Sixth grade try-outs pilot

Beginning with the girls middle school basketball program in the fall of 2019 Hot Springs County School District #1 and Thermopolis Middle School have agreed to let sixth grade student-athletes try-out for the remaining positions on the girls and boys middle school basketball teams. 

Each team will allow 30 participants and however short each team is after counting seventh and eighth graders, sixth graders will be given a chance to fill those positions.

For example, if the combined numbers of seventh and eighth graders is 27, sixth graders will be able to try out for the remaining three positions.

“In recent years we have struggled to have consistent numbers in both seventh and eighth grade for basketball,” Activities Director Brandon Deromedi said. “When this happens we typically have to limit the amount of playing time on the “B” teams due to injuries, exhaustion or conference rules. 

“By filling all 30 participant spots we will improve the amount of playing time for all student-athletes. We will also have a full gym for practices which helps to raise the competitive level of our teams. We should also be able to provide an “A” and “B” team games for our competition.”

After evaluation, Deromedi added, we felt that adding all sixth graders would be a financial burden that the district could not absorb at this time. It would require the addition of at least one more coach and additional jersey’s.

We also felt that practice space would be limited in the gym by allowing all sixth, seventh and eighth graders to play and it would hurt the productivity of our MS basketball programs. Our middle school coaches and activities director met to determine the optimal number of participants to meet our goals with this pilot program.

“We will evaluate the success of the pilot program after this year to determine the future of the program and to find ways to improve it,” Deromedi said. “This is a nice opportunity for student-athletes to improve their skills, help improve the playing time of all student-athletes, improve our competitiveness as a team and remain financially responsible. It also allows student-athletes to compete at the middle school and recreation level as those basketball seasons are at different times.”

Should parents have questions about this program please reach out to Deromedi via his email address, bderomed@hotsprings1.org.