More than 15,000 Chicago Public School elementary students from 280 schools dedicated their fall weekends to volleyball, cross country and soccer competitions as part of the CPS SCORE! fall sports season, nearly doubling the number of students who participated in last winter’s inaugural season. As participation in CPS SCORE! continues to climb, the district has established new partnerships and programs, such as Junior SCORE! – a groundbreaking program with the Chicago Fire and Chicago Red Stars that provides soccer coaching and innovative lessons to students in the Belmont-Cragin community. To celebrate the end of the first fall season, hundreds of students from across Chicago participated in the CPS SCORE! Fall Championships this past weekend at Hanson Stadium.

As the official interscholastic athletics league for CPS elementary school students and the first-of-its-kind public school sports model in the nation, CPS SCORE! (Sports Can Open Roads to Excellence), doesn’t cut any student or require tryouts, giving every student an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of team sports, regardless of their level of athletic ability. The district has also expanded additional partnerships and programming, such as Junior SCORE! – a unique program between CPS and two MLS soccer teams: the Chicago Fire and Chicago Red Stars. This program provides students in the Belmont-Cragin community with the opportunity to interact with and learn from the professional soccer players, and also incorporates lessons on social and emotional learning, player development and nutrition. Junior SCORE! will continue this spring. CPS SCORE! will kick off its winter season next month. Families can visit www.cps.edu/score for additional information on the program and learn how to get involved.