General Philosophy
Each participant is a student-athlete not an athlete-student. Your number one priority while attending Horizon High School is your education! As a student-athlete you have the unique opportunity to represent Horizon off campus and it is the expectation that all players, parents and managers display good sportsmanship and responsibility at each and every match.
All playing positions are open to all grade levels and no positions are ever guaranteed.
As a soccer program, our goal is to provide an opportunity for the student to have a positive athletic experience while representing Horizon High School. We believe that if everyone in our program adheres to the following three rules, a positive and winning culture will necessarily follow. These rules are adopted and adapted from a model developed by Lou Holtz:

1. Do what’s right.
2. Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
3. Commit yourself to excellence.


Playing Time
Assuming that the student-athlete attends practice, participates with a strong work ethic, is in good standing with the administration and is in good standing with our team philosophy, the following guide lines are followed:

  • C team members receive equal playing time if at all possible.
  • JV members will receive playing time, with the amount of time to be determined by the coach.
  • Varsity players cannot be promised a specified amount of playing time.

    Eligibility
    It is the student-athlete’s responsibility to remain eligible to participate. Please know the eligibility requirements. A student-athlete must be registered for at least 2.5 credits in the semester before and when they are competing - and they cannot have failed or be failing more than .5 credits. A student-athlete must be in attendance the day of a game in order to compete.

    Practice
    You may be excused from practice for three reasons:
    1. School/Academic related commitments
    2. Problems with health
    3. Family related issues
    If there are special circumstances, it is the player’s responsibility to discuss such circumstances with the coach of your team ASAP. Please keep an open communication line with your coach concerning any type of absence. Also, please be aware that repeated absences, regardless of circumstance, can affect the athlete’s playing time and standing with the team.
    Most practices will be 1 ½ to 2 hours in length. These are target times, which can vary depending upon the circumstances.
    Shin guards must be worn at all times! Soccer is a physical sport and injury may occur. Please notify the coach if there is a concern. If a doctor treats a student-athlete they must have clearance before being allowed to resume participation.
    All student-athletes must have 9 practices before they can compete. All equipment issued is for Horizon soccer only. Each student-athlete is expected to bring appropriate indoor and outdoor apparel/equipment to every practice - weather is unpredictable and you need to be prepared. Game uniforms, including shorts, are for games, not practices. The student-athlete is responsible for loss or damage.

    Lettering
    The student-athlete must play in 12 halves of varsity soccer and complete the season in good standing with the administration as well as the coaching staff in order to letter. If the team advances to the state finals all members on the state roster will letter.

    Transportation
    Every student-athlete is expected to ride the bus to and from games. If a student-athlete misses the bus to a game they will not play in that contest. You may be excused from riding the bus home only if a written request by a parent/guardian has been received and approved by the coach the day before the game. Due to liability, there are no exceptions to this rule so please deliver any request to the head coach of your player’s team the day before the game. **A player can only be released to a parent or legal guardian in those situations.

These guidelines are also available in Word format: PHILOSOPHY