I am reacting to Klas Stolpe’s article and Debbie White’s letter to the editor on Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School’s new policy to eliminate student sports and activities travel. I’d like to share my perspective as a former DHMS coach and parent of DHMS student athlete alumni.
As a DHMS coach, teacher and parent from 1995-2005, my teams frequently traveled on sports trips throughout Southeast Alaska and the Yukon. Those travel experiences were some of the fondest of memories for the students and the highlights of the school year for me. Middle school sports travel built lifelong friendships among staff, students and parents. Some of those students went on to college, graduated and now coach various sports, including varsity level at both Juneau high schools.
The middle school sports travel experience has impacted students’ lives and, by some accounts, helped shape life paths. When I see my old players, we reminisce about the great stories of our ferry, flight and team travel experiences in Southeast Alaska, not the outcome of any particular game. Middle school travel is not just about competition. It provides a valuable, unstructured time with students, which builds coach-teacher-student relationships. Research and experience confirm the importance of relationships between educators and students, particularly at this impressionable age level.
DHMS’ mission goal No.2 is to “Develop and implement a program that creates a safe, inviting and healthy school for all students that encourages maximum attendance and performance.“
Sports travel leads to maximum attendance and performance. Middle school travel involves weekly grade checks, which create significant incentives for the students’ academics and class attendance. Travel with grade expectations makes a difference at this sometimes difficult age level with adolescent teens. Activities and a sense of belonging are critical to middle school student success.
Many adults and elders can attest to the fact that sports and school activities prevented them from making wrong choices at an impressionable age, and it is common to hear that the work ethic that was developed in their youth came from a commitment to a team or activity.
Returning to Juneau in my son’s eighth grade year, I inquired about being a parent volunteer to fundraise for his basketball travel prior to season. I was shocked to learn one Juneau middle school traveled for sports and my son’s did not. I received the same response as Debbie White. I do understand the concern for equity as it relates to economically disadvantaged students, but this has always been addressed with good parent support and fundraising. Southeast Alaska coaches and parents know how overcome travel cost barriers.
Travel for DHMS should be put back on the table for a transparent and open discussion. Parents, coaches and students who feel passionate about this issue support efforts to bring it back. Given the inequity of travel policies between Juneau’s two middle schools, perhaps this discussion belongs with the school board.
• Jones is a retired JSD teacher, grant coordinator, coach and the parent of a 10th grader. She currently works as an assistant professor at UAS Juneau.
Comments (15)
Add commentOK. What is the real reason for DZ to change its travel policy?
I previously thought the reason that sports travel was on the chopping block at one middle school was for budgetary reasons. Now I am reading that the reason may be that there are disadvantaged youth that cannot afford to travel so there will be no travel. What is the real reason sports travel is on the chopping block here...Is this the way our society wishes to deal with perceived inequality...to get rid of the activity altogether? If all cannot have it no one can have it? I do not believe that travel is denied to anyone because they cannot afford it because I have experienced this first hand and I know it is not true. What is really going on here?
Very good letter
Thanks you, Ms Jones, for your well-written and reasoned letter regarding this subject. All parents from all schools need to be involved in this discussion, and your experience as a coach, parent and teacher is most welcome.
The previous column
The question that was asked in the comments to Ms. White's column (and I believe Ms. White herself posed it) was: if booster clubs are underwriting all the expense, then why are these travel activities being cut? I'm not sure that question was ever answered. And that makes hellojuneau's question about "what is really going on here?" all the more pertinent.
Not Fully Subsidized
According to JSD administrators the wrestling club offered only $2k for the trip and that did not cover all costs.
Disagree with aynrand
Ayn,
There are only 6 competing wrestlers for DZ. Two thousand would easily cover the costs for their travel. You shouldn't rely on what the JSD is telling you.
A differing opinion....
"DHMS’ mission goal No.2 is to “Develop and implement a program that creates a safe, inviting and healthy school for all students that encourages maximum attendance and performance."" Does that word "all" have any particular meaning? What does the average, non-competitive, unathletic student get out of this; left out? Try intermural sports at the middle school level. Concentrated on basic academics!
We are getting somewhere here...
Let us have a real discussion on what the agenda really is. Let us stop the game playing. What I am observing is that this is about changing our culture and starting over. This is about leveling the playing field and making sure that no one is excluded for any reason; and that no one is exalted; and that no one is offended; and that competition should not be promoted in any way. It is starting with team sports. If my child cannot travel then your child cannot travel even if the funds are available. Academics are not the issue here, because it is clear that those that do not make the grades do not travel. Money is not really the issue here because the money is available, because Booster Clubs work hard to raise the money. So, my opinion is that this is really about something else much bigger.
time to rethink
all school athletic programs and ask: do all students have an option to participate in an activity of their liking. The answer is most certainly not as school have a limited number of sports/activities and only selected students are chosen to participate. There is no doubt the school sports programs cater to a limited number of athletes.
