Metcalf Athletics | Join a Team!

*All sports have a $45 fee for participation unless otherwise noted

SUMMER / FALL 2023

Softball

Practice:  May begin July 24

Season:  August 2 - September 23

Grades: 6-8

Registration: Closed

Click to view & subscribe to the Softball calendar!

Baseball

Practice:  May begin July 31

Season:  August 9 - September 30

Grades: 6-8

Registration: Closed

Click to view & subscribe to the Baseball calendar!

Cross Country

Practice:  May begin July 31

Season:  August 12 - October 14

Grades: 5-8

Registration: Closed

Click to view & subscribe to the Cross Country calendar!

Golf

Practice: On your own!

Sectional: Sept 6 & 7

State: Sept 14 & 15

Grades: 5-8

Registration: Closed

Girls Basketball

Practice:  May begin August 28

Season:  September 9 - December 14

Grades: 5-8

Registration: Closed

Click to view & subscribe to the (7/8) Girls Basketball calendar!

Click for 5/6 Info!

WINTER 2023-2024

Boys Basketball

Practice: May begin October 14

Season: October 28 - February 15

Grades: 5-8

Registration: Click Here

**Parent meeting: October 12th, 5:30pm in the Large Gym**

• Click to view & subscribe to the (7/8) Boys Basketball  calendar!

• Click to view & subscribe to the (5/6) Boys Basketball  calendar!

• Click for more 5/6 Info!

Cheer

Practice: May begin Spring of the previous school year 

Competition Season: December 2 - February 7

Grades: 5-8

Registration: Closed

Click to view & subscribe to the Cheer calendar! 

Volleyball

Practices: May begin November 27

Season:  January 1 - March 16

Grades: 5-8

Registration: Click Here

*Parent meeting: November 27th, 7:00pm in the Large Gym**

Click to view & subscribe to the (7/8) Volleyball calendar!

Click for more 5/6 Info!

SPRING 2024

Track & Field

Practice: May begin February 26

Season: March 11 - May 18

Grades: 5-8

Registration: Click Here

Click to view & subscribe to the Track & Field calendar!

Metcalf Activities | Get Involved!

*All activities have a $45 fee for participation unless otherwise noted

Chess Team

Begins:  October 17 (parent mtg. on 10/3 - Zoom Link)

Ends: February

Grades: K-8

Registration: Click here

More Info: Chess Flyer

Click to view & subscribe to the Chess Club calendar!

Circus

Begins:  October 11 (parent mtg. TBD)

Ends: April

Grades: 3-8

Website: Click here

Registration: Click here

Click to view & subscribe to the Circus calendar!

Culture Club

Begins: October  (Info Coming Soon!)

Ends: May

Grades: K-8 

No Fee for participation

E-Sports

Begins: October

Ends: May

Grades: 5-8 

Website: Click here

Fall Play

Begins: September

Ends: October

Grades: 5-8

Registration: Closed

Website: Click Here

Game Club

Begins: October

Ends: May

Grades: 5-8 

Website: Click here

Registration: Click here

Garden Club

Coming Soon! 

Musical (Spring)

Begins: November

Ends: February

Grades: 4-8 (cast), 5-8 (crew)

Auditions: November 14th & 15th

Website: Click Here

Registration: Click Here

Orffcats

Begins: October 17th

Ends: May

Grades: 3-5 

Registration: Click here

More Info: View Flyer 

Scholastic Bowl

Begins: January

Ends: May

Grades: 6-8

Registration: Click Here

Click to view & subscribe to the Scholastic Bowl calendar!

Sign Club

Coming Soon! 

Speech

Begins: TBD

Ends: TBD

Grades: 6-8

Registration: Closed

Website: Click Here

Registration is required for all athletics and activities prior to participation! Visit our registration page to complete the necessary forms. Once registered, we are able to assist known participants with the completion of all additional requirements. Without this information, we are unaware of a student's desire to participate and important deadlines can be missed, leading to ineligibility. 

Eligibility Process (Athletics)

Student-athletes must maintain quality grades to participate in interscholastic activities.  Performance on the field is secondary to classroom performance. While the handbook has extensive language around eligibility, reading below will help you to understand the implementation process. 

Thursday - A report is run each Thursday and sent out to all staff. Teachers work with students to verify missing assignments and allow any final opportunity to complete work or raise their grades. Students are responsible for checking their grades and initiating conversations about ways to improve. 

Friday - A final report is produced and shared with the AD. The AD confirms with the teacher(s) and main office staff that students have had ample time to complete the tasks and were made aware of their appearance on the Eligibility Report. An email is sent to the family and coach(es). It is not an expectation of teachers for late or missing assignments to be graded instantly upon completion. Time, effort, and consideration are needed to produce an accurate grade for an assignment.

Saturday - The athlete can still play despite their status for the coming week.

Monday - The student is ineligible for exactly one week (Monday through Sunday)

Academic Probation

The first time a student is deemed ineligible during a semester, academic probation will be automatically granted, and the student may continue playing.  We recognize that mistakes happen and believe that students deserve an opportunity to demonstrate a willingness to improve before it's too late.  Subsequent appearances on the weekly grade report will result in a student-athlete being ineligible. 

