PORT ORCHARD — Parents and middle-school athletes, take note: South Kitsap School District middle-school sports seasons are making a switch beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.

Amy Miller, the district’s spokeswoman, said middle-school football, volleyball and cross country seasons will take place in the fall of season one, with track, baseball and fastpitch scheduled in season four in the spring. These two seasons will swap beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.

“A variety of factors influenced the decision to change, including weather, availability of officials, facility use and opportunities to tie in high school and middle-level coaching,” said Kelly Kirk, South Kitsap School District athletic director.

Fall in western Washington is historically less rainy than spring, so the school district hopes to reduce the need for canceled and rescheduled baseball and fastpitch games. Kirk said the availability of officials to umpire games affected due to conflicts with high-school-level games. The change will result in middle and high-school games taking place in different seasons.

“Another exciting benefit of the season switch is the opportunity for coaches at the high-school level to coach middle-school students,” he said.

Here is how the season switch will “play out”:

Fall 2018:

Track and Field (Grades 6, 7, 8)

Baseball (7, 8)

Fastpitch (7, 8)

Intramural baseball and fastpitch (6)

Winter 1 2018:

Boys basketball (7, 8)

Girls soccer (7, 8)

Intramural boys basketball and girls soccer (6)

Dance team

Winter 2 2019:

Girls basketball (7, 8)

Wrestling (6, 7, 8)

Intramural girls basketball (6)

Spring 2019:

Cross country (6, 7, 8)

Wrestling (6, 7, 8)

Intramural girls basketball (6)

Spring 2019:

Cross country (6, 7, 8)

Girls volleyball (7, 8)

Football (7, 8)

Intramural grade 6 girls volleyball and flag football (6)

Football (6)

Dance team

For more information about the sports season switch, contact Kirk at 360-874-5736.