In an effort to what the Osceola County School District calls making, “Necessary adjustments to ensure the sustainability and quality of our overall athletic program,” district officials have announced that some elementary and middle school sports programs won’t return for the 202425 school year.
Middle school wrestling, softball, and golf, and the elementary allsports championships have been eliminated for the next school year.
Prior to the May 28 School Board meeting, on May 22, during the week of high school graduations, the School District put notice on Facebook about the changes to the elementary and middle school athletic programs.
“Be assured that this decision was not made lightly. We understand the significant role that sports and physical activities play in the development and well-being of our students,” the release stated.
“We encourage our students to participate in the remaining sports and extracurricular activities offered and will be working to enhance these programs to accommodate increased interest.”
A number of middle school programs do remain — basketball, soccer, flag football, volleyball, cross country, track and field and competitive cheerleading, and elementary school co-ed cross country, soccer and track and field.
School District Athletic Director Ryan Adams said that, while he doesn’t ever like to take away playing opportunities, discussions will continue about what elementary and middle school athletes have available on the way to playing sports in high school, such as club programs.
“The opportunities are there for kids, and growth takes place when they’re younger,” he said. “We discuss this with ADs all the time, and those discussions will continue. We need to make sure kids know about all of the opportunities available, such as club programs. But we just can’t offer 25 middle school sports.”
Adams said district administrators have directed him to assemble a committee to discuss the participation challenge with some sports county wide, like wrestling.
“Right now our kids get to wrestle four times a year,” he said. “Imagine if we could get a county-wide tournament, and invite other schools, wrestle more, and see how that affects our county.”
Still, the reaction from parents, and coaches, has been overwhelming against the decision, and a number of them made their voices heard at that School Board meeting during the public comment section. Among the complaints were that the decision was made without transparency or input from teachers or coaches, and how the negative impacts include depriving extracurricular opportunities, undermining the sense of camaraderie, community and inclusion at school, and limiting chances for physical activity, personal growth and skill development.
“It’s something kids look forward to and get to be excited about at school,” said Kissimmee’s Aaron Clevenger.
A pair of wrestling coaches, Joseph Armington from Kissimmee Middle School and fellow Coach Brennon Chambers said well-rounded and attended programs at some schools should not suffer because other schools do not have programs.
“I had a wrestling coach who changed the trajectory of my life,” Armington said. “I got into coaching to pay it forward.”
Said Chambers: “Taking three years of wrestling away from a kid can cut down on collegiate opportunities. Great coaches can change a life. Athletes are going to lose.”
Whether or not, for example, middle school wrestling programs serve as a feeder to high school teams, wrestlers from four different Osceola County high school programs have won state championships.
While not up for a vote at the School Board meeting, the topic did get some pushback from board members. Jon Arguello said he only received data on the subject, “A day or two before the announcement was made.”
“It’s not a decision I can support,” he said. “We need to allow parents an alternative.”
At the meeting, Board member Julius Melendez noted the move was less a financial decision than a participation decision.
“We need to see if these teams can form as a club and play in tournaments on their own,” he said. “There could be a wrestling club that could go to tournaments on their own.”
