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Athletics and Activities Opportunities

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At Issaquah School District, the Athletics and Activities Department provides transformational education-based athletics and activities programs where students have positive experiences, build meaningful relationships, and develop skills for life. Last year, throughout the district, out of 11,058 secondary students, there were over 4,900 students who participated in 160 athletic programs, and over 3,500 students who participated in more than 300 clubs & activities.

The sports that the district offers (* offered at middle school as well as the high school)

• Girls Badminton

• Boys/Girls Basketball*

• Girls Flag Football

• Boys/Girls Soccer*

• Track & Field*

• Volleyball*

• Baseball

• Cross Country *

• Boys/Girls Golf

• Fastpitch

• Football

• Special Olympics

• Boys/Girls Swim & Dive

• Boys/Girls Tennis

• Unified Sports

• Boys/Girls Wrestling*

The clubs/activities examples (Student-led Clubs & Performing Arts):

• Performing Arts: Musical, Choir, Band, Orchestra

• Civic Engagement: Mock Trial, JSA, ASB

• Career and Technical Education: DECA, Sports Med, FCCLA, Robotics, Woodshop, Engineering, Game Design

• Interest-Based: Neuroscience, Sandy Hook Promise, Sustainability, Fighting Hunger, Baking, Be Bold Girls, Literature

• Cultural: Black Student Union, Indian Culture, Latinx, Korean

• Cheerleading

• Dance/Drill

When students enter middle school, one term that families keep hearing is ASB. What is ASB? ASB stands for Associated Student Body, which means it is a collection of all students in the school. ASB is the official representative of students at each school. The state requires ASB to exist to ensure student money is managed by and for students. The student body government at each school makes decisions for all activities such as clubs and sports that are outside of the classroom.

Students in the school are ASB members automatically by enrolling in school. However, to get full membership, there’s a fee required to pay annually. The full membership means when a student pays $60 in high school or $35 at middle school, he/she gains all the benefits of ASB membership. This includes the ability to join a sports team or a club/activity, free admission to all home sports games and select events, and discounted admissions at away sports games and events. The ASB fee supports student clubs and student sports teams, upgrades to student facilities and school improvements, and any cost of running programs (referees, game workers, league dues).

Athletics/Sports

For high school students or parents, if they want to know anything about how to get involved in any athletics sports that are offered by the school, the school’s athletic/activity coordinator or school secretary in the main school office can help answer the general questions, register, and connect online. Each high school also has an Athletics Director who oversees the entire Athletic program at that school. Middle school students can contact the Assistant Principal for any sports information.

To be able to participate in a sport, there are three steps that need to be taken:

  1. Sign up on FinalForms to register: https://issaquahwa.finalforms.com/. Registration for all sports opens on May 15th each school year. Check each sport registration date here: https://www.isd411.org/programs-services/athletics-and-activities/registration. Parents/caregivers and students must login to FinalForms and sign forms. Every student who has a Skyward account automatically has a FinalForms account. Parents need to create a password to login. All the forms are required and must be fully completed (green) before students can attend tryouts/turnouts. The forms give coaches and athletic staff important safety information and give permission for students to participate fully in sports. Contact the athletic department at the school for questions or help with forms.

  2. Have a current physical assessment form on file. Each physical assessment form is valid for two years. The form must indicate “fully cleared for participation in athletics” for the school to accept it. Physicals can be dated at any time during the year but must cover the entire sports season. Parents need to take the ISD Physical form to a doctor to get it completed. The form is available to download/print on FinalForms. Ask the school nurse if the family has trouble finding a provider.

  3. All fees must be paid before the first day of practice/ tryouts. Students must have an ASB membership to play sports in schools. The sports fee in high school will be $200 each and $50 each in middle school. If a student participates in three sports (Fall, Winter, Spring), they do not have to pay for the third sport. There might be some program costs that may vary by programs depending on what equipment is necessary or if field trips are taken. The head coach will provide this information. There is financial assistance available for the students in need. Contact the school ASB Bookkeeper, counselor or principal/assistant principal for the support.

There are some general expectations for all the sports that students need to follow:

  • Attend all practices and games during the season

  • Accept coaches’ decisions on playing time, game planning, and in-game decisions.

  • Commit time in the summer and “offseason” to continue developing for the season (High school specific).

The District provides transportation to most away games. In some instances, the team may decide to selftransport, which the coach will clearly communicate in advance. If the parent drives the student home, they must “check-out” with the coach so that they know the student is being safely transported. If somebody else is taking the student home, the parents must sign an authorization form that is available in the athletics office. After-school activity buses are available for middle school sports.

Athletic program contact information for each school:

Clubs & Activities

If a high school student is interested in participating in any school club or activity, contact the school’s athletics/activities coordinator who can answer general questions. Middle school students can contact the Assistant Principal with any questions. Again, students must purchase an ASB membership to participate in the clubs & activities every year.

There are two ways to participate in clubs:

  1. Students can join an existing club simply by attending the club meeting. Schools have information in the “Activities” section of their website. There will also be postings on social media, and/or flyers on bulletin boards.

  2. Students can start their own club for ANYTHING! Each school has a slightly different process. But overall, students must find at least 5 other interested students, an advisor and complete paperwork. There are deadlines for applying to start the club. Contact the school activity coordinator or ASB advisor for the exact process at the school.

Other than the regular clubs, the high school also has cheerleading and Drill/Dance teams, which operate like sports teams but runs year long. They have competitions at the local, state, and national levels. Both activities are cut programs. Students interested may participate in the sideline program to support school assemblies, games, and events and/or in the competition program to compete against other schools while engaging in high-level skills. Students don’t need to pay a $200 sports fee, but they must purchase an ASB membership to participate and the program fees vary school by school.

There are after-school buses available for some clubs and activities, parents/student can check the activity bus schedule here: https://www.isd411.org/programs-services/buses/eda-routes-extended-dayactivity-routes

Clubs/Activities contact information for each school and the list of clubs/activities:
Sports terms and definitions:

  • Varsity: The highest level of sports competition

  • JV (Junior Varsity): A moderate level of sports competition, to prepare for Varsity.

  • C-team: A developmental team, to grow skills and prepare for JV/Varsity.

  • Cuts sports/programs: Sports/programs where students may be “cut/eliminated” from the team after a tryout.

  • Intramurals: Sports focused on participation and development.

  • Tryouts: Students must demonstrate skills during a defined time.

  • Turnouts: Students must attend but will not be cut.

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Cultural Bridges Number 28, English Version