LAUSD Middle School Basketball Program: A Pathway to High School Athletics
The Los Angeles Unified School District has collaborated with its Beyond the Bell afterschool program to provide middle school students with various sports opportunities. This year, they introduced a basketball program that emulates the high school experience, complete with coaches and practices. The program culminated in championship games at the Intuit Dome, where Hale Middle School triumphed over Stephen M. White in the boys' final, and Portola defeated El Sereno Magnet Charter in the girls' final. The basketball leagues, which started in the fall, featured paid coaches and Saturday games, with thirty-two teams advancing to the playoffs.
LAUSD sports coordinator Trent Cornelius aims to expand the model to soccer in the spring, emphasizing skill development, structured training, and alignment with high school athletics. The program provides a free opportunity for students who cannot afford club basketball to compete for their local middle school, where transferring is less of an issue compared to high school. The main challenge lies in recruiting more coaches at the middle school level.
This initiative offers a positive outlook on high school sports, providing students with valuable opportunities to engage in athletic activities and develop their skills. For any news submissions, please contact [email protected]. Eric Sondheimer, the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, has received numerous accolades from the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for his outstanding work in the field of prep sports journalism.