Program Policies
Table of Contents
Article 1 – Purpose/Desired Outcomes, 4
Section 1 – Purpose and Mission, 4
Section 2 – Desired Outcomes, 4-6
Article 2 - Membership, 6
Section 1 – Team Size, 6-7
Section 2 – Player Selection Criteria for Team Rosters, 7
Section 3 – Playing Time, 7
Section 4 – Home School Players, 7-8
Section 5 – Senior Seasons, 8
Section 6 - Late Registrations, 8
Section 6 - Player Withdrawals, 8
Article 3 – Athletic Director/Coach Selection/Approval Process, 8-9
Section 1 - Athletic Director, 8
Section 2 – Head Coach, 9
Section 3 – Assistant Coach, 9
Article 4 – Gender Policy, 9
Article 1 – Purpose and Desired Outcomes
Section 1 – Purpose and Mission
The North Metro Blazers (NMB) program exists to provide homeschool student athletes an opportunity to use their God-given athletic abilities in varsity and junior varsity level competition while glorifying God in the process.
Section 2 – Desired Outcomes
The policies explicitly define desired outcomes so that all NMB planning and performance activities can be directly assessed as being in support of achieving the desired results of the program. This dramatically increases the likelihood that all NMB program stakeholders are aligned to our God-centered outcomes and are working together to achieve and sustain these goals.
These desired outcomes are articulated by category as listed below:
Players
● Each player understands what it means to glorify God in his/her play.
● Foster a healthy balance between desire to win and upholding the dignity of all people involved in competing (coaches, team members, opponents, referees, fans, etc.)
● Grow in their knowledge and love of the game
● Play to win but never at the expense of their Christian principles
● Each player comes away from the season having exceeded their own expectations of what they thought they could do
● Each player recognizes that they are an important and valued contributor to the team regardless of their role on the team
Team
● We play together as a unit
● We play to the strengths of all team members
● We always look for ways to genuinely build up our teammates when they are struggling
● We may challenge each other to perform to/beyond our potential but we don’t tear each other down
● We exhibit Christ-like behavior on and off the court
● We always play to win - but never at the expense of our team's dignity, the dignity of our opponents or the dignity of the referees.
● We understand that when we play our best as a team we are victorious regardless of what the scoreboard reads at the end of the game
Coaches
● Glorifying God through their actions and words
● Foster a healthy balance between desire to win and upholding the dignity of all people involved in competing (coaches, team members, opponents, referees, fans, etc.)
● Successfully facilitate the attainment of players’ individual and team goals
o Paradoxically when a coach's primary objective is to win (e.g. coaching to win), it usually means that player and team goals become an afterthought
o Coach to attain the players’ individual and team goals and the wins will take care of themselves
● Successfully teach the fundamentals, strategy and technical aspects of the game
● Successfully teach each player to understand the success criteria for their position and role on the team
● Uphold the dignity of all those that he/she interacts with (players, opponents, referees, parents, etc.) in their role of coach.
Parents
● Review the mission and desired outcomes of the Blazer organization
● Support the players and coaches in their efforts to attain the desired outcomes as communicated in this section of the bylaws
● When Blazer adult behavior that does not align with the desired outcomes of the program is observed, provide constructive feedback to the appropriate people within the Blazer program. Of course it is the prerogative of every parent to manage issues in a manner they deem most appropriate. However, in the event a parent is looking for recommendations on how to effectively deal with program related conflict, the following Biblical approach to conflict (Matthew 18: 15-17) is recommended:
1. Directly and respectfully communicate one-on-one with the person with whom you perceive the problem (e.g. the coach, board member or parent)
2. If step one proves ineffective and the perceived problem persists, have a follow-up conversation and include another concerned Blazer family member (e.g. parent, coach, AD, board member; etc.)
3. If step two proves ineffective and the perceived problem persists, then the concern should be formally escalated to the board via the AD or a board member. It then becomes the responsibility of the board to formally address the concern with the objective of correcting the problem in a manner that best suits the greater interests of the Blazer program.
Opponents
The collective actions and behaviors of the NMB family demonstrate faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ in such a way that our opponents are exposed to and attracted to the Christian life.
Referees
The collective actions and behaviors of the NMB family demonstrate faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ in such a way that the referees are exposed to and attracted to the Christian life.
Opposing Team Fans
The collective actions and behaviors of the NMB family demonstrate faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ in such a way that our opponents’ fans are exposed to and attracted to the Christian life.
Article 2 - Membership
Qualifying members for the NMB program are dependent on a number of criteria at the point in time when team rosters are being formulated and finalized. The criteria and associated circumstances are listed below:
Section 1 – Team Size
● It is the overarching preference of the NMB board to grow the program from the bottom up. That is, our desire is for families to enroll their student athletes in 7th or 8th grade (as roster space allows) and continue through the high school years.
● The goal of the NMB program is to run Varsity, Junior Varsity (JV), and Middle School (MS) teams. If there are not enough players to field all three teams, then a choice will be made, based on ages/grades of current players, to run the one or two teams that make the most sense.
● This applies to teams for both boys and girls
● There may be a transition year to allow the program time to select coaches, establish a game schedule, obtain gym space, etc.
● If we have enough player interest, available coaches, and available practice/game venues, we may field a second middle school team
● The ideal number of players per team is between 10 and 12.
● Student Athletes already in the NMB program will have first priority for participation.
● Siblings of current participants in the NMB program are the next priority assuming they fulfill the basic requirements of the program and coach.
