Many athletic programs at the Morris school are either underway or about to get going, and for Athletic Director Stephanie Kurylko says it's going to be a special year for many students.
Volleyball
"We have another exciting season," Kurylko says about one of the most popular sports at the school. "We have coaches that are very excited to get started. All of our teams have been practicing for a couple of weeks, and our varsity teams just went to their first tournament this past weekend. All four teams in JV and varsity combined have lots of participation and effort this year, and we're really excited to see how they progress over the season."
Being a program that is both strong and growing, Kurylko believes there are several factors that go into it's overall success. "I think there's a family factor that is definitely part of it," she says with a chuckle. "We were able to host varsity boys provincials last year, and I think any time there's a pep rally or a big event like that, it goes a long way to inspiring younger kids to play and to try it. I think seeing older kids play, any time you see the older kids play at a K-12 school, those younger kids are going to want to be involved and do what the older kids do."
Basketball
Another popular program is basketball, and Kurylko says things are looking very good. "We're in a good place. We're not starting just yet, but we will definitely have a boys JV and varsity teams. Girls side, the numbers are lower, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. On the boys side, we have some really, really eager kids who are always in the gym, so I know they're excited to get going already. On our girls side, we continue to develop, and the girls are improving every year."
Students still have time to reach out and get involved with the basketball programs. "Yes, for sure. We won't be starting basketball until mid to late November."
Soccer
It's a big year for soccer at Morris, and for Kurylko, the proof is in the numbers. "We have a record number of kids participating. Our coaches are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and love the sport. They love to share their passion for the sport. They had their first games earlier in the week, and they still have three or four left in their season. Both teams are in tier 2, so it's a little bit more of the developmental side. But, we're excited to see how the kids develp and come together over the course of the season."
Rugby
A program on the rise in popularity, according to Kurylko, is rugby. "We have a teacher who's been at our school for a couple of years, and he's a high level rugby coach, he's been involved and really passionate about it for a lot of years. He's brought that our to Morris, and they've been really successful in the three or four years we've been running it. We've had quite a few students get the opportunity to pursue the sport outside of school, including one who's playing college rugby in the States this year. It has provided a lot of kids a different opportunity, over the core ones we offer throughout the year."
Wrestling
A unique sport that is offered at Morris is wrestling, a spot close to Kurylko's heart, and she believes it's great for kids of all ages. "Our Principle is a passionate wrestling coach, he's been involved in wresting for a really long time, and he started it up when he got to Morris. It's really cool because it's offered from grade one to grade twelve, so he runs different practices at lunch for the younger kids, and then practices after school for the middle-years and senior kids. It's really cool that they get to see each other, and develop. It's a sport that he and we get to see kids develop from grade one all the way up to grade twelve. My son has been wrestling since grade one, and he's in grade four this year, and it's interesting to see their movement skills, and all of the different mental aspects of the sport that they can learn."
Sports for all ages
Morris being a K-12 school has designed their programs for all ages, at any point students want to get involved, which Kurylko is quite proud of. "Because we're that age range, a lot of sports do start earlier in the grade five, six, seven and eight program. Our school division runs soccer tournaments for grade three up to grade eight, and other sports as well, especially in seven and eight. So, we always encourage kids to start early, but it's never to late. We'll have grade ten, eleven, and twelve kids come out of the first time, and we're super happy to get them into sport at any time."
School pride
The student-athletes in Morris take a lot of pride in representing their school, a fact that Kurylko says means a lot. "I think it's such a cool opportunity for kids to showcase our school, whether it's at tournaments, league play, or practices even. The big things we take pride in in Morris is, because we're a K-12 school, we give back to the younger grades, and having younger students, we get to see them grow. They learn how to become a leader as an athlete, but also become a good leader as a good person as well."