Dual-sport request gets chilly reception from Medford board

A request for a student athlete to compete in two sports in the same season met stiff resistance from some members of the Medford School board on Monday night, along with others calling for review of policies about eliminating a sport from the district’s offerings.

Medford residents Ryan and Jackie Lemke put in the request for their daughter, Bella who will be a ninth grader at Medford Area Senior High School next fall. Their daughter is looking to play girls hockey and curling next season.

Jackie Lemke is one of the curling coaches for the district, and has played at national and international levels in the sport. Ryan Lemke has also competed at the national level in the sport.

Both girls hockey and curling have faced challenges in the past with participation numbers. This past year, the girls curling team curled three-handed through the regular season, but had to pick up a fourth player in order to be eligible for the team to participate in the state tournament.

Jackie Lemke said having Bella as part of the team would allow her to fill out that roster and avoid having to worry about having enough players.

“If we don’t have enough kids should we have a team?” asked board member Brian Hallgren, noting that is a separate discussion from the dual-sport request.

Prior to the meeting, the Lemkes spoke with athletic director Ryan Pilgrim. A plan was proposed, based on what other school districts in the region have done, to have the student declare one sport as the primary over another. The parents, coaches and student athlete would then enter into a contract spelling out expectations regarding practices and competitions. The contract would include reviews to ensure the student would be maintaining academics and meeting the district’s athletic codes.

“I find it hard to support,” said board president Dave Fleegel, saying he did not believe there would be a feeling of fairness with the other players on a team if one player was allowed to miss practices because of being at another sport. He noted that coaches do not make concessions for athletes to work or even to be done with practices by 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays for students to attend religious education programs. “It all looks good on paper,” Fleegel said, adding he did not feel it would go as smoothly in operation.

Board member Don Everhard also raised concerns with the request. “I could see it causing some angst,” he said, suggesting a “superstar” would show up and get prized playing positions.

While Pilgrim was not at the meeting, he had included information about what sports he felt would be more compatible than others. Among the compatible sports were curling and hockey and soccer and football. These sports have fewer opportunities for schedule conflicts. A less compatible pairing would be hockey and basketball which have more conflicts.

Board member Jodi Nuernberger asked if the district had spoken to other schools that allow dual-sport athletes. MASH assistant principal Andy Guden, who previously served as athletic director, said he was not aware that any other schools were contacted.

“What would hurt trying it for a year?” asked board member Kurt Werner.

Board member John Zuleger spoke out against the request citing his experience with his own two children in athletics and was concerned about the impact being in two sports at one time would have on grades. “I don’t feel you need to be in multiple things at once,” Zuleger said.

Nuernberger said that what she liked about the contract agreement was that it handled it on an individual basis involving parents and coaches.

“I would never want my own kid to be in two sports,” said board member Steve Deml. However, he said he could see situations where being in two sports at once could work, if it was worked out between the athlete, school administration, parents and coaches.

Fleegel said he would favor it being in situations such as needing to field a full team in order to compete.

“If it was football and soccer we would never consider it,” Hallgren said, questioning why the district would have a policy about ending sports programs that don’t have participation.

Jackie Lemke noted that participation numbers have been a problem both in girls hockey and in curling. “It is a problem in both sports,” she said.

At the end of a lengthy discussion, board members decided to hold off on making a decision until next month and give Pilgrim time to speak with other districts that have allowed it and bring back more information.

Beer sales on school grounds Board members made quick work in rejecting a request from the Back in Time Tractor Show to allow beer sales on the school property during the annual event.

“That is a no,” Hallgren said, in response to the request. The event is held August 8 to 10 at the school barn, parking lot and the Kuse Preserve which adjoins the school property to the north.

The event has grown every year and organizers requested being able to sell beer at it. State law gives schools the ability to OK alcohol use during community use of school facilities. Hallgren noted alternatives exist to have beer sales on the Simek Center Property which is just to the north of the barn or to allow it at the Kuse Preserve, both of which would involve the boards of those organizations agreeing.

“I think they will be fine if they don’t have a beer,” Deml said.

Because existing policy does not allow alcohol on school property, no formal board action was needed to deny the request.

In other business board members received a year-end report from Toryn Rau about the large number of activities the Raiders Committed group participated in over the past year.

Board members received an update on the referendum project. Fleegel noted the building committee has been working to make appropriate cuts in order to keep the budget in line. He noted they recently made $30,000 in cuts to the initial phases that are being done this summer including the MAMS cafeteria and gym bathrooms. He said that when the projects come in over budget, he does not want it to be put on the last project completed. Plans for the addition to the high school which will include science classrooms on the upper level and family and consumer education and art classrooms on the lower level, as well as a handicapped accessible entrance to the lower level, will be finalized this July and put out to bid for work to begin in the fall.

Approved the open enrollment reports with 292 open enrollment applications accepted — most of which are for the Rural Virtual Academy. Another 28 open enrollment requests were denied with the condition that if IEP changes are made they could be reconsidered. In addition to those looking to come in the district, 23 Medford students are requesting to go to other districts.