Ineligible Athletes

• Cannot play in games, but are able to practice at the coach's discretion

• Should sit on the bench during games, but not in uniform

• Cannot participate in games even if the grade is improved during the week of consequence

• Will be eligible the following week if grade improves (2 or higher)

Review / Appeal

A parent / guardian may reach out to the Athletic Director to appeal the eligibility status. The AD will review the matter on a case-by-case basis and make any final determinations. Note that mistakes and lack of communication between teachers and students are possible, especially due to absences, holidays, Outdoor Ed., etc. We always want to make sure that a student is only held out of a contest when they are truly ineligible and, likewise,  students who are not meeting academic standards are able to shift their focus to classwork instead of the playing field. 

• Must be submitted to the office BEFORE attending a practice

• Valid for 395 days (Ex: physical on 8/1/23 is valid through 9/1/24)

• 6th-grade physical counts toward a sports physical

(Required for Athletics only, not Activities)

• $45 per sport/activity

• Paid through TouchNet - (coaches/sponsors do not collect payment)

• Free / Reduced fees are available for those who qualify

5th / 6th Grade

An equal playing time policy is in effect for 5th and 6th grade competitions**. Coaches are expected to provide equal opportunities on the court to the greatest extent possible. It will never be 100% equal due to roster size or an odd number of players, for example, but every effort should be made to achieve balance. Any player that misses a game is not "owed" minutes at a later date--equal playing time refers to the share of minutes/sets in the current game. 

**Applies to sports where grade levels are designated for participation (Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, & Volleyball)

7th / 8th Grade

Playing time is earned based on a coach's evaluation. Skill, effort, attendance, success during practices, and other factors are commonly used to determine the length of time or position(s) played in a contest. If there are concerns over playing time, it is recommended that a student-athlete initiates a conversation with a coach to learn more about their unique situation. It's a great way for players to establish a rapport with a coach and learn more about ways to improve their game. 

"Playing Up"

Inviting students to play up with another grade level is a necessity in some cases, especially when low numbers require additional help from a lower grade--this could be low numbers in general, or by position. The coaches and athletic director will review each circumstance on a case-by-case basis and determine the best course of action for the program.

Concern with a Coach or Sponsor

Please reach out to the coach or activity sponsor with any concerns. If a meeting is necessary, it's best to have parent and student present for the meeting with the coach/sponsor to get on the same page. If you need further assistance after you've had a meeting, feel free to reach out to Mr. Haws, athletics/activities director for next steps--(jmhaws@ilstu.edu)   

24-Hour Rule

Please do not approach a coach or activity sponsor immediately following a performance or contest. Emotions can be heightened in the moment, and it's best to sleep on it and send an email in the morning.  This will ensure that both sides are able to articulate thoughts clearly and after having time to reflect. 

Athletics Admissions

Admission is charged at HOME games for the following sports: Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Volleyball

$3 - Adults

$1 - Seniors & Non-Metcalf Students (K-12)

🐾 FREE admission for Metalf Staff & Students 🐾

***Buy a family pass for $60***

• Covers all HOME games for immediate family members

• Does not include AWAY games or IESA Postseason Contests

• Does not include other Metcalf activities (see below)

• Payment through TouchNet

• No need to carry a card; your name will be on the pass

Activities Admissions

Tickets are pre-sold for Circus, Fall Play, and Allied Arts (Musical) performances. Those will be made available closer to the time of the event. Family passes are not accepted for these events. 

Athletics Admissions

Admission is charged at HOME games for the following sports: Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Volleyball

$3 - Adults

$1 - Seniors & Non-Metcalf Students (K-12)

🐾 FREE admission for Metalf Staff & Students 🐾

***Buy a family pass for $60***

• Covers all HOME games for immediate family members

• Does not include AWAY games or IESA Postseason Contests

• Does not include other Metcalf activities (see below)

• Payment through TouchNet

• No need to carry a card; your name will be on the pass

Activities Admissions

Tickets are pre-sold for Circus, Fall Play, and Allied Arts (Musical) performances. Those will be made available closer to the time of the event. Family passes are not accepted for these events. 

Metcalf is a member of the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) for Athletics. Each sport is sanctioned to encourage safe and fair opportunities for its participants and member schools. Most activities include a regular season schedule and a postseason schedule known as the IESA State Series.  Postseason contests are often determined by regular season success and the class designation (size of school).

Helpful Links

IESA Home Page 

IESA Calendar

Metcalf does not provide transportation to most after-school athletic contests. Read below for the general guidelines; the Athletic Director will review and approve any exceptions on a case-by-case basis. 

No Bus

• Most Games

• Within 30-miles of Metcalf on a weekday

• Weekends, regardless of distance

One-Way Bus

• Games outside 30-mile radius of school on weekdays

• Metcalf provides transportation to contest ONLY

• Parent/Guardian provides or arranges transportation home from event

• Parent sign-out required

• A player must have written permission to go home with another student's family

Activity Bus

• Coaches may be required to drive an activity bus when school buses are not available. 

• Activity Bus fits a driver and 14 additional occupants (15 total)

• Players can be signed out by a parent in lieu of riding the bus home - Coach's Discretion

• A player must have written permission to go home with another student's family

**Administration will evaluate busing needs with a coach's request if there are special circumstances that would result in any variation of the practices outlined above.