Desired Outcomes

● Students will enroll in athletics the following year and be able to
demonstrate a higher level of skill and performance.
● Students will improve their speed, strength, and conditioning. Periodic
progress reports will be sent home showing individual improvements
throughout the years.
● Students will easily transition into and be prepared for summer
strength and conditioning programs.
● Students will learn the basic rules, fundamentals, skills, techniques, and
schemes for each sports unit. Coaches will have the opportunity to
evaluate and identify athletes by sport and position.
● Students and parents will have an opportunity to learn BISD
athletic policies, procedures, and expectations.
● Students will exhibit improved decision making in and out of the
classroom as they work through an organized character education
curriculum.
● The relationships built and knowledge gained in pre-athletics will
provide an easy transition to the BISD athletics program for both the
parents and the students.
● Students will learn the components of a successful athletic program
learning to:
○ Commit, Compete, Finish/Win, Maintain Self-Discipline, Accept
Coaching, Be a Part of a Team, Overcome Adversity, Develop a
Growth Mindset, Develop Leadership Skills & Have Pride in
their school.

Requirements

● 6th Grade Student at Hughes or Kerr Middle School.
● A desire to participate in BISD athletics as a 7th grader.
● Dress out and participate daily. Must have appropriate gym/athletic shoes.
● Written permission/parental consent for participation required

Components of the Pre-Athletics Program 

● Sport specific skills will be taught in a rotational format. Football, VB, Basketball,
Track & Field and Cross-Country will have multi-week rotations that will occur
throughout the year.
● Students will complete a daily dynamic warmup that will focus on proper running form,
body control, agility, explosive movement and physical strength.
● Weightlifting will be introduced to students and will be age appropriate. The development
of appropriate and proper technique will be reinforced. Utilizing PVC bars with no weight,
students will learn the proper technique and fundamentals of weightlifting safely. When
proficiency is established, weight will be added in incremental fashion.
● BISD athletics will utilize the Stephen Mackey Two Words Character Development
curriculum. Each week students will have an opportunity to work through and improve
themselves through interaction with the character education curriculum.
● All students will have their grades and academic progress monitored consistent with
current athletic department procedures and expectations. Students will understand how
their academic progress impacts their eligibility and ability to participate in UIL activities.
● Students will be allowed to play games, competitive activities and mini-tournaments in
the class period to build interest and enthusiasm for participation in the athletic program.

2022-23 Pre-Athletics Calendar & Organization Overview

● August: Orientation & Organization
● Fall: Football, Volleyball, Cross-Country Sports Skills & Intro. to Strength and
Conditioning.
● Winter/Early Spring: Basketball Sports Skills and Strength and Conditioning
● Spring: Track & Field and Strength and Conditioning
● Late Spring: Skills to prepare for FB, VB, and XC seasons in the fall with Friday's
devoted to other sport specific skills-soccer, etc.

***Athletic development including speed, strength, agility, and conditioning will
be 2 days a week throughout the school year.

Daily Pre-Athletics Class Overview

• Quickly dress out
• Dynamic warmup and body weight exercises (10 minutes)
• Daily sports specific skill lesson or strength and conditioning instruction
(3 days a week skills, 2 days a week strength and conditioning activities)
• Dress back in
*1 day a week short character education lesson

What is Pre-Athletics?

a. Pre-Athletics is a Physical Education class designed to prepare 6th grade students for UIL Athletic Programs, offered by BISD, while still implementing the required 6th grade PE TEKS. 

What is the purpose of Pre-Athletics?

a. Pre-Athletics is designed to provide students with an advanced curriculum directly linked to upcoming UIL sports in which they will be eligible to participate in as 7th graders.

Will Pre-Athletics count as a PE credit?

a. Yes, all middle school students must complete at least 2 years (4 semesters) of PE credit. Pre-Athletics will count as one year (2 semesters) toward the credits needed for PE.

What sports are taught throughout the year?

a. Fall: Volleyball, Football, Cross-Country
b. Winter: Basketball
c. Spring: Track & Field
d. Late Spring: Volleyball (Prepare for MS tryouts), Football, XC & other sports not offered at MS level (ex. Soccer)
e. Additional activities will be covered at the teacher's discretion.

What types of workouts can we expect through the year?

a. Physically, the course will focus on athletic conditioning, strength, agility and sport-specific skills. Workouts will be more rigorous than a traditional PE class.

What does a typical week look like?

a. Monday-Wednesday-Friday (Dynamic Warm Up/Body weight strength & Sport Specific Skill Work)

b. Tuesday & Thursday (Character Development & Academic Improvement, Dynamic Warmup & Strength and Conditioning Activities)

Will activities occur outside of the school day?

a. There will not be any activities outside of the school day related to direct athletic competition.

What other topics are covered besides sports?

a. In addition to the PE TEKS; throughout the course, leadership skills, responsibility, academic awareness, and many other aspects will be included to ensure the development of the whole child. Athletes will be introduced to the academic expectations related to being a Burleson ISD student-athlete and will understand the eligibility requirements of all UIL student-athletes.

How is Pre-Athletics different from PE?

a. Pre-Athletics is a more rigorous physical education course, which requires workouts that will build up to, and then be comparable to the workouts the 7th grade athletes complete in athletics.

