ARTICLE 1
NAME AND PURPOSE
10. This organization shall be known as the California Interscholastic Federation.
11. PURPOSE
The purposes of this organization are:
A. To serve as an organization through which member high schools may mutually adopt rules and regulations relating to interscholastic athletics (grades 9 through 12), and establish agreed upon minimum standards for certain aspects of the interscholastic athletic program; to guide schools and school districts in the discharge of their responsibilities for, among other considerations, the health, safety, general welfare and educational opportunities of the students taking part in interscholastic athletics.
B. The CIF is limited to facilitating the establishment of these regulations and minimum standards and to the application of appropriate sanctions when failure to meet these standards, rules, and regulations comes to the attention of the CIF.
C. To cultivate more cordial and friendly relations among schools through good standards of sportsmanship.
D. To promote the acceptance of the CIF Operating Principles and Code of Ethics of the California Interscholastic Federation (adopted November 1999 Federated Council).
NOTE: The CIF Operating Principles are defined as the 16 principles of the Pursuing Victory With Honor program adopted by the Federated Council in November of 1999 (See Article 1, Section 12).
E. This organization does not contemplate pecuniary gain nor profit to the members hereof and it is organized for non-profit purposes.
F. To promote equal opportunities for all the youth in California secondary school athletic programs regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, or sexual orientation.
G. Member schools are responsible for monitoring and assuring compliance with these standards, rules and regulations except as set forth above, as well as responsibility for any matters of school administration or pupil supervision. Membership of schools in the California Interscholastic Federation is contingent upon compliance with the rules and regulations of the organization’s constitution and bylaws (Approved May 2001 Federated Council).
12. CIF OPERATING PRINCIPLES/PURSUING VICTORY WITH HONOR
The CIF Operating Principles are the 16 principles of Pursuing Victory With Honor program as follows:
1. The essential elements of character building and ethics in CIF sports are embodied in the concept of sportsmanship and six core principles: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship. The highest potential of sports is achieved when competition reflects these “six pillars of character.”
2. It’s the duty of school boards, superintendents, school administrators, parents and school sports leadership -including coaches, athletic administrators, program directors and game officials - to promote sportsmanship and foster good character by teaching, enforcing, advocating and modeling these “six pillars of character.”
3. To promote sportsmanship and foster the development of good character, school sports programs must be conducted in a manner that enhances the academic, emotional, social, physical and ethical development of student-athletes and teaches them positive life skills that will help them become personally successful and socially responsible.
4. Participation in school sports programs is a privilege, not a right. To earn that privilege, student-athletes must abide by the rules and they must conduct themselves, on and off the field, as positive role models who exemplify good character.
5. School boards, superintendents, school administrators, parents and school sports leadership shall establish standards for participation by adopting and enforcing codes of conduct for coaches, athletes, parents and spectators.
6. All participants in high school sports must consistently demonstrate and demand scrupulous integrity and observe and enforce the spirit as well as the letter of the rules.
7. The importance of character, ethics and sportsmanship should be emphasized in all communications directed to student-athletes and their parents.
8. School boards, superintendents, school administrators, parents and school sports leadership must ensure that the first priority of their student-athletes is a serious commitment to getting an education and developing the academic skills and character to succeed.
9. School boards, superintendents, principals, school administrators and everyone involved at any level of governance in the CIF must maintain ultimate responsibility for the quality and integrity of CIF programs. Such individuals must assure that education and character development responsibilities are not compromised to achieve sports performance goals and that the academic, social, emotional, physical and ethical well-being of student-athletes is always placed above desires and pressures to win.
10. All employees of member schools must be directly involved and committed to the academic success of student-athletes and the character-building goals of the school.
11. Everyone involved in competition including parents, spectators, associated study body leaders, and all auxiliary groups have a duty to honor the traditions of the sport and to treat other participants with respect. Coaches have a special responsibility to model respectful behavior and the duty to demand that their student-athletes refrain from disrespectful conduct including verbal abuse of opponents and officials, profane or belligerent trash-talking, taunting and inappropriate celebrations.
12. School boards, superintendents, and school administrators of CIF member schools must ensure that coaches, whether paid or voluntary, are competent to coach. Training or experience may determine minimal competence. These competencies include basic knowledge of: 1) The character building aspects of sports, including techniques and methods of teaching and reinforcing the core values comprising sportsmanship and good character. 2) The physical capabilities and limitations of the age group coached as well as first aid. 3) Coaching principles and the rules and strategies of the sport.
13. Because of the powerful potential of sports as a vehicle for positive personal growth, a broad spectrum of school sports experiences should be made available to all of our diverse communities.
14. To safeguard the health of athletes and the integrity of the sport, school sports programs must actively prohibit the use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and performance enhancing substances, as well as demand compliance with all laws and regulations, including those related to gambling and the use of drugs.
15. Schools that offer athletic programs must safeguard the integrity of their programs. Commercial relationships should be continually monitored to ensure against inappropriate exploitation of the school’s name or reputation. There should be no undue influence of commercial interests. In addition, sports programs must be prudent, avoiding undue dependency on particular companies or sponsors.
16. The profession of coaching is a profession of teaching. Along with the mental and physical dimensions of their sport, coaches, through words and example, must also strive to build the character of their athletes by teaching them to be trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, caring and good citizens. (Approved February 2002 Federated Council)
13. PROPERTY
The property of this organization is irrevocably dedicated to charitable and educational purposes, meeting the requirements for exemption provided by Section 214 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. No part of the net income or assets of this organization shall ever inure to the benefit of any director, officer, or member thereof nor to the benefit of any private persons. Upon the dissolution or winding up of the organization, which is dedicated to charitable and educational purposes meeting the requirements for exemption provided by Section 214 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, its assets remaining after payment, or provision for payment, of all debts and liabilities of this organization, shall be distributed to a non-profit fund, foundation, or corporation which is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes and which has established its tax exempt status under Section 501C(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
If this organization holds any assets in trust, such assets must be disposed of in such manner as may be directed by decree of the Superior Court of the county in which the organization has its principal office, upon petition therefore by the Attorney General or any other person concerned in the liquidation, in a proceeding to which the Attorney General is a party.
14. NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
It is the policy of the CIF not to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, national origin or sexual orientation in its athletic programs and related activities, in the employment of personnel, or in the selection of delegates to the Federated Council, committee members, officers or other such positions.