Student-athletes that light up the football field on Friday nights, or shine on the volleyball court, have to hone their skills at some beginning stop. Much like the minor league pipeline in baseball, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District now has a pathway for budding stars at the middle school level.
This fall, students at Lincoln Middle School and John Adams Middle School (JAMS) began to take part in flag football, girls’ volleyball and cross-country programs, kickstarted by the hiring of Jason Hurd as Athletic Coordinator for the district’s middle and elementary campuses. Hurd began his role in October 2022 with the vision to "create opportunities for youth to play in the sport they love," and said that having another extracurricular can foster a greater connection with their total academic experience.
"There is a need for sports, there is a want for students to have another safe and productive experience," Hurd said. "The district wants this program to be competitive, develop student-athletes, and display what SMMUSD can offer to students and their families while they further their education and their passions."
Directly supported through the district with the help of the Santa Monica Education Foundation, the program began with a small showcase of clinics throughout the 2022-23 academic year, eventually building to tryouts before the 2023 fall season via digital and word-of-mouth campaigns.
Fall tryouts had nearly 400 children attend, with Lincoln Middle School principal Jose Cuevas saying over 160 Lincoln students signed up for teams. Students were able to pick which tryout they wanted to attend, said Hurd, to "get an opportunity to be seen by the coaches we bring on board and the program at large."
"We want to continue to provide opportunities for our students to connect with school, get them an identity and a sense of belonging," Cuevas said of the endeavor. "This was developed to give them that identity, that sense of belonging. When students are connected to school, they’re more successful, it empowers them."
The sporting season began with practices to familiarize student-athletes with their new teammates and coaches. All three sports practice twice a week before end-of-week contests, tailored similarly to the high school experience. Games began in late September, as flag football and volleyball matchups took place on the field and in the gym at Lincoln and JAMS.
Shifting into contest mode has leveled up student-athlete enjoyment, as Hurd says the kids are "taking to it really well."
"It really became real for a lot of kids right before their first game, and they got a chance to see the jerseys … they were excited when they (got) a chance to start putting on the uniforms and they (saw) it says Santa Monica on it."
For the upcoming winter sports season, middle schools will be offering boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball and esports. In the spring, co-ed teams will take the field and court in volleyball, track and field, and soccer. After the first year, Hurd’s vision is to continue to grow the athletic endowment through the Education Foundation.
"The program will continue to focus on skill development," he said. "With growth, the program will be able to offer more teams, host more games, increase sports offered and discover more ways to utilize partners to engage more student-athletes."
