On this webpage you will find:

• Practice start dates for all 2012-2013 sports.
• Pay to Participate information and form.
• All required Athletic Forms, along with due dates and explanations.
• Academic Eligibility Requirements
• Injury/Illness Policies
• Information on Supplements

Scroll down the page to view the desired information.

Please note that all required Athletic Forms can be downloaded and printed from the list of  "Athletic Forms & Files" on the left side of this webpage.

Official Practice Start Dates for 2012-2013:

Fall 2012:

• August 15 - Official start date for all fall sports:  Cheerleading, Field Hockey, Football, Gymnastics, Boys/Girls Soccer, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis
• August 20 - Start date for Cross Country
  

Winter 2012:

• November 15 - Boys/Girls Bowling, Ice Hockey, Boys/Girls Swimming
• November 26 - Boys/Girls Basketball, Cheerleading, Boys/Girls Fencing, Winter Track, Wrestling
  

Spring 2013:

• March 1 - Baseball, Boys/Girls Golf, Boys/Girls Lacrosse, Softball, Boys/Girls Track & Field, Boys Volleyball, Boys Tennis

Pay to Participate:

All participants on athletic teams (all levels) at Hunterdon Central will be assessed an annual activity fee of $100. Please be advised that no payment is necessary until your son/daughter is selected as a member of a particular athletic program by the coaching staff following tryouts. This fee will cover all sports for the entire school year for any high school student in grades 9 through 12. Students may participate in multiple athletic and extra-curricular activities offered throughout the school year, once the fee is paid. Parents with multiple children will pay a maximum of $200 annually, regardless of the number of children attending Hunterdon Central.  The Pay to Participate Form, along with additional information is posted in the Athletic Forms & Files section of this webpage

Forms Required for Athletic Participation:

In addition to the Pay to Participate Form, discussed above, the following forms must be filled out and submitted by student athletes in order to participate in athletics.

To download and print forms, please click on the name of the form in the Athletic Forms & Files section of this webpage. The forms are also available from the Athletic Office, Health Offices in both the 9/10 and 11/12 Buildings, Trainer's Offices in the Team Room & Field House, and Receptionist Offices in both the 9/10 and 11/12 Buildings.

Please note:  the explanation following each form name provides information and requirements for submission. Since various forms are required to be submitted once, annually, or for each sport season, it is important to pay attention to the submission requirements for each form.

Sports Participation - Parent Permission Form

This form must be submitted for each sport season.   The form must be signed and dated within 60 days prior to the first practice. Please return this from to the Health Offices.  Email notifications will be sent out with due dates for each sports season, which are also posted below.

Health History Questionnaire Form - Part A

 This form must be submitted for each sport season.  The form must be signed and dated within 60 days prior to the first practice. Please note: only Part A of this form must be turned in for each sport season, as indicated on the form. Please return this form to the Health Offices.  Email notifications will be sent out with due dates for each sports season., which are also posted below.

The following are the 2012-2013 due dates for these two forms:

• Fall 2012: forms can be signed & submitted starting June 21, 2012; they are due in the Health Offices no later than July 16, 2012.  Forms can also be brought to the Commons on Athletic Submission Nights, July 18, 2012 or July 25, 2012 at these times:   Boy/Girl Cross Country & Field Hockey: 5:00 – 5:45 PM; Boy/Girl Soccer: 5:45 -6:30 PM; Girl’s Tennis & Girl’s Volleyball:    6:30 - 7:15 PM; Cheerleading, Football & Gymnastics:7:15 – 8:00 PM
  
  
• Winter 2012-2013: forms can be signed & submitted starting September 28, 2012; they are due no later than October 15, 2012.
  
  
• Spring 2013: forms can be signed & submitted starting January 2, 2013; they are due no later than February 4, 2013.

Medical Examination Form - Part B

This form must be submitted annually.  Each candidate for a place on a school athletic squad or team must provide a written report of an Athletic Pre-Participation Physical Examination by their family physician, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant certified within 365 days prior to the first practice session. Please note that it is Part B of this form that must be submitted annually, as indicated on the form. If you do not have a medical home, contact either the 11/12 Health Office at 908-284-7143 ext. 7235 or the 9/10 Health Office at 908-284-7140 ext. 7304. Please return this form to the Health Offices.

Please note: if a student athlete needs to take medications or use epi pens, the appropriate forms must be filled out and signed. For information on this, please contact either the 11/12 Health Office at 908-284-7143 ext. 7235 or the 9/10 Health Office at 908-284-7140 ext. 7304, or view the Health Services Webpage.

Athletic Department Unified Consent Form

This form must be submitted annually.  By signing and submitting this form, student athletes and parents/guardians indicate that they have read, understand, consent to, and agree to comply with and be bound by the terms, provisions, requirements and content of the following forms:        

NJSIAA Steroid Testing Form

All student athletes in the State of New Jersey are required to comply with New Jersey State steroid testing; information is contained on this form. To view a list of NJSIAA Banned Substances, please click here.

Student Random Drug & Alcohol Consent to Test Form

In order to participate in Red Devils sports, all student athletes are required to comply with Hunterdon Central's random drug testing requirements; information is contained on this form.  

ImPACT Concussion Testing

ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a software tool used in many professional, collegiate and high school sports programs across the country, to successfully diagnose and manage concussions. If an athlete is believed to have suffered a head injury, ImPACT is used to help determine its severity and help monitor the healing process.

Freshman, Juniors and new students who intend to participate in a sport in 2012-2013 must complete the ImPACT evaluation prior to pre-season. Only one ImPACT evaluation needs to be completed for the 2012-2013 school year regardless of the how many sports a student-athete plays.

