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Wyomissing Area School District

Inspiring Excellence, One Spartan at at Time

Parent Information

Parent Information

Please utilize the tabs below to discover more information relevant to your student-athlete and their experiences. 

  • ENHANCING YOUR CHILD'S EXPERIENCE

    Parents play an important role in the success of the athletic program. By using the three strategies listed below, parents can enhance a child's participation experience.

    • Support your child AND their entire athletic program.
    • Make your child's sport fun for them, not stressful.
    • Keep your child's sports experience in perspective and see how you and they fit into the big picture.

     

    COMMUNICATION WITH COACHES

    The Parent/Coach Relationship

    Both parenting and coaching are extremely difficult vocations. By establishing an understanding of each position, we are better able to accept the actions of the other and provide greater benefit to children. As parents, when your children become involved in our program, you have a right to understand what expectations are placed on your child. This begins with clear communication from the coach.

    Communication You Should Expect From A Coach

    • The coach's philosophy.
    • The expectations the coach has for your child as well as all the players on the squad.
    • The locations/times of all practices & games.
    • Any team requirements (i.e. fees, special equipment, off-season conditioning).
    • The procedure followed in the event that your child is injured during athletic participation.
    • Any discipline that result in the denial of your child's participation.

     

    Communication Coaches Should Expect From Parents

    • Concerns expressed directly to the coach.
    • Notification of any schedule conflicts well in advance.
    • Specific concerns in regard to a coach's philosophy and/or expectations.

    As your children become involved in the programs at Wyomissing Area School District, they will experience some of the most rewarding moments of their lives. It is important to understand that there also may be times when things do not go the way you or your child wishes. At these times discussion with the coach is encouraged.


    Concerns That Are Appropriate To Discuss With Coaches

    • The physical & mental treatment of your child.
    • Ways to help your child improve.
    • Concerns about your child's behavior.

    It is difficult to accept that your child is not playing as much as you may hope. However, coaches are professionals. They make judgment decisions based on what they believe to be best for all students involved. As you have seen from the list above, certain things can be and should be discussed with your child's coach. Other things, such as those in the following paragraph, must be left to the discretion of the coach.


    Issues That Are Not Appropriate To Discuss With Coaches

    • Playing time
    • Team strategy
    • Play calling
    • Other student-athletes

    There are situations that may require a conference between the coach and the parent. These are to be encouraged. It is important that both parties involved have a clear understanding of the other's position. When these conferences are necessary, the following procedure should be followed to help promote a resolution to the issues of concern.


    If You Have A Concern To Discuss With A Coach, Please Use The Following Procedure:

    • Call to set up an appointment.
    • If the coach cannot be reached, call the Athletic Director. The athletic director will set up the meeting for you. The phone number to the Athletic office is (610) 374-4031 x3138.
    • Please do not attempt to confront a coach before or after a contest or practice. These can be emotional times for both the parent and the coach. Meetings of this nature do not promote resolution
    • Do not circumvent the coach when it comes to expressing concern. The coach should be the first point of contact when an issue develops. 

     

    The Next Step

    What can a parent do if the meeting with the coach did not provide a satisfactory resolution?

    Call and set up an appointment with the Athletic Director to discuss the situation.

    Together, you can determine the appropriate next step.

    Since research indicates a student involved in co-curricular activities has a greater chance for success during adulthood, these programs have been established. Many of the character traits required to be a successful participant are exactly those that will promote a successful life after high school. We hope the information provided within the pamphlet makes both your child's and your experience with the Wyomissing Area School District Athletic program less stressful and more enjoyable.

     

    EXPECTATIONS OF A PARENT/GAURDIAN

    • Work to promote a positive environment that is conducive to the development of the student-athlete
    • Become familiar with and review the rules and regulations of the sport with your student- athlete.
    • Communicate any concerns in a timely manner, according to District protocol.
    • Treat all coaching personnel with courtesy and respect and insist your student-athlete do the same.
    • Encourage your child to communicate his/her concerns in a respectful manner to the coaching staff. Athletes, who do not feel comfortable discussing an inpidual problem with the head coach, may consider talking to an assistant coach. 
    • Understand that not all athletes will like their coaches. However, athletes should accept the concept that you can still work with someone towards a common goal, despite your personal feelings towards the inpidual.

  • Concussion in Sports, What You Need to Know
    An elective, free online course aimed at educating coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports.

  • Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, the Wyomissing Area Athletic Department will utilize Arbiter Registration for all athletic registrations. This online platform will provide parents/guardians and student-athletes in grades 7–12 with a streamlined process to register for interscholastic athletics and complete all required athletic department forms.

    Arbiter Registration will be used for participation in all Fall, Winter, and Spring sports, helping ensure that eligibility requirements and necessary documentation are completed efficiently prior to participation.

     

  • Daniel Giesen
    Head Athletic Trainer
    Phone: 610.374.0739 x3116

    Lauren Mieczkowski
    Athletic Trainer
    Phone: 610.374.0739 x3117

     

     

  • Preseason Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines
    Practice or competition in hot and/or humid environmental conditions poses special
    problems for student-athletes. Heat illness is a primary concern in these conditions.
    Although deaths from heat illness are rare, constant surveillance and education are
    necessary to prevent heat-related problems.


