Timothy Road Elementary School plays Howard B. Stroud Elementary School in the elementary school boys soccer qualifiers at Holland Youth Sports Complex on Apr. 15. Clarke Central High School multicultural literature teacher Jennifer Tesler’s son Ben Tesler played for Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School in their quarterfinal match against Gaines Elementary School. “It was a beautiful experience for the community. It was alive, and there were so many onlookers in the crowd,” Jennifer said. Photo by Daniel Cruz
CCSD elementary school sports leagues were created to develop interest in sports for a new generation of young-student athletes.
The Clarke County School District Youth Development Initiative introduced a program aiming to expand access to youth athletics in the 2022-23 school year, which has created an opportunity for those in fourth and fifth grade to get involved in elementary school sports.
The YDI is funded by the University of Georgia Athletic Association, the Athens-Clarke County Government and the CCSD. With this money, the YDI created elementary school sports leagues for football, soccer, cheerleading, basketball and volleyball.
According to CCSD YDI Coordinator Chris Hulse, the creation of elementary sports leagues stemmed from kids’ inability to participate in sports without a price tag attached.
“The initial conversation actually started between the two athletic directors at Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central about girls’ volleyball,” Hulse said. “In our community, unless your family is capable of paying thousands of dollars, you can’t play volleyball until you get to seventh grade. That began a discussion of trying to fight back against kids being priced out of opportunities to play sports.”
CSHS Athletic Director L’Dreco Thomas and CCHS Athletic Director Dr. Jon Ward are in charge of the organization, funding and reaching out to different people in the community to let them know about the YDI and their vision.
“We see this as being more than a feeder program to CCHS and CSHS. In my mind, it’s an investment in our community,” Ward said. “Athletic events are one of the few places where we see (our) community come together. There are few types of events where you (see) people that (don’t normally) show up to that (specific event), but athletics cross that (line).”
“In our community, unless your family is capable of paying thousands of dollars, you can’t play volleyball until you get to seventh grade. That began a discussion of trying to fight back against kids being priced out of opportunities to play sports.”
— Chris Hulse,
Clarke County School District Youth Development Initiative Coordinator
The leagues hold games weekly at CCSD schools and public parks for boys and girls basketball and soccer, leading to a tournament-style playoff. The most recent soccer season ended in a final championship game on April 18.
“These feeder programs are increasing the amount of opportunities for athletes to get involved, stay involved in extracurriculars after school in a structured environment, as well as providing opportunities for the kids to have a safe area to be with coaches,” Aiken said.
A unique function of the YDI is the academic enrichment components that accompany the athletics. Elementary school students talk with tutors to understand more about the game and different aspects of it.
“UGA (tutors) run some program materials associated with (academics). We have conversations, it’s not just athletics,” Jonathon Wallace, a youth soccer coach for Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary said. “There is a sit-down component that we’re running with the kids (where) we talk through different aspects of the game (like) different values and principles, trusting your teammates, (having) good communication (and) what good communication looks like with one another.”
Hulse hopes the program can create an encouraging environment that any youth athlete can join to get out of the house.
“We’re giving them a chance to be a part of something at their school, to be proud of themselves, to be supported and to see their community come out and show out how proud of them they are,” Hulse said.
