FROM:
Community Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Youth Sports Recap
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Review, Accept, and File Staff Report
End
DISCUSSION:
The City of Fontana’s Sports Division offers year-round sports programs for Fontana’s young athletes. The programs are broken into three different groups:
• Pee Wee Sports (ages 1½ - 8)
• Youth Sports (ages 8½ - 17)
• Middle School Sports (specific to FUSD students)
The various leagues and programs take place at several locations throughout the city. Fontana Sports Division excels in offering safe, fun, and recreational sporting experiences.
The COVID-19 Global pandemic ceased sports programming in March of 2020. May of 2021 saw the return to sports endeavors in limited fashion due to staffing challenges. Programs continue to be as popular as ever, and the Community Services, Sports Division will be extremely excited to offer full-fledged programming when staffing levels rise to pre-pandemic levels.
Pee Wee Sports - $50 per participant
The City of Fontana’s Pee Wee Sports programs are a non-competitive, instructional based program; offered to all children between the ages of 1½ and 8. The registration fee includes a team t-shirt and a participation award. The Pee Wee Sports programs include:
• T-ball
o Held once a year - Summer
• Basketball
o Held twice a year - Fall and Winter
• Soccer
o Held twice a year - Spring and Fall
Each of the Pee Wee Sports is six weeks and offers children the opportunity to socialize at an early age; many times, this is the child’s first interaction with other children of their own age. Since May, the Sports Division has offered two seasons of soccer at the new Central City Park and Southridge Park and one season of Basketball at the Fontana Park Sports Pavilion. During these seasons the Sports Division has seen 426 young athletes participate in city run pee wee sports.
The Pee Wee Sports programs are divided into age divisions for children of the same age to participate within their respective skill levels, sizes, and safety.
• Mini Mites - 1½yrs to 2yrs
• Junior Mites - 3yrs to 5yrs
• Mighty Mites - 6yrs to 8yrs
Each sport is broken into the age divisions outlined above and provide the foundation for each leagues structure. Each participant chooses their practice days and locations at the time of registration. Participants have the choice between Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday for practice and games. The first three weeks of the season serve as practice meetings while the last three weeks are game scrimmages against other teams in their respective divisions.
Games are not officiated, instead games are supervised by staff members as well as coaches, to monitor and ensure the safety of participants. Game monitors are on site to help guide and teach participants the fundamentals of the game.
The Pee Wee Sports leagues serve the entirety of the community with opportunities for participation in the South at Southridge Park for T-ball and soccer as well as providing Central and North locations at the new Central City Park and the Ralph M. Lewis Sports Complex for soccer. Moreover, the Jessie Turner Gymnasium and the Fontana Park Sports Pavilion are utilized for Basketball.
The Pee Wee Sports program continues to be an essential part of the community because parents want opportunities for their young children to participate in organized sports due to the social and health benefits.
Youth Sports Programs - $70 per participant
Youth Sports programs consist of a competitive and recreational eight-to-ten-week season. Registration fees include a jersey/uniform and participation award. Athletes between the ages of eight and seventeen can participate in;
• Basketball - Ages 8yrs to 13yrs
o Held three times a year - Winter, Spring and Fall
o Held at various Middle School Sites
• Roller Hockey - Ages 6yrs to 17yrs
o Held twice a year - Spring and Fall
o Held at the Fontana Park Sports Pavilion
Participants are taught valuable life skills including teamwork, sportsmanship, and the importance of being active. Since May of 2021 the Sports Division have been able to offer one Basketball Season at the various FUSD middle schools this Fall and one Roller Hockey Season currently underway at the Fontana Park Sports pavilion. 218 young athletes have participated in these city run youth sports program.
Like Pee Wee Sports, Youth Sports is divided into divisions for the best of the participants and competition. The three basketball age divisions are broken down like so;
• A Division - 12 - 13 years old
• B Division - 10 - 11 years old
• C Division - 8 - 9 years old
While the Roller Hockey divisions are broken down like the following;
• A Division - 14 - 17 years old
• B Division - 10 - 13 years old
• C Division - 6 - 9 years old
Again, the divisions provide the foundation of the league. Because these sports are competitive - officials are scheduled, scores are kept, standings are posted, and the league winners are determined by playoffs. Only the top teams in each respective league play for the championship. Although this can be tough for some teams, coaches, players, and parents it provides the reality of sports as well as life lessons - “you can’t always win, but you can have a lot of fun trying.”
Middle School Sports - $70 per participant
The Middle School Sports program is offered exclusively to FUSD students. The program takes place during after school hours directly on school campus. During the eight week season the schools compete against one another to claim the title of league champ. Middle School Sports offered
• Volleyball
o Held in the Fall
o Co-ed Junior Varsity and Varsity Team at each school
• Basketball
o Held in the Winter
o Boys and Girls team at each school
• Soccer
o Held in the Spring
o Boys and Girls Team at each school
This Fall’s Middle School Volleyball Season witnessed 157 students participate in the program. Teams from the seven Middle Schools - Alder, Almeria, Fontana, Ruble, Sequoia, Southridge, or Truman each fielded Junior Varsity and Varsity squads for league competition. Southridge Middle School came out on top of both divisions.
The Sports Division anticipates that an additional three hundred and fifty student athletes will participate in the Winter Basketball and Spring Soccer seasons ahead. School administrators are big supporters of the program as student athletes are required to maintain a 2.0 grade point average and must display good behavior on campus to be eligible to represent their school. Middle School Principals credit the sports programs for having helped increase daily attendance, better grades, and overall school spirit on campus. It is very common for over a one hundred students to stay after school to cheer on their classmates during a competition.
OVERALL
The City of Fontana’s Pee Wee, Youth, and Middle School sports rely heavily on the participation of volunteer coaches. These coaches volunteer countless hours teaching and instructing Fontana’s youth. Over the months of May through November, 78 coaches have committed their time, knowledge, and experience to Fontana’s Community Services Sports programs, which equates to approximately 1,482 volunteer hours.
Youth sports is the foundation of recreation programming. These year-round programs help build community by bringing thousands of families out to Fontana parks and facilities multiple times a week. Sports programming instill lifelong lessons and healthy lifestyles into participants that many carry on throughout their lives.
The Sports Division prides itself on providing quality programs to residents. Partnerships with professional sports teams, a program specific for Middle School Students, a Mini Mites Pee Wee Division, and a Hockey program are just a few examples of what separates Fontana from other agencies. The city looks forward to continuing to provide quality, safe, fun and recreational sports experiences to its residents for years to come.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
MOTION:
Accept, Approve and File Report