Current Athletes

Athletic Eligbility at Pierce College

Athletic eligibility is governed by the rules of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges and the academic standards of Pierce College. It is important that all prospective and current student-athletes be familiar with the rules governing their eligibility for participation.

Basic Eligibility Criteria

  • You must be a high school graduate, or the class of which you were a member must have graduated.
  • You must be registered for classes within 20 days from the beginning of the quarter.
  • You must be registered in 12 or more credit hours during the current quarter of attendance.
  • You must successfully complete 12 or more credit hours during the most recent quarter of college attendance.

Second Year Eligibility

  • To qualify for eligibility to participate in a second season of any sport, you must have earned a minimum of 36 credit hours from your first quarter of official participation, and you must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better from the first quarter of your first year of official participation.
  • You must meet all Basic Eligibility Criteria indicated above.

    • Transfer Student-Athletes

    • If you transfer from another NWAACC member college, you become eligible for athletic competition after a time lapse of three quarters, exclusive of summer school, after separation from the former college. You may petition the NWAACC to have your eligibility re-instated, based on personal, medical, or financial hardship.
    • If you transfer from non-NWAACC member community or junior college, or a four-year college or university, and you have not used two years of athletic eligibility, you are considered immediately eligible, as long as you meet the Basic and Second Year Eligibility Criteria indicated above.

    Other Eligibility Considerations

    • You may not participate in one sport more than two seasons.
    • Any time you participate in a regularly scheduled game, match or contest, during your sports' official season, you will be charged with one year of collegiate eligibility in that sport.
    • You may be declared ineligible if during the sport season you represent any club, organization or team other than your college team.
    • If convicted for the use or sale of legend drugs, including anabolic steroids, you will be disqualified from participation in a NWAACC sponsored athletic event or activity for a period of one year.

    For additional information regarding NWAACC eligibility rules, go to their website or contact the Pierce College Athletic Department with specific questions about collegiate athletic eligibility.

    Athletic Training Services

    Pierce College Athletics contracts with MVP Physical Therapy to provide comprehensive athletic training for all Raider sports programs. The Athletic Training (AT) staff members provide medical coverage, including injury prevention, immediate care of injuries, evaluation and assessment, injury rehabilitation and reconditioning, and education and counseling. All student-athletes, regardless of sport affiliation, race, or gender, have equal access to the athletic training room and the services provided therein.

    AT staff members provide coverage of regular training room hours at the Health Education Centers at the Fort Steilacoom and Puyallup colleges. In addition, AT staff members are present at all home athletic events and tournaments.

    Injury prevention is the top priority for Pierce's AT staff. However, injuries do occur in athletics and, when they do, Pierce's goal is to make sure student-athletes receive the best immediate and follow-up care. When the athlete returns to competition, Pierce aims to have them in better condition than before the injury with a reduced chance of re-injury.

    In the event of an injury, student-athletes must contact the Athletic Department Office as soon as possible to discuss the college's supplemental medical insurance coverage. This will help to insure the timely processing and payment of medical expenses related to the student-athlete's treatment.

    Financial Assistance

    In addition to federal or state financial aid, student-athletes may be eligible for one or more of the three types of financial assistance awards that can be provided by Raider coaches. The head coach of each sport is responsible for determining the athletic financial assistance awards for their respective student-athletes, in accordance with Northwest Athletic Association for Community Colleges (NWAACC) regulations and with oversight by the Pierce College Financial Aid Office.

    Scholarships and Waivers
    Referred to as "grants-in-aid" by the NWAACC, these awards may be provided to student-athletes at the discretion of the coaches, and may only be used toward the cost of tuition. The amount of these awards is governed by the NWAACC, with a limited number of awards allowed for each sport.

    Scholarships are funds that are raised through a variety of activities and events sponsored by Raider Athletics, in partnership with the Pierce College Foundation.

    Waivers represent a portion of a student's tuition that is waived by Pierce College.

    To receive athletic assistance and remain eligible for it, student-athletes must meet all academic requirements for their athletic eligibility:

    • If a student-athlete fails to complete a minimum of 12 credits hours and/or their cumulative GPA falls below 2.00, the student-athlete will be placed on probationary status for the next quarter.
    • As a result of being placed on probationary status, the student-athlete may lose their financial assistance for the current quarter of attendance, and may be required to reimburse any athletic scholarship received during the quarter they failed to successfully maintain their academic eligibility status.
    • Athletic financial assistance is awarded for one year, provided that at all times the student-athlete remains academically eligible and meets all eligibility requirements of Pierce College Athletics.

    Athletic Employment
    Student-athletes may be awarded employment opportunities through the Athletic Department as part of their financial assistance award. These opportunities are limited and are based on the availability of funding. The maximum grant is $1,500 per year. All student-athlete employment is to be performed on campus as assigned and supervised by college employees.

    All financial aid or scholarships received by a student-athlete from sources outside of Pierce College must be processed through the Pierce College Financial Aid Office, and must meet NWAACC regulations.

    View the financial aid website for additional information about financial aid opportunities at Pierce College.

    Responsibilities and Expectations of the Student-Athlete

    All student-athletes are subject to the rules and regulations of the NWAACC Code Book, the Pierce College Student Code of Conduct, and the policies and procedures of the Pierce College Athletic Department. Additionally, student-athletes are responsible for complying with the rules pertaining to individual participation on a specific team, as provided by the team's coaching staff. Student-athletes are subject to disciplinary action for any violation of the rules, regulations, policies and procedures stated above.

    Sportsmanship
    It is expected that all student-athletes conduct themselves in a manner that represents the highest level of sportsmanship. Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated and may be subject to individual disciplinary action. Violations may include, but will not be limited to:

    • Use of profanity, vulgarity, taunts, or obscene gestures towards an opponent, officials, coaches or spectators.
    • Verbal or physical abuse of any opponent, coach, official, or spectator.
    • Making negative public statements towards a team member, coach, or opponent.

    Drug and Alcohol Use
    It is the policy of Pierce College to prohibit the unlawful use, sale, dispensing, or possession of controlled substances, alcoholic beverages, or drugs that not medically authorized. The use or possession of alcoholic beverages by any participant (student, coach, staff or official) during a college sponsored practice, game or athletic event is strictly prohibited, and will result in the immediate removal of the individual from the activity, and may result in further disciplinary action. Any student-athlete involved in the use of drugs or alcohol may face dismissal from the team and from Pierce College, as well as legal action. All student-athletes are subject to the laws of the Cities of Lakewood and Puyallup, as well as state and federal law.

    Tobacco Use
    As stated in the NWAACC Code Book, the use or possession of any form of tobacco by any participant (student, coach, faculty, staff or official) during any NWAACC or member college practice, game or athletic activity is prohibited and will result in the participant being removed from that activity.

Duncan Stevenson
Director of District Athletics
(253) 964-6612

Rachel Kalac
District Athletics Program Coordinator
(253) 964-6613

Cheryl Batschi
Women's Athletic Commissioner
(253) 964-6730

NWAACC Scores

Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges

For regional community college sports scores, visit Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.