Last summer, Alamo Heights Junior School (AHJS) switched athletic conferences, a change that was carefully planned by Coach Rittiman (Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at the High School) and Coach Bond (Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at the Junior School). Both coaches shared the behind-the-scenes story of the decision to make the switch.

The main reason for the change was the addition of a second middle school in the Bulverde area, which made the Comal district (AHJS’s old district) have an odd number of teams, complicating the scheduling of games. Coach Bond explained, “We knew this was going to happen; we just didn’t know when. We really didn’t have a choice.”

At the beginning of the last school year, it was announced that AHJS would need to find a new conference for 2024. By October, the school had secured a place in the Hill Country Conference. “I knew we would be playing in this new conference by October,” said Coach Bond.

The Hill Country Conference includes schools that are similar in size and competition level. “We try to find schools like us, with competitive teams that are close by,” said Coach Bond. While the travel distance is longer than before, Coach Rittiman doesn’t think it will have much impact on the athletes. “Students will need to leave school a bit earlier and get home a bit later, but the longer travel gives them no excuse for poor performance or not getting their homework done,” he said.

One exciting aspect of the switch is playing new schools. “You get used to the same old conference. The exciting part is playing new teams and testing what you’ve learned against them,” said Coach Bond.

Coach Bond also expressed confidence in the new district’s competitiveness. “I think our new district is pretty competitive,” he said. “It’s going to challenge our athletes. Playing good competition helps our athletes and coaches because they have to prepare for every game. You really have to push through the practices, workouts, and games—there are no easy games.”

So far, Football, Volleyball, and Cross Country have completed their seasons in the new conference, and the feedback has been positive. Both Coach Rittiman and Coach Bond reported that the transition has gone smoothly, and AHJS is excited for the future of its athletic programs.