Dear LISD Families,
This is a good week to talk about sports. We are wrapping up the spring sports season with state championships in varsity golf and track and middle school track finals next week. Thanks to our athletic director, coaches, and assistant coaches for many hours spent teaching skills and teamwork at practices, chaperoning off-island competitions, communicating with families, and everything else. Coaches receive a small stipend that doesn't come close to matching the time and energy expended, so it's truly a labor of love.
Sports are very popular extracurricular activities on Lopez Island. In fact, we have been getting requests for new sports! For our youngest students, t-ball and baseball are available as community programs, and Pack runs elementary camps throughout the summer for volleyball, basketball, and soccer. Cheerleading starts with a summer camp, and continues throughout the school year. Archery club is available in the spring for grades 5 - 8.
Middle school sports are available for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Depending on the availability of coaches, LISD offers middle school soccer, volleyball, basketball, and track. For 6th graders, playing on a team can be part of a supported transition to middle school.
Varsity sports include soccer, volleyball, basketball, track, and golf. What I love about varsity sports in a small community is that, unless the team is unusually large, everyone gets to participate....even if they haven't played before.
I can't write about sports without shining a bright light on The Pack, our wonderful booster club led by Samantha Olsen and the Pack board of directors. They supplement our athletic program, pay for equipment, recognize our varsity athletes with BEAUTIFUL posters and banners, celebrate our seniors, host an athletic awards banquet, and so much more. Just recently, they have raised enough money to refinish our gym floor. That is huge! Big thanks to everyone who contributed to this fundraiser. The Pack is the wind in the sails of our athletic program, and we are so appreciative of all they do for kids!
This weekend, we get to honor Larry Berg for his 40 years of service as a PE teacher, coach, and athletic director. The Pack is hosting a retirement party for Coach Berg on Saturday. I am so excited to celebrate this teacher who continues to show up every day to every class with enthusiasm and heart...for kindergarteners, high school seniors, and everyone in between.
There are many ways to be healthy and move our bodies. There are many ways to be engaged in school and learn to function as a team. Sports are a pathway for many students. Whether you have contributed to a Pack fundraiser, cheered on our students at competition, or driven students to and from practices, we thank you for supporting our sports program and student athletes.
Go Lobos!
All my best,
Martha