 
To take the ImPACT test, for more information on the ImPACT Program and "must read" information on Concussions, please click on this link Concussions.  Once on that webpage, please click the question, "How Does and Athlete Take the ImPACT Test?"

Athletic Code of Conduct Contract

Respectful, honorable behavior is expected of all student athletes at Hunterdon Central. The District has an Athletic Code of Conduct; each student athlete is expected to practice the principles of conduct set forth in the document.

Media & Videotaping Consent for Student Athletes

Hunterdon Central’s student athletes are frequently photographed or interviewed by the media.  They are also frequently videotaped during athletic games, matches and meets.  This form provides information and parent/guardian and student athlete consent. 

If, for any reason, a student athlete cannot travel to or from an athletic event with the team and must make alternate travel arrangements, a travel release form must be filled out, signed and submitted to the Coach.  This form can be downloaded and printed from the list on the left side of this webpage.

Academic Eligibility:

• All student athletes must be academically cleared before being placed on the Sports Eligibility List. Academic eligibility is governed by rules set forth by the State Athletic Association (NJSIAA).
  
  
• Please note that the academic clearance process begins after Parent Permission and Health Forms have been submitted. Academic clearance will require a period of time and, therefore, could delay the start of sports participation for a student whose forms are not returned on time.
  
  
• The NJSIAA Rules and Regulations regarding eligibility are mandatory. In addition, the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District Board of Education has adopted the following guidelines for students participating in high school athletics:
  
  
  • A student entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grades will be required to achieve 30 credits in the year prior to participation in the first semester of a school year. To be eligible in the second semester, the student must have achieved 15 credits in the first semester of that year.
    
    
  • A 9th grade student will automatically be eligible in his/her first semester. To be eligible in the second semester he/she must have achieved one half of 30, or 15 credits for participation in spring activities.
    
    
• These academic requirements apply to all athletes, cheerleaders, student managers and student trainers. Additional information regarding eligibility can be obtained upon request from the Athletic Director or Principal.

Injuries & Illness:

• Student-athletes who have sustained an injury/illness must be medically cleared by the treating physician before returning to sports. A written note is required. In certain instances, the school medical examiner may need to clear the athlete.
  
  
• Injuries must be reported immediately to the coach, trainer, or Health Office so that accident reports may be completed. The timing of this is crucial, so that an evaluation can be performed and appropriate medical referrals arranged. Delays in reporting may jeopardize insurance coverage.
  
  
• If a student-athlete is seen by a physician for an injury or illness sustained at a school sponsored athletic event, and has not been evaluated by the Athletic Training staff, he/she must submit a letter to the Athletic Trainer from the treating physician stating the diagnosis, treatment, restrictions, and estimated time out of athletics before he/she is allowed to return to athletic participation. Even if a student-athlete sees the physician after being evaluated by an Athletic Trainer, the same letter must be returned to the Athletic Trainer before he/she resumes athletic participation.
  
  
• Injuries are a part of athletics and are sometimes unavoidable. If a student-athlete does sustain an injury during any part of the season, you can expect to hear from one of our Athletic Trainers, Ms. Manfre or Mr. Riccardella, regarding the injury and the course of treatment.
  
  
• One injury that will always lead to several phone calls is a concussion. Some common signs and symptoms of a concussion are headache, dizziness, confusion, inability to quickly answer questions about orientation, irritability, poor concentration, slow pupil reaction to light, poor ability to track with eyes, poor depth perception, ringing in the ears, vomiting, nausea, or actions uncharacteristic of the individual. If a student-athlete exhibits any of these signs or symptoms at home, please be sure to contact us so that we can follow-up and evaluate.  If you feel his/her condition warrants a hospital or physician’s visit, and decide to take this course of action, please let us know the following day and provide documentation from the physician regarding treatment. If a student-athlete does suffer a concussion, the course of treatment is quite simple. We will follow the protocol outlined in the Impact Concussion Testing Program, in consultation with the school physician. For more information, please click Concussion Information for Student-Athletes.  
  

Athletic Supplements:

The Athletic Department would like to take this opportunity to address a serious situation facing our student-athletes: the use of over-the-counter supplements including, but not limited to, Creatine and Androstenedione. Hunterdon Central discourages our student-athletes from blindly taking a substance that could possibly have long term side effects, without knowing the facts about these substances. In turn, we urge parents/guardians to discourage your children from taking supplements that may harm them.

This position is in line with the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), National Federation of State High School Associations, Nation Collegiate Athletic Associaion (NCAA), Association of Professional Team Physicians and many other professional organizations related to athletics. There is a consensus among these organizations that more research is needed on the effects of supplements before their use can be endorsed. use. The NJSIAA has gone a step further, saying “School personnel involved with athletics should not DISPENSE, ENDORSE, OR RECOMMEND any drug, medication, or food supplement to athletes.” A well rounded diet, including all the food groups in recommended daily allowance amounts, combined with the appropriate training program will benefit the athlete without putting him or her at risk for future health complications. Currently there are no laws or regulations with regard to the use of supplements. However, at Hunterdon Central, we feel it is better to be informed and safe, rather than sorry. There needs to be more research and information concerning these products!

Summer Camps & Clinics

 

Please note that the Athletic Department of Hunterdon Central does not sponsor summer camps/programs during summer months.

Participation at athletic summer camps and/or participation in outside organized teams by any athlete for any sport is totally at the discretion of the athlete and his/her family.

The approval of the use of any school property or the conduct of any activity offered by an agency or organization outside the high school athletic program shall not, under any circumstances, be construed as an endorsement by this Board of any interest, athletic activity or organization. The Board does not review the health or safety of any athletic activity conducted outside the high school program.   

Additional Information:

Additional information on Hunterdon Central's Athletic Department can be found in the 2012-2013 Athletic Handbook.