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Athletes Guide
2010-2011 Full Student-Athlete’s Guide (PDF) (.doc)
Providing answers to many
frequently asked questions such as:
1. Athlete
Recruiting
2. Athlete
Eligibility
3. Athletic
Scholarships
4. Doping Control Program
5. Thinking About
Transferring
Canadian Interuniversity Sport rules are sometimes complex as they
apply to certain students. This guide should not be relied upon
exclusively. Please contact your Athletic Department for proper
interpretations in specific cases.
Please note that Regional Associations and institutions may have
additional regulations that are of a more stringent nature. Consult
your Athletic Department about these rules.
All references in this guide are to the 2009-2010 Canadian
Interuniversity Sport Policies and
Procedures.
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport, which is the national governing
body of university sport in Canada, is composed of the majority of
degree granting universities in the country. Fifty-one (51) member
institutions with over 10,000 student-athletes and 550 coaches vie
for 19 National Championships in 11 different sports. CIS also
provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian
student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, and 27 World
University Championships.
From Victoria to St. John's, student-athletes compete for national
and regional honours from the following Regional Associations:
- Canada West
- Ontario University Athletics
- Quebec Student Sports Federation
- Atlantic University Sport
1. Athlete Recruiting
Are there any restrictions to who I can
contact?
· unless you have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI), or
you are already a CIS student-athlete, there are no restrictions to
who you can contact.
· if you have signed an LOI, you are not permitted to
initiate or respond to contact with another school for the purpose
of competing for that other school.
Are there any restrictions to
who can contact me from a CIS institution?
· unless you have signed a LOI, or you are already a
CIS student-athlete, there are no restrictions to who can contact
you.
· if you have signed an LOI, you are required to inform
another CIS institution’s representative that you have done
so; upon any subsequent contact by the same CIS institution for the
same purpose, you should notify the Athletic Director (or
designate) of your LOI Institution within 48 hours.
Can I practice with my
prospective CIS team?
· for the sports of basketball, field hockey, football,
ice hockey, volleyball, rugby, and soccer, you cannot practice with
a CIS team during the competitive season; you may practice
with the team outside the CIS competitive season.
· specific to men’s football, out-of-season
practices are restricted to registered students, although there is
an exception for Canada West schools and prospective students from
Western Canada.
What about recruiting trips,
travel, and enticements?
· you are limited to one funded visit within an
academic year, in whole or in part, to a CIS campus, although you
are not limited to the number of unfunded visits to a campus or to
the total number of schools you visit.
· a CIS school, inclusive of its alumni and boosters,
is limited to providing you with product and/or services valued at
$50 or less.
Are there any recruiting
black-out periods?
· recruiting black-out periods are restricted to
football, and exist from December 23rd to January 2nd inclusively,
as well as within five clear days of the start of the CIS East-West
All-Star Game and until one clear day following the completion of
the Game.
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2. Athlete
Eligibility
What are the academic requirements for students entering
directly from a high school, CEGEP, or CCAA school?
· a minimum 60% average or equivalent on those courses
used to determine your university admission.
· specific to CEGEP or CCAA, you must also have
maintained your respective academic eligibility in the QSSF or
CCAA.
What are the academic
requirements to remain eligible?
Canadian Interuniversity Sport student-athletes must:
· be enrolled in a minimum of 3 courses (minimum 9
credit hours or equivalent) in the term in which they are
competing.
· successfully complete a minimum of 3 full courses, or
6 half courses (minimum 18 credit hours or equivalent) during the
academic year.
· ALWAYS consult your athletic department prior to
making any changes to your academic program or course load.
Are there any
exceptions?
· exceptions are granted within certain academic
programs and circumstances (please consult your Athletic
Department).
How do I get charged with a
year of eligibility?
· if your team does NOT have an exhibition schedule,
you are charged with a year of eligibility when your name appears
on the playing roster (or equivalent) of two or more regular season
competitions; otherwise if your team DOES play in exhibition, you
are charged a year for a single regular season competition with an
exception in football and rugby (please consult your Athletic
Department).
· for CIS exhibition and playoff competition, CEGEP
participation, as well as National Team and Professional
participation, please consult your Athletic Department.
· men's basketball and hockey have sport-specific
regulations related to non-CIS participation which can result in
the loss of eligibility; please consult your Athletic
Department.
· within related jurisdictions, such as the CCAA or
NCAA, you are charged with eligibility in accordance with that
jurisdiction’s rules.
How many years of eligibility
do I have?
· Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) allows you to
compete for 5 years in CIS. In the sport of football, those 5
years must be used within an 8 or 7-year period following the
earlier of high school graduation or the completion of high school
eligibility (for Quebec and non-Quebec high school graduates
respectively).
· athletes who have completed their eligibility to
participate in another post-secondary jurisdiction, such as the
CCAA, are ineligible for CIS competition.
· athletes who have been charged with a year of
eligibility or a season of competition in four separate academic
years within a non-Canadian post-secondary jurisdiction, such as
the NCAA, are ineligible for CIS competition.
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3. Athletic Scholarships
What is an Athletic Scholarship?
· Also referred to as an athletic financial award, an
athletic scholarship is any award that is conditional to being on a
CIS team.
· An athletic scholarship can include, but is not
limited to, scholarships, bursaries, prizes, leadership awards,
merit awards, housing, and all other non-employment financial
benefit received by an athlete from their institution.
Is there a limit to the value
of athletic scholarship that I can receive?
· tuition and compulsory fees is the maximum amount you
can receive in an academic year, including athletic-related
bursaries.
· the value and quantity of athletic scholarship
available varies from institution to institution.
