Role of Middle School Athletics in Preparation for High School

Middle school athletics play a critical role in preparing young athletes for the high school level. With high school athletics requiring more physical and mental challenges, preparation at the middle school level is more important than ever before.

Tabitha Beard and Jonathan Bukva talked about the importance of preparing middle school athletes for the next level in a presentation at the 2025 National Athletic Directors Conference in Tampa, Florida. Beard serves as an activities co-director in the Oxford (Mississippi) School District, and Bukva is the coordinator of student activities and athletics for Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia.

Their presentation highlighted the critical role of communication with various groups such as administration and counselors, coaches, athletes, parents, community partners and PE teachers. Additionally, Beard and Bukva mention building four intentional relationships to help middle school athletes succeed as they head to high school:

• Administrator to Coach

• Coach to Coach

• Coach to Athlete

• Athlete to Athlete

Beard and Bukva provided insight in the evolving role of middle school athletics in preparation for high school. Determining which fundamental skills are needed is a key part in the transition process, the most important being communication between coaches at both levels.

Beard, the former softball coach at Oxford High School, highlights the importance of knowing terminology at both levels. “I think it’s very important that the two coaches get together and the terminology is the same,” Beard said.

During her time as the Oxford softball coach, she sat down with middle school coaches to explain her philosophy on hitting. Therefore, it gave middle school coaches an idea of what to communicate to athletes, giving them a sense of what to expect at the next level.

Another important part of the preparation process at the middle school level involves exposure to high school competition, as it helps them get a better feel for the game overall.

“Allow them to come to their games for free. Allow them to come and watch those kids play and to watch the speed of the game because I think that’s the biggest thing. The speed is so much different,” Beard said.

That exposure also allows the opportunity for middle school athletes to directly interact with those at the high school level. This can be a great way for high school athletes to serve as mentors to middle schoolers as they make the jump to the next level.

Summer camps are a perfect example that allow for positive interaction between middle school and high school athletes, especially when the high schoolers work as the camp counselors.

“They see those kids and they want to be that kid who can be on that team or be a counselor,” Bukva said.

It’s also crucial that high school coaches effectively communicate their expectations to student-athletes transitioning into high school athletics. Bukva explains how he sees this in his role for those looking to make the jump.

“This is what our preseason, regular season, and postseason looks like, just so they have an idea at the next level,” Bukva said.

Bukva also mentioned that this process usually takes place later in the year, where high school coaches find time during lunch or after school and may even bring information sheets to give students or provide other helpful resources.

“We try to avoid anything that might lead to recruiting, but you kind of meet with the kids that are feeding your school,” Bukva said.

As expected with making the transition to the high school level, there are various challenges students will face. Some students will face obstacles that keep them from making the team for which they’re trying out. However, this can also be an avenue for students to explore something new.

“We want to think you’re going to hit the growth spurt and you’re going to grow and get better, but the reality of it is you might not be good enough to make the baseball team. What is something else you can do?” Beard said. She often suggests having an open mind and exploring other opportunities, mentioning activities like color guard or chess.

Coaching discipline is crucial in terms of the mental aspect when it comes to making the transition to high school athletics. Therefore, it’s important young athletes understand why feedback goes a long way from an attitude standpoint.

“The thing I say all the time, discipline is love. You can discipline in a way where they understand the boundaries and they know the boundaries, but it’s also in a sense to where they know you care about them,” Beard said.

Middle school athletes can also benefit through community partners, which help with hosting events and gatherings. Beard even mentioned how this helped her softball team when it was going through a struggle with the number of available players.

“We partnered with our local parks and their rec leagues and things like that. They gave us numbers. We were able to write letters, invite them to games, and work with them to help grow those numbers,” said Beard.

In terms of improving performance, developmental and intramural leagues play a big role at the middle school level. This is especially helpful when student-athletes start participating in such programs at an early stage.

“If the kids pick it up early, then they’re going to get that exposure early, start developing skills earlier. Then by the time you get to the high school level, you have a different breed of athlete coming in at that point to help your program,” Bukva said.

Overall, having a growth mindset is a critical step for middle school athletes to succeed as they transition to the high school level.

“The kids just need to get out and try things at a younger age. That way, they’re coming into high school with a little bit of skill they can develop,” Bukva said.

As competition becomes tougher for middle schoolers transitioning to the high school level, development and proper preparation are crucial for success. Some athletes might succeed in their desired sport while others decide to pursue new options at the high school level. Whatever the path, it’s important for middle school athletes to have a positive attitude while also being open to new opportunities.

Noah Eaton was a spring semester intern in the NFHS Publications and Communications Department. He is a senior at Indiana University in Bloomington.