How is my grade determined in Pre-Athletics?

a. Much like a traditional PE class, a student's grades will be determined by assignments, participation, attitude, effort, and behavior.

Am I required to enroll in Pre-Athletics if I want to participate in athletics as a 7th grader?

a. While enrollment in this course will help students determine if they wish to participate in 7th grade athletics, it is not required.

If I enroll in Pre-Athletics am I automatically able to participate in athletics as a 7th grader?

a. Placement into Pre-Athletics does not automatically place a student in the athletic period or onto a team for 7th grade. While pre-athletics is
not a tryout for placement into 7th grade athletics, it will be important for students to generally be able to show that they have an ability to successfully handle the expectations involved with being a Burleson ISD athlete.

Do I need a physical to participate in Pre-Athletics?

a. No physical is not needed to participate in Pre-Athletics.

What equipment or materials are needed to participate in Pre-Athletics?

a. While individual campuses may have different requirements, students will need a pair of tennis shoes/cleats, socks, t-shirt, and shorts/pants to participate.

Will I have a locker to store my personal belongings?

a. Locker availability varies by campus. It is generally expected that athletes will have an area to store their belongings.

Are Pre-Athletic students given preferential treatment at athletic team tryouts?

a. Pre-Athletic students are not given preferential treatment at athletic team tryouts. Coaches may be more familiar with student-athletes who participate in Pre-Athletics, but each student is given the same
opportunities to showcase their abilities at tryouts.

What if I enroll in Pre-Athletics, but decide I want out of it and into PE?

a. The campus master schedule and drop/add policies determine what schedule changes look like. Each BISD campus has a process in regard to schedule changes. Please contact your campus counselor for more specific information related to schedule changes on your campus.

Who can I contact if I have more questions about Pre-Athletics?

a. Additional questions can be sent to the Boys or Girls Athletic Coordinator at your campus. Please consult the campus staff directory for contact information.

TOPICS COVERED

• Expectations of participating in Pre-Athletics
• Organization and Orientation
• Basic fitness level tests

ONGOING TOPICS

• Leadership Locker room etiquette
• Responsibility
• Grades & Eligibility
• Nutrition
• Competitions
• Strength & Conditioning
• Classroom behavior
• PE TEKS + PE units
• Weight Room, etiquette/safety
• Optimal sleep behaviors

Football

Schedule HS Head Coach to come speak about their
program.

Teaching Points/Skills
Review all positions and responsibilities of each, Passing, Catching, Throwing, Lineman footwork

Volleyball

Schedule HS Head Coach to come speak about their program.

Teaching Points/Skills

Court markings, Scoring, Rotation rules, Substitution rules, Positions and responsibilities of each, Setting, Hitting,
Blocking, Serving, Passing, Terminology

Mock Tryouts

Cross Country

Schedule HS Head Coach to come speak about their program

Teaching Points/Skills

Running form, Proper Dynamic Warmup, Proper Stretching, Training Progression, Terminology and Rules

Mock meet- scoring system, individual and team
points

Daily & Weekly Strength-Conditioning and
Explosiveness training

Eligibility conversation/Grade checks/2 Words
character development program

Basketball

Schedule HS Head Coaches to come speak about their program.

TeachingPoints/Skills
Court markings, Scoring, General rules of the game, Positions and responsibilities of each, Offense- shooting form, ball handling, dribbling, passing, Defense- rebounding, man defense, zone defense, 3 on 3, Scrimmage

Mock tryouts

Daily & Weekly Strength-Conditioning and Explosiveness training

Eligibility conversation/Grade checks/2 Words character development program

Schedule Nutritionist to come speak
Mid-year retest basic fitness test

Track and Field

Schedule HS Head Coach(es) to come speak about their program

TeachingPoints/Skills
General rules, Proper form, shot/discus, pole vault, high jump, long/triple jump, hurdles, block starts, Track markings and event start/finish for running events, appropriate terminology, Significance of a proper dynamic warm up and cooldown.

Mock meet (May take several days)

Off season strength, conditioning, and agility

6th Grade Champions Day at BISD Stadium

Fitnessgram completed and entered .
Daily & Weekly Strength-Conditioning and
Explosiveness Training
Eligibility conversation/Grade checks/2 Words
character development program

Soccer Unit

Schedule HS Head Coaches to come speak about their program.

TeachingPoints/Skills
Passing with accuracy, receiving the ball (first touch open hips), heads up with positioning, movement off the ball in space, creating angles, shooting skills, corner kicks, goal kicks, wall pass, take over, volley, throw ins, heading, goal keeper and other positions, Game terminology, field markings, officials, rules

Baseball/Softball/Tennis/Swimming/Wrestlinq

Schedule HS Head Coach(es) to come speak about their program(s)

Volleyball

Continued skill work in preparation for 7th grade tryouts, Mock tryout

Football

Emphasis on preparing for 7th grade year.
Equipment fittings.
7 on7 competition

Cross-Countrv

Emphasis on preparing for 7th grade year.
Mock Meet

Promote summer camps, especially speed and
strength camps

Daily & Weekly Strength-Conditioning and
Explosiveness training

Eligibility conversation/Grade checks/2 Words
character development program

Retest basic fitness test