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Big Lake athletics director outlines student‑athlete support, tighter communication rules and handbook edits
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Summary
Activities director Mark Weasley told the Big Lake School Board the district will pilot sports‑psychology services for several fall teams, tighten coach‑family communication rules, formalize multi‑sport rostering, and add attendance and conduct clarifications to activity handbooks.
Mark Weasley, the district's activities director, told the Big Lake Public School District board the activities department is launching a collaboration with Premier Sports Psychology, which will begin with varsity football, girls swim and dive, girls soccer and volleyball this fall. He said the partnership grew from local fundraising and foundation support and will be rolled out in a “crawl, walk, run” phase across teams.
Weasley outlined multiple handbook changes aimed at clarifying expectations for students, coaches and parents. Revisions include a new middle‑school participation fee, a multi‑sport participation policy that gives the primary sport precedence for practice and competition, and an attendance‑linked eligibility clarification aligning with a recent state statute. He said the registration system automatically reduces participation fees by 50% for students who qualify for free or reduced‑price lunch, while families still can apply for a payment plan if the reduced fee remains unaffordable.
On communication, Weasley proposed limiting two‑way texting between coaches and students or parents and directing nonurgent contacts to district email. He described approved one‑way or controlled apps (SportsU, Remind) and told the board he will add explicit language to the handbooks to note approved apps and social media expectations. Board members supported adding text and social‑media language and asked for clarity about booster‑club and board‑member parents who may already be connected to coaches.
Weasley also reviewed coach/advisor handbook items that are pending contract negotiations (step/lane salary changes), reimbursement standards for state tournaments (e.g., registration capped at $150, meals $60/day) and safety practices such as providing rubber gloves for coaches when handling bodily fluids. He said district staff will keep negotiation‑sensitive salary items in red text until the union discussion concludes.
The board discussed confidentiality protections for free/reduced eligibility in the registration software and asked how the district identifies students in need; Weasley said staff use a protected software bridge to limit exposure of private information and that coaches are encouraged to work with families through payment plans or direct contact. The board did not vote on handbook materials at this meeting; Weasley said redlined changes related to negotiations will not be rolled out to coaches until negotiations are settled.
Next steps: Weasley said the activities team will hold follow‑up coach and parent meetings and add clarifying language about approved communications platforms to the handbooks.
