Jamestown Public Schools is committed to helping our middle school students find, and try, a sport that they may be interested in pursing in high school or in some cases as a lifelong physical activity. At the middle school level, students can choose from 30 modified sports teams:  baseball, six boys basketball teams, six girls basketball teams, boys cross country, girls cross country, boys soccer, girls soccer softball, three boys track teams, three girls track teams, three volleyball teams and three wrestling teams.

“It’s really important to have sports teams in middle school,” said Persell Middle School eighth grader, Nate Hill, who plays basketball and football, wrestles and runs track. “It give kids the opportunity to see what sports they like, try a lot of different sports so they know what they might want to play in high school. It also keeps kids out of trouble and healthy. Playing sports has taught me teamwork and discipline and how to develop a leadership role. Even if I don’t play in college, sports will still help me with time management skills and working with other people as a team in life.”

There is much research about the positive effects sports have on middle school students. According to LIVESTRONG, students participating in one or more interscholastic sports had an average grade point average of 3.151, while non-athletes had an average of 2.4, according to a study of interscholastic sports participation published in the NASSP Bulletin, the journal of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Athletes have higher grades than non-athletes even when socioeconomic status, gender, age and family composition are taken into account.

“I believe there are two main goals to our modified sports program: one is to provide students at this level with the opportunity to get involved in extracurricular activities,” said JPS Athletic Director Ben Drake. “This is a very challenging age for many youngsters. Participating in sports after school can boost their confidence, give them opportunity for rigorous physical fitness and help them grow socially. Kids who play sports can forge friendships that last a lifetime. Secondly, modified athletics prepares kids for the next level of competition. We have some fantastic modified coaches who do a great job of teaching the fundamentals of their respective sports. This is really important for the progression of skills from one level to the next.”

The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adolescents engage in moderate physical activity, such as 30 minutes of jogging, or shorter, more intense bursts of activity to promote healthy joints, bones and muscles and to control weight. Sports help adolescents to develop lifelong habits of physical activity that will benefit them throughout their lives.

“It’s very important for middle school students to be involved in many different activities, whether it be athletics, music, or clubs,” said Lincoln Elementary School physical education teacher, Aaron Zwald, who also coaches Persell Middle School volleyball and wrestling and Washington Middle School track teams. “This is an age where kids get to figure out what they are good at and what they are interested in doing. Allowing students to make choices and encouraging them with their choices helps build good character. Sports help students/athletes in many areas of life. Sports teach discipline, hard work, teamwork, perseverance, and determination among countless other things. I work closely with teachers when students fall behind in their academics. As a coach, I make sure that students are getting the extra help they need to be successful in the classroom. As a coach I try to not only teach kids the skills necessary for success in sports but to be successful in school and in their lives.”