Sports - Community Sports

POSTED: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Participation continues to grow at Boys and Girls Club

Abe Thalhofer and Emily Herold saw a need and filled it with about 165 girls on 15 volleyball teams at the Bellingham branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

Meanwhile, girls also have the option of participating in the other fall programs: tackle football, flag football and 3-on-3 basketball.

The growth of girls' participation is one of the major developments at the Bellingham branch at 1715 Kentucky St.

Thalhofer, 27, a former Mount Baker and Whatcom FC Rangers soccer player, is in his fourth year as athletic director for the Boys & Girls Clubs after graduation from Linfield College in Oregon. Herold, 26, a Western Washington University graduate, is athletic coordinator.

They are inviting parents and children who haven't yet discovered these programs to attend a season-capping day of special events on Saturday, Oct. 31.

"We'll be playing our tackle football title games at Civic Stadium at 4:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.," Thalhofer said. "We'll have flag football at Roosevelt Park and volleyball in our gym from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We feel very lucky to be able to present these programs."

He certainly had the right idea when it came to volleyball.

"We started volleyball last fall with 10 teams, and we've grown a lot in one year to 15 teams and about 165 girls," said Thalhofer, referring to the programs for girls in grades 5 through 8. "We just saw a need for it and realized we have the (large) facility for it."

Herold is thrilled with the improvement the girls have made in just one year, which bodes well for local high school volleyball.

"There's not another league for the younger (grades 5-6) girls in our area," Herold said. "Lots of people may still not be aware of our volleyball program. This is a chance for girls to get an early participation in volleyball."

Thalhofer and Herold say they're "trying hard to avoid any conflicts" by working with local youth soccer people.

Flag football is offered to youngsters 6, 7 and 8 years old and has increased from 17 teams to 28 in four years, covering more than 300 participants.

Tackle football runs teams for 8-10 year-olds and 10-12 year-olds and has grown from five teams to seven since Thalhofer took his post. Older kids, of course, play tackle football at school beginning in seventh grade, and exposure at the Boys & Girls Clubs can be important for middle school prospects.

The 3-on-3 version of basketball for kids in grades 5-8, is extremely popular, attracting numerous AAU players who can't get enough hoops.

All told, Thalhofer said some 1,100 youngsters participate in the Bellingham Boys & Girls Club fall programs. Year-round, the count at Bellingham, the largest of the county's five Boys & Girls Clubs, is well over 2,000.

"We see it as generating positive relationships, sportsmanship and self-esteem," Thalhofer said. "It's not just about the sports. There's so much for kids to learn than just the activity. The majority of our coaches really believe that, and that's what makes our programs a success."

Regular basketball practice starts in November for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. High school athletes not on varsity teams can play in the popular City Rock hoop program.

"Close to 2,000 kids play basketball here," Thalhofer said.

"Basketball participation has increased every year," Herold said.

Last spring, 33 girls' softball teams and 68 baseball teams for boys and a sprinkling of girls were formed. There also were 25 teams of tee ball for the youngest kids and a pitching machine league for grades 2 and 3.

"Countywide, more than 4,000 kids play at the Boys & Girls Clubs," Herold said. "I'm always impressed with the kids who love playing in our gym, and we love teaching them about healthy lifestyles."