The athletic program at Our Lady of Mercy School is designed to provide our students with the opportunity to participate in well supervised inter scholastic sports. Our primary goal in accordance with our philosophy is to stress the development of Christian character.

Our Lady of Mercy School is a member of the Piedmont Elementary Catholic Schools Athletic Association (PECSAA). The association is involved in tournaments for each sport each year as We also participate in the statewide Shamrock Basketball Tournament, and host the Renegar Basketball Tournament. Please visit the PECSAA website here [http://www.pecsaa.com/index.html] for league rules, directions for games at PECSAA schools, and other information.

The athletic program consists of the following teams:

	Co-ed Varsity Volleyball	Grades 7-8
	Co-ed Jr. Varsity Volleyball	Grades 5-6
	Boys Varsity Basketball	Grades 7-8
	Boys Jr. Varsity Basketball	Grades 5-6
	Girls Varsity Basketball	Grades 7-8
	Girls Jr. Varsity Basketball	Grades 5-6
	Boys Varsity Soccer	Grades 5-8
	Cheerleading	Grades 5-8
	Co-ed Softball	Grades 7-8
	Co-ed Track	Grades K-8

Volleyball begins in August. Tryouts for basketball and cheerleading will begin in October. Softball and Track will begin in March.

A participation fee will be charged per sport, per student. This helps to offset expenses incurred.

A physical exam is required for each team member in order to participate.

Parents of all students participating in the sports program will be expected to volunteer some time to the program.

Note: Sports are offered based on availability of volunteer coaches.

Students participating in the program are expected to maintain certain academic standards and fulfill their team responsibilities. A student must maintain a C average overall with NO failures at interim progress report time or actual report card time. Otherwise, he/she will be removed from the team and after at least a 2 week period, a reassessment will be made by the principal and teachers at which time the student may be reinstated. All subjects are included in the computation of the student's grade average. The principal notifies the Athletic Director of a student's ineligibility to play and gives notification of reinstatement.

Attendance at all practice sessions and games is considered mandatory. Excuses for absence, other than those caused by illness, from either a game or a practice must be discussed with the coach and/or Athletic Director.

Athletes may be suspended from the program for violation of the aforementioned policies. Once suspended, an athlete may return to the program only after correcting the behavior which resulted in the suspension. The success of this and any program depends, to a great extent, on the cooperation and support of students, teachers, and parents.

ALL STUDENTS attending athletic events must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Extra-curricular programs/clubs:

All of our extra-curricular programs depend upon parent involvement and vary because of this.

The following activities are currently available:

• Boy/Cub Scouts
• Helping Hands of Mercy
• Altar Serving
• Yearbook
• Ski Club
• Music lessons – piano, guitar, strings
• Band (5th-8th grade)
• Keyboarding (3rd-8th grade)

I