Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Set To Enjoy Extensive Sports Program

North Carolina will see an increase in sporty middle school students in the next few weeks. School district administrators have now asked Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to provide students with a more extensive sports program.

District To Offer Wider Selection Of Sports

According to Winston-Salem Journal, the district will soon be adding softball, baseball, golf and tennis to its already thriving sports program. Meanwhile, sports such as basketball, volleyball and soccer will be retained.

"The school board asked us to expand the middle school athletic programs. We need to offer more activities for a greater variety of students," said the district athletics program manager Greg Gentry. "We looked at various different sports. Tennis and golf, those are the ones that don't have a high cost to them."

WSFCS Middle Schools To Join Inaugural Tennis Season

Tennis is arguably the most basic individual sport a student can learn. CNN noted that tennis is widely-recognized as the quintessential individual sport. Matches can go on for hours and when the player wins, he or she gets all the glory. The opposite can be said when the player loses. 

As of the moment, local courts in the district are now gearing up for the first season of the WSFCS middle school tennis program. Eight schools have declared their participation in the newly-commissioned event. These are Hanes, East Forsyth, Southeast, Meadowlark, Wiley, Clemmons, Jefferson and Kernersville middle schools.

Winston-Salem Tennis, Inc. has donated $5,000 for the middle school tennis program. The district has since used the money to buy equipment like rackets, balls and nets. Robin Ervin, the organization's president, said it's the group's mission to provide young people with the opportunity to play and enjoy the sport of tennis.

Golf Program Also Gains Support

Local golf courses have also contacted the district for a similar partnership. Gentry and company couldn't be more delighted as another private-public collaboration will greatly reduce the district's spending.

Golfsmith reported that a round of golf usually cost between $35 and $60 during weekends in the U.S. Only time will tell how much the district will be shouldering once tee off begins later this fall.