As a 6th grader, have you ever wondered why you can’t do sports for EMS? At EMS, 6th graders are not allowed to do sports because all the coaches think that they are not responsible enough. The only sport you can do is cheer or you can be a manager for a sport, but that’s it. I interviewed Mrs. Van Sickle, one of the PE teachers and the girls’ volleyball and track and field coach. And her opinion on it was, “I have a split opinion on this question because I think 6th graders should have the opportunity to learn the skills and get better but, at the same time I don’t feel like they should be allowed at a 5a level because we have plenty of athletes that need the opportunity to play, and if you had a better 6th grader they might take the spot of that 7th grader that might not get to play. Also, I know for smaller schools it’s beneficial, but there have also been years where there is a smaller group of 7th graders and a big group of 6th graders that could have helped the team.” As a 6th grader, I never really wanted to play sports for EMS, but I know athletes who did. So, I think everyone has different opinions on this topic. Make sure you come back next week for more Hot Takes.