A league of their own: NYC middle school athletes get the chance to compete
New York City’s Public School Athletic League calls itself the largest sports league in the world, a city-run organization that provides opportunities for some 45,000 high school students to compete in soccer, bowling, cheerleading, table tennis, and more than a dozen other sports.
But when it comes to middle school, there are few chances for students to face off against other schools. The education department does not support a competitive league for students in grades six through eight.
A Manhattan gym teacher and local nonprofit have filled in that gap. John DeMatteo, who teaches at Manhattan Academy of Technology in Lower Manhattan, and the nonprofit Manhattan Youth Recreation and Resources, have spent years quietly building the Middle School Athletic League, or MSAL. It now includes about 125 schools, giving students the chance to wear a team jersey and travel the city to play against their peers.