Battle Ground Public Schools will expand access to sports within its middle schools with the addition of new options.
The district will add girls volleyball and co-ed track in 2022-23, as well as longer seasons of basketball, soccer and cross country, according to a news release. All of the sports will be available to sixth to eighth graders, except for soccer, which is reserved for seventh and eighth grade, the release stated.
Girls basketball and co-ed cross country registration will begin on Aug. 10.
This is the second year since middle school sports rolled out in the district following a double-levy failure in 1982 that necessitated budget reductions, according to the release. The initial rollout included five-week seasons of boys and girls basketball and soccer, as well as co-ed cross country.
“I think the student-athletes gained a whole new identity and confidence getting to be involved in middle school sports,” stated Lori Wilson, the Pleasant Valley Middle School basketball and soccer coach. “I noticed an improvement in their attitudes, work ethic and overall happiness. It was pretty amazing to see what this opportunity has brought to our students and school.”
BGPS seeks both head and assistant coaches for the upcoming middle school sports seasons. Information about how to apply can be found online at battlegroundps.org/bgps-jobs/.
The season will start with girls basketball and co-ed cross country, which runs from Aug. 31 to Oct. 14, the release stated. Families can register at battlegroundps.org/middle-school-sports. Students will be required to complete a sports physical. Students in alternative programs like River HomeLink and CAM Academy can also participate in the sports if they live within the boundaries of their nearby middle school, stated the release.
