New Brockton plans new sports for 2019-2020 school year

Last week New Brockton High School announced that in the 2019-2020 school year golf, cross country and soccer would become a part of the school’s spring sports.

New Brockton principal Alonzo Barkley and vice principal Bryan Peacock held an interest meeting with students to talk about the sports and allow students to sign up for tryouts. New Brockton’s auditorium was packed for the meeting.

“I was very surprised by the turnout,” Barkley said. “That’s the great thing about New Brockton. Anytime you turn the lights on or have a request for people to come out they always do. It’s always like that here at New Brockton and it’s the great thing about this community and why I’m so happy to be here.”

Barkley said bringing new sports was something that he and Peacock had been planning since the beginning of the school year.

“I think in a school setting the more course offerings you have is great for the students but also the more athletics and extra curricular activities you can offer the students is great, too,” Barkley said. “It’s another way to draw kids in and get them to school and continue to mentor them and build them up physically, mentally and emotionally. Sports do a lot of great things for kids and the fewer you have, the more you’re limiting who participates.”

Barkley said that he hopes to have coaches in place by April and the plan is to hold tryouts for each sport at that point. He also emphasizes that he hopes that enough students try out for there to be a boys and girls team for each sport.

These sports will begin next school year, 2019-2020, but Barkley said that it would be important for each sport to have the opportunity to have summer workouts going into next school year, so that students are more prepared for their new sport.

Any New Brockton student that wishes to tryout for either soccer, cross country or golf can do so by signing up at the front office or by reaching out to either Barkley or Peacock. Also, there will be more opportunities to sign up as spring tryouts get closer.