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Coaches ask Bandon board to keep sixth graders in cross-country program
Summary
Middle school cross-country coaches told the board that sixth-grade participation is integral to building the district’s program and cited district meet counts (about 30 sixth-grade boys among 73 boys, and about 25 sixth-grade girls among 60) as evidence that excluding sixth graders would harm long-term participation.
Trish Hutton, who identified herself as a middle-school cross-country coach, asked the board to exempt cross country from a proposed participation restriction that would exclude sixth graders.
Hutton said cross country has historically been the first middle-school sport available to sixth graders in the district and argued that early participation builds skills and later high-school involvement. “Cross country has traditionally offered an opportunity to engage these athletes in an earlier age,” she told the board.
A coach speaking during the same presentation provided participation counts from the district meet: 73 boys competed across sixth, seventh and eighth grades, about 30 of whom were sixth graders; the girls’ field included about 60 total, with roughly 25 sixth graders. Speakers said limiting sixth-grade participation would make Bandon the only nearby district excluding that grade and risk losing students who might not return to the sport later.
Coaches asked the board to treat cross country as a three-year program (sixth through eighth grades) rather than a two-year program; they said doing so supports physical activity access in a small rural district where club options are limited.
Board members said they would take the request under consideration; no formal policy change or motion to alter participation rules was recorded at the meeting.
