Around the Valley: with Karen Huwe

Waitsburg's young people are staying fit by engaging in a variety of sports and activities. Parents, grandparents, and fans of our youth are volunteering to coach, chauffeuring players, and cheering at events. Whether it's indoor soccer, basketball, wrestling, skiing, or competing in the Kids Heart Challenge, players are learning new skills, competing with intensity, and building team spirit.

Skiing, a lifelong sport, is offered to the fifth-grade students at Waitsburg. Due to COVID, the current 6th graders were unable to ski in 2021, therefore they are learning to ski this year as well on Wednesdays. The first ski day was February 2nd and the program ends on February 23rd. The 5th-6th grade students ride the bus to Bluewood to take lessons or ski on their own to improve skills. On February 17th, all 6th-8th grade students had the chance to ski. Middle school staff alternated supervising students along with parent volunteers.

Twenty-four boys and girls in grades 3rd through 5th grade have been working on basketball fundamentals with Coach Gabe Kiefel. One 3rd-4th grade boys' team and one 5th grade boys' team play games on Saturdays at the YMCA in Walla Walla. They practice twice a week and will have played six games when the season ends. One 4th-5th grade girls' team was unable to join the YMCA league but have played in a tournament in Dayton. They hope to get more games scheduled. Coach Kiefel states, "There has been a significant improvement in skills over the last month". Other basketball volunteer coaches are Jessica & Tyson Reger, Kayla Barnett, Henry Hubbard, Bill Ayotta, Jessica Kiefel and Ethan Carpenter.

The Waitsburg Matbirds wrestling team, have 36 girls and boys, ages 5-14, practicing takedowns three days a week. They will participate in tournaments every Saturday March through April. They first tournament will be at Hanford on March 5. Head Coach Jason Taylor is assisted by Coach Jake Winona. Other volunteer coaches are Charlie & Caleb Barron, Carlos Norris, Lucas Collier, Jared Culley, Steve Mertens and Robert Parish.