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Push is on for school-sanctioned soccer at LMS
(by Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor - February 24, 2010)
The push is on for school-sanctioned soccer at London Middle School.
For a five-year period, the London area had three soccer programs that covered every age level. The popular Kiwanis youth league serves children in kindergarten through sixth grade. A middle school club program served seventh- and eighth-graders with one co-ed team. The high school fields separate varsity girls and boys teams.
This school year, a gap was created when volunteers could not be found to coach and run the middle school club team. London Middle School Athletic Director Julia McFarland, high school girls coach Richard Tompkins and high school boys coach Andy Byrum want to eliminate that gap for good.
All three attended the Feb. 23 London Board of Education meeting to propose creation of a school-sanctioned, co-ed, seventh- and eighth-grade combined team.
Official school sports receive financial support from the school district, including a paid coaching staff, and follow district and Ohio High School Athletic Association rules for eligibility. Club sports are on their own, financially and organizationally.
As for interest, McFarland pointed to the thriving Kiwanis league and participation in the former club team. She also surveyed sixth- and seventh-graders in December, after the high school coaches approached her about the school-sanctioned idea.
Of the 255 students who answered the survey, 32 expressed an interest in playing middle school soccer. McFarland said a team is possible if even half of those students actually come out to play.
“Soccer is the only team sport our high school offers that we don’t have a feeder team for,” McFarland said, noting the exceptions of golf and tennis.
Last year, the middle school added to its official sports offerings a combined seventh- and eighth-grade softball team and separate seventh- and eighth-grade baseball teams. McFarland hopes to see soccer on the list this fall.
“All of the other county schools have middle school soccer, which helps their high school teams,” she said, adding that she consulted with other area athletic directors to put together her proposal for the board.
Superintendent Steve Allen said the proposal likely will appear on the board’s March meeting agenda for a vote. If the board’s vote is “yes,” McFarland said she has enough time to have a program in place for competitive play next school year.
Other news
• Brenda Zachrich, a London High School student, won the mock interview contest at Tolles Career and Technical Center, where she is studying art design and communications.
• The board will meet with London Academy board members on March 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the academy.
• The board’s next regular meeting is set for 7 p.m. March 15 at Tolles in Plain City. Prior to the meeting, the board will meet at 5:30 p.m. to eat dinner prepared by Tolles culinary students and tour the building.
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