One local youth sports team is proving that not only can they be successful on the athletic field, they can be successful in the classroom as well.
The Sno-Valley Youth Athletic Association’s Hurricanes U-13 Pony League select baseball team is based in North Bend. All of their players, many of whom attend Snoqualmie Valley middle schools, have a 3.0 or better grade point average.
There is one big reason the team does so well in class: because they have to, in order to play
. The club requires its players to maintain a high grade point average during the season, for good reason, according to their coach, Peter Kairis.
Kairis used his schooling as an example.
“I went to a private school and they let me just skate along, because I was a gifted athlete,” he said. “It came back to bite me in the butt, even when I wanted to go to fill out an employment application.
“If the kids want to tie academics in with baseball, if [they] want to get in to college and play sports, [they have] got to be academically inclined.”
The grade point rule is helping players establish a solid work ethic, something that will be important later in life. It also teaches them responsibility.
“It’s hard because I have practice Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and sometimes I just have homework on those nights,” said player Conor Swift, who attends Chief Kanim Middle School in Fall City.
“I’ll stay up until at least 10, 11 just trying to finish the homework. We have projects and all, and then I come home from baseball practice, I’m all tired. But I know I need to get my homework finished, because school comes first.”
Kairis founded the club, a non-profit organization, a couple of years ago to provide local youth an avenue to play baseball without the negatives associated with other youth sports programs. “What we’re instilling in the kids with the Pony League, it’s a lot different,” Kairis said. “It’s a lot more work; you have to be dedicated. You’re playing real baseball.”
The coach said that on his team, all positions are earned through hard work. As part of making sure that a positive atmosphere is always maintained, parents and players are required to agree to a code of conduct before they are allowed into the program; this code of conduct requires parents and players to exhibit a high level of sportsmanship during the course of practices and games, and to not directly criticize umpires during contests.
Not only does the team boast solid students, but there are also future leaders among the players. One of Swift’s teammates, Kailund Williams, who is among of a number of players who made the honor roll, recently learned he will be the student body president this fall at the new Twin Falls Middle School in North Bend. Williams is ready for the challenge of balancing baseball, books, and leadership of his peers.
“With baseball and stuff like that, it is pretty hard to balance that, but being a student leader, I think, is fun,” Williams said. “Even though it is hard, it’s going to be a great opportunity.”
The Hurricanes have balanced baseball and academics, and are a decent team on the field, too. On Saturday, June 14, when the Valley Record conducted interviews for this story, this writer stayed and watched the ‘Canes play a team from Snohomish County. The team won 11-2. The roster includes players Swift, Williams, Joey Cotto, Christian Dewey, John Farmer, Sam Isen, Jordan Jamison, Chase Kairis, Eric Nelson, Aaron Peterson, Dylan Stranc, Ryker Schwartzenberger and Tony Torchia, along with coaches Peter and Craig Kairis. The team went 11-8-1 during the regular season, and will play in summer tournaments.
For information about SVYAA, call Peter Kairis at (425) 888-9069 or log onto their Web site, www.svyaa.com.