· specific awards may have additional conditions, such
as academic success and citizenship, beyond what is stated
here.
· many awards, such as academic awards or awards
provided by Sport Governing Bodies or the Federal and Provincial
Governments, are not included within the tuition and compulsory
fees maximum; please consult your Athletic Department.
Who provides athletic
scholarships?
· all athletics scholarships provided to
student-athletes must be administered through the providing
university.
· to receive an athletic-related award that is not
administered by your university, the award must not be conditional
on attendance at any particular university, that is, you must be
free to attend the university of your choice.
When can I receive an athletic
scholarship?
· you are eligible to receive an athletic scholarship
at the beginning of your first year at a university (September) if
you have a minimum entering average of 80% or equivalent.
· alternatively, where applicable (and excluding
Ontario as per Ontario University Athletics policy), you are
eligible to receive an athletic scholarship at the end of your
first year at a university (spring or summer) if you satisfy CIS
academic requirements with at least a 65% average or
equivalent.
· thereafter, you are eligible to receive an athletic
scholarship at the beginning of any year if you satisfy CIS
academic requirements with at least a 65% average or equivalent in
the preceding year (for Ontario universities, as per Ontario
University Athletics policy, a 70% average is required).
Please note that Regional Associations and institutions may have additional regulations that are of a more stringent nature; please consult your Athletic Department about these rules.
4. Doping Control Program
What is the CIS Doping Control Program?
· CIS, in cooperation with the Canadian Centre for
Ethics in Sport (CCES), coordinates a doping control program that
incorporates both “in-season” and
“out-of-season” testing.
· student-athletes are tested in accordance with the
rules of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP).
Who’s eligible for
testing and when can I be tested?
· every CIS student-athlete is eligible for testing,
both in and out of competition, throughout the year.
What’s permitted and
what’s prohibited?
· The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
Prohibited List is applied in Canada by the CADP.
· the Global Drug Reference Online (DRO), at www.globaldro.com, provides athletes
and their support personnel with information about which
prescription and non-prescription medications are prohibited or not
by WADA.
· you can also contact the CCES at 1-800-672-7775, or
by e-mail at substances@cces.ca
Are prescribed medications
permitted?
· many medications are prohibited, regardless of a
prescription from a physician.
· athletes must verify the status of any medication
before it is consumed or used.
· if you are required to take a medication that is
considered prohibited by WADA to treat an illness or condition,
please consult your Athletic Department.
Are herbal products and
nutritional supplements prohibited?
· The CCES believes that the use of supplements poses
an unacceptable risk for athletes and their careers. As such,
the CCES recommends that athletes do not use supplements.
Athletes are responsible for any prohibited substance found in
their sample; this is known as strict liability. Serious
sanctions may be imposed on athletes who test positive for a
prohibited substance regardless of its source (e.g., supplement
use).
· The CCES has taken this position because there is
little government regulation of the supplement industry. As a
result, supplements may be inadvertently contaminated with
prohibited substances, intentionally contain prohibited substances,
or be mislabeled.
· The CCES is advising athletes who choose to use
supplements to support the nutritional demands of training and
travelling to take maximum precautions to minimize the associated
risks, and to keep a record of the steps that were taken.
· Recommended precautions
include:
· Make a direct inquiry to the manufacturer. Get a
written guarantee that the product is free of any substances on the
current WADA Prohibited List.
· Ask if the manufacturer makes any products that
contain prohibited substances at the plant where the supplement is
produced.
· Ask if the manufacturer is prepared to stand behind
their product. If not, don’t use the product.
· Select a product that has NSF Certified for
Sport™ approval. To minimize the risk of inadvertent doping,
this program helps athletes identify products that have been tested
and certified. Go to: www.nsfsport.com
For More Information: contact CCES at 1-800-672-7775 or www.cces.ca or info@cces.ca
CIS Drug Education and Doping Control Policy (PDF 418Kb)
5.
Thinking About
Transferring?
As a current CIS student-athlete, how soon can I play after
transferring to another CIS school?
· one year must pass from your last participation in
that sport, subject to all other rules.
Are there any
exceptions?
· when either the sport you play or your academic
program of study has been discontinued at your school, subject to
all other rules.
· if you enroll in a graduate or first professional
degree program at a school different from the one you attended the
previous year, you may be able to participate immediately in CIS
competition (please consult your Athletic Department).
· for academic years 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11, and
specific to the sports of swimming, track & field, and
cross-country running, a student-athlete can transfer to a CIS
institution from any degree granting post-secondary institution
without restriction in an immediately subsequent academic year
under certain conditions (please consult your Athletic
Department).
What else should I
know?
· if you contact another school’s coach or
Athletic Department representative regarding a potential transfer,
the Athletic Director of your present school will be notified.
What if I’m contacted by
another coach?
· CIS coaches and Athletic Department
representatives are not permitted to contact athletes already
attending a CIS school.
As a CCAA student-athlete, how
soon can I play after transferring to a CIS school?
· you can participate immediately in CIS
competition, unless:
1) you have participated in any game(s) in that semester or
term; or
2) you have not achieved a minimum 60% average or equivalent
on those college courses utilized to determine your university
admission; or
3) you have completed your CCAA eligibility; or
4) you have not maintained your academic eligibility in the
CCAA.
As a NCAA or NAIA
student-athlete, how soon can I play after transferring to a CIS
school?
· subject to all other CIS rules including academic
requirements, and provided you have not been charged with a year of
eligibility in four separate academic years within the NCAA or
NAIA, one year must pass from your last participation.
Stay up to date on all the action and
stories in Canadian Interuniversity Sport at
www.cis-sic.ca or contact
Canadian Interuniversity Sport at feedback@universitysport.ca
