Spring Valley Academy offers a variety of inter-scholastic sports, including volleyball, soccer, and basketball as well as softball and baseball when possible. SVA also offers a unique performance gymnastics team that combines elements of gymnastics and acrobatics. Our cheerleaders spread school spirit throughout SVA.
SVA employs an Athletic Director who provides our teams rigorous schedules with other Christian schools, smaller public schools, and other club teams. Our teams are led by volunteer coaches who provide excellent skill and character development opportunities to our students. Because SVA is a relatively small school, our older athletes mentor our younger ones and unique bonds are created on and off the athletic field.
Our Athletic Program’s Mission is squarely within SVA’s Mission: Christian Athletics inspiring students to know, follow, and share Jesus. In our Athletic Program, we honor Jesus, win or lose.
SVA GAME DAY: Please be advised that all SVA student athletes must be in attendance the entire school day in order to play in any games scheduled that night. An exception would be a previously scheduled doctor’s appointment (not related to illness) in which a note from the doctor would excuse their absence during the time missed at school that day. When students are ill they are not to attend school and/or expect to play in any scheduled game(s) that night.
ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY & STUDENT ATHLETE PROBATION
Student athlete eligibility is essential to uphold the integrity of an athletic department. Athletics should be used as a learning tool for life skills and responsibility. Students’ academics are to be held as a priority over sports at all times. However, athletics has much to offer in the development of life experiences for students. Athletics should be used as an academic motivator. An academic eligibility program requires checkpoints.
Student athletes must have a quarter grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 with no more than two D’s and no F grades. This standard is enforced both each quarter and at the mid-term of each quarter.
Quarter grades are based on a nine-week period. Student athletes that do not have a GPA of 2.0 or have more than two D’s and at least one F are made ineligible to play in games, receive a uniform, or travel to games as a team member. These student athletes may attend and participate in practices and tryouts as long as OHSAA eligibility requirements are met (1.6 quarter GPA, no F grades, and no more than two D grades). Students who do not meet OHSAA eligibility requirements will not be afforded the opportunity to try out for a sports team until they meet OHSAA and SVA standards.
Student athletes who meet OHSAA eligibility requirements but do not meet the requirements set forth by Spring Valley Academy will be placed on student athlete Primary Probation. Student athletes who find themselves under primary probation will not participate in games, will not travel to away games, and will not receive a uniform. They will be given the opportunity to try out and practice with that team. They will remain on Primary Probation as a non-playing member until mid-term grades are available. Full eligibility will be reinstated if the student does not receive any F grades or no more than two D’s. The student athlete will be ineligible for the remainder of the quarter, until the next quarter grades are issued, if receiving an F or more than two D’s.
Student athletes who meet OHSAA eligibility requirements and those set forth by Spring Valley Academy will be eligible to participate in extracurricular athletic team sports. If at mid-term, a student athlete receives an F, or more than one D, and is not currently on Primary Probation, they will be placed on student athlete Secondary Probation. Students on Secondary Probation have a mandatory two-week suspension to bring themselves out of Secondary Probation status. During Secondary Probation, student athletes will not have the opportunity to participate in any games and will not travel to away games. Student athletes will be considered non-playing team members; therefore, team expectations and team rules still apply. At the end of the two-week period of Secondary Probation, student athletes will be required to either schedule appointments with the teacher of each class where grades were unacceptable or bring the athletic director (AD) a RenWeb printout of current grades. Teachers must provide the student athlete a written note indicating the current grade in their class, which the student must provide to the AD. The AD will then inform the student athlete and coach of their eligibility status. Students who do not meet the academic requirements at the end of the two-week period will remain on Secondary Probation until the next quarter grades are issued. All eligibility is removed if the student athlete does not meet academic requirements when the next quarter grades are issued.
A student athlete can be placed on Primary Probation only one time within one sports season. Student athletes can be placed on Secondary Probation twice in one sports season.
Student athletes must be enrolled in five one-credit classes. All classes for which a student athlete is enrolled will be used in determining eligibility. A student athlete must either fall below a 1.6 GPA, have an F, or have more than two D’s at the previous quarter to be ineligible for Primary Probation. Students receiving an incomplete are placed on suspension until the grade change is received by the Registrar. Team fees will be paid by student athletes that are on probation. If, at any time, a student athlete is made ineligible because of their grade status, no refund of sport fees will be applicable.
| Primary Probation | Secondary Probation |
|---|---|
| Applicable at the beginning of a quarter | Applicable at mid-term of each quarter |
| No less than a 1.6 GPA [No F’s & no more than two D’s] | Applied when mid-term grades are one F or more than two D’s |
| Practices & team rules apply; student is considered a non-playing team member and cannot travel to away games | Required two week suspension; practices *amp; team rules apply; student is considered a non-playing team member and cannot travel to away games |
| Non-playing team member status unless mid-term eligibility requirements are met | Secondary probation relinquishing form signed by teacher(s) at the end of two weeks; if grade requirements are not met at the end of two weeks the student athlete will remain as a non-player team member until the next grade period |
| Students may only be on Primary Probation once during a single sports season (not eligible for Secondary probation during a single sports season) | Students who do not meet the academic requirements at the end of two weeks will remain on Secondary Probation until the next quarter grades are issued. All eligibility is removed if the student athlete does not meet academic requirements when the quarter grades are issued. |