Athletics

Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) provides its middle school student athletes with multiple opportunities to compete throughout the school year.

In 2022-23, we changed the order of our seasons so that we could align with our neighboring districts to offer more athletic opportunities for our students. Not only do we have the opportunity for post-season regional championships, but we now are opening up in season tournaments hosted by high schools throughout all three districts (Dysart, Peoria and DVUSD).

We also needed to make a change to the order of our seasons due to the fact that we were experiencing a shortage of game officials in previous years when the sports seasons coincided with the high school seasons. By making this change, we had one of our best years in regard to official coverage!

Both the high school athletic directors and the district athletic directors believe that the current seasonal format is best for the long term development of our athletic programs.

The continuation of our current season schedule will allow us to continue and grow our partnership with the Peoria and Dysart Districts, as well as allow us to continue to build our connections between the middle schools and high schools within our own district. As our middle schools compete outside of the high school seasons, this will allow for high school coaches and assistant coaches to become more involved with our middle school programs.

As we continue to move forward in partnership with our high schools and neighboring districts, our goal is to provide as many athletic opportunities for our students within DVUSD. We look forward to a great 2025-26 school year!

·   Track (ran through BCHS)

Sunset Ridge School will be participating in Deer Valley’s 7-8 athletic conference.  In this conference, Deer Valley has adopted the code of conduct, “Pursuing Victory With Honor.”   Deer Valley athletic programs are committed to providing an enjoyable experience in a safe environment where students pursue “Victory With Honor” through the “Six Pillars of Character:” Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship

Here are the directions to follow when completing the Register My Athlete process: 

Sports packet completed/downloaded 100% on-line

1. Go to www.registermyathlete.com 

2. Click: create account

3. Click: parent

4. Click: start/complete registration (red boxes)

5. Select: School

6. Select: Athlete - add

7. Select: year/sport

8. Confirm and complete all forms (red boxes)

9. School Requirements

10. Parent and athlete e-sign

11. Upload physical (PDF or JPEG).  If you take a picture you MUST use the 

     Google Chrome app on a mobile device - and add the documents.

12. You will get message: “Pending School Approval”  - AD will check and approve.

1. Select school, select athlete, guardian info., insurance, medical info

Eligibility

In accordance with the State of Arizona’s regulations and Deer Valley’s Governing Board Policy, only those students deemed academically eligible may participate in extra or co-curricular activities. Athletic Eligibility will be determined every week starting the first Monday after the week of tryouts.  If a student-athlete is failing a class (Minimum of 1 D or F), the student-athlete will be put on an ineligible list for one week. During this ineligible period the student-athlete will still be considered on the team, allowed to practice, but not allowed to participate in games or travel with the team to away contests. If the student-athlete has a combination of three occurrences during a season (Pending or Ineligible), then they will be dismissed from the team. This will be considered the three strike rule.

Grade checks will be run every Thursday afternoon and the pending/ineligible time period will be Monday- Saturday. Grades are considered for all classes with no exceptions, and it is not looked at on a class to class basis. In the case of a teacher error, then that situation will be dealt with on an individual basis.

Students who are suspended from school may not participate in any team practices/games from the time of their suspension until the day following their last day of suspension.  Students and parents should be aware that if the student is medically excused from participating in regular physical education classes, they could be ineligible for participation in school athletic programs as stated on the medical excuse from the parent or doctor.

Attendance

Students participating in extracurricular events must be in attendance at school on the day of the events. Students who are excused for a part of the day, not to exceed one-half day, for dental appoints and/or medical appointments may be allowed to participate.

Tryouts

There is a process and specific requirements in order to try out for any school sport. All students must have a sports physical exam and all forms completed prior to trying out for any team. Physical Exams are good for one year from the time of completion. Please see the "Register My Athlete" tab to get started.

Closed Tryouts/Practices

It is Sunset Ridge’s desire to create a safe and unbiased atmosphere during tryouts and practices.  Therefore, it is our policy that all tryouts and practices are closed to everyone; excluding student athletes, coaches and SSR staff.  This helps decrease any additional liability in the gym during these activities.

Athletics participation fees have increased for the 2025-26 school year for middle school and high school athletes, as well as high school marching bands and AFJROTC color guard units. See the new fees listed below.

Fees were increased in part because of the failure of the M&O override passage in November 2024. The increased rates were approved unanimously (5-0) by the DVSUD Governing Board on May 13, 2025.

For information on how the M&O Override can be restored in November 2025, please visit our Election Facts page.

ATHLETIC FEE PAYMENTS

• It is the parent’s or guardian's responsibility to keep receipts when paying for multiple family members in regards to tracking the family maximum amount being met.
• Athletic fees are non-refundable.
• The DVUSD Athletic Fees do not guarantee playing time in competition.
• Financial hardship waiver forms are available in the school office or athletic office.

For more details on athletic fee payments, consult the DVUSD Athletic Handbook, or discuss any concerns you may have with your child's coach or the school's athletic director.

Admission to Games

Tryout Weeks (subject to change)

Baseball: Aug 11th

Cross Country (5th-8th Grade): Sept 22rd (No Tryouts)

Volleyball: November 10th

Track BCHS (5th-8th Grade): Starts February 18th (No Tryouts)

Boys/Girls Basketball: February 23rd

Spiritline: February 23rd

Conference Map

Conference Address

Michelle Bodily

Sunset Ridge Athletic Mission Statement

The athletic department at Sunset Ridge is committed to the development of tomorrow's leaders by creating an environment that promotes personal growth, academic and athletic excellence in a progressive, inclusive, and transparent manner. The Staff and Administration will support our mission, to provide and outstanding fan experience, encourage community engagement, and serve as a source of pride for alumni, supporters, and the entire District Community.