With 17 DCIAA teams, four club teams, and only one field, space is tight at Jackson-Reed. While distributing this field space is a tall task, the athletic department is well prepared this year and is placing an emphasis on consistency. 

While this is both a large and challenging undertaking, the athletic department this year has “revamped how we do things,” according to Patrice Arrington, the athletic director.  “This year is all about consistency in the schedule, so there are no hiccups,” Thelma Ortega, the athletic coordinator, added. This includes making coaches aware of backup spaces when JR is hosting a home game and keeping the same teams in the same time slots throughout the entire week and season. 

So what is the pecking order for the coveted spaces? The first determining factor is whether a team is in or out of season. If “they’re in season, they have priority,” Arrington said. While that narrows down the competition a bit, the next aspect of determining who gets first dibs is whether they are a DCIAA sport. “Priority is going to go to our DCIAA sports because they are covered by our athletic trainer and they are covered by the school,” Ortega added. DCIAA teams are funded by both DCPS and the school, compared to club teams such as crew and ultimate frisbee who must raise their own funds. 

While the morning is less challenging, the afternoon is where it gets tricky. “We have a lot of teams, not as much space as we would like to think that we have, and not enough time in a day,” Ortega said. Most teams share the desire of an afternoon slot. “Who really wants to come at six in the morning to work out,” Ortega noted. Not only does the afternoon receive more requests from coaches, but there are more teams filling out requests as well. “We have our club sports who want to go at the same time as our DCIAA sports,” Ortega said. Another wrinkle is when JR’s athletic trainer is available. Certain sports require that a trainer be present, which can have a big effect on who has to practice when.

Further adding to what is already a jigsaw puzzle of a schedule, Jackson-Reed is required to rent out their field and gym spaces to outside parties. “We don’t have a choice,” Arrington added. All DCPS schools are required by the government and mayor to rent out their spaces. Not only does this add to the scheduling chaos and require increased coordination, but it takes practice time away from JR’s many sports teams. 

Adding more pieces to the puzzle is the increasing number of teams’ desire to hold pre-season workouts and practice year-round. However, teams who wish to practice out of season will have to be patient. “They are able to get whatever we have left,” Arrington said. 

Every coach, regardless of season, is sent the practice and game schedule each week. If a coach wants to reserve space, they must submit a request to the athletic department. “We try to create parody amongst all the teams to try and make sure everyone gets as much time in as they can,” Arrington said. 

While delegating JR’s field and two gyms is not an easy assignment, this year the athletic department is ready for the challenge. So far, they have excelled. “Everything has been going great with our fall teams. So far not a lot of hiccups.” Ortega concluded.