Athletics
Guilford Park Emergency Action Plan
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Athletics - Frequently Asked Questions
Page updated 7/19/2023 - Most updated information can be found on our FAQ Google Doc.
Q: What sports are offered at Guilford Park?
A: GPHS will offer ALL sports offered by HCPSS.
Fall Sports (Starting 8/14/24): Cross Country (B/G - Varsity), Field Hockey (G-JV), Football (JV), Volleyball (G-F/JV), Soccer (B/G - JV), Golf (B/G - Varsity), Cheer (JV), and Allied Soccer
Winter Sports (Starting 11/15/24): Basketball (B/G - JV), Wrestling (B/G - JV and Varsity), Indoor Track (B/G - Varsity), Cheer (JV), and Allied Bowling
Spring Sports (Starting 3/1/24): Baseball (JV), Softball (JV), Lacrosse (B/G - JV), Outdoor Track (B/G - Varsity), Tennis (B/G - Varsity), and Allied Softball
Q: Does GPHS or GPHS Boosters offer summer camps for incoming 9th graders interested in sports?
A. Yes - go to gphsboosters.org for a listing of all camps offered and other information.
How long are tryouts? Does the student-athlete need to attend them all? How are team selections made?
A: Tryouts are 3 days, it is expected that athletes attend all sessions, and team selections are made the last day. All team selections are made in brief, private meetings between the coach and players. No lists are posted. Athletes are also given the opportunity to ask questions if they did not make the team. Regular practices begin the day following tryouts.
Q: Will there be any summer workouts to get ready for the season? When can rising 9th graders start working out with the high school teams.
A: Yes! Contact your coach to see when they are offered. Rising 9th graders are able to start working out with the high school teams the day following their last day of 8th grade.
Q: With fall sports starting before school begins, what if the athlete is on vacation and misses tryouts?
A: While we understand that families have summer plans and vacations and will do everything we can to provide opportunities for our student-athletes, the season dates are set by the MPSSAA (MD HS Athletic Governing Body). If there are roster spots available on the team when the athlete is able to try out, we will gladly provide that opportunity. However, we cannot guarantee roster spots will be available for all sports. Please reach out to the specific sport coach for more information.
Q: How do I get in touch with the coaches to find out information?
A: We are in the process of adding to our coaching staff each day. The best way to reach out to coaches is through email. We will update this list as we hire more staff and publish the information on our website, once it is up and running.
Fall Coaches Information
Football - Thomas Montag - Thomas_Montag@hcpss.org
Cross Country -Caleb Goodie - Caleb_Goodie@hcpss.org and Lauren Wood - la23wood@yahoo.com
Volleyball - Karen_B_Kart@mcpsmd.org
Boys Soccer - Tomas Potts - Tomas_Potts@hcpss.org
Girls Soccer - Molly - Schaefer - Molly_Schaefer@hcpss.org
Golf - Brent Kennedy - Brentk@waldnerwintersteam.com
Cheer - Star Gore - Starneisha.gore@gmail.com
Allied Soccer - Janet Kim - Janet_Kim@hcpss.org
G. Basketball - Tonya Frizzelle - Latonya_Frizzelle@hcpss.org
B. Basketball - Malcolm Tatum - Malcolm_Tatum@hcpss.org
Wrestling - Dave Roogow - Droogow@gmail.com
Track - Josh Peoples - Joshua_Peoples@hcpss.org
B. Lacrosse - Daniel Amacher - Daniel_Amacher@hcpss.org
Softball - Melissa - Cotton - Melissa_Cotton@hcpss.org
G. Lacrosse Deb Milani - Deborah_Milani@hcpss.org
Baseball - Joseph Sarich - Joseph_Sarich@hcpss.org
Tennis - Jessica_Sharfstein@hcpss.org
Q: Can an athlete try out for more than one sport at a time?
A: Unfortunately, no. HCPSS does not allow for an athlete to try out for or play for more than 1 team per season.
Q: If an athlete does not make a team, can they try out for another team?
A: Yes and No. Yes - it is possible, but the team the athlete wishes to try out for must have available roster spots. This may not always be the case.
Q: What if an athlete is involved in multiple activities in addition to playing sports?
A: We understand and encourage all students to be involved in multiple activities. We ask that students communicate their schedules with their coaches/sponsors to work things out. Games take precedence over rehearsals/meetings and performances/events take precedence over practices.
Q: Are there any academic or grade requirements to play high school sports?
