April 25, 2024For the Love of Sport - Athletics Programming in Middle School

This week our Aberdeen Hall Middle School athletes have been enjoying the spring weather! At this time of year our athletics program is going strong, with our Middle School Girls Soccer team travelling to compete in the ISEA Grizzly Cup tournament at Brockton School in Vancouver. Our track and field team participated in a meet on Tuesday, while our Middle School golf club spent the afternoon practicing their swings in the beautiful Okanagan sunshine.

At Aberdeen Hall, we believe that students benefit from a breadth of programming options. While not every student may be gearing up for a life as a competitive athlete, each of our students benefits from the numerous athletics opportunities we work to provide. In the Middle School, our inclusive programming is focused on building a love of sport in all our students, and teams emphasize fun, skill building and the development of community.

Middle school is a time when many student athletes begin stepping away from sports, as social interactions become more complex, and students navigate the challenges of adolescence. Our coaches and athletic team feel strongly that encouragement to get involved in athletics is incredibly important at this age, as participation in activity at this age helps students develop lifelong love of sport. This year we offered more than 15 distinct teams for students to engage with, from basketball and volleyball, to rugby and cheerleading. Many of these teams compete in leagues here in Kelowna, while also having the opportunity to play tournaments against our sister ISABC and CAIS schools across BC. Students were also exposed to a variety of activities that went beyond the team sport model, and our middle schoolers participated in outdoor rock climbing, x-country skiing, hiking, sailing, as well as downhill skiing and snowboarding opportunities. Over 60% of our Middle School population joined one of our team sports this year, and almost 90% chose to get involved in at least one co-curricular athletic or outdoor education activity. 

Students at Aberdeen Hall have the opportunity to excel athletically, and we are proud of the achievements of our students. Whether it is our Grade 8 girls volleyball team winning city championships, or our students having the opportunity to go on to play sport at the University level, our coaches support our athletes in pushing themselves towards their goals. With our new Athletics and Wellness Centre opening, we are excited to continue to build our athletic traditions in the exceptional facilities here on campus.