MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Ionia Middle School offers nine school sponsored sports programs to its students, as well as, non-school sponsored sports through our Junior Bulldogs Program.  General information about seasonal sports at IMS is outlined below.  For specific event schedules select the season and sport on the menu bar at the top of the page.

 

Fall Sports for 7th/ 8th Graders

(Runs from the end of August to the end of October)

7th grade Girls’ Volleyball

8th grade Girls’ Volleyball

Boys’ & Girls’ Cross Country (6th-8th grade)

2023-24 IMS Volleyball and Cross Country Registration Open!

Winter 1 Sports: 7th/8th Graders

(Runs from end of October to Christmas Break)

7th grade Boys’ Basketball

8th grade Boys’ Basketball

7th grade Dance

8th grade Dance

2023-24 Middle School Sports Registration Open for All Sports 

Winter II Sports: 7th/8th Graders

(Runs from the beginning of January to the beginning of March)

Wrestling

7th grade Girls’ Basketball

8th grade Girls’ Basketball

2023-24 Middle School Sports Registration Open for All Sports

Spring Sports for 7th/8th Graders

(Runs from the end of March to the end of May)

 Boys’ and Girls’ Track

 2023-24 Middle School Sports Registration Open for All Sports

 

Junior Bulldog Sports Programs

Youth Football-  Fall (Register through Ionia Parks and Recreation)

Sideline Cheer- Fall (Register through Varsity Cheer Coach Kelly Senters)

Youth Soccer Boys- Fall (Register through Ionia Youth Soccer Club)

Youth Volleyball- Fall (Register through Varsity Volleyball Coach Heidi Wenzel)

Youth Swimming- Winter (Register through Varsity Swim Coach Laura Fish)

Youth Wrestling- Winter (Register through Varsity Wrestling Coach Luke Smalley)

Youth Basketball Boys and Girls- Winter (Register through Varsity Coaches Scott Swinehart and Laurie Hoppough)

Youth Baseball- Spring (Contact ioniatravelbaseball@gmail.com Tryouts will take place in the fall)  

Youth Softball- Spring (Registration through Varsity Softball Coach Judy Becker: ioniabulldogsoftball@gmail.com )

Youth Soccer Girls- Spring (Register through Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Ben Wolford: bwolford@ioniaschools.org )

***The above Junior Bulldog Sports programs are not school sponsored, but are run in cooperation with the Ionia Athletic Department, High School Varsity Coaches, Youth Sports Organizations, and the Ionia Parks and Recreation Department.

 

Sports Physicals

Ionia Middle School requires all students interested in playing a school sponsored sport must have a current physical (completed on or after April 15th) before participating.  Physicals must be on the MHSAA form and completely filled out or students will not be allowed to tryout/participate.  This policy is to comply with MHSAA regulations regarding student eligibility.   Sports physicals must be uploaded when you register on Student Central .  Please stop out to the athletic department office at the HS if you need assistance registering or contact Wendi Gross wgross@ioniaschools.org or 616-841-4010.

MHSAA PHYSICAL EXAMINATION POLICY Students must have on file, in the school’s office, a physician’s statement for the current school year (on or after April 15), certifying that he/she is physically able to compete in athletic practices and contests. An assumption of risk and consent to participation signed by the student and parent or guardian as well as consent to disclosure of information otherwise protected by FERPA and HIPAA must also be on file prior to participation.
 

Athletic Code

The Ionia Middle School Athletic Code is established under the authority of the Ionia Board of Education.  The purpose of the Athletic Code is to establish standards of academic performance and behavior for students involved in interscholastic athletic programs and the penalties for failure to meet the standards. The privilege of being permitted to participate in the Ionia Middle School Athletic Program is subject to compliance with these standards. Ionia Middle School interscholastic athletic programs are affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). 

Link: IMS Athletic Code

Coaches Contact Information

Please contact coaches directly for more information about a specific sport or to answer any questions you may have.

 

Middle School Coaches
Coach	Sport	Email
Paige Patrick	8th Grade Volleyball	ppatrick@ioniaschools.org
Linda Swinehart	7th Grade Volleyball	lswineha@ioniaschools.org
Johanna Karasiewicz	MS B&G Cross Country	Johanna.Fuller@navicogroup.com
Steve Amell	8th Grade Boys Basketball	samell@ioniaschools.org
Phil Patterson	7th Grade Boys Basketball	ppatter_22@yahoo.com
Stephanie Batista	7th & 8th Dance	sbattista@ioniaschools.org
Niki Williams	8th Grade Girls Basketball	nwilliams@ioniaschools.org
Phil Patterson	7th Grade Girls Basketball	ppatter_22@yahoo.com
John Slater	MS Wrestling	jslater595@hotmail.com
Brianna Wiles	MS B&G Track	bwiles@ioniaschools.org

 

     

Ionia Athletics at a Glance

“Building Leaders for Life” 

 

Attendance: All athletes must be in school the full day on the day of a contest unless prior arrangements are made through the athletic director. Some examples of prior arrangements that will be approved: doctor or dentist appointments, funerals, college visits. Confirmation of appointment may be requested. 

Transportation: Students are expected to ride the bus to and from all athletics events Ionia Public Schools provides transportation to.  Saturday transportation has been eliminated for athletics. It is the responsibility of the parents to arrange for their student-athletes to get to a contest on those days.  

Weather: If school is cancelled due to inclement weather all games will be cancelled at the Middle School.  However, non-mandatory practices may still occur on days when school has been cancelled. It will be up to the parent to decide if they feel it is safe for their student to attend.  Parents who make the decision to not allow their student to attend will be supported by the coach and administration. 

Extra-Curricular Conflicts: If there is a conflict with multiple school activities on the same day, the student may choose which event to attend without consequences provided the student communicates the conflict to the coach/advisor immediately. 

Academics: School comes first. If a student needs help in a class or must make up a test they will be allowed to do so without consequences. 

Athletic Code: Students must follow the Athletic Code to maintain the privilege of participating in the Ionia Athletic program.

Eligibility: MHSAA rules require a student to passing 66% of their classes.  We will have weekly academic eligibility checks to ensure we are meeting this standard.

Communication Procedures: Parent to coach communication shall occur before contacting the athletic director unless you have an extenuating circumstance. 

Schedules: Updated schedules can be found on www.ioniaathletics.org or by going to the Ionia Public Schools webpage quick links and selecting IMS Athletics Schedule 

Cancellations: Parents and students are encouraged to sign up for “eNotify” on the school webpage and for “Get Alerts” at www.ioniaathletics.org to get updates on schedule changes, cancellations, scores, and much more.

Athletic Department 

Athletic Director: Andrew Barr  Email- abarr@ioniaschools.org  Phone 616-841-4004

Secretary: Dawn Farrell  Email- dfarrell@ioniaschools.org   Phone 616-527-0040

 

Follow Ionia Athletics:

Web Page: www.ioniaathletics.org

facebook: “Ionia Bulldogs Athletic Page” 

twitter: @IoniaAthletics