As a former little league coach and scout leader I also know that activities and sports conducted outside of the school have as much of an impact of the child as those in the school setting. There are so many programs outside of the schools available to our youth that it would be difficult to list all of them. The big difference is the non-school programs rely on funding by self generated means.
Perhpas it time to question the need to transition all these activities to a community based model and conduct them outside of the schools.
Warped Thinking
That's some warped thinking Islander. First off, the subject at hand is Middle School travel. You mention only selected students are chosen to participate. That's hogwash. Kids are not cut from their sport in Middle School and anyone that wishes to participate can. If they go out for the sport, they make the team. You also mention that non-school activities make as much of an impact as school activities. That's wrong again. You have to keep your grades up for school related activities and traveling. This is sometimes the only thing that will keep a student coming to school and eventually(hopefully) graduating.
One bus.
I played football all through junior high (well, it became middle school when the county school was annexed into the city school district). Anyone (in the case of football back then, any boy) that passed the physical could come to practice (yeah, grades had to be at least average). But when away games were scheduled out of town, some got left behind. A 33 passenger bus will take a coach, a manager, a 1st and 2nd string, their gear and MAYBE a few 3rd stringers, if there was room. Unless someone wanted to drive their 3rd stringer 300 miles to a jr. high game to ride the pine, some got to stay home. Dang. The program goes on. Not everyone makes the A-Team. But, the school got represented. And, the incentive was there, for this 3rd stringer, to make the bus.
The following is a list of
The following is a list of reasons why DZ has discontinued activities travel. 1st, our office staff has been reduced significantly. We simply do not have the time to coordinate the tickets, housing, transportation, food, etc. that is necessary for a well run school trip. 2nd, we do not have the school funds to help offset the cost of travel, so all funds would need to come from fundraising. 3rd, with the economy the way it is I don't want to continue to tax the community with extensive fundraising. 4th, students spending extensive time fundraising takes time away from their academics, which is my first priority.
This list came from an email sent by DZ assistant principle Mr. Dale Staley. DZ principle Ms. Molly Yerkes upheld Mr. Staleys decision.
doubtfull justification of school activities being better ...
Claiming school activates are superior to non-school activities is a bit of a stretch. Considering the number of students who earn scholarships and appointment to military academies and were not participates in school administered activities I'd say the proof of success is in the numbers. One example is the list of past presidents praising Boy Scouts where they earned their Eagle rank is quite impressive.
Successful youth programs and activities depend upon a number of factors. Least of which is the activity being part of the school. The factors I believe that make youths succeed are learned with the leadership provided by concerned adults who are willing to spend time and efforts to develop future adults into positive beings. Those interactions happen to kids in and out of school, on and off the playing field, and quite often with a sole mentor.
If it is solely monetary there are other options:
If middle school students have school choice then this should not be an issue. Parents/Students oriented toward team Sports should choose FD. Parents/Students not oriented toward team Sports should choose DZ. Right? Or, Where are all the volunteers to help DZ out in their activities office; or, can this function be consolidated with one or more schools? Have these options been discussed?
MS Vs HS Sports
Middle school sports should not be as competitive as high school sports.
Maybe kids don't get cut from a team but having a precoucious 6th grader make the A team instead of the still developoing 8th grader results in kids dropping out of the sport. The very proficient 6th grade gets dominated in 10th grade by the 8th grade spaz provoding the spaz does not quit as an 8th grader afer being displaced by the 6th grade kid. Girls and boys physically and mentally mature at way different rates. There can be huge differnces between 8th and 10th grade for boys. Girls are pretty much there by 8th grade. MS sports teams should be grade specific. 6,7, and 8th grade teams not a mix of the grades.
But some will object to that because their kid is not getting stiff enough competition. But that kid will be on a club team if he is that proficient and that is where the competition can be had. Even then he/she should stay in the age they belong in. A pre teen kid is better off being a star among peers his own age than an okay player vs older kids. But you will still have parents saying "my kid needs to move up".
Usually only the A team kids travel when there are A,B, and C teams. And fund raising had gotten so out of hand that the CBJ assembly anted up another $300k at the request of the Juneau business community to cut down on the constant solicitations.
One phone call to Cyndi's
One phone call to Cyndi's Cruise and Travel (who arranges the travel for the high school teams and gives a discount on her service fee for the school district) and all those pesky, time-consuming, travel and housing problems are taken care of. For things that can't be done through a travel agent - I believe there are quite a few parents more than eager to participate in a voluntary role. I think that's all a big line of BS....
(re: We simply do not have the time to coordinate the tickets, housing, transportation, food, etc. that is necessary for a well run school trip.)