Parents in Orange School District seek new position dedicated to travel sports for youth

PEPPER PIKE, Ohio – A group of parents in the Orange City School District would like to see the district create a new position called “travel sports director.”

The group seeks the change because it believes it would improve opportunities for students at the youth sports level, Mandy Walden of Moreland Hills told the Orange Board of Education Monday (Dec. 9).

Walden, a parent in the district, said the parents would like travel sports to be its own brand within Orange Community Education and Recreation (OCER), “much like the highly successful Stagecrafters (Youth Theatre) model.”

These programs primarily involve elementary and middle school students, Walden said.

About 30 people, including some students, attended the meeting, including about a dozen parents who raised their hands when Walden asked them to identify which ones she was speaking on behalf of.

“We would like to propose to the board that there be a person employed by OCER who is dedicated to travel sports – facilitating marketing, scheduling, developing opportunities and serving as liaison for (recreation) sports personnel, parent volunteers and middle and high school coaches,” she said.

“This person would develop a strategic plan and provide the consistency and advocacy that is currently lacking.

“Working within OCER, this person would be able to visit gym classes and (recreation) practices, recruiting, promoting and educating families about opportunities.”

The parents are confident that by implementing such a system, participation in youth sports would increase, Walden said.

“This role would create the desired effect of having travel sports be its own entity within OCER, rather than lumped in with (recreation) programming – which is also important to maintain – creating a separate but connected identity for Orange travel sports,” she said.

Walden said she is the parent of four students in the district, including three who are multi-sport athletes who have participated in both recreation and travel sports for six years and “look forward to eventually playing middle (school) and high school sports.”

“Currently, there are many different approaches to travel sports programs in Orange, with varying degrees of success,” she said. “Some are run through OCER, some are run through parent organizations affiliated with OCER, and some are run by parents not affiliated with OCER.

“It is inconsistent, and for some sports, travel opportunities do not exist at all, forcing students to play for other communities or clubs.

“Because of this inconsistency and lack of an Orange travel sports brand, families are often unaware of the opportunities that do exist, causing some programs to fold due to lack of participation and leaving students who want to play without a team.”

Developing travel sports is currently inhibited by lack of personnel and facility limitations, Walden said.

“Success often depends on a sole parent acting as a flag bearer for a particular team or sport, and that’s not a sustainable model,” she said.

“We believe our students and families need a clearer, whole athlete pathway from kindergarten through high school which focuses on both individual and team development.”

Some sports at Orange High School do not have enough players to field junior varsity and varsity rosters due to lack of development at the youth level, Walden said.

“Improving the youth travel sports program would not only benefit the young athletes in our community now, but would give them a greater chance of success once they do reach the high school level,” she said.

“This would help Orange be more competitive and retain good students and families that are currently lost to area private schools that recruit athletes.”

A successful sports program provides the district and community with “a culture of inclusivity and identity, develops leadership, sportsmanship and teamwork among students and fosters a physically and mentally healthy environment,” Walden said.

“This is of paramount importance right now because as we are all aware, our nation’s youth are facing a mental health crisis,” she said.

Walden closed by saying the group hopes the board will approve and create a travel sports director position as soon as possible.

Board President Jeffrey Leikin thanked Walden for her comments and said, “We will get back to you.”