Horizon Middle Grades Athletics
Athletic Director: Jason Conrad
The athletic program at Horizon Christian Middle School is designed to provide athletic opportunities for students in a Christ-centered arena. Athletics is another element toward the goal of the total education and experience of the students.
The interscholastic program is completely voluntary and any eligible student is invited to participate. Involvement does, however, require extra effort and extra time in addition to the regular school day. Those choosing to participate in the program represent Jesus Christ, their families, their church , and their school in all activities. Therefore, high standards of citizenship, sportsmanship, conduct, and attitude must be maintained. The standards of HCS are also reflected by those participating on and with the athletic teams, including athletes, parents, and coaches. Not all teams in the Christian Metro League are Christ-based schools. This provides an opportunity for the athletes from HCS to portray Christian character to others.
The interscholastic contests are competitive. The level of competition and focus on winning increases with the grade levels. In addition to teaching skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship, the goal of each game, match, or meet is to win. It is the coach's desire to provide playing time for all athletes, but that is not always possible and is left to the coach's discretion. It is not a win at all costs mentality, but there is an expectation to participate at the highest possible level. "To win like winners and lose like winners" has been a motto for previous teams.
The selection of team members may be necessary. A "no cut" policy is a desire but not always possible with the given resources. However, the selection of team members is not based solely upon athletic performance. Christian character, attitude, cooperation, loyalty, and the ability to keep up with academics are also extremely important in qualifying a student for an athletic team. Players are expected to make their HCS team their priority, especially regarding games and meets. If the student anticipates participating on additional outside teams this needs to be disclosed on or before tryouts to the athletic director. Conflicts and terms will be discussed and eligibility will be determined by administration and the athletic director.