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District 5 approves MOU with Irmo-Chapin Rec Commission to pilot "Bridge Development League"
Summary
Board approved a memorandum of understanding with the Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission to pilot a Bridge Development League that assigns youth to teams by school zone and seeks to strengthen feeder relationships with middle and high school athletics.
The Lexington School District 5 Board voted Oct. 6 to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission (ICRC) to pilot a Bridge Development League focused on building intentional feeder-team relationships between youth rec leagues and District 5 middle and high school athletic programs.
What trustees approved The MOU (Exhibit G) formalizes collaboration between ICRC and district athletic leadership. Jason White, operations superintendent for ICRC, told trustees the pilot will begin with winter basketball targeting fifth through eighth graders in the Irmo and Chapin areas. If registration numbers mirror last year, the pilot is expected to involve roughly 425 children.
Key elements of the MOU and pilot plan - Team assignment: ICRC said children will be assigned to teams based on the Lexington-Richland School District 5 school zone or, in practice, by the school they will attend. Trustees and staff clarified the policy will allow children who attend choice schools or other districts to register; if non-district children sign up in sufficient numbers they could be placed on separate teams. - Coaching and development: The MOU calls for input from middle- and high-school coaches to help train and align volunteer rec coaches, and for ambassadors (school athletic leads and middle-level directors) to promote the leagues. - Facilities: League games and practices will be held at ICRC and District 5 facilities as available; both partners will coordinate schedules so schools and community sites can be used effectively. - Trial and expansion: Winter basketball will serve as the pilot season; the partners plan to evaluate outcomes and consider extending the model to other sports.
Why it matters Trustees and ICRC leaders said the Bridge League aims to increase participation, offer consistent development pathways, and keep school-based identity (feeder-team linkage) visible for younger students moving into middle school varsity pathways. White said the partnership also addresses national trends ICRC has seen: shortages of volunteer coaches and referees and competition from travel sports.
Vote and next steps Trustees approved the MOU by voice vote recorded as 7–0. ICRC and district staff will run the winter basketball pilot, collect participation and coaching data, and report results to the board.
Ending: Staff said the pilot will emphasize inclusive participation, coach training and coordination with middle/high school programs and that they will return to the board with a summary after the pilot season.