    Core Principles:
    1. Acclimatization Period: The first three days of football practice commencing
    on the first starting day. Helmets and shoulder pads with shorts the first 2 days and full gear on third day with contact permitted on
    third day.


    These practices are limited to 5 hours of practice daily for the 3 days of heat acclimatization. Practice sessions may be no longer than 3 hours in length and teams must have 2 hours of rest (recovery period) between sessions.

    If starting the previous week by school option, these days are to be three consecutive days and are not to be earlier than Wednesday the previous week. Helmets and shoulder pads with shorts the first 2 days and full gear on third day. No contact on third day (prior to start date).


    If more than 48 hours between the conclusion of the heat acclimatization program and first day of practice, the program will not
    have its intended affect medically. Therefore, these practices are limited to five hours per day with no contact on the third day since it is
    prior to the start of the stipulated fall season.


    If starting the previous week option is chosen, Monday’s practice may be 5 hours with a 2 hours buffer between practices and contact may be included.


    Prevention of Heat Illness from the Sport Medicine Guidelines of the PIAA Handbook should be observed. These include regular
    measurements of environmental conditions. See Sports Medicine Guidelines for more detail or consult with your athletic trainer and/or
    team physician.


    2. Scrimmages: A team shall not participate in a scrimmage prior to the first available scrimmage date as provided in Article XVI: Season and Out-of Season Rules and Regulations of the PIAA By-Laws.


    3. Participation Limitation: No Team, no individual member or members of such team, and no individual representing any PIAA member school, may practice or participate in an Inter-School Practice, Scrimmage, Contest, and/or Open Gym on more than six days in any calendar Week during the regular Season. 


    4. Out-of-Season Activities: General conditioning provides only partial heat acclimatization. Therefore, student-athletes should be exposed gradually to hot and/or humid environmental conditions to provide better heat acclimatization. Each exposure also should involve a gradual increase in the amount of exercise that is undertaken over a period of days to weeks until the exercise intensity and duration is comparable to that likely to occur in competition. If conditions are extreme, training or competition should be held during a cooler time of the day.


    When protective gear and clothing is authorized by the school Principal outside of the defined season, frequent rest periods should be
    scheduled so that the gear and clothing can be loosened to allow evaporation of sweat and other forms of heat loss. During the
    acclimatization process, it may be advisable to use a minimum of protective gear and clothing and to Practice in T-shirts, shorts, socks
    and shoes. Excessive tape and outer clothing that restrict sweat evaporation should be avoided. Rubberized suits should never be
    used.


    Minimum Practice Time: The minimum practice time for the first three days is 3 hours per day.


    Maximum Practice Time: The maximum allotted time per day for practice is 5 hours and teams must have 2 hours of rest between sessions.


    Practice: The time a player engages in physical activity. It is defined that any practice session be no greater than three (3) hours in length. Warm-up, stretching, conditioning, weight training and ‘cool-down’ periods are all considered practice.


    Recovery Period: A minimum of a two (2) hour recovery period must be provided after any session.


    Walk-through: No protective equipment or strenuous activity permitted. Only balls and field markers (cones) may be used.

     

    Common Question & Answers Regarding Preseason Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines

    How many days must the heat acclimatization program be enforced?


    Three days. The first three days of football practice starting with the first day of fall practice. A school may choose the option of starting the previous week. If this option is chosen, these days are to be three (3) consecutive days and it is not to start earlier than Wednesday the previous week. Helmets and shoulder pads with shorts the first 2 days and full gear on third day. No contact on third day (it’s prior to start date).

     

    What is the rationale for not starting heat acclimatization earlier in the week and giving players 4 days of rest before the official start of practice?


    The rationale for this is if there is more than 48 hours between the conclusion of the heat acclimatization program and first day of practice, the program will not have its intended affect medically. Therefore, these practices are limited to five hours per day with no contact on the third day since it is prior to the start of the stipulated fall season.

     

    What are the maximum and minimum time periods for heat acclimatization?


    These sessions are limited to 5 hours of practice daily for the 3 days of heat acclimatization. Practice sessions may be no longer than 3 hours in length and teams must have 2 hours of rest between sessions. The minimum amount of time for heat acclimatization is 3 hours per day.

     

    Who is responsible for the development and enforcement of this program?


    The head football coach, in consultation with the school’s medical staff (team physician/athletic training staff), is to develop their own three (3) day program. It is to be submitted, in writing, to the school’s principal for their approval and supervision. The enforcement of this will be a team effort between all parties, however, the principal of the school, as with all PIAA governance, is responsible for the adherence and
    enforcement of PIAA rules and regulations.

     

    Do all players have to go through the heat acclimatization?


    Yes all players have to go through this process before they represent their school by playing in a scrimmage or a contest. This is to be monitored by each school.

     

    Is this heat acclimatization program only for football?

     

    Yes it is for football only. The amount of protective equipment that must be worn by players does not allow for the body to cool off through perspiration in a normal fashion. Other sports do not have these requirements and coupled with the fact that 52 football players, 41 in high school, have died since 1995 to heat related causes has raised the awareness nationally to provide for a pre-season football acclimatization program. 

  • The Center for Disease Control publishes an introduction to concussion basics on their website.  Please click here for the CDC.