Sports kick off

Newcastle Middle School and Newcastle High School student athletes for fall sports will have their first practice Aug. 18, according to the schools’ activities directors.

Carrie Manders, NMS’ activities director, told the News Letter Journal that cross-country will be from 3:30 to 5:45 p.m. at the Kozisek Aquatic Center, and volleyball will run from 3:30 to 5:45 p.m. in the NMS gym. Football players will have gear checkout and conditioning practice from 6:30 to 8 a.m. in the gym, and their regular practice will run from 3:30 to 5:45 p.m.

“All athletes must have a physical before they practice,” Manders said.

Athletes for any high school sport for the 2025-26 school year must complete the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, or ImPACT, evaluation between 3 and 5 p.m. on Aug. 13, Aug. 14 or Aug. 15 in the middle school’s library, according to Alysha Engle, NHS’ activities director.

According to the website of the company that creates the test, ImPACT Applications, ImPACT is a medical device that helps assess and manage concussions. The device analyzes test takers’ visual and verbal memory, reaction time, and processing speed, and when an athlete who has suffered a concussion has previously done baseline testing, health care providers can compare each test’s results and customize treatment.

Parents of children who plan to participate in any sport this year should attend the All Sports Parent Meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 20 in the Crouch Auditorium.