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Code of Conduct

 
Code of Conduct for Coaches, Student-Athletes and Parents

As a Catholic Vincentian high school, DePaul College Prep strives to create an athletics program that is welcoming, inclusive and designed to provide a positive experience for student athletes, coaches and fans.  As with all of our programs, DePaul Prep’s athletics program is grounded in our core values of Faith, Respect, Excellence, Service and Health.  The Code of Conduct sets forth important guidelines, policies and requirements expected of student athletes, parents and coaches who participate in DePaul Prep athletics.

Sportsmanship

Respect is a core value of DePaul College Prep.  In athletics this means that DePaul Prep expects its student-athletes, coaches and fans to display good sportsmanship at all times, both at home and away games. Specifically: 

  • As members of the DePaul Prep community, we cheer for our team; we do not cheer against, taunt, heckle or denigrate opposing teams or fans either at a game or via social media.

  • If an official makes a questionable call, it is the role of the team coach to address the situation.  Athletes and fans will refrain from arguing with or heckling an official. Violations may result in being removed from the stadium or gym.

  • Playing time for any student athlete is within the discretion of the coaches.

Selection for Teams

DePaul College Prep is happy and proud that so many students try out for our athletic teams. However, not all who try out will make the team in sports where cuts are made.  The decisions of the coaching staff regarding selection for a team are within their discretion based on their criteria for participation.  Coaches make themselves available the day after the tryout for the student athlete to receive direct feedback/reasoning why the student athlete did not make the team.

Alcohol and Drugs Prohibited on Campus 

We ask for the cooperation of everyone to ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone attending athletic competitions on our campus.

The use or consumption of alcohol or drugs by coaches, students, student-athletes, or spectators on the DePaul Prep campus at any time is prohibited.  This includes before, during and after athletic competitions on the campus.  More specifically:
 

  • Tailgating with alcohol or drugs is prohibited by the policies of DePaul Prep, the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Chicago Catholic League and the IHSA.  Spectators who violate DePaul Prep’s policy will be escorted off campus by security.

  • Backpacks and outside food/beverages are not allowed in the DePaul Prep stadium.

Hazing

Our core values require that student-athletes and coaches are to be treated with dignity and are required to treat others the same.  Harassment or hazing of or by a coach, fellow athlete, or anyone else, whether in person or via social media, is strictly prohibited.

Hazing is defined as the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation; and/or humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals to be part of a group. 

Hazing can happen by any group or individual conduct, action, or activity, regardless of the location of the incident or consent of participants.  The action occurs by design, negligence or recklessness in the context of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition of continued membership in a group or organization.

Examples of the definition of Hazing:

  1. Inflicts or intends to inflict physical or mental harm, excessive fatigue, or distress, or which may demean, disgrace, humiliate, or degrade another person.

  2. Presents a threat to an individual’s health or safety, including but not limited to any conduct of a physical nature or physical activity that could adversely affect the physical or mental health of a student

  3. Causes, induces, pressures, coerces, or requires a student to violate any federal, state, or local law and/or DePaul Prep Policy.

Examples of behavior in the context of Hazing described above include, but are not limited to:

  1. Consumption of food, alcohol, drugs or any other substance regardless of legality.

  2. Creating a situation that is distressing due to temperature, noise, size, or air quality.

  3. Branding, piercing, or tattooing.

  4. Social isolation.

  5. Beating, whipping, restraining, paddling or physical abuse in any form.

  6. Deprivation of food or water.

  7. Unnecessary physical activity that results in unnecessary fatigue.

  8. Lewd conduct, nudity, etc.

  9. Subservient behavior.

  10. Any activity that would be viewed as subjecting a person to embarrassment, degradation, or humiliation.

  11. Giving tasks, projects, or responsibilities, unequally to a subset of the school based solely on their academic year in school or their seniority on a team or in a sport..

  12. Subservient Behavior and/or personal servitude.

Reporting Hazing

Coaches are mandated reporters and must report incidents of hazing that they witness or of which they are made aware.  Student-athletes and parents are encouraged to report such incidents.  Reporting may be done by any or all of the following methods:

  1. Contact the DePaul Prep Athletic Director Pat Mahoney at 773-423-5115 or pmahoney@depaulprep.org

  2. Contact DePaul Prep’s safety reporting hotline at 773-423-5185.

  3. Contact your DePaul Prep Counselor.

  4. Report incident to law enforcement.

ANNUALLY, PARENTS, COACHES, AND STUDENT ATHLETES ARE ALL ASKED TO SIGN THIS FORM SIGNIFYING THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS CODE OF CONDUCT.