Incoming sixth graders sign up for their first quarter of P.E. following the Welcome Event. After that,  students generally sign up for the next quarter of sports approximately six weeks before the new quarter begins. They sign up during one of their P.E. blocks by submitting a google form. We want our students to hear from the coaches and to have the opportunity to think through their decisions before making their choice. We generally give a five day window to make a change if a student needs to switch their decision. This gives students the opportunity to discuss their decision with their parents and to make sure they can fully participate in the sport. Information on all sports will be published in zipNotes prior to the sign-up date.

Students are expected to commit to the sport once they have signed up for the sport. The athletic director turns in rosters and team commitments to the league immediately after sign ups. All practices are during the school day. Students need to be at all practices unless they are ill or have a pre approved academic meeting with a teacher. Students should plan on attending all scheduled games. The only reason you should miss a game is because of illness. Club practices and outside activities need to be scheduled around our school games. If there is a reason that you have to miss a game it needs to be approved by the coach and athletic director. There may be consequences for missing a game or practice. Those consequences may include sitting for a game or part of a game. If it is multiple games then there has to be a meeting with the athletic director and coach. Please contact the Athletic Director or Coach when signing up for a sport if you have any questions regarding commitment to a specific team.

Please wait 24-hour after a game or practice before contacting a coach. We realize that it is not always easy for a middle-school player to approach a coach, but we encourage our student-athletes to talk with the coaches about their position and place on the team. Parents should contact the coach and ask for a meeting. Please make sure it is centered on your child’s experience and not on strategies or other players on the team.

Menlo will provide transportation to all weekday away games that are scheduled to start before 5:00 pm. Parents will provide transportation to games that are played during the evening and on weekends. Menlo will help provide resources for students who do not have transportation to games. Some students who live out of the immediate area will go to the house of a teammate to study or relax before a scheduled evening game.

A middle school student may not participate in any school- or sports-related activity on a day they are absent for two or more periods of the academic day.

The Middle School does not cut students from teams. We provide a spot for every student who wants to play a sport.

Athletics is considered an integral part of every student’s education at Menlo School. Each middle school student is required to participate daily in either physical education (P.E.) classes or as a member of an interscholastic or intramural athletic team. The sixth-grade practice and physical education program runs from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Seventh- and eighth-graders have athletics from 2:10 to 3:15 pm. Games are usually played after school and into the early evening depending on the sport.

We want our students to experience a variety of sports. There are times when we let our students try two sports or classes during the same season. This is discussed at a meeting with the students before the beginning of the season.

Sports equipment varies from sport to sport. The school will supply uniforms. A detailed e-mail will be sent before the season begins on what the student needs to participate in that particular sport. Required sport equipment is also on the team pages.

The first person to call for the Middle School is Menlo School nurse Joan Barada at 650.330.2001 ext. 2530.

The Middle School provides coaches’ phone numbers and email addresses on each team page. The coach will also send an email to all the parents on their team with their contact information and an introduction to their team.

Middle school students do not practice or play games during the summer or school breaks.

The Middle School does not provide snacks or have regular study halls since practice is during the school day. We do, however, have students work or study if needed on a case-by-case basis. Students should bring snacks when they have after-school games.

The Middle School will occasionally have a weekend tournament and or game. Our league track meet is on the weekend. 

We provide teams for every student at Menlo Middle School. Our students come into Menlo with different skill sets and experience in sports. Some students have more experience and higher skill sets, and others have no experience or skills in some sports. We want our students to have a successful season and feel that they should have fun, but also learn life lessons and experience the many facets of being on a team. Many students want to be able to play at the level that suits their commensurate ability. Our league has sixth grade “A” teams and “B” teams in basketball and volleyball. The league also offers “A” teams and “B” teams in the seventh and eighth grades. We find it important to offer teams that cater to both the more highly skilled and experienced athlete and the lesser skilled, less experienced athlete. We have found that it gives our students a better opportunity for playing time and enhances their overall sport experience by giving them more opportunities to improve their skills and confidence.

The Athletic Director and the coaches determine team size. The size of any squad may fluctuate to accommodate a unique situation and to benefit the majority of students.

Team rosters will be determined after an evaluation period. Every effort will be made to offer each student an opportunity to play on a team. Whenever possible, we will offer as many teams as are needed to accommodate all students interested in playing.

Coaches are encouraged to have individual meetings with athletes prior to selecting teams. The purpose of these meetings is to inform students where they stand with regard to skill, relative to other team members, and what position they will hold.

California AB 25, passed into law in October 2014, requires school districts to immediately remove an athlete from a school-sponsored athletic activity if he or she is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury. In effect from August 2015, AB 2127 is an addendum to AB 25 and requires a step-wise return-to-play protocol, including clearance after a head injury by a licensed physician trained in the management and care of concussions.