Battle Ground Public Schools

Competitive sports are officially back in Battle Ground Public Schools’ six middle schools for the first time in 40 years. Seventh and 8th grade boys basketball teams tipped off their opening games of a two-week season on Monday. To celebrate the occasion, the Portland Trailblazers sent their own mascot, Blaze, to greet excited fans and players at Pleasant Valley Middle School, where the Patriots took on the Dragons of Daybreak Middle. 

“It was super exciting to see the boys playing, wearing uniforms representing their schools,” said Tom Adams, the district’s Director of Student Services. “The student, staff and community support was amazing. I don’t know how many times I heard, ‘this is so cool’ from all the groups that were in attendance.”

The return of middle school sports was long a high priority for parents and community members in district surveys. In 2019, the district’s Board of Directors set plans in motion to bring competitive sports back to Battle Ground’s six middle schools. This commitment, and community support for a replacement four-year Educational Programs and Operations levy this past November, ensured the launch could go forward after a pandemic-caused delay. Sports and extracurricular activities are supported by local levy dollars that pay for equipment and coaches’ wages. Sports and gate fees typically cover officials and transportation to games.

This inaugural season includes three weeks of intramural scrimmages, followed by two weeks of competition between other middle schools in the district. A full schedule is available on the district website.

Girls basketball season begins Feb. 7, and registration is still open for students in 7th and 8th grades. Students must complete a sports physical before they can participate. Details and information on signing up are available online. 

Other sports planned for this spring include cross country (6-8 grade) and soccer (7th and 8th grades). Other sports are planned for future years. To help manage the cost of reintroducing the middle school sports program, sports will be phased in over several years and use existing facilities.