Brown County Schools has added four new track and field coaching positions to keep up with the interest students are showing in running.
Two head coaches and one assistant coach will be added to serve the intermediate and junior high schools.
An assistant coach was also added at the high school, to fill a need now and look ahead to when those students move up, said high school Athletics Director Mark Bruner.
This spring, the district is expecting to have at least 125 students participate in track and field at the intermediate and junior high schools, Superintendent Laura Hammack told the school board Feb. 2.
For comparison, Bruner said there are about 50 to 60 track and field athletes at the high school, but that number could change since the season is just starting.
Last year, three coaches were responsible for about 150 junior high and intermediate athletes when they began practicing together, Bruner said.
“Basically, what has happened is we have now replicated a junior high program at our intermediate school. We’ve gotten to a place where the safety issues are so significant that we really need to have individuals in place there at the intermediate school for supervision,” Hammack said.
“We don’t want to eliminate anyone from participating, so the best option was, ‘Hey, can we just get more coaches?’” Bruner said.
“It kind of became comical at times. … They kept controlled chaos out there, just making sure everybody was where they were supposed to be and doing what they were supposed to be doing,” Bruner said. “Now hopefully we’ll get a little more quality instruction.”
Bruner said the increase in interest among middle-school participants may have to do with a running program Kirk Wrighstman started at the elementary schools. Wrightsman is the high school’s assistant coach for the cross country and track programs.
“He’s getting some good numbers there, which hasn’t reached the high school yet, but it’s coming as well. You can see the interest starting to build,” Bruner said.
Last fall was the second year for the program. The first year, 86 students in the second to fourth grades signed up to run.
That total jumped to 115 this fall.
“I think we can attribute that to kids getting excited about the program and going back and telling their friends about it,” Wrightsman said.
Wrightsman said they expect the program to grow next fall, too.
Students who started running in elementary school can continue at the intermediate school when they enter fifth grade, then move onto the junior high program in seventh grade.
Bruner and Wrightsman said one goal of expanding the program is to start kids earlier in sports like track and field. That helps build stronger athletes once they enter high school.
Wrightsman said it may take some time before the effect is seen in all grade levels, but the fact that students are brought together from the outlying elementary schools earlier than they used to be in their school careers is helping.
“Just having the fifth and sixth grade together in town now is so beneficial. What didn’t happen until seventh grade before is now happening two years earlier. We are so fortunate to have the intermediate school here,” he said.
Comparing the athletic fields to the classroom, Wrightsman said the additional coaching positions are necessary to keep up the quality of instruction.
Ultimately, though, the decision to add staff was made out of safety and supervision concerns as participation increased.
“With more coaches on hand, smaller groups can be made and coaches are able to provide a more productive and safer environment for the student athletes,” Wrightsman said.
Soccer clubs
The school board also approved a proposal to create two intramural soccer clubs for high school and junior high students.
“If they’re giving us interests, then we need to be giving them opportunities. It’s just a matter of listening to what our students and our athletes are wanting and try to get them what they’re asking for,” Bruner said.
He was also approached by the high school’s varsity girls coach, David Phelps, about creating the clubs to educate younger students on soccer before they enter high school, “but in an environment that’s not a real competitive environment,” Bruner said.
Bruner said high school players will be involved in advisory roles.
Assistant girls soccer coach Sophie Riebl and volunteer coach Sydney Delong will lead the clubs.
The days and times the after-school clubs plan to meet have not yet been finalized, Bruner said.
