Getting started

Editor's note: Randy Krejci, a retired teacher, coach and administrator in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, remains active in local sports and serves as commissioner of the Mississippi Valley Conference.

By Randy Krejci, community contributor

Though many youngsters begin athletic involvement or competition at three or four years of age, the middle school or junior high athletes gets a chance to compete in interscholastic competition beginning in seventh grade.

It is something that can continue through high school and beyond.

Two key requirements are a part of going out for a sport for boys and girls entering the sixth grade. Sports physicals are required yearly for all seventh- and eighth-graders and, in recent years, a 'concussion form” needs to be filled out by parents or guardians to allow for a student to participate in sports.

For student-athletes in grades 7 through 12, incidental fees like towel and lock fees may be assessed. This is not a requirement of all schools, but a few charge a nominal fee that can be waived by students on free or reduced lunch programs. The overall the cost of joining school programs is considerably less than what a family spends on out-of-school athletic participation.

During my time as a coach, parent, athletics administrator or principal, I found student-athletes often wait too long to get their physical scheduled and then miss a portion of the season. This pre-requisite needs the immediate attention of a family.

In some districts, local medical authorities might offer free physicals or will assist families without a regular doctor. Many schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District take advantage of a helpful organization like the Metro Care Connection that will conduct physicals throughout a school day.

Franklin Middle School, one of six public middle schools in Cedar Rapids, is offering sports physicals to students who are uninsured, underinsured or have Medicaid insurance on Friday. Other schools have similar policies or opportunities in place. A parent or guardian should call their student's school for options.

Although last Monday was the first day of fall sports seasons at the high school level, it is more likely junior high or middle school sports begin around the first day of school. For Cedar Rapids, middle school sports can start legally on Aug. 26 - the first day of classes but many of the CRCSD schools start practice the following day.

Middle school boys have the opportunity to participate in football, cross country and tennis in the fall, while the girls can begin their ventures with volleyball, cross country or soccer. Cross country is the newest middle school sport in Cedar Rapids and has experienced significant participation growth.

Now is the time to be thinking about fall sports and one's participation in healthy, enjoyable and important activities. National Federation of High School surveys show the busiest students in athletics and fine arts also do the best in class and in terms of academic achievement.

Young people can benefit from lessons learned from their coaches, teammates and all friends associated with school activities. What they gain from teamwork, dedication to their activity, emphasis on sportsmanship, developing fundamentals for the sports of interest and preparing for all the challenges of the classroom - and life in general - is immeasurable.

Take advantage of what is offered.