Hoops Time at Alameda Middle Schools

The Alameda Education Foundation's (AEF) middle school basketball season officially kicked off this past Tuesday, and it's already looking to be an exciting —and unpredictable — season. In the first two days of play there have been two upsets.

Middle school basketball is part of the Middle School Sports program run by AEF. The year-round, after-school sports program is open to all Alameda public middle school students and includes volleyball in the fall and track and field in the spring. This year, a combined Nea/ACLC team joins the basketball league along with the Academy, Lincoln and Wood middle schools. The basketball program has four divisions: Girls A and B and Boys A and B teams.

“A fourth team — Nea/ACLC — adds an exciting new dimension to the season,” said Marty Garchar, the Athletic Director for AEF.  “The schools will play each other twice during the regular season and then playoff and championship rounds will determine the top spot in each of the four divisions.” 

If the first two days of the season are any indicator, there is going to be some fierce competition among the teams.

In the girls division, the Lincoln Lions have roared their way to championship wins year after year, but Wood's eager Beavers pulled off an upset in their opener on Wednesday by a score of 35 - 33.  

In the boys division, the Beavers A team has "dammed" the competition the last couple of years, including an undefeated record last year, but they were upset in their Tuesday opener by the Lincoln Lions boys A team, 44 - 29.  

At the time of this writing the Academy and Nea/ACLC had not yet competed.

Middle School sports were cut by the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) a few years ago due to state budget shortfalls. Since the winter of 2009, AEF has financed and managed the program, which is supported by modest participation fees, grants and community donations.

AEF's basketball league is run similarly to high school sports. Students try out to play for their schools, which then compete against each other for the championship title. Like high school, there is an academic component: student-athletes must meet a minimum grade point average (GPA) in order to compete. Student-athletes also adhere to a player code of conduct. The program has been credited with helping students understand the importance of academics.

"Students realize that they need to keep up in the classroom in order to make it onto the court," said AEF president Bill Sonneman.  

The program has also been an important part of school spirit. "Players always tell me how much they like to play for their school," Sonneman said. And there are roles for student involvement besides playing - students manage the gate, set up the gym, keep the score and run the clock. And, of course, cheer on their classmates.

Regular season games are held at the middle schools (Nea/ACLC use the Boys and Girls Club as their home court) with the playoff and championship games tentatively scheduled for the Boys and Girls Club.  

Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for students. Children under 5 are free. Season passes are available and may be purchased at the games.

Tip-off is 4 p.m. for all games, with B teams competing first. A complete schedule may be found on the Foundation’s website at www.alamedaeducation.org.