Sebastian Rubino / sebastian@thereflector.com

Battle Grounds Community Education (BGCE) will launch a co-educational volleyball program for children in grades 5-8 on October 1st.

BGCE Program Coordinator Kim Sutton said the eight-week program is one of many focused on martial arts, basketball and more.

“We have community participants who sign up for coeducational teams.Once they are established, we start looking for volunteer coaches,” Sutton says.

Since all the coaches are volunteers, she said each has to go through a clearance process. It takes place on weekday evenings and Saturdays at school.

“My daughter is in high school and plays volleyball. “I am a huge proponent of youth sports in particular, but definitely only youth activities. I think we can.”

According to Sutton, sports teach children many life skills, such as communication, structure, being a team player, and listening to directions.

“They have to have their bags ready, they have to have their sports equipment ready, so taking responsibility for their own activities is a really good life skill,” she said.

She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to the program.

“It was exciting to be able to go out and play even though masks were implemented for part of the season. The whole thing is ready,” Sutton said. I am on my way back.”

Besides volleyball, BGCE also runs a basketball program in the winter and hosts exercise classes, yoga, piano lessons and martial arts for adults, she said. Programs have been dormant for much of the pandemic, but Sutton said all programs will resume in the coming months.

“I’m so excited, we’re all excited. Athletes, parents, referees, employees, volunteer coaches, we’re all ready. We’re ready,” Sutton said. .

Sutton said demand for volleyball programs tends to fluctuate from year to year.

“Participation levels go up and down,” she said. “Sometimes there are bigger classes, just like Battleground High School prepares to have huge classes. We now have a small group of kids. But we always have consistent numbers, sometimes just bigger than others.

Sutton says children in the program begin to develop a love of team development and camaraderie as they learn to try things they never knew they could do.

“For many of them, they can be cheered on and mentored by their parents, so it’s a great experience for everyone,” she said.

Sutton said he expects a spike in registrations near the Aug. 31 deadline, as parents typically register towards the end of the registration period.

Parents can register online at wa-battleground.intouchreceipting.com.

For more information, please call 360-885-6584 or email commed@battlegroundps.org.