Starting this summer, Lake Washington School District (LWSD) is offering summer athletics as part of its overall athletics programming.

According to a press release, many high school students participate in athletic activities associated with their school during the months of June and July. WIAA allows for these activities. Currently, coaches volunteer their time, or these activities are sponsored by booster clubs. There are varying practices in how these activities are both funded and organized, and LWSD has an interest in providing clarity to coaches, student-athletes and parents, the release states.

Starting this year, LWSD will officially offer a summer athletic season that will compensate coaches for providing supervision, establish a system that ensures compliance with WIAA rules, ensure that team summer activities are carried out in a fashion consistent with the same standard of care as is applied throughout the school year, and ensure that all participants are medically cleared to participate, according to the release.

The purpose of LWSD administering summer athletic activities are primarily two-fold. First, offering this program will increase the safety of student athletes participating in school-sponsored activities during the summer by bringing the supervisory requirements and system in alignment with that of the systems used during the school year. Second, offering summer athletics will enable LWSD to retain high-quality coaches and trainers by providing them compensation that recognizes the supervision and coaching that they provide to student athletes during June and July.

Visit the athletics section of the LWSD website for information and documents needed to participate in summer athletics at www.lwsd.org/students-families/athletics.