From Struggles to Success: Gilbert High's Sports Intervention Program Transforms Student Lives

Editor's Note: This story is part of an ongoing series called "Principal's Perspective" which allows campus administrators a chance to share personally written stories. Submit yours at hello@spotlightschools.com

Catering primarily to 11th and 12th grade students who struggled in traditional high school settings, Gilbert High School in Anaheim found that numerous students were passionate about sports, but faced obstacles such as low grades and attendance preventing them from joining school teams.

These obstacles often stem from complex issues like family difficulties, housing instability, underemployment, mental health and community violence. When they come to continuation, educational options and alternative education schools and programs, they find that few, if any, offer sports programs either. 

Gilbert, an alternative high school school in the Anaheim Union High School District, has undergone a significant transformation by adopting the community school approach, prioritizing student input and democratizing education. Recognizing the importance of addressing students' needs and motivations, particularly in a community where many face socioeconomic challenges, our school has focused on leveraging sports as a tool for engagement and academic success.

In response to student’s voices and needs, the school's educators and administrators developed the Gilbert High School Co-Ed Sports Intervention Program (SIP) to provide a pathway for these students to re-engage with school through sports. Recognizing that traditional approaches to eligibility might not suit their students' needs, the SIP team opted for a more flexible model centered on continual improvement. Student athletes earn playing time based on their progress in academics, attendance, and attitude and effort with weekly opportunities to demonstrate improvement. This gives student athletes short goals they can build on, and every week becomes another opportunity to participate again.  The SIP team collaborated and developed a philosophy and policy to help guide their work. 

The focus of the SIP extends beyond sports; it aims to foster meaningful relationships, rekindle students' enthusiasm for learning, school pride and cultivates essential skills like resilience, teamwork, communication, and citizenship.

One student, Miguel "Mikey" Huitron, exemplifies the program's impact. Mikey’s journey is significant because he was formerly incarcerated, learned from his mistakes, but stopped coming to school and felt hopeless. Despite facing personal and academic challenges, including health issues and family hardships, Mikey found renewed purpose and support through the SIP, ultimately overcoming obstacles to graduate and enroll in community college. Mikey is the Captain of the soccer team and has earned the Most Valuable Player award.

Under the guidance of dedicated educators like Ms. Veronica Ortega-Gamez, Jenni Camerna, and Monse Avila, whose vision founded the SIP program, the SIP continues to yield tangible outcomes. A recent grade analysis demonstrated that participating student athletes at Gilbert High School achieved an average GPA increase of 1.2 points and improved attendance rates. Through regular meetings, tutoring, and goal-setting sessions, the SIP team and administrators provide personalized support to the student athletes, fostering a culture of academic growth and empowerment. The SIP is far more than sports. 

Currently, we  have five other alternative high schools participating in games across Orange County. We first competed in games with Lorin Griset Academy in the Santa Ana Unified School District, La Vista High School in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, Brea Canyon High School in the Brea Olinda Unified School District and have now expanded to include Hare High School in the Garden Grove Unified School District and Back Bay High School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Based on student interest, we currently compete in soccer, flag football, and basketball. 

A lot can happen when we take the time to listen to student voices and are willing to take action on what they ask for. We hope to continue and develop our SIP and leverage its  power of relationship building, progress monitoring, and play to re-engage with our most disengaged students in school.

This story was written by Gilbert High School Principal Jose Lara.

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