● Wait List
● A wait list will be established when interested families are wanting to join the program and there isn’t space on the roster or in the event that the player is not of appropriate age and desires to play in the future
● At the discretion of the board, preference on the waiting list is given in the following order
● Siblings of existing players (in grades 7-11)
● Siblings of past players (in grades 7-11)
● New families
● If there are more siblings of current players than there are roster spots, preference will be given in the order of when the family expressed interest in their child playing. 7th or 8th grade siblings will be given preference before admitting any 6th graders to the MS teams.
Section 2 – Player Selection Criteria for Team Rosters
The NMB is a high school basketball program that targets 7th to 12th grade players. This is a guideline only. There are and will continue to be exceptions to this guideline as needed to meet the needs of an NMB team at any point in time.
● When fielding the NMB Varsity team the coach will select the ten best players from the pool of Varsity and JV player candidates
● The NMB Junior Varsity team will be made from the remaining players who were not selected for the Varsity team
● If the situation warrants, we may have players overlap on both the JV and Varsity teams.
Section 3 – Playing Time
The NMB program is designed to provide high school level competition for homeschooled players. NMB coaches are empowered to manage their team in a manner they deem most effective while still complying with the coaching guidelines/desired outcomes articulated above. Based on this, players and parents should understand that there are no guarantees for equal playing time for players.
Section 4 – Home School Players
The NMB program is intended for homeschool student athletes. The National Christian Homeschool Championships (NCHC), the organization with which the NMB program participates in season ending regional and national tournaments, defines a homeschool student as one who receives at least 51% of their education from their parents at home. Furthermore, the student is considered homeschooled if the parents have filed the requisite Intent to Homeschool with the State of Minnesota or their local school district. A student may participate in PSEO, provided that the student is enrolled through PSEO as a homeschooled student. A student who is enrolled in PSEO through their local school district is not considered a homeschooled student and thus is ineligible to be a member of the Blazers.
If the student receives less than 51% education at home, a hardship exemption would need to be completed for that student to be allowed to participate in the regional or national tournament. The NCHC eligibility guidelines may be found at https://www.nchclive.com/guidelines/. Each family must attest that their player is eligible according to NCHC Guidelines to participate in NCHC Regional or National competition.
A student enrolled full-time at a public, private, or charter school is not considered a homeschooled athlete and is thus ineligible to play for the Blazers.
There are no issues with regular season play for a student who receives less than 51% of their education at home: e.g.; PSEO, Online Education, selected courses at a local school.
The NMB program may consider online education if program participation is down. Never will an online education student be given preference over a homeschool student athlete.
Section 5 – Senior Seasons
A family may decide to have their student athlete repeat a year of school. That student athlete may play during that additional year. Once the student has registered as a Senior for a season, then the player cannot rejoin as a Senior for the next year. A player may not have two Senior seasons.
The NMB will admit new players entering their Junior year or younger. Typically, the program will not admit a new player entering the program as a Senior. Exceptions may be granted if the new player has younger siblings in the program, has had an unforeseen change in circumstance (i.e. moving into the area), or to fill out the roster on a team. In each case this is subject to the discretion of the Board.
Section 6 – Late Registration
Any player registering after the annual Tipoff Meeting or the first practice will be subject to approval of the Board. Late registrations may be considered if roster size would allow for an additional player. Late registration fees may be assessed as determined by the Board.
Section 7 Withdrawing from the Team
If a family makes the determination to withdraw their player from the program after registering, any request to have the fees refunded must be submitted to the Board. Any refunds will be at the discretion of the Board, and needs to be approved by a majority of Board members present.
Article 3 – Athletic Director and Coach Selection and Approval Process
Coaches can have a great impact on student athletes, the opposing team players and coaches, and the public in general by the way they conduct themselves and their teams. Therefore, it is critical that these positions be filled by individuals that exhibit the qualities that uphold the mission of the program. Coaches need to be Christians and in agreement with the statement of faith, as well as be of sound character and integrity to help fulfill the mission of the program. Those interested in head coaching may contact a current board member and indicate their interest, and the board member is responsible to bring it to the attention of the chair to be discussed at the next board meeting.
Section 1 – Athletic Director
Because the Athletic Director is a volunteer position, it has been customary that the Athletic Director be either a parent of a current or former athlete, a former NMB player or an assistant coach (past or present). Other qualified and willing candidates may be considered by the board. The objective of the program is to have an Athletic Director who is vested in the program and in agreement with the mission and desired outcomes of these bylaws.
Section 2 – Head Coach
The head coach is a volunteer position. It should be understood that the objective of the program is to have coaches who are vested in the program and in agreement with the mission and desired outcomes of these bylaws.
Recommendations for head coaching positions will be received by the board for their consideration. The Athletic Director will consider recommendations, and, if more than one candidate is interested in the position, the Athletic Director will request an interview with each candidate asking them to explain their coaching philosophy, their qualifications and approach to fulfilling the mission and desired outcomes stated in these bylaws. The board will then vote based upon the recommendation of the Athletic Director, and approval will be based on a majority of the board.
Section 3 – Assistant Coach
A Head coach may seek another coach to serve as their assistant. Assistant coaches will typically be selected from parents of current/former athletes or former Blazer players. Assistant coaches must be recommended to the board by the Athletic Director for approval. Final approval will be made by a vote of a majority vote of the board.
Article 4 – Gender Policy
As a Christian organization, the North Metro Blazers believe that God created males and females in His own image, equal before God as persons, and distinct as male and female. We believe that divinely ordained differences between male and female reflect God’s original creation design and are meant for human good and human flourishing. We believe that self-conception as male or female should be defined by God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption as revealed in Scripture.
As such, we will require players born male to play on the boys’ team and those born female to play for the girls’ team.