When Middle School Principal Kelsey Schroder first arrived at GDS in 2023, she met with each Middle School grade level and asked them to share what programs or changes they would implement if they were the principal.
Adding an athletics program in 5th and 6th grades was an idea students found exciting. After a generative brainstorming, the Middle School Office, the PE team, and the Athletics departments collectively came up with a design for a pilot 6th-grade athletics program.This fall, our inaugural 6th grade boys soccer and 6th grade girls volleyball teams played their first games.
The teams played two games against students from another local school as an outgrowth of the current PE intramural units. Although it’s a short season, Kelsey said, “There's something that is so special to a young person to just wear the jersey that represents your school.”
“The idea came from the kids, which was wonderful, but a whole host of others made it possible,” said Kelsey, pointing to support from MS PE Teacher and Department Chair Donna Stallworth, all of the MS PE teachers, Associate Athletic Director Pam Stanfield, and former Athletic Director David Gillespie. “In my mind, the most beautiful part of this process is that it has been the ultimate team effort,” she said, mirroring what the experience has been like for the entire 6th grade.
Anybody in the 6th grade who wants to be on one of the two teams can participate, and because the games occur during the PE class period, it’s a whole-class event.
“The rest of the sixth grade was out there cheering, so it's got a built-in fan base,” said Kelsey. John agrees: “The sixth graders have really enjoyed the sense of community that participating has brought to the grade as a whole,” he explained.
Additionally, Donna Stallworth worked on expanding the reach of the pilot program by assigning 6th graders other roles, including referee, scorekeeper, or fan interviewer. “In PE, we're teaching kids not just how to play the sport, but also how to just be a part of the sport, whether you're playing or learning to be a good fan,” she said. Donna hopes this experience gives students a small taste of the experience of being on a GDS team before they take 7th- and 8th-grade Athletics.
“Ultimately, we're just trying to make them lifelong learners of sports and to help them to be open to learning new things,” she said.