Dear AFS Upper School students and families,
The summer months provide us all with a needed break from the structured routine of the school year. Days open up to our imaginations and often serve as the ideal time to pursue the individual enrichment opportunities that can get lost between September and May. Nearly every day this summer, I’ve seen current and past AFS student-athletes back on campus in the Thode Fitness Center, in the Hallowell and Triangle gyms, and on our fields working to further develop specific skills and better prepare themselves for the upcoming year of athletics. In the paragraphs below, you will find much information about AFS Athletics in 2016-17. Should questions or concerns arise, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Director of Athletics Jeff Bond, at 215-881-7696 or jbond@abingtonfriends.net.
Athletics Department Personnel
I will head the department again, and will be responsible for the administrative oversight of athletics at AFS. Most questions and comments about athletics at AFS should be directed to me at the phone number or email address above.
Lisa Treadway-Kurtz returns in her role as Assistant Athletics Director in 2016-2017. In addition to AFS Athletics’ administration, Lisa serves as an Upper School Grade Dean and coaches track. One of Lisa’s important AFS Athletics’ responsibilities is the oversight of Athletics Permission Forms, so questions or concerns about those forms should be directed to her at lkurtz@abingtonfriends.net.
Alexis Bonisese enters her sixth year as our Certified Athletic Trainer. Contracted to us from NovaCare Rehabilitation, Alexis oversees the health and wellness of all our student-athletes and is a key resource for injury assessment and return-to-play procedures.
Eric Gravely, who is back in his key role as Athletics Department Assistant, has been busy this summer with the behind-the-scenes preparation that makes the department run smoothly.
We are all excited to work together again this year to make athletics at Abington Friends School a positive part of the lives of the members of this community.
2016-17 Concussion and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness
Pennsylvania has two important health and safety laws in place for the state’s student-athletes. Senate Bill 200, the Safety in Youth Sports Act, pertains to traumatic brain injuries, more commonly known as concussions. Pennsylvania House Bill 1610, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act, focuses on education around sudden cardiac arrest brought on by athletic exertion. Both of these laws require student-athletes, parents, coaches and schools to take steps each year to educate themselves to recognize the signs of traumatic brain injury and sudden cardiac arrest, and to prepare to safely handle incidents that may occur in the athletic arena. Once again this year, all AFS Athletics personnel will undergo professional development on these topics and submit proof of successful completion of required coursework prior to beginning to work with AFS student-athletes.
Within the AFS Athletics Permission Form that is required for student-athlete participation each year, there are informational and acknowledgment sheets on these topics. Parents/Guardians should read and sign these pages prior to the start of their student-athlete’s first season of participation. More information on AFS Athletics Permission Forms is below.
AFS, in connection with NovaCare, once again will require that all 5th through 12th grade student-athletes interested in participating this year in soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball, lacrosse, and ultimate frisbee take an ImPact baseline neurological test prior to participation. Though not mandated by law, the ImPact test, widely utilized in amateur and professional sports, is an invaluable diagnostic tool to help in the assessment of possible concussions. More information about ImPact testing can be found here. (AFS families may opt out of the ImPact test for their student-athletes as it is not a state-governed requirement. To opt out, families must submit their request to me in writing prior to the start of the season.)
AFS Certified Athletic Trainer Alexis Bonisese and I will be on campus in August prior to the start of Upper School fall preseason training to administer the ImPact test to soccer players. We will test winter and spring athletes after the start of the school year. The test lasts approximately 40 minutes, and student-athletes who completed an ImPact test in 2015 do not have to take it again until next year.
Alexis will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. during most of the week of August 15-19. I will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. throughout August. Please email Alexis or me to set up a time to take the test or with questions. Alexis’s email is abonisese@abingtonfriends.net. Student-athletes will not be able to begin participation in the aforementioned sports until they have completed an ImPact test.
2016-2017 Athletics Participation Requirement
It is important for all Upper School students and families to note that during the 2016-2017 school year, every student is required to participate in one season of after-school athletics to fulfill his or her athletics requirement. Participation may take the form of membership on a Varsity or Junior Varsity interscholastic team or through the instructional Personal Fitness program.
