Efforts to introduce seventh-grade sports programs are gaining momentum in some of Northwest Arkansas' largest school districts.
Educators said expanding sports programs to include seventh-graders will get students more interested in going to school and may lead to better academic results.
The Bentonville School Board is expected to decide Monday on implementing seventh-grade athletics starting in the next school year. The Rogers and Fayetteville districts also are considering doing the same.
The Springdale district began offering seventh-grade football, volleyball and basketball for boys and girls two years ago.
"It's outstanding. I think it's one of the best things we've done," said Wayne Stehlik, Springdale's athletic director.
Playing a sport gives students a connection to their school they wouldn't otherwise have, thereby engaging them in a unique way, Stehlik said.
"I think our grades are going up," he said of the student athletes. "I think we have fewer kids missing school. It increases the purpose for coming to school," he said.
A dozen seventh-grade boys at Springdale's Sonora Middle School, all dressed in gray shirts and red shorts with "Sonora Athletics" printed on them, ran through dribbling, shooting and passing drills in the school gym Friday under the guidance of basketball coach Elliott Bailey.
Bailey said he wants to teach the kids lessons they can apply beyond the basketball court. He wants them to learn teamwork, respect and how to handle adversity.
And, in case their dreams of a professional basketball career don't pan out, "find something else that you love and be passionate about it, and give 100 percent, no matter what it is in life," Bailey said.
Bailey, who also coaches an eighth-grade team at Lakeside Middle School, described strong camaraderie among the boys on the team.
Siloam Springs has offered football, basketball and track to seventh-graders for many years. The district also began offering volleyball within the past few years, Superintendent Ken Ramey said.
Scott Passmore, Bentonville's athletic director, said the region's biggest school districts have been talking about seventh-grade sports.
He hopes to replicate for seventh grade what Bentonville offers in the eighth grade: football, basketball, volleyball, cross country, track, cheerleading and dance. The seventh-grade athletic period would replace a student's physical education credit.
All coaches would be certified through the Arkansas Activities Association. The move would not require hiring additional personnel, but would require the district to pay an additional $21,750 in stipends to the coaches, Passmore said.
The Bentonville Athletic Booster Club has agreed to pay for the startup cost of equipment and uniforms, which shouldn't exceed $50,000, he said.
There will be additional costs having to do with ongoing program operations, transportation and event staffing, but Passmore said his department would not seek a budget increase.
"Gate receipts will generate enough funds to help cover this," he said.
Passmore said offering seventh-grade athletics is the right thing to do because many of the children can't afford the same kinds of activities others get to do outside school.
Debbie Jones, Bentonville's superintendent, said there's a strong connection between participation in sports and improved academic performance.
"It's engagement in school. They see something to stay eligible for, so they work harder on their grades," Jones said.
Steve Janski, Fayetteville's athletic director, said administrators are vetting all the options for implementing seventh-grade athletics. Their plan is to present a proposal to the School Board next month.
The Rogers School District added sports to the school day for eighth grade last school year. Adding seventh-grade sports is something district administrators are discussing, said Keith Kilgore, athletic director.
"Hopefully we can come up with a plan in the form of a proposal we can take to our board," Kilgore said.
That could happen as early as next month, he said.
Metro on 12/17/2017