Coaches sought for Spokane Public Schools’ middle school tackle football pilot

Spokane Public Schools has nearly all its ducks in a row to launch a pilot middle school tackle football season in September.

They’ve purchased preteen-sized shoulder pads, determined which schools get the sport and registered around 100 eager seventh- and eighth-graders.

There’s just one thing missing: The district needs to hire coaches before kids are ready to hit the turf.

“We want a coach who is creative in providing opportunities and teaching and really wants to be part of this process to provide the most opportunities to our kids,” said Austin Johnson, engagement navigator for northeast schools that feed to Rogers High School.

The district is seeking applicants to coach one of two teams of middle schoolers, for three coaches per team. One team is open to students at Shaw and Spokane Garry middle schools who will practice at Shaw, representing the Rogers High School feeder pattern. Students from Glover and Yasuhara middle schools will make up a team practicing at Glover in North Central High School’s boundaries.

Interest for the sport continues to grow among pupils in these four schools, Johnson said. Their first scheduled day of practice is the first day of school on Sept. 3, but students still have a week after that to register for the sport.

“It’s been pretty clear how much our kids want this,” Johnson said.

The district has spent around $58,000 on the pilot program, mostly to buy gear and pay coaches. It’s more than the $50,000 the district budgeted, because more kids have registered than the district expected, Johnson said.

Kids will practice without their padding before they don the gear, allowing them to build confidence in their technique before suiting up, Johnson said. Once they get in their required number of practices, students will play five games over the seven-week season. First, they’ll play against nearby districts that offer middle school football, such as Central Valley and Cheney, culminating their season with a game against the other Spokane team.

The district hasn’t hired coaches for either team, but it has interviewed and intends to hire for some of the positions. The Rogers feeder pattern, Johnson said, has fewer applicants than North Central, where teachers, parents, coaches and alumni have applied.

“Unfortunately, currently the Northeast has not had that same community show up yet, but we know there are people out there and we know there is a proud history in our community,” Johnson said.

The season will last from Sept. 3 to Oct. 27, with four practices each week and weekly games. Practice is set to run from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m.

The position is open to those knowledgeable about football, passionate about getting kids involved and willing to work with high school coaches. The coaching stipend is $4,000 per season. More information and an application is accessible at bit.ly/HiringCoachesSPS.