Info on Fall Sports

 For those playing a sport this fall:

 

1)      User Fees are now due.  We do not send bills or invoices and this may be your only communication.  It is very simple to pay online.  You go to www.whathletics.com and click on User Fee Online Payments (here is the direct link - https://fs17.formsite.com/WHathletics/form52/index.html ).  User fees are $250 for the first sport and $50 for each additional sport with a family cap of $600 (ice hockey has a $200 surcharge that does not apply to the family cap).  Please be sure you do not have an outstanding fee from previous years by visiting on the parent portal on infinite campus and clicking on the fees tab.  If you need additional time to pay the fee, please just pay whatever you can now and on the form you can note what your plan is.  We also allow parents to help sell tickets at events to earn some of the fee.  If you would like to do that, please email me to get on the list.  There is also an organization that gives out scholarships to students in need - http://www.whathletics.com/Www.themakaylafund.org .    

2)      For anyone who missed Athletic First Night please go to this link and take care of all items - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LwcsxDoJEywxain3pMy_uZnTJAQ-YQpK7BukXGJjrqQ/edit?usp=sharing

3)      When picking up your child from school please use the inside loop and do not park or idle next to the curb closest to the school.  The fire department wants to ensure they have access in the event they need to bring an ambulance or other emergency vehicle through the loop.

4)      For sports that charge admission, our school and many in our league will no longer accept cash.  Tickets will be available at gofan.co by searching our school.  Once you make an account it is very easy to use.  This is also how all post season events by the MIAA will be handled.

5)      As many of you know, our “new” trainer left us after less than 2 weeks on the job to pursue a new opportunity in California.  While this is exciting for her, it has left us in a very tough sport as the state is grappling with an athletic trainer shortage.  I have reached out to virtually every college athletic program (many of whom have 4 or 5 trainers) as well as colleges that have athletic training as a major and we have had no luck.  We partner with Signature Health Care and they actually do the hiring of the trainer but they too have had no luck finding anyone.  In fact, they had to drop service to several schools because of this shortage.  The safety of your children is a top priority for me so this is the plan I have come up with: 

a.       We have hired a certified EMT who is in her last year of her bachelors’ program at Bridgewater State for athletic training.  Her name is Amanda Blume and her cell is 405 816-1964.  The email address will be AT@whrsd.org . There will be some limitations on what kind of services she can provide to our students since she is not a certified athletic trainer however she has done quite a bit of per diem coverage for area schools including ours and everyone has been very pleased and impressed. Amanda is a 2009 Whitman Hanson graduate.  After serving 6 years in the Air Force she worked as a call fire fighter in Hanson and has also worked with Brewster providing EMS in Plymouth.  We are very lucky to have her on board.  She will cover most practices and games.

b.       I have contracted Peak Therapy to come to our school on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to help students with rehab and evaluations.  They will be here from 2-4pm. 

c.       We are maintaining our partnership with Signature Health Care in hopes that they will be able to attract a new certified AT at some point this school year.  The partnership also allows for their doctors and personnel to service our students.  Whenever a student gets injured and needs to be seen quickly, the family will be given those contacts and they can decide if they wish to use them.  Signature will also help us with our return to play protocol from head injuries.  As a reminder, if a student even has one of the symptoms of a concussion, they will be held out of play for the rest of the day and then reexamined the next day.  If the symptoms persist, then they will need to see a doctor for an evaluation.

6)      Please be sure to know when your child’s physical expires.  You will not get a reminder from the school but the day it expires they no longer can participate.  Physicals are good for exactly 13 months.

7)      Please be sure to follow us on twitter @whathletics .  This is the best way to get the latest information and find out quickly if games are cancelled or changed.  The only place to find an accurate schedule is arbiterlive.com .  All other sites may not be accurate.  Our website is www.whathletics.com .