TIme Management Plan
Each athletic team(s) Head Coach must provide an athletic committee composed of the Athletic Director, Athletic Compliance Office, Faculty Athletics Representative and one Student-Athlete for that sport a copy of their time management plan before the first day of practice and during the off-season. This proposed time management plan must be approved by this Athletic Committee before any athletic activity occurs and these plans will be kept on file in the Athletic Department and President’s Office. A copy of this approved plan will be provided to every student-athlete for each sport as well as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
The purpose of this plan is to ensure our student-athletes have enough time to plan and concentrate on their academics at Mercer University. The time management plan is a collaborative effort involving student-athletes, coaches, and athletics administrators to provide more flexibility to student-athletes regarding their time management.
Suggestions may be added or adjustments made to each team’s time management plan after submission if they are deemed to affect the academic focus or efforts of our student-athletes.
There a few new policies per our athletic department to remember to include in your TMP:
- At the end of each championship season, each team will provide seven consecutive days off for each student athlete starting the following day after his or her last competition. Health & Medical activities (e.g., medical evaluations or treatment for prevention and/or rehabilitation of injuries) or activities that are academically related (e.g., meetings with academic advisor, tutoring sessions) are permitted during this period.
- 8 continuous hours off between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM. If a day of competition goes after 9:00 PM, eight hours of consecutive off time is still required.
- Travel Days (going) may not be considered as a day off.This applies to any calendar day on which travel associated with CARA occurs, regardless of the distance or duration of the travel. Travel Days (coming) can be used as a day off if no CARA occurs for 24 hours after returning to campus between 12 AM and 5 AM.
- For each student-athlete there will only be two segments of activities each day. For example, there may be a conditioning or weight session in the morning and a practice that afternoon in between the student-athletes going to class. It is also permissible to do conditioning and a weight training session back to back if this is a single report time and a practice may be held in the afternoon or evening which would count as two segments. There will not be a workout, go to class, come back for conditioning, go back to class, practice in the afternoon/evening type day for a student-athlete.
- Student-Athletes will be provided with one day off per week during preseason practice.
- Student-Athletes will be provided one day off per week during a vacation period when classes are not in session.
- Student-Athletes currently not in season will be provided with an academic acclimatization period of at least 5 consecutive days at the start of each semester. Required athletically related activities other than compliance meetings should not occur during this period.
- A weekly schedule detailing all required athletically related activities should be provided to all student-athletes. Student-Athletes should also be provided adequate notice (minimum of 24 hours) of changes to the schedule due to reasons within the control of institution.
- No CARA activities after competition has ended (home or away).
- All efforts should be made to not have Countable or Voluntary Athletic Activities assigned before 1:00 PM on a Sunday.
- No practice or voluntary activities during a National Holiday recognized by Mercer University for teams not in the championship segment of their season. This may count as a “day off” if this holiday is during a week of practice for teams in the championship segment of their season. Should not engage in activities, either countable or voluntary, during school holidays and school closings if they are in their 8 hour segment.
- In the event the University is closed due to inclement or hazardous weather or any unforeseen issues or declared states of emergency, all teams who are not in their championship segment shall cancel all Countable or Voluntary activities; including strength & conditioning sessions as well as treatment and rehabilitation.
- For those teams who are in their championship segment (in-season), Head Coaches must communicate with their Sport Administrator as well as the Director of Sports Medicine and Strength & Conditioning their desire to engage in CARA activities after evaluating conditions surrounding the University.
- The announcement to resume activities will be communicated to coaches through their sport administrator or sports medicine staff. Practice time can be decided after communication with the sports medicine staff.
