AEF Middle School Sports are Back with an Equity Focus
AEF is back at it with our Middle School Sports program, which we have been running since 2009 after it was cut by AUSD. AUSD and public middle school students are eligible to participate as part of their school teams. Girls Basketball games begin in January 2022 with the boys games following in March. Coed Volleyball and Track & Field will be spring sports.
AEF took advantage of the break in action to create Guiding Principles to steer the program. These include:
- Safe return to play
- Incorporation of COVID-safety protocols
- Recognition that social-emotional health can be supported through a positive sports environment
- Focus on equity
- Team selection should be made in consultation with site administrators with consideration of who would most benefit from team participation
- Team/individual recognition will support sportsmanship and skill development
- Rule modifications will support developing players
- Preparation for high school
- Academic and behavioral tie-ins
What does this look like?
In terms of team selection, we ask teams to consider how the program will impact a student holistically, not just how the students will impact team performance.
Perhaps the student is new to the school and needs to fit in. Perhaps the student needs a little motivation to focus on academics. Perhaps the student is in need of a boost in self-confidence, or has learning differences and needs a place where they can excel.
We are also striving to make the program appropriate for students who are new to the sports by adjusting some of the rules. For instance, we will no longer allow “pressing” (an attacking defense in the back court to try to force a turnover) in our DII games because it is not supportive of skill development for our inexperienced or younger players. We are also mandating that all players have playing time in all games.
These are just some examples on how using an equity lens can modify how we run programs. The changes may not be great, but for a particular student, they may make all the difference.