A: Yes. According to HCPSS Policy 9070, all 1st time rising 9th graders are academically eligible to play FALL sports (no grade requirement). The following academic requirements apply to all other student-athletes:
Fall Sports - 4th quarter report card from the previous year - Student MUST have earned a minimum of a 2.0 weighted GPA and no more than ONE failing grade
Winter Sports - 1st quarter report card - Students MUST have earned a minimum of a 2.0 weighted GPA for 1st quarter and no more than ONE failing grade
Spring Sports - 2nd quarter report card - Students MUST have earned a minimum of a 2.0 weighted GPA and no more than ONE failing grade
Q: Is there a cost to play high school sports?
A: No. There is no cost to play high school sports, however, personal items such as cleats, mouth pieces, and shin guards are not purchased by the school.
Q: Are there any forms required to play high school sports?
A: Yes. All student-athletes are required to submit a copy of a recent physical (dated after 4/1/23 for this school year), a parent permission form, with proof of medical insurance, and a proof of residency to show you live in district. Acceptable proof of residency are electric bill, cable bill, water bill, lease, or mortgage.
All forms should be uploaded through a parent’s hcpss.connect account. Link to HCPSS Connect: https://www.hcpss.org/connect/
Link to all required athletic forms: https://www.hcpss.org/athletics/forms-and-guidelines/
Q: Is medical insurance required to play high school sports.
A: Yes. Student-athletes are required to have medical insurance to play high school sports. If an athlete does not have medical insurance, student-accident insurance can be purchased at https://www.kandkinsurance.com/sites/K12Voluntary/Pages/Home.aspx which will satisfy this requirement. The cost is around $30 (football is more), covers the entire school year, and coverage is instant upon payment.
Q: What do I do if I have problems uploading any of the forms?
A: Email copies or pictures of the forms, along with the student-athlete’s name and sport, to THE Michael Lerner, the Athletics and Activities Manager at mlerner@hcpss.org.
Q: Is transportation provided to student-athletes to and from GPHS for games?
A: Yes. HCPSS will provide buses to and from GPHS to all away athletic contests.
Q: Is transportation provided to and from GPHS for student-athletes?
A: No. Athletes and families need to arrange transportation to GPHS on days there are practices/games when school is not in session and home from GPHS on days when school is in session. Carpooling is encouraged and coaches can assist with getting you team member’s contact information.
Q: Will the start/dismissal times impact sports next year?
A: Most likely. Some sporting events may begin 30 or 60 minutes later than their current times. Coaches will provide schedules for all athletes with start times as the season calendar is created.
Q: Do winter and spring sports teams have practices and games over winter and spring break?
A: Most likely. On the varsity level, you should expect holiday tournaments for both winter and spring sports, which means there will be practices as well. Student-athletes will be given days off during each break.
Q: Is there a cost to attend games?
A: Yes and no. There is an admission charge of $6 for both students and adults for the following games in HoCo. All other games in HoCo are free to attend.
- Football
- Any game in the stadium or gym where the varsity game starts at 7pm or later
- Basketball
- Wrestling
NOTE: Admission charges for athletic contests vary from county to county.
Q: How do I purchase tickets?
A: In HoCo, all tickets must be purchased through gofan.co. There is an app you can download on your smartphone. Credit card will also be accepted at the gate. NO CASH WILL ACCEPTED.
Q: Can tickets be purchased in advance?
A: Yes. As soon as each school uploads their schedules to gofan.co, you can purchase tickets in advance for all home or away games in HoCo.
Q: Will games be livestreamed?
A: Most likely yes. More information will be coming about the platform used for live streaming.
Q: Where can I find the schedules for all teams?
A: HoCo uses countysportszone.com for all athletic game schedules. You should also expect a schedule of practices and games from the coach and games will also be published on the school website, once it is up and running.
Q: Can a student-athlete play for their high school team and a non-school team during the same season?
A: Yes, but the high school team must take priority. Most non-school teams and organizations understand this and it is not often a conflict. Some non-school programs such as Academy Soccer, may prohibit athletes from participating on high school teams, but it does not work in reverse.
Q: As a parent, how can I get involved and support the programs at GPHS?
A: We always need your help and support! Our athletes need your support by coming to watch them play! In addition, please consider joining our parent organization that supports all programs at GPHS. There are ways to help financially and through volunteering your time. You can also ask the coach if he/she needs any help with administrative tasks, team meals/snacks, etc.
Q: Where can I find GPHS on social media?
A: Twitter: @GPHSpanthers
IG: hcpss_ghs