West Seattle, Washington
04 Thursday
The local youth-baseball team Seattle Tigers have launched a unique fundraiser to pay for a dream trip to the home of baseball’s history. Here’s the announcement they asked us to share:
The 12U Seattle Tigers, a local West Seattle travel bseball team, are gearing up for the opportunity of a lifetime – a trip to Cooperstown, the home of legendary baseball memories. They’ll get to play Summer tournament baseball with other 12U teams from across the US, visit the Hall of Fame and participate in a 7-day sleep-away camp with teammates and coaches.
To help turn this dream into a reality, the Tigers have launched a unique Valentine’s fundraiser – a raffle for a dazzling 1-carat diamond ring.
The 12U Seattle Tigers includes a dedicated group of 11 young baseball players, and dedicated coaches who have played together for years on various West Seattle BB, West Seattle LL, All Stars and travel teams. Each player has shown growth of talent and sportsmanship throughout their years. Competing in Cooperstown is both an honor and a challenge, requiring financial support beyond their usual means. The Tigers team is thrilled to invite the local West Seattle community to join them on this exciting journey.
The fundraising efforts center around ‘Raffle for a Ring’ – happening now until Feb. 12th. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this raffle is for a 1 carat round, brilliant cut diamond ring ($8,500 value) generously donated by Menashe & Sons Jewelers. Raffle tickets are priced at $50 each, providing community members with a chance to win this stunning prize while contributing to the Tigers’ Cooperstown fund.
=Members of the 12U Tigers Baseball Team will be in-person at the West Seattle Farmers Market Feb 4th + 11th, to interact and say hello to the public. Each player will have flyers in hand with information on how to purchase a $50 raffle ticket, and talk about Cooperstown!
Join us in supporting the 12U Seattle Tigers as they aim to hit a home run toward Cooperstown. Together, we can help these young baseball players achieve their dreams.
Spring gets ever closer, and so do baseball and softball seasons. So West Seattle Little League has updates!
Thank you to the families that have already registered for the upcoming season. If you still need to secure a spot on the roster for your Little Leaguer, registration will remain open until Feb 11th. Registering early helps streamline our league operations – sign up today!
West Seattle Little League is excited to announce the third year of the Challenger Program! The Challenger program is Little League’s adaptive baseball program, which offers additional support for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. The Challengers program is free to all participants and open to West Seattle residents between the ages of 4 and 18 or up to age 22 if still enrolled in school. Inclusion and opportunity are the cornerstones of Little League®, and it’s our passion to ensure everyone has an opportunity to play. Find more info HERE or email challenger@westseattlelittleleague.com with any questions.
Lastly, we have two exciting opportunities for our softball players!
February 4th – Softball skills clinic led by WSHS softball players! Your player will learn and practice the basics of softball.
February 11th – Softball pitching clinic led by Kalimar Pettit. Over one hour, your player will learn the fundamental softball pitching skills.
We look forward to seeing you on the field!
(WSB photo, April 2016)
The first time the University of Washington beach-volleyball team came to Alki for a home match, in April 2016, the sun shone as if it were summer. Subsequent years have brought some sun, some rain. Whatever the weather brings, this year the UW will play at Alki on four days in April, according to the schedule announcement this week:
… The Huskies will host two consecutive home tournaments on Alki Beach. The first tournament is the “Pac-12 North Tournament” which takes place on [Friday-Saturday] April 5th and 6th and pits the Huskies against Stanford, Cal Oregon, and Arizona State. UW then welcomes Oregon again, Boise State, and Georgia State the following [Friday-Saturday] for the “Alki Beach Invitational.” …
The announcement notes that the Huskies are at the top of their game, so to speak, as they prepare to start the 2024 schedule on the road in Texas on February 23, “coming off their best season in program history, with a record number of wins, and finished ranked 15th, the first year-end ranking in school history.”
As of moments ago, season tickets are on sale for the debut of West Seattle’s new “pre-pro” soccer club, West Seattle Junction FC. The team says it’s confirmed Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) as the stadium for its home games, and the schedule will go public in February. The roster is still being finalized; as we reported while tryouts were under way earlier this month, Erik Oman is on board as head coach. The team’s creation was announced last month by “a team of soccer enthusiasts that have supported our youth soccer community for over 25 years,” explaining that Junction FC is intended to be “a much-needed platform for our most talented athletes to showcase their skills.” (Plus another means of community connection and fun.) West Seattle Junction FC will compete in USL2‘s Northwest Division, whose other teams include the league champion Ballard FC. Along with season-ticket sales, starting today the club also is offering merch pre-sales including hats, scarves, hoodies, and stickers (jerseys later). Individual game tickets will go on sale in about three weeks.
