Ecker Hill Miner Leagues return with expanded fall sports

Ecker Hill Middle School’s Miner Leagues are returning for a second year with fall programs in flag football, soccer and cross-country. Photo: Vikram TKV

Flag football, soccer and cross-country are open for registration as the middle school athletics program enters its second year.

PARK CITY, Utah — Ecker Hill Middle School’s Miner Leagues are returning for a second year, giving students more opportunities to participate in school athletics this fall.

The school district describes the middle school program as designed to help students build athletic fundamentals, develop teamwork skills and represent their school in a lower-cost sports setting.

The district began testing expanded middle school athletics during the 2025-26 school year with intramural basketball and team handball. In May, district officials outlined plans to broaden the program through a partnership with City League, a local youth sports organization that emphasizes affordable, after-school athletics, trained coaches, and skill development while limiting the travel and weekend commitments common in some club programs.

City League told the Park City Board of Education in May that it had served more than 800 athletes during its first full school year.

Registration is now open for three fall programs:

• Flag football: Open to girls in seventh and eighth grades. Practices run Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 8 through Oct. 15, from 3:50 to 5:20 p.m.
• Soccer: Open to boys and girls in sixth through eighth grades in partnership with City League. The 10-week program begins Aug. 24, with practices on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
• Cross-country: Open to boys and girls in sixth through eighth grades. Practices run Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 1 through Oct. 8, from 3:50 to 5:20 p.m.

Ecker Hill Middle School Athletic Coordinator Chris Baer said the school has added more options this year to give students opportunities to try different sports at a low cost.