance for at least three class periods of the school day to participate in any school related activity or sporting event.
• Student athlete must have a passing grade in all subjects (no Fs)
  • See the "Academic Probation" tab for more details on grade check policies and procedures

Sports - Academic Probation

We have a process for checking student grades and how they are held accountable for their grades while participating in athletics.  This same process will repeat itself throughout the year in all 4 seasons.  Below is an outline of the FHMS grade check process:

Grade check process

• Two weeks from the start of the season our Athletic Director (AD) will perform a grade pull for all athletes participating in the current season.
• All students who have a failing grade (F) will be identified.
• The AD will run the list of students past counselors to see if there is anything he should know about any particular grade/student support in effect.
• Subsequent grade checks will occur every two weeks until the end of the season.

What does a failing grade mean?

• A student athlete with a failing grade will be placed on academic probation for one week.
• While working on raising their grade(s) for that one-week period, the student athlete can continue to participate in practices and games (if relevant).  *Note that coaches can individually determine whether to let their players who are on academic probation practice or not, as some prefer to send them to after-school tutoring instead to get their grades up.
• The student needs to go to every teacher's class that they have a "F" in, and have them fill out the academic probation form that they will receive from their coach or the AD.
• If the student athlete completes the form and raises their grade(s), they need to return the form to their coach for clearance so they can continue participating in their sport.
• If the student athlete either doesn't raise their grade(s) and/or doesn't complete the form in the one-week probation period, then they cannot participate until they raise their grade(s).  Once they are able to raise their grades then they can return to participating. 

Team Selection Process

Finn Hill Middle School has a NO CUT policy.  All athletes who register will have a place on a team.  A “try out” period of about two to four days takes place at the beginning of each season.  The purpose of the try out period is to place the athlete on a team that coincides with their ability in sports that have a large number of participants.  Players who do not get placed on the varsity or junior varsity team will play at the regional level.  Regional competition is less competitive and may not include a full schedule of games.  In some cases, teams will not be created based on skill level, but rather with a combination of all ability levels to allow for more balanced game play.

Intramural Sports

• Consist of 2, two-week sessions during the month of January.
• Sports or activities offered for intramurals are at the discretion of the instructor(s) and/or student interests.
  • Examples include: dodgeball, handball, volleyball, badminton, ultimate frisbee, pickleball, etc.
• All intramural activities are co-ed and open to all grades.
• Participation will be on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday after school from 3:30 - 4:45pm
• Participants must be picked up promptly at 4:45pm
• Intramurals are designed to be fun and non-competitive.

The following must be turned in prior to participation in intramurals...

• $25 Registration Fee (per session)
• Purchase of an ASB card ($25 yearly membership)
• *Forms (only need to be completed once per year):
  • Intramural Athletic Insurance Waiver
  • Parent Permission Form
  • Registration Form
  • Emergency Contact Form
  • (a physical is NOT required to participate in intramurals)

*Intramural registration forms can be picked up from Ms. Stephens in the main office.

Athletic Philosophy

Our philosophy at the middle school level is to immerse students in a variety of safe, yet challenging athletic experiences. The school district offers a full participation program, which means that all students that turn out make the team and play in all games. Our goals include:

• Students will develop and improve their skills and knowledge of the particular sport.
• Students will develop positive connections with other students and have fun while participating.
• Students will develop and implement sportsmanship concepts appropriate to their activity.
• Students will develop a sense of commitment to the team by attending all practices and games.

While playing time will be allotted each game, at the varsity level playing time is dependent on performance.

For detailed information about athletics at FHMS, please look through our Athletic Handbook.