As used in this chapter:

(a) “Educational institution” means a school district, a community college district, a state university, the University of California, and the State Department of Education special schools.

(b) “Governing board” means the governing board of a school district or community college district, the Trustees of the California State University, and the Regents of the University of California.

(c) “Member of an athletic team” means member of any extramural athletic team engaged in athletic events on or outside the school grounds, maintained or sponsored by the educational institution or a student body organization thereof. “Member of an athletic team” also includes members of school bands or orchestras, cheerleaders and their assistants, pompon girls, team managers and their assistants, and any student or pupil selected by the school or student body organization to directly assist in the conduct of the athletic event, including activities incidental thereto, but only while such members are being transported by or under the sponsorship or arrangements of the educational institution or a student body organization thereof to or from a school or other place of instruction and the place at which the athletic event is being conducted.

Organized rooting sections, student body members who are spectators, and other spectator students, who are not actually participating in the conduct of the athletic event, are not members of an athletic team. Participants in a playday or field day activity occurring occasionally during a school year, in which students of one or more particular grade levels from two or more schools of a school district or community college district participate in athletic contests, are not members of an athletic team. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as prohibiting a governing board from extending the applicability of the provisions of this article to any of those persons, should the governing board elect so to do.

(d) “Student body organization” means any student organization under supervision of the educational institution or its officers.

(Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 143, Sec. 16.)