All Alverno friends, alumnae, parents, and A-Club members are considered representatives of Alverno’s athletic interests (i.e., “boosters”). The coaches and other athletics staff bear the responsibility of operating the athletic program and recruiting prospective student-athletes. The NCAA holds Alverno responsible for the actions of its boosters, whose activity is restricted in many ways. This document highlights many of these areas; please contact the Director of Athletics, Compliance Coordinator, or head coach with any questions before getting involved.
Definitions
- A Prospective Student-Athlete is anyone who has begun ninth grade OR who has received any sort of benefit from Alverno or a booster.
- A Current Student-Athlete is a student who is participating in the athletics program.
- An Extra Benefit is any good, service, or special arrangement from an Alverno employee or booster to a student-athlete or that athlete’s friends/relatives that is not authorized by the NCAA. Current and prospective student athletes may NOT receive any extra benefits, and should consult with compliance staff before accepting anything of material value. Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution’s students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.
- A Booster is an individual or organization who has done any of the following:
- Participated in or been a member of any organization promoting Alverno athletics
- Contributed financially to the athletics department or to the Alverno’s A-Club (booster organization)
- Assisted in the recruitment of prospects
- Provided any permissible benefits to current Alverno student-athletes
- Promoted Alverno athletics in any way
- Note: Anyone identified as a booster retains that designation for life.
NCAA Division III Do’s and Don'ts
- DO communicate with a coach if you become aware of applicants to Alverno who might be interested in athletics at Alverno. The Alverno coach will follow up.
- DO contact Alverno coaches with information about local high school coaches. Coaches are interested in communicating with high school coaches and alumnae can assist with introductions.
- DO offer assistance to an Alverno coach who may be recruiting in your area, such as providing the coach with a car or meal, or suggesting people to contact for information on prospective student-athletes.
- DO make yourself available as a career mentor to students.
- DO invite an Alverno team to dinner where they will meet alumnae or friends in a city where they are competing or training. Student-Athletes may participate in such events and receive, as a team, benefits which individual student-athletes may not. Always make such arrangements through the coaches.
- DO provide an occasional family home meal for a team. The meal must be provided in an individual's home and must be restricted to infrequent and special occasions. Please contact the coach before inviting any group of student-athletes to your home.
- DO provide summer employment for prospective and currently enrolled student-athletes during permissible time periods and at regular rates of pay for similarly situated non-athlete employees.
- DO attend high school and junior club athletic events. NCAA rules do not prohibit you from attending, but the rules do restrict contact with a prospect or a prospect's family if they have not completed their sophomore year. If a prospect or family member initiates communication with you, you should respond in a civil manner, explain the NCAA rules, and refer questions to the coaches.
- DO engage in all of your normal activities. Incidental contact with prospects (or members of their families) is not prohibited. If you find yourself at a neighborhood barbecue with a prospect's father, for example, don't worry. Explain that, according to NCAA rules, you cannot discuss the Alverno athletic department or varsity programs if the student has not completed their sophomore year in high school and refer them to a coach.
Recruitment of prospects is reserved for authorized university staff members; however, you may do the following, but please keep in contact with the coach when doing so…
- Make in-person contact with a prospect on or off Alverno’s campus IF directed by or with permission from the coach.
- Telephone or write to a prospect for the purpose of soliciting their participation in the Alverno athletics program IF directed by a coach. If a prospect initiates a telephone conversation with you, it is ok to talk with her, but then please refer her to the coaches.
- Contact a prospective student-athlete's coach, principal, teacher, or counselor for the purpose of recruiting the prospect (i.e. meeting with the counselor, picking up a dvd of the prospect’s performance, etc.) IF directed by a coach.
Please do not…
- DO NOT contact enrolled student-athletes at other four year institutions for the purpose of exploring the possibility of their transferring to Alverno. If a student-athlete at another institution contacts you about the possibility of transferring to Alverno, refer her to the coaches.
- DO NOT provide, co-sign, or arrange a loan for a student-athlete or their family and friends.
- DO NOT pay or arrange for the payment of transportation costs incurred by a prospect, student-athlete, or the relatives and friends of a prospect or student-athlete to visit Alverno.
- DO NOT mail or provide anything to a prospect (such as newspaper clippings, posters, programs, clothing or other merchandise) without the approval of the Director of Athletics.
- DO NOT provide gifts, awards, or reduced-cost services to current student-athletes.
- DO NOT provide the prospect or current student-athlete with free or reduced cost goods or services, including tickets to events, payment of camp registration fees, or housing.
- DO NOT invite selected high school student-athletes to alumnae events. Alumnae and friends may entertain prospective students under certain conditions that do not involve singling out athletes for special treatment.
