Athletics: Frequently asked questions
How do I contact my child’s coach?
What is the transportation procedure following an “away” competition?
How do I find information about games, practices and cancellations?
What is St. Francis’ philosophy regarding playing time?
Does every student in grades 6–8 have a place in athletics?
How do I find out about schedule changes?
Who should I talk to regarding my child’s participation on a team?
How can I find a roster for my child’s team?
My child does not want to play sports, but loves the game and would still like to be involved. What can we do?
Does the school have resistance machines my child can use for training purposes?
How do I contact my child’s coach?
All part-time and full-time coaches have a St. Francis e-mail address that uses the first initial and last name of the coach, followed by @sfedshouston.org (e.g., dfowler@sfedshouston.org). Full-time coaches also have direct-line telephone numbers that are listed in the school directory. Coaches are expected to check their e-mail at least once a day during the season(s) they are coaching. Parents are expected to communicate directly with their child’s coach regarding absences, questions and concerns.
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What is the transportation procedure following an “away” competition?
We ask parents to pick their children up at the conclusion of away athletics competitions when at all possible. However, student–athletes will always have the option of riding a bus back to St. Francis following an athletic contest. If a parent would like his or her child to ride home with another parent, the child’s parent must communicate permission directly to the coach via e-mail, telephone message or a written note.
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How do I find information about games, practices and cancellations?
We have a Girls Athletic Line (713.458.6200, ext. 3) and a Boys Athletic Line (713.458.6200, ext. 4). These telephone lines are updated daily by 9 a.m., and they provide information about times and locations for athletic practices and competitions. When a competition is cancelled due to inclement weather, the appropriate Athletic Line is updated with the cancellation information no later than 2 p.m. The information is also posted on our website.
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What is St. Francis’ philosophy regarding playing time?
In competitive athletics, we know that giving each athlete playing time and remaining competitive as a team is often a difficult interface. At St. Francis, we believe that playing time in competition is earned in practice and is not an entitlement. Regardless of the subjective nature of the process and the potential for disagreement, the coach is the only one in a position to make decisions regarding playing time. Coaches at all levels will strive to give meaningful playing time to athletes who earn it in practice. St. Francis coaches make playing-time decisions based on the “3 A’s of St. Francis Athletics,” as follows:
- Regular Attendance at practices and games
- Positive and coachable Attitude
- All-out effort and hustle
If an athlete is falling short in one or more of these three areas, the coach is expected to communicate with the athlete and with the parent(s) so that playing time does not become an issue.
Coaches are expected to follow these minimum playing-time procedures for athletes who earn it in practice:
- Athletes on sixth-grade football and basketball teams who earn it will receive playing time in each contest.
- JV team members who earn it will receive playing time over the course of the season.
- Varsity team members who earn it will receive playing time at the discretion of the coach.
- When a team participates in a tournament, playing time for all teams at all levels is left completely to the discretion of the coach.
On varsity-level teams, seventh graders selected for that team have the same opportunity to earn playing time as the eighth graders on the team. On JV teams, sixth-grade athletes have the same opportunity to earn playing time as the seventh graders on the team. When it comes to playing time, there is no entitlement—only fair competition.
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Does every student in grades 6–8 have a place in athletics?
Every student can grow and develop from the athletic experience. Students enter our athletics program with varying levels of experience in a given sport. We welcome students to become members of our athletics teams whether they have experience in the sport or not. No student is “cut” from a St. Francis team. If we have too many students for one team, that team will either be split into three squads (in which case two of the three squads will play in each contest on a rotational basis) or an additional team will be formed.
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How do I find out about schedule changes?
The Athletics administration communicates schedule changes to the coach who, in turn, contacts the team parent. The team parent then sends a group e-mail with the schedule change information to all parents for that team. In addition, information regarding all schedule changes will be posted on the Athletics homepage. Schedule changes that take place the day of the competition will be posted on the website, and information will also be provided via the Athletic Line (713.458.6200, ext. 3 for girls or ext. 4 for boys).
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Who should I talk to regarding my child’s participation on a team?
The coach of the team should always be the first line of communication. All coaches (part-time and full-time) have St. Francis e-mail addresses that use the first initial and last name of the coach, followed by @sfedshouston.org (e.g., dfowler@sfedshouston.org). The coach is the “teacher of the sport” just like a classroom teacher is the instructor for the academic subject. The athletics director should be contacted only if an issue cannot be resolved with the coach.
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How can I find a roster for my child’s team?
Rosters that list the athletes, the coach(es) and the team parent can be found on the Seasons and Teams page. The rosters will be updated at the beginning of each season.
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My child does not want to play sports, but loves the game and would still like to be involved. What can we do?
The school encourages students who are not actively playing a sport to consider being student managers for the teams of their choice. These students help keep the scorebooks and scoreboards, videotape contests, record statistics, help the coaches with equipment, and assist with specific team needs. The time expectation for a student manager during practices and competitions is identical to that for other team members, and student managers receive service hours for their time.
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Does the school have resistance machines my child can use for training purposes?
St. Francis has an onsite fitness center that is used to support the core curriculum of both the physical education and athletic programs. It includes several resistance training machines designed specifically for Middle School children, as well as a treadmill and adjunct equipment.
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