Please help our New Prague young men to have the opportunity to get their names on this empty Swim & Dive Records Board. On Monday, March 23rd at 6 p.m. the New Prague School Board will be discussing the addition of a Boys Swim Program as a High School Sport. We are pleased this is on the agenda. A few parents; however, are concerned that the program is being proposed to start in 2021-2022, rather than next year for the 2020-2021 season. We respectfully request your support to encourage the school board and AD to move forward with adding this next year. If you and your son could attend, we believe this would be very beneficial! We would also appreciate your support by signing a petition. Below are several reasons why this is important:

1. There is a growing and strong Boys Swim program in New Prague! Our young men deserve the opportunity to compete at a high school level against other high school programs. In 2019-2020 we had 38 boys the Middle School and/or Neptune Swim programs, showing an interest and demand for the upper level competition. The Athletic Department projects that if a boys swim and dive team were to be offered in 2020/2021 there would be 24 boys out for the team, the majority of them being lower class-men. Thus the A.D. proposes that the boys wait until 2021/2022 when the projected number is 26 with more upper classmen. This means that several young men would only have the opportunity to complete their senior year. In addition when comparing the projected number of boys for the 2020/2021 season to other boys swim team’s rosters in our conference 24 is very comparable and many of their swimmers are under classmen.
Our Boys are also successful! Several swam in the recent club MRCs hosted by New Prague and also at the state competition in Rochester. The middle school program was started this past year to gauge interest for a high school program. It appears there is strong support!

2. Area schools offer Boys Swimming as a High School Sport. Of the 14 schools in the Wright County Conference, seven which are the schools NP competes against, offer Boys Swimming (Delano, Dassel-Cokato, Hutchinson, Litchfield, Mound Westonka, Orono and Waconia). The only schools in the conference that do not are much smaller than New Prague. In addition, area schools including but not limited to Shakopee, Prior Lake-Savage, Lakeville, Farmington, Chanhassen and Eden Prairie offer Boys Swimming. We do not want New Prague to fall behind area and conference schools in offerings.

3. There are currently more activities offered for female students than male students at New Prague High School. Based on the school website we noted the following:

Girls Sports: Cheerleading, Cross Country, Soccer, Swim & Dive, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Dance, Hockey, Gymnastics, Softball, Golf,Track, and Lacrosse. Totaling 14

Boys Sports: Cheerleading (1 boys currently participates), Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Hockey, Wrestling, Baseball, Golf, Track, and Lacrosse. Totaling 12

Boys swim & dive would be a winter sport offering this would allow for students cut from other sports programs to participate in swim & dive if it were offered.

If you and/or your son would be willing to attend the School Board meeting, Monday, March 23rd at the Aquatic Center (2nd floor) at 6 p.m. please join us and/or sign the petition below.

Thank you for your support!