Jersey Shore superintendent and athletics staff propose ninth-grade basketball, girls wrestling and a fall volleyball intramural; board to consider at next meet

Superintendent Dr. Mary Ulmer recognized an athletics presenter, identified in the meeting as Mr. Minster, who outlined three proposals the district will present for board action at the next meeting: reinstating a dedicated ninth‑grade boys basketball team, adding a middle‑school girls wrestling program, and piloting a fall volleyball intramural/club.

Minster told the board the ninth‑grade basketball plan is intended to “significantly benefit the development of our overall varsity program” by giving freshman players a dedicated team and more playing time. He said the district’s Booster Club has agreed to cover expenses beyond the existing budget, including a portion of transportation: “they would get a third of the cost of the total transportation for the ninth grade team traveling,” Minster said. He listed estimated game‑day costs included in planning — officials at about $100 per game and game‑management staff at about $24 — and said any security costs applicable to separate ninth‑grade events would be covered by boosters. Minster said tryouts would be open to grades 9–12; once a player appears in a varsity game, that player must remain with the varsity roster and cannot move back to ninth‑grade competition during the season.

On girls wrestling, Minster proposed a dedicated seventh‑and‑eighth‑grade girls team that would travel with the varsity wrestling program. He said the Booster Club has offered to cover tournament fees and officials for home matches. Minster estimated an initial participation of roughly 8–10 girls and said there would likely be about four home matches. He told the board the program would be budgeted as a club this year and that he plans to request district funding in the next budget cycle if participation and costs justify it. Minster also raised practical needs: the middle school currently has limited mat capacity and no dedicated girls mat; he said the district could repurpose an existing secondary mat or purchase another, and that carts to move mats cost roughly $300.

Minster introduced a fall volleyball intramural aimed at testing interest before seeking district funding. He said he would start the program as an evening intramural so participants could still play other fall sports, and that if the program sustained regular attendance he would consider moving it from club to district funding in subsequent years. He referenced survey work: 297 girls were surveyed and 142 responded; Minster reported roughly 70% of respondents expressed interest in volleyball and 82% of those respondents said they do not play another fall sport. He said scheduling and gym space are manageable and that permanent gym floor lines and post holes could be considered later if the program becomes a sanctioned interscholastic sport.

Board members asked about long‑term costs if booster funding waned. Minster said the biggest recurring cost would be a paid coach; otherwise, travel and officials costs would be shared with existing teams or be limited because the ninth‑grade and junior‑high teams would play fewer games than varsity.

Ulmer closed the discussion by asking Minster to supply cost breakdowns and implementation details and said the proposals will appear on a future meeting agenda for formal action.