Photos courtesy of the Massapequa School District
Athletic opportunities have been expanded for students at Berner Middle School in the Massapequa School District with the creation of a competitive cheerleading team and an expansion of the intramural program.
The new cheerleading team is a response to student interest and will be open to seventh and eighth graders in the winter 1 sports season. Shannon McEntee, the district’s director of physical education, health, athletics and recreation, said that this will provide a feeder program for the competitive junior varsity and varsity teams at the high school level.
Berner Middle School students successfully advocated for the creation of a new competitive cheerleading team that is open to seventh and eighth graders beginning in the first winter sports season.
As opposed to the matches against other schools that is typical of most sports, the competitive cheerleading teams will participate in tournaments. Ms. McEntee said that the middle school cheerleading season typically features three full-day competitions, which numerous schools attend.
“Any addition to our athletic program is really exciting,” she said. “Our new middle school cheerleaders are going to get exposure to being scored, the length of tournaments and how they are run. It definitely supports our secondary program.”
The request from students for a cheerleading team prompted a review of the entire Berner athletic program, to see if they were any additional opportunities that could be offered. That led to the expansion of the afterschool intramural program. Initially only for sixth grade, it is now open to seventh and eighth graders as well.
Berner’s fitness center is open afterschool for students in grades 6-8.
Superintendent Dr. William Brennan explained that although students in grades 7 and 8 have the opportunity to join teams, some want to play sports in a less competitive environment, and intramurals are the perfect opportunity for that. He is thrilled that many have already taken advantage of the expanded program, which has included sports such as flag football, soccer and Spikeball in the Berner gym and on the athletic fields.
“It’s having fun with all of our buddies and being able to play against each other,” eighth grader Colin Doherty said during a recent game of flag football on the turf.
During intramurals, students play an informal game of soccer in the Berner gym.
Seventh grader Chase Gerula, who was in the same flag football game, plays baseball competitively, but was looking for a chance to play other sports more informally during the other seasons. Through Berner’s expanded intramural program, he’s made new friends.
“It definitely create opportunities to meet new kids,” Chase said. “Kids might find an interest in a new sport, too.”
Ed Hoffman, Berner’s chairperson for physical education and athletics, said that students in grades 6-8 have always been allowed to use the fitness center after school, but sports activities were limited to just sixth grade. Physical education teachers made seventh and eighth graders aware of expanded intramurals during their classes and sought input for activities.
“We’re base our sports that we do in intramurals on the feedback we get from students,” Mr. Hoffman said. “We want to offer the sports that they want to play.”
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