This year there were nine basketball teams just for middle school because basketball is one of the most popular sports at UPrep. But for other students, they want a change. Sports such as football, lacrosse, golf and softball are among some sports that middle schoolers at UPrep want added.
“As you start to add things, you need to be worried about what that will take away from and right now, we have robust numbers. We need to fill out our JV rosters a little bit more,” Athletic Director Rebecca Moe said.
Without the high school JV rosters being filled up, the middle school won’t get any new sports. According to Moe, UPrep hasn’t gotten more sports since ultimate was added in 2011. One of the biggest reasons is that the school doesn’t have the facilities for all these sports.
“The only thing that we own, that we can control, is the Pumadome. Everything else I need to rent and get from Parks,” Moe said.
Eighth grader Reid Whitham said that he would transfer to Seattle Prep for lacrosse.
“Because it just gives me a better opportunity to play it at a good high school,” said Whitham.
UPrep used to be a part of the CYO league, which meant two practices a week and weekend games.
“It had to be a sixth grade team, a seventh grade team, an eighth grade team. You couldn’t be good as a sixth grader and play on an eighth grade team. It was like, you play with your classes. We played in the CYO. They practiced twice a week and they played weekend games that became increasingly challenging as kids started to play club soccer,” Moe said.
Because the CYO wouldn’t let UPrep have skill-based teams, such as Bush or SAAS, UPrep left CYO.
“We want the best 12. And if that, there could be some sixth graders in that, there could be some seventh graders in it. They could be eighth graders that are not the best,” Moe said.
There are two very different opinions for if UPrep should get new sports. Middle schoolers want UPrep to have more sports added, while the athletics staff and teachers know that UPrep will not get more sports for some time.
“Right now, we are not adding any sports. We have the menu of options that we need,” Moe said.