• Each sport usually meets 3 times per week for about 2 hours each time (3 practices per week, or 2 practices and 1 game, or 2 games and 1 practice, etc.).
• We are a competitive program; thus individual play time in games is not equal.
• Locations: our practices and games take place at various church, school, and community center gyms and parks throughout the city.
• Schedules will be emailed to you directly from the coaches 1-2 weeks after registration has closed.  Unless listed in the sports descriptions below, schedule information is not available before you register, as schedules may vary depending upon which team your child is placed within that sport.  We do offer a refund (minus a $10-13 processing fee) if, when you receive the schedule, you find that you are unable to participate in our program.  Please contact the registrar for a refund within the first two weeks of practice at [email protected].
• Schedules are subject to change throughout the season.  Our schedules are subject to the operating hours of the facilities that we use and the availabilty of our individual volunteer coaches.  Schedules are also contingent on the game schedules that are assigned to us by the leagues in which we participate.  Game schedules may impact practice schedules from week to week.

Sport seasons listed are approximate.  Note that some sport seasons overlap.  Please take this into consideration when registering one student for multiple sports.  When one student has two sports that are listed for different seasons, but overlap somewhat, the sport for which the season started first is the one that should be given priority.

EARLY FALL SPORTS

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:  (Early August through Early October)
(Open to 5th Grade if space is available.)*
We plan to field one or two teams depending on player, coach, and gym availability.  Volleyball is a highly skilled, position specific sport; thus "playing time" is determined based on a player's specific skill set and the needs of the team in each rotation.  Playing time is not measured in "minutes played", and will not be equal. We compete in the APIAL middle school girls volleyball league and play against Albuquerque Parochial and Independent schools.
*NOTE:  Fifth graders wishing to participate in AHSA sports within the APIAL league may register and will be placed on a waiting list and allowed on teams if roster spots are available at the close of registration.

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL CO-ED CROSS COUNTRY:  (Early August through Mid October)
Cross Country competes in the ACSL League.  Middle school runs a 3K race (1.86 miles).  There are no tryouts for Cross Country, but all runners need to be able to complete their respective distances without stopping by September 2nd.  Runners unable to complete this task may be retained on the team, but that will be contingent upon having enough helpers to work with them.  Practices are usually held on Tuesday & Thursday evenings; meets are on Saturday mornings.

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL CO-ED TENNIS:  (Early August through Mid October)
We compete with public and private schools through USTA. When signing up for MS Tennis, please try to commit to the whole tennis season, which includes the tennis tournament generally held on the third weekend in October (Saturday and Sunday).  The season is too short to have a ladder system for seeding so coaches will decide seeding based on their discretion.  

Practices are generally held on Monday afternoons and Friday mornings, beginning in late July or early August.  Matches are normally every Thursday afternoon beginning in September and running until the tournament in mid to late October. Practices are usually at one of the city tennis courts;  Zuni, Onate, Jerry Cline, and Los Altos tennis courts are ones that we have used in the past.  

LATE FALL SPORTS

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL BOYS FLAG FOOTBALL:  (Early September through November)
(Open to 5th Grade if space is available.)*
We compete in the APIAL middle school flag football league and play against Albuquerque Parochial and Independent schools. Practice locations are to be determined, but have been held at Hoffmantown Church Park and Montgomery Park in the past.  Cleats and mouthguards are required.
*NOTE:  Fifth graders wishing to participate in AHSA sports within the APIAL league may register and will be placed on a waiting list and allowed on teams if roster spots are available at the close of registration.

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL BOYS & GIRLS GOLF TOURNAMENTS: (Early September through Mid October)
This sport is independent/student/famiy-led.  At this time, there is no coach, and there are no team practices, but APIAL staff are available to assist at tournaments.  Registering for MS Golf through AHSA allows parents to then register their 5th-8th grade students for any or all of the individual middle school golf tournaments offered through APIAL.  The APIAL website opens registration for each golf tournament one week before each tournament begins.  The fee for each individual tournament is $25, payable through the APIAL website.  After registering with AHSA, it is the responsibility of each family to register individually on the APIAL Golf Registration Page for any of the tournaments in which your athlete would like to participate:  https://sites.google.com/site/apialgolf/home.

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL:  (Early September through Early December)
(Open to 5th Grade if space is available.)*
Middle school girls basketball practices usually start mid-September, with games usually running late October through early December.  We compete in the APIAL middle school girls basketball league and play against Albuquerque Parochial and Independent schools  We try to field two or three teams, depending on player, coach, and gym availability. Teams are divided between the A division for 7th and 8th graders and the B division for 6th graders and some 7th graders.  
*NOTE:  Fifth graders wishing to participate in AHSA sports within the APIAL league may register and will be placed on a waiting list and allowed on teams if roster spots are available at the close of registration.

WINTER SPORTS

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL:  (Mid November through Early March)
(Open to 5th Grade if space is available.)*
Middle school boys basketball usually starts practices in mid-November, with games running from mid-January through early March.  We compete in the APIAL middle school boys basketball league and play against Albuquerque Parochial and Independent schools  We usually field two or three teams, depending on player, coach, and gym availability. Teams are divided between the A division for 7th and 8th graders and the B division for 6th graders and some 7th graders.  
*NOTE:  Fifth graders wishing to participate in AHSA sports within the APIAL league may register and will be placed on a waiting list and allowed on teams if roster spots are available at the close of registration.

SPRING SPORTS

6th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL CO-ED SOCCER:  (mid-January through Late April)
(NOT open to 5th Grade due to  ACSL League restrictions)
This is a co-ed sport.  We aim to build a team consisting of an equal number of boy and girl athletes.  We compete in the ACSL middle school soccer league and play against charter schools.  We usually field one team in this league.  Practices may begin in mid January and run through late April.  Practices are sometimes held at Montgomery Park.

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL CO-ED TRACK & FIELD:  (Late February through late April)
Practices are three times per week at a public school track field, usually on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.  Practices have often been held at Eldorado High School.  There are normally about four or five meets that are held on Saturdays in late March and April.  Events include 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m sprints as well as 1600m and 3200m distance events.  We offer 2 relay events.  Field events are shot put, discus, and long jump.  We compete in the ACSL League.

5th-8th Grade MID SCHOOL BOYS & GIRLS SPRING GOLF TOURNAMENTS: (Early April through early May)
This sport is independent/student/famiy-led.  At this time, there is no coach, and there are no team practices, but APIAL staff are available to assist at tournaments.  Registering for MS Golf through AHSA allows parents to then register their 5th-8th grade students for any or all of the individual middle school golf tournaments offered through APIAL.  The APIAL website opens registration for each golf tournament one week before each tournament begins.  The fee for each individual tournament is $25, payable through the APIAL website.  After registering with AHSA, it is the responsibility of each family to register individually on the APIAL Golf Registration Page for any of the tournaments in which your athlete would like to participate:  https://sites.google.com/site/apialgolf/home.


Last Update 12/03/2022