Sixth graders at Cabin John Middle School and Herbert Hoover Middle School can try out for competitive interscholastic sports this school year. It's the first time in years that Montgomery County Public Schools has opened those teams to its youngest middle schoolers.

MCPS Director of Systemwide Athletics Jeff Sullivan confirmed the pilot program for the 2026-2027 school year, reported by Bethesda Magazine on Thursday, Aug. 13. Under the previous structure, sixth graders were limited to intramural play against classmates at their own school while only seventh and eighth graders competed against other schools.

The change starts this fall.

Sixth graders can now try out for boys and girls slow-pitch softball and cross country in the fall, basketball in the winter and soccer in the spring.

"We really kind of looked at the pipeline of sports, the access to sports, and thought, 'You know what, let's open this up for our sixth graders and provide that opportunity,'" Sullivan told Bethesda Magazine.

Sullivan said the expansion was driven by an increased need to provide access to sports for underserved populations and by years of parent requests. He said the district's initial reaction has been "very positive" and that parents have been asking for the change.

Flag football pilot with the Commanders

Separately, MCPS is launching a boys and girls flag football program for all middle schoolers in sixth through eighth grade this spring, in partnership with the Washington Commanders. The program follows the district's introduction of girls flag football at the high school level during the 2024-2025 school year.

Sullivan called flag football interest "skyrocketing and exploding" in Maryland and nationally. The sport was already popular in MCPS intramural programs before the district decided to make it interscholastic.

What happens if a sixth grader doesn't make the team?

Intramural sports will remain available for students who prefer non-competitive play or who are not selected for a team. Sullivan acknowledged the district needs to be careful that sixth graders who get cut still come back to try out the following year.

MCPS plans to evaluate the pilot by examining participation data, roster composition and whether the expansion introduced new opportunities for players.

How to register

Families can sign up through ParentVue, the MCPS parent portal. School-specific tryout schedules are available at mcpsathleticzone.com.