Sports Return to Tacoma Middle Schools

This seems like good news for Tacoma’s kids: middle school sports programs will be expanding. The schools will be going to a varsity model similar to the way high school sports already operate. They will be adding sports, such as girls cross country and boys tackle football. And practice days for all middle school sports will be expanding from four days a week to five.

The changes will be funded in part from revenue generated from advertising sold on school sports cards, and in part from sales of student photos, school aparel, and soft drinks in the schools. Another small chunk of funding comes from rebates from the district’s procurement card purchasing program, and another $105,000 from the Tacoma Athletic Commission.

More options means more kids can get involved in sports, learning the basics and gaining athletic skills and confidence early on. And active kids tend to be healthier kids, so that’s good news too.

The return of sports to Tacoma’s middle schools is the payoff of a policy approved by the School Board back in 2009 that allowed schools to raise the funds for sports in new ways.

So, for the $15 price of an ASB fee and some extra advertising and soft drinks in our schools, we’ve got more sports options for middle school students. Good deal?

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