Oakland Christian Basketball
Player Guidelines & Expectations
The Oakland Christian basketball philosophy was developed and is implemented with two major focuses. -RAGING FIRE and LANCER BROTHERHOOD - Raging Fire comes from Matthew 5:14-16. We are to let our light shine. As Lancers we do not just want to shine, we want to be a RAGING FIRE! Lancer Brotherhood comes from Proverbs 17:17, and it deals with the strength of a brother in the good and bad times. As Lancers we need to guide, protect, encourage, and keep accountable our fellow teammates as a brother would. We are the LANCER BROTHERHOOD!
Team Rules
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Do not do anything detrimental to yourself or the team.
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Respect the game including those playing and managing it.
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Act like a Christian who is representing Christ, Family and School.
Practice Expectations
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Be at practice and be on time.
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Be prepared.
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Give 100% effort in the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of practice.
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Communication – Talking and listening
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Work on perfecting your craft.
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Place team above self.
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Complete any pre or post practice responsibilities as part of my commitment to the team.
Game Expectations
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Be on time and dress appropriately.
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Sit with your team waiting for your game without electronics.
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Ride the bus with the team to the games.
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Post game duties will be completed before leaving.
School/General Expectations
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Be On Time and be prepared for class.
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Be leaders in the classroom and participate in the classroom activities appropriately.
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Detentions are not an option.
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Social media accounts should be clean of inappropriate language, abbreviations, pictures, etc. Protect your personal brand.
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Problems should be solved face to face.
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Communication during basketball should be positive, encouraging, and constructive.
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Conduct yourself in a manner that brings credit to Christ, team and Oakland Christian School. You are a role model and should act accordingly.
Game Day Attire
Shoes and Socks:
Players purchase their own shoes and socks. There are five colors that are acceptable for shoes and socks - Green, Gold, Black, Gray, and White. The shoes and socks can be made of any combination of these colors. Shoes other than these five colors will not be allowed. Examples – Player has black shoes with white and green accents (Allowed). Players with white shoes with green and red accents (Not Allowed). A player with Green and Vegas shoes with white trim (Allowed). We are not requiring a specific base color as we have in the past. This allows players to have some flexibility in the shoes and socks they purchase or design. There are no restrictions on the type of shoe (Nike, Converse, Reebok, etc.). It is basically a personal preference. Purchasing shoes is in no way a guarantee of a spot on the team. If there are any questions, please ask one of the coaches.
Undergarments:
Players are allowed to wear t-shirts under their jerseys but the t-shirt must be the same color as the dominant color of the uniform. They may not be torn or have print that is visible.
Players may wear knee pads and tights. They must be white because anyone wearing knee pads or tights must have the same color by rule.
Game Day Attire
Uniforms:
Players will be provided with a home and away uniform. The white jersey and shorts are worn at home and the dark colored jersey and shorts are worn on the road. During the playoffs, players should have both uniforms available. Players will be given warm-up pants. Players will purchase a warm-up shirt that will be theirs to keep at the end of the season.
Coach Hopkins will collect uniforms after each game to be washed. In case uniforms have to be sent home to be washed here are the guidelines for washing uniforms and warm-ups are as follows.
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Uniforms should be washed in cold water. I highly suggest scented detergent to help with the smell.
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They should be washed inside-out. This helps lengthen the life of the printing, as well as, save the printing from cracking.
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They should be hung to dry and not put in the drier. This keeps them from shrinking, as well as, lengthens the life of the printing.
Travel Gear & Practice Uniform:
Teams will practice in their practice uniform with consists of a reversible jersey and shorts. Players will travel to away games in the team travel gear. Players who lose practice or travel gear will be required to replace it at their cost.
Inclement Weather
In the case of inclement weather, practice time will be at our normally scheduled time unless you are notified otherwise. If the roads in your area are impossible or you are at risk in driving in poor weather, then your first option is to remain at home. In no way are you to risk your safety by traveling to practice. If you are going to miss practice, contact your coach. If there is a game scheduled that evening, the head coach will notify you of the statues of the game as soon as he receives word from the athletic director.
Injuries
It is very important that the coaching staff be made aware of all injuries. Normally when a player is injured, the athlete is not able to hide it because it takes place at a practice or game, but in a case in which that does not occur, it is vitally important that the coaching staff is informed. We will be keeping an injury log with the status of players. If a doctor restricts play because of injury or illness, a doctor’s note is required to return to play.
Transportation Policy
We will have a scheduled departure time for every trip that we have. We encourage our players to be early so that they may double check their bags or go over any last minute changes. Our bus will leave at the scheduled departure time. If you would like your son to go home with you, the transporting parent must see one of the coaches to sign out the players they are transporting. Your son will not be permitted to ride home from an away game alone with a student driver.
What should I do if I have a concern?
The following steps should be followed if you or your son has a problem or concern:
f the problem is a player-to-player concern, you should engage in discussions of resolution with the other player. The player may take a coach with him as a mediator if he feels it is necessary.
Coaches will not discuss player issues with a parent unless the player has fully discussed the issue with staff member involved.
If a player or parent has a concern the following steps should be followed:
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Discussion directly with the coach. Contact the coach via email with an outline of their concern.
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Meeting with Coach with player present.
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Head Coach/Parent meeting with the player and player’s coach present.
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Principle/Parent meeting
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Do not approach a coach before or after a game/practice with a concern. It is an emotional time and both parties need to focus rationally on any situation at hand.
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It is always best to wait 24 hours before addressing a situation.
Many problems can be easily solved by communication. You may not agree with our coaching staff’s decisions or hear the answer that you would want, but we will be honest with you about why we make the decisions that we make.