WEBSTER CITY, Ia. — In a regularly scheduled session of the Webster City school board Monday night, one of the main topics of discussion was the new law in the state of Iowa regarding the allowing of 8th Grade students to compete in all varsity sports, beginning this coming school year.
While a vote was not cast at last night’s school, Webster City High School principal Jason Wedgbury voiced his support on the school board on discussing the matter.
“I hope you consider entertaining that through a process, a student that’s in 8th grade can be considered for high school sports,” Wedgbury said. “I think that’s an important measure, because I think there’s negative implications if we don’t at least consider that.”
Three other North Central Conference school have already voted to allow 8th graders to compete in varsity athletics: Algona, Eagle Grove and Forest City. It’s a topic that’s been popular in smaller schools, but bigger schools have had mixed feelings. Wedgbury says while there’s the possibility to benefit the varsity level, he wants to help while preventing damage to middle school programs.
“Typically, I would say I want to protect our middle school sports. I don’t want to take our good kids out of middle school and all of a sudden have a substandard middle school experience,” Wedgbury said. “But, if the program needs a particular position, or a student athlete is absolutely gifted and everybody in this body agrees, I think we should keep that as a possibility.”
Many detractors of the new law cite the physical maturity of 8th graders is not great enough to withstand potential, perhaps even serious injury. Wedgbury says it should be among the top priorities when evaluating a potential call-up.
“Physically, are they ready? Emotionally, are they ready? Academically, are they ready? Because once we make that decision, you cannot do it. If we roster them at high school, they’re now high school athletes. Can’t go back to 8th grade,” Wedgbury said. “If they’re in 8th grade and we choose that, halfway through the year somebody gets injured, we can’t move them to the high school roster. I think we have to have an informed decision process as we go, so my recommendation is we have a process.”
Webster City’s next school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 10th.