Brentsville District School Board Representative Gil Trenum hoped to “build some bridges” and offer eighth-graders the opportunity to play sports not offered at their base schools.
However, rather than approve the somewhat controversial proposal of allowing middle school students to play VHSL freshman/Junior Varsity sports, the School Board voted 5-3 to direct Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven L. Waltz to draft or modify a policy and regulations for consideration.
At the requests of parents and coaches in the Brentsville District, Trenum initially requested that the School Division conduct an informal investigation of such an initiative.
At the Nov. 20 School Board meeting, representatives heard a report from Supervisor for Health and Physical Education Fred Milbert.
After informal discussions with school division staff, he outlined four benefits and 15 challenges to implementing such a policy.
However, after the presentation, Coles District Representative Dr. Michael Otaigbe identified Milbert’s body language as an indicator that he might not be supportive of the idea.
“Judging from your stance and your body language, you don’t seem to think this a good idea. I’m looking here at 15 negatives (and)four positives,” Otaigbe said. “We want you to be on board for this…you know more about this than all of us here.”
The general discussion of the measure proved to be quite polarized.
“Find a way to encourage to stay within the schools, and get them excited about the school that they are districted for,” Trenum said. “This is an opportunity that would only be in place if all agreed on it.”
Trenum went on to cite other advantages for implementing such a policy including the providing of opportunities to middle school children to play in sports not offered in their own schools, to teams who may not have enough players to offer sub varsity teams, and money to programs that are under-funded.
Stressing his concern over the continued existence of middle school sports in general after the upcoming budget negotiations, Chairman At-Large Milt Johns offered his support to the proposal.
Citing the idea is a drastic change for the school division, several board members were concerned that there was not enough information to make a decision.
“ too many questions at this point to make a decision on this proposal, said newly-elected Occoquan District Representative Lillie Jessie.
Outgoing Woodbridge District Representative Denita S. Ramirez was even more adamant about opposing the proposal, because she was uncomfortable about not implementing the policy uniformly throughout the county.
“I’m not comfortable doing this in some parts of the county and not others,” Ramirez said. “I don’t think we want to do it at one school at the discretion of the principal.”
Trenum responded that he does not want to mandate the enforcement of such a policy; rather, he seeks to provide the option for county principals, athletic directors and coaches to discuss allowing eighth graders to participate if it is appropriate for their individual schools.
“We have a situation where we as a central office school division prohibit our principals and our athletes from having this option; No one forcing them to participate,” Trenum said.
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