Soccer, wrestling or track and field — Bloomington middle school students have opportunities to represent their school through after-school sports.

Valley View, Oak Grove and Olson middle schools recently brought back the opportunity to play for the Falcons, Cougars and Panthers, much to the delight not only of every sixth through eighth grader in Bloomington. Program director John Born, a behavioral interventionist at Oak Grove, noted the benefits outweigh simply the results on the scoreboard.

Born was joined by Superintendent Eric Melbye for a discussion at the Bloomington Noon Rotary Club meeting in late February to talk about the program and how the Bloomington Rotary Club Foundation is raising funds to support the program into the future.

The impact by the funding support is massive on multiple levels,

Born began his presentation by joking that he should’ve added more dollars to the “Happy Bucks Hat” at the start of the lunchtime meeting at an area hotel boardroom.

The Rotary meeting tradition helps open the meeting by sharing good news and raising a few dollars for worthy community causes.

“I know I am supposed to say I’m happy to be here but I really am,” Born said about relaying all of the good news about relaunching soccer and wrestling programs at the middle schools. “You need to know the difference you are making in the lives of these kids every day,” he said.

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