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Player Responsibility: return to announcements page I. ACADEMICS: Academic commitments should be the top priority of all Smith tennis players. All team players must be full time students earning a 2.33 minimum cum and NCAA eligible. Smith Tennis Team members are asked to submit all match and practice conflicts to the coaching staff as soon as possible. Players are responsible to meet all academic requirements and to communicate all potential conflicts or class rearrangements with professors. Compromising academics for athletic commitments is not tolerated by coaches or professors. II. PRACTICE: Smith Tennis Players recognize the importance of practice and commitment and have required that their teammates be on time for practices, give 100% physical and mental effort at practice, help teammates and coaches during the practice and drill sessions, assist with the set up, clean up and care of facilities and equipment. Each player is encouraged to make up all missed practices and to take advantage of individual help sessions when needed. The team members feel that it is very important to be at the practice the day before a match in order to be eligible for the match. Match line-ups are announced 24 hr. before a match or tournament. III. COMPETITION: All players participate in the match competition whether they are in the playing line-up or not. Players report to the courts approximately I hr in advance of the starting time of the home matches in order to assist with match preparation, court set-up as well as personal warm-up, thorough stretching and general teammate encouragement! Players are asked to act in a sportsmanlike manner giving 100% of themselves during the match while on or off the court. All players are asked to travel to and from the site of competition by the transportation provided by Smith College except by special written permission of the coach and Athletic Director. IV. FUNDRAISING EVENTS: Team members are asked to participate in two team fundraising events (fall and spring) each year and are encouraged to contribute time to a fundraising activity for the community of Northampton. The team fundraisers are used predominantly for the spring break travel. V. TRAINING ROOM/ATHLETIC TRAINING: A well staffed training room is available to any athlete competing on an intercollegiate team. Team physicals, injury evaluation and treatment, rehabilitation. and referrals are all made through this office. The Training Room is available during specific hours or by appointment. In addition, a Trainer is assigned to every official practice and tennis match. In order to maintain optimal playing performance, proper diet, good conditioning and adequate rest should go without saying. If an athlete has a desire to pursue any of these areas in greater depth; i.e: fitness profile, dietary recall, nutritional analysis. etc; each is encouraged to make an appointment with Kelli Steele or Deb Coutu VI. TEAM AND TEAMMATES: .Smith Tennis Team members are asked to assist in providing publicity to the media. to help with publicity to the Smith community, to take part in the recruiting process of prospective Smith students and tennis players and to support other Smith athletic teams, when possible, by attending events and games. Players encourage each other to show respect, compassion, toughness and sensitivity when needed; to be a friend to a teammate, or work with a person with whom she may have very little in common. All players are asked to look beyond their immediate needs to the bigger picture and go the "extra mile" if needed. Hopefully each Tennis Team member will adapt selfless qualities in the midst of an individually focused sport. All team members need to feel welcomed, encouraged and needed in order to perform their best and make the greatest contribution to the team. In addition, all players agree and comply with no alcohol or drugs when representing the Smith College Tennis Team. NECESSARY TENNIS INGREDIENTS Players on the Smith Team should be willing to try new ideas, strategies, tactics and drills understanding that a team is a group of individuals and all members have slightly different needs. It is imperative that all players develop flexibility and adaptability since little ever goes exactly as planned. A sense of humor is a must and it must be brought to every practice and match. Practical jokes by players and coaches-s are encouraged as long as the "practical joke rule" is in effect.* A fair quantity of forgiveness is necessary for both players and coaches which can be. used for oneself or with others. An enthusiastic positive attitude offers a lot to spruce up a mundane requirement and help to turn it into a fun experience! Hard work can be fun if everyone brings the right attitude to the experience-. *practical joke rule: a joke which can be undone in 30 seconds or less and hurts no one's property or character. |