Since meetings began with Assistant Superintendent Flisk, Trent Tucker Athletic Director and Dave Wicker what is different? With another Soccer and Volleyball season complete and now Basketball underway, I can say that most parents, coaches and Athletic directors involved remain underwhelmed and unsatisfied with the move by Minneapolis Public Schools to not fund Middle School Sports and force the 11, 12 and 13 year old to play at the area high schools. The leadership has made a move to review the sports that parents and students are most interested and stated that they would be taking those most popular and realistic choices to the board and making a recommendation. While we are in another season where our 6th graders can not participate, and many of our 7 & 8th graders that do not have transportation or resources will or can not participate for a list of reasons and parents and staff that still are getting contradictory answers from everyone from the Athletic Directors, leadership and coaches on consistency and what it really means. What is means is. If your child plays sports for a Minneapolis Public School Middle School/High School they are tied to that area high school and program and can not play for any other team in that sport. No Park and Recreation, No club, No AAU at the same time, Nothing. They are governed by high school rules and if they participate on that high school governed team, they will not be able to play for another high school team next year (if they choose not to be at the high school in the area) with out sitting a whole year of eligibility or asking for a transfer to the high school of their choice. This can set a barrier for participation and may or may not be granted. This district is open enrollment but the sports rules are area specific and this plan was built to create a feeder to the high schools. This does not make sense and has created such confusion and chaos for the actual people doing the work which is the coaches, AD's, staff and parents. The MPS has changed their language and website information to say that it was budgeting. What we know is that the first message was the real one. Feeding Minneapol.is High Schools. Please send the petition to people interested and do the survey if you have not so that families can voice their opinions on how the process has affected you and your families. Thank you.