Congratulations are in order for both the Encinal Jr. Jets and Lincoln Lions, who won the Alameda Education Foundation (AEF) Middle School Coed Volleyball Championships. The Encinal Jr. Jets defended their Division I title on October 24, defeating the Wood Beavers 2-1 (25-15, 23-25, 15-13). The Lincoln Lions won the Division II title on November 14, defeating Encinal 2-0 (25-20, 25-14).
AEF fall volleyball included 10 teams and 140 student athletes, representing all seven public middle schools in Alameda. AEF has run the middle school sports program for the Alameda Unified School District since 2009. Alameda’s public charter schools also are part of the program.
Next up is AEF girls basketball, whose games begin November 28. The program is open to students who are enrolled in Alameda Unified and Charter public middle schools (grades 6-8). More information is available on the AEF Girls Basketball web page. Basketball games will be held at the Alameda Recreation and Parks Alameda Point Gym.
Currently, the middle school sports program consists of fall coed volleyball, winter girls and boys basketball, and spring track & field. Tryouts and team selection are managed by the school sites.
AEF’s Sports program is not like other youth leagues in that it includes behavioral and academic tie-ins to support students’ developmental and academic growth as well. Students learn valuable life skills about teamwork and goal-setting. As one student from Bay Farm told AEF, “Thank you so much. Without you guys, I wouldn’t have experienced being on a team.”