The West Seattle High School girls’ bowling team has reason to celebrate after winning the Metro League championship – again! This is the fifth consecutive year the team, coached by Jeremy Marzofka, has taken the league title – which is every year since the program launched in 2020. (Thanks for the tip, and to WSHS for providing the photo.)
With two weeks to go in high-school basketball’s regular season, we checked in on Chief Sealth International High School‘s two Saturday night varsity home games.
(#24, junior Fahima Mohamed)
The Sealth girls opened the night with a big win.
(#14, sophomore Alysse Bland)
They beat Cleveland 74-29.
(#11, sophomore Dajah Johnson)
The girls’ record is now up to 8-7. Their win came with an assistant coach filling in at the helm – former West Seattle High School basketball star Grace Sarver:
In the nightcap, the Seahawk boys lost narrowly to Cleveland, 65-63.
It was Senior Night, so that meant some special recognition for the players who will graduate this year:
(#14, senior Ocean Freeman)
(#22, senior Natniel Goitaom)
(#0, senior James McAllister II)
The boys’ record is now 3-13. Their next game is at Franklin, as is the girls’ next game; the boys play at 7:30 pm Tuesday (January 23), the girls play at 7:30 Wednesday (January 24).
West Seattle High School athletic director Corey Sorenson is looking for two people to step up to the plate and fill out his coaching staff – here’s his announcement:
West Seattle has two coaching positions open for this Spring!
Girls Varsity Softball Head Coach
Boys Junior Varsity Head Baseball CoachInterested applicants can apply via the link listed below. Thank you!
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
If you’ve watched a Seattle Kraken game, you might be familiar with fans’ appreciative call of GRUUUUU! when goalie Philipp Grubauer gets a save. Not recently – he’s been off the ice with an injury for more than a month. But he’s keeping busy, including in a role as Divisional Youth Ambassador for the Salvation Army, which hosted him at their South Delridge center on Friday.
Grubauer joined kids from the center’s After-School Program for a hockey-skills drill (with a ball, not a puck):
He was scheduled to hang out with the kids through dinnertime.
Last April, in this report on a community-conversation event hosted by then-School Board member Leslie Harris, we mentioned two students who were there to ask her support for creation of a West Seattle High School water-polo team. It’s finally happening, according to reader Jennifer, who sent this update because now they need community help:
The league and district have approved a club team (no district funds) so that the girls can play. The season starts in late February! However, the team has no funds to cover pool time, equipment, or coaching. Please consider supporting them through the West Seattle Booster Club at wsbooster.com/#donate (be sure to put “Water Polo” in the notes!)
(WSB photos)
More than 120 players tried out this past week for our area’s new “pre-pro” soccer club, West Seattle Junction FC. It’s been three weeks since club leadership went public with plans to start playing this May in the USL2, joining more than 120 teams nationwide (including future crosstown rival Ballard FC, the current league champions). Also this past week, the team’s owners announced Junction FC’s head coach, Erik Oman, who was working with the prospective players who turned out for tryouts at Delridge Playfield:
Junction FC describes Coach Oman’s background as “impressive,” and provides these highlights:
Erik holds numerous licenses including US Soccer A license, his Premier Diploma for coaching, and a National Goalkeeper coaching license. With over 30 years of coaching, including a 15-year collegiate coaching career with University of Northern Colorado, UW, University of Montana, Colorado College, and the US Air Force Academy. He has coached numerous National team and professional players and mentored hundreds of coaches as a national coaching educator. Since returning to Seattle in 2007, Erik has been in various high-level leadership roles, most recently serving as the League Technical Director for the Washington Premier League as well as the League’s Academy program serving top players across the State.
Junction FC’s announcement quotes the new coach as saying, ““I saw in West Seattle an amazing community with the potential to build a passionate following for a team and a group of owners who were truly dedicated to their community and the development of the game there.” Ownership-team members were there for Friday’s tryouts too:
From left in our photo are Kaitlyn Jackson, Jessica Pierce, and Tom Gaffney, who say the team was formed by “soccer enthusiasts that have supported our youth soccer community for over 25 years.” They plan to start Junction FC with the men’s team (U23) this year and add a women’s team next year. They’re still working on finalizing the plan to play home matches at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex; they’re aiming to start ticket sales next month.
Thanks to Steve Pumphrey for the photo, looking across Elliott Bay at the stadium’s sign of support for the University of Washington football game, playing Michigan on Monday night for the national championship. So far we’ve heard from one West Seattle establishment having a watch party on Monday – at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), doors open at 4 pm (game time is 4:30 pm), and Isidro’s Mexican-food truck will be there. They promise the sound will be on. Any place else? Let us know and we can build a list – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you!
ADDED 11:26 AM: First addition just texted – Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) says “we’ll be showing it on all TVs, including our 10′ projection screen in the front room, with sound!”
