RHS Athletics Director updates school committee on declining participation numbers

Advocate Staff Report

Revere High School Athletics Director Frank Shea met with the School Committee this week to update them on the state of sports programs in the district.

“Sports participation trends are at a crossroad,” Shea told the committee. “Sports aren’t what they used to be years ago.”

Revere has lost a cluster of junior varsity teams, including junior varsity baseball, softball and ice hockey over the past year due to a lack of participants.

Shea said the decline was due, in part, to students choosing other activities such as robotics and JROTC. And there are other students who are needed at home or working to help support their families.

“This is something hitting everybody in urban areas,” said Shea.

“We’re still a big program,” said Shea adding Revere offers 27 of the 31 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) programs. However, only 36 percent of Revere students participate.

Shea said the athletics department is searching for options and trying new things. He said Revere had just launched a flag football program for girls, which has been growing in popularity around the state.

Shea said districts are joining together to create co-op programs. Revere has participated in a co-op hockey program which had the district picking up one quarter of the cost for ice time.

Co-ops are one solution Shea said that his department is looking at. But he feels the real answer is in the middle school. He said reaching out to middle schoolers and explaining different sports opportunities would help. He suggested speaking to middle school groups with high school athletes would likely be effective. He also wanted to encourage middle school physical education teachers to introduce sports such as lacrosse and field hockey to kids who may not be familiar with those sports.

“We’ve looked at athletics as something we should nurture and hold on to, ” said Schools Supt. Dr. Diane Kelly. “But we have to understand where our kids want to be and make sure we’re being fiscally responsible.”

Shea again emphasized the importance of reaching students in the middle school. He said that allowing kids to connect with coaches will result in kids coming up to fill rosters and programs.

School committee member Aisha Millbury Ellis suggested the administration provide more exposure to the athletics department during orientation.

“If the interest isn’t there, it’s just not there,” she said.