Personal Fitness meets after school (from 3:30-4:30 p.m.) five days a week during each of the three athletic seasons. The fall season begins on September 12. Students are reminded that they must attend at least 80 percent of the scheduled meetings of their athletic activity to receive athletics credit. Ninth and 10th grade students who participate in two seasons of athletics in 2016-17 once again will be eligible for a waiver of their semester Physical Education requirement.
Students may petition the Athletics Department for an exemption to the AFS athletics requirement if they are regularly and actively engaged in an athletic pursuit that AFS does not offer and is outside of the School community. Any student interested in pursuing this option must submit to the Athletics Director, no later than October 3, a letter detailing his or her athletic activity and a letter of support from a coach or instructor. Failure to meet the requirements of the exemption request will prevent a student from pursuing the option.
Athletics Permission Forms Are Due August 15.
All athletic permission forms must be submitted through AFS’s CareDox portal by August 15. Students will not be allowed to participate in any forms of athletics this year, including preseason workouts, without having turned in a fully completed Athletics Permission Form. These forms include a physical examination by a medical professional and are available at the Athletics tab on the AFS website and through AFS’s CareDox portal. Completed forms must have the signature of a medical professional and be dated within the calendar year. Please contact Lisa or me with any questions about this process.
2016 Fall Interscholastic Athletics Information
Those students interested in participating on an interscholastic sports team this fall have the following options: Varsity and Junior Varsity Boys’ Soccer, Varsity and Junior Varsity Girls’ Soccer, Varsity Boys’ and Varsity Girls’ Cross-Country, Varsity and Junior Varsity Girls’ Tennis. Preseason training for all sports is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 22. Fall preseason training will occur mainly between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. from August 22 through August 26. The following week, August 29-September 1, preseason training will occur mainly between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The most up-to-date information about the preseason training schedule for each sport is available through the Athletics tab on the Abington Friends School website.
Attendance at all pre-season practices is mandatory for any student-athlete interested in participation on a Varsity team. Decisions about playing level and playing time will be influenced by student-athletes’ attendance at preseason training. Students interested in JV-level participation also are strongly encouraged to attend the preseason practices. These valuable preseason sessions are critical for building competitive teams and developing team chemistry. Please feel free to contact the sport’s coach or me with questions about preseason training. Upper School fall Varsity coaches and their contact information are listed below.
All Upper School students should plan to come out for a team that interests them, as Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Soccer, Boys’ Cross-Country and Girls’ Cross-Country teams will not cut any interested player from their programs. Varsity and JV Girls’ Tennis will carry a combined roster of 24-28 players this fall, with those roster spots being determined by tennis ability, positive attitude and preseason training attendance.
In general, older and more experienced players will be make up the Varsity teams, while younger and less experienced players will be placed on Junior Varsity teams. Varsity and JV teams practice and have games five days a week, with an occasional Saturday commitment. Varsity practices run until 5:30 p.m. most days, while JV practices finish at 5:15 p.m. All Varsity and JV game schedules are available at the Athletics tab on the AFS website. Families are strongly encouraged to check the website frequently for the most current AFS Athletics information.
2016 Fall Varsity Coaches
This fall, four of the five AFS Varsity head coaches are returning for another season at the helm of their respective programs. Varsity Cross-Country co-head coach Erin Bengtson starts her ninth year with the Running ’Roos while her co-head coach, Kyle Rankin, enters his first Cross-Country season after successful winter and spring track campaigns last year. Varsity Boys’ Soccer head coach Julian Ward returns for his third season in charge. Varsity Girls’ Tennis sees Cornell McLeod and Sara Lee Cardonick back in their familiar head and assistant coach roles, respectively. Finally, we welcome Jay Scheets to the staff as the new Varsity Girls’ Soccer head coach. Email addresses for all fall Varsity coaches are below. Any questions about Upper School fall interscholastic athletics should be directed to the appropriate coach below or to me.
Boys’ Soccer – Julian Ward – jward@abingtonfriends.net
Girls’ Soccer – Jay Scheets – gsoccer@abingtonfriends.net
Girls’ Tennis – Cornell McLeod – ccmacman2265@gmail.com
Girls’ Tennis – Sara Lee Cardonick – slcake13@aol.com
Cross-Country – Erin Bengtson – ebengtson@abingtonfriends.net
Cross-Country – Kyle Rankin – krankin@abingtonfriends.net
On behalf of the entire AFS Athletics Department, I want to wish you a relaxing and safe remainder of your summer. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Jeff Bond
Director of Athletics