The Aberdeen School District is studying the possibility of starting a school soccer program at Miller Junior High, the district’s athletic director told the school board this week.

Aaron Roiko said that last year, over 50 seventh- and eighth-grade boys signed up saying they were interested in playing soccer at Miller if there was a program. This year, almost 50 signed up again as interested.

Right now, the school has a program for girls soccer, but there’s no program for boys. There is a recreational youth soccer league for boys and girls in junior high and other age groups.

Roiko said a Miller boys soccer program would be beneficial for the district for the following reasons:

• Students stay active, which reduces stress and they are more healthy and have more energy.

• Minorities and low-income students are benefited as much or more than other students.

• Students make connections to school that they wouldn’t otherwise. More than 3/4 of the boys signed up are Hispanic and they don’t play other sports at Miller.

• Players create good habits in regard to academics and behavior in middle school.

A Miller team would be able to use old uniforms from the high school for the first few years, Roiko said. Costs to field a team would include four or five bus trips and officials and coaches’ salaries. Current teams in the area that a Miller squad could face are Centralia, Elma, Rochester, Shelton and Tenino.

WIAA Team Academic Awards

Roiko told the school board that 28 winter sport athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Eight out of 14 winter sports teams were recognized at the school board meeting for academic achievement.

• Boys basketball — Varsity — 3.086 GPA — 11 Athletes — Distinguished Award

• Boys basketball — C-Team — 3.453 GPA — 13 Athletes — Distinguished Award

• Girls basketball — Varsity — 3.350 GPA — 10 Athletes — Distinguished Award

• Girls basketball — JV Team — 3.244 GPA — 10 Athletes — Distinguished Award

• Girls basketball — C-Team — 3.137 GPA — 13 Athletes — Distinguished Award

• Boys swim — Varsity — 3.395 GPA — 14 Athletes — Distinguished Award

• Girls bowling — Varsity — 3.507 GPA — 6 Athletes — Outstanding Award

• Girls wrestling — Varsity — 3.518 GPA — 21 Athletes — Outstanding Award