The annual Turkey Bowl on Wednesday night had all the fixins of a traditional football game—
players battling it out on the field under the lights, cheerleaders on the sidelines doing back flips, a band drumming on five-gallon Home Depot buckets and throngs of fans in the stands braving the cold to cheer on their teams.
At the end, Bright Star Elementary stood victorious over Chapel Hill Elementary, 36-24, in what was the seventh annual championship game for elementary school flag football.
Bright Star coach and physical education teacher Tara Nicolini, reflecting on key interceptions including a Pick 6 by David Lattibeaudiere, said just like in traditional football, defense is key.
“Defense wins and loses games,” she said.
The enthusiasm and excitement surrounding the Turkey Bowl reflect the growing popularity of intramural sports at the elementary level in Douglas County.
Douglas County School System Athletics Director Eric Collins said nine of the school system’s 20 elementary schools now participate in intramural sports, taking part in five flag football games and 10 basketball games against each other. Teams are made up predominantly of fourth- and fifth-graders.
Intramural sports in DCSS elementary schools began in 2016 when Nicole Hall, then a third-
grade teacher at Eastside Elementary, was seeking ways to motivate students to complete their work and improve their behavior outside the classroom. Burnett Elementary, located across the street, joined in and the school system’s intramural sports league was born.
Hall, now an assistant principal at Bright Star, said intramural sports are free for students to participate in, but they must earn their playing time through completion of classwork and good behavior.
Hall notes the demand for intramural sports in elementary schools has continued to increase each year, prompting the county to split into two leagues for scheduling purposes.
“For many of our students and families this is their first time playing a team sport, and for many students it’s a way for them to not only show school pride, but also ‘show-off’ in front of their peers,” Hall said. “It is a great way to connect students and families to the school in a positive manner. Ultimately, this program has created a way for students and families to connect with their school outside of academics.”
Looking ahead, Collins emphasized that DCSS is continually seeking innovative ways to expand intramural sports and provide more opportunities for students to get involved.
“We see extracurricular activities as opportunities for growth in school pride and building stronger communities,” he said.
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