[KathieK]

Being on a team is a huge time commitment as well as a financial one (for many students). It's important for teams to meet with all the parents/guardians early in the fall to let them know about this and encourage a dialog between parent and student... Parents may have concerns about schoolwork not getting done, chores missed, other obligations set aside. They may have concerns about transportation to and from meetings, who will be chaperoning the students while you are there, how will you be fed, how much it will cost to be on the team, etc. These are normal parental-type concerns! If they are informed early on, together the family can decide whether the student can participate actively on the team. Parents should be encouraged to stop by (if they are not already active mentors on the team) and see what you're doing!