ADDED 3 PM: We’ve also heard from The Good Society (California and Lander), whose proprietor Nick says, “We will have the National Championship with sound on Monday!” And a texter says, “The Westy will definitely be featuring the Husky Championship game.” (7908 35th SW)
ADDED SUNDAY: Via text – “The Bridge will have the game on all 15 TV’s and both projectors with sound. Mot a bad seat in the house!” (California/Graham)
ADDED MONDAY: Via text – “UW watch party at Super Deli Mart on 6 TV’s with sound. 9% off all pints during game.” (35th/Barton) … Via email from Christo’s on Alki (2508 Alki SW) – “We will be showing the game on all 8 TV’s with sound throughout! Come early and secure your spot!” … Via text – Admiral Pub (2306 California SW) “is showing the Huskies game today on all TVs with sound including the big screen.”
Though school was out for two weeks, high-school basketball teams kept playing, and now the regular season has a month to go. Tonight West Seattle High School hosted Eastside Catholic. We went to WSHS for the varsity games.
(WSB photos. #10, freshman Seneca Lucas)
The Wildcat girls opened with a win, 43-32, after a strong fourth quarter.
(WSHS #21, junior Alyssa Neumann, and #4, senior Carmen Cruz)
They’re now 6-5 on the season.
(WSHS #20, junior Colby Timmons)
Head coach Darnell Taylor‘s team plays at Seattle Prep next, 4:30 pm Saturday.
After the girls’ game concluded, the WSHS and ECHS boys took to the court.
(WSHS #23, senior Pawlose Aschalew)
In this one, Eastside Catholic, which arrived undefeated, stayed that way, winning 78-63.
(WSHS #3, senior Bo Gionet)
The Wildcat boys’ season record is now at 6-5.
(WSHS #0, junior Alex Pierce, #13, senior Nathan Schiavo, #2, sophomore Sully Janiwade)
Head coach Dan Kriley‘s team also plays at Seattle Prep on Saturday, 6 pm.
Another local youth-sports league wants you to know that it’s time to register for spring! This announcement is from West Seattle Baseball and Softball, based at the Pee Wee Fields in Riverview:
We can’t wait for spring to start and for baseball to return. This year we are also excited to offer a full session of girls’ softball for the Spring season.
West Seattle Baseball is offering Baseball for six different divisions, and – new this year – offering Softball for three. Registration is open now through February 15th. Early registration discount is available for all registrations completed by January 5th. Also available are multi-sibling discounts.
Sign up at: https://www.westseattlebaseball.com/
Pricing:
Shetland/T-Ball (6U) – $130
Baseball:
Pinto (8U) – $185
Mustang (10U) – $195
Bronco (12U) – $250
Pony (14U) – $300Softball:
Pinto (8U) – $130
Mustang (10U) – $130
Bronco (12U) – $130Registration costs include a ballcap and team jersey for each player, in addition to a full season of baseball/softball with events three times per week from mid-March through early June.
West Seattle Baseball believes that every child deserves to benefit from the games of baseball and softball. For families needing financial assistance, we offer reduced-fee league registration through the West Seattle Baseball Scholarship Assistance program. If you wish to apply, please contact wsbbregistrar@gmail.com.
West Seattle Baseball is a 100% volunteer-run, non-profit youth baseball league. Our goal is to provide comprehensive baseball programming that appeals to kids of all levels of enthusiasm and ability. The league prides itself on being a fun and enjoyable program that our players, their families, and their coaches want to participate in again each succeeding season. If you have questions about the divisions or anything else West Seattle Baseball, please email the league at communications@westseattlebaseball.com.
We hope to see you at the West Seattle PeeWee Fields soon. For the love of the game.
Another youth sports league is signing up players for 2024. This time it’s Southwest Little League. Rob emailed us to say that SWLL “is now open for baseball, softball and Challenger programs, ages 4-14.” Here’s the link. Rob notes that SWLL is one of the local youth sports leagues that has a geographic jurisdiction, including “a large portion of West Seattle including High Point, Highland Park, Arbor Heights, and South Delridge, in addition to White Center, South Park, and Highline.” Registration is open until February, so you have time to decide; the season starts in March.
The fireworks some set off after the Seahawks‘ Monday Night Football victory over Philadelphia (20-17) less than half an hour ago spawned some “possible gunfire” calls to 911. However, in one case, it was actual gunfire. Dispatch sent officers to a home in the Westwood area where a resident reported a bullet piercing a wall; police have reported back to dispatch that it was “confirmed bullet damage.”
No rain, no snow, no sub-freezing temperatures – perfect weather as the group above headed out on the annual Christmas Light Run coordinated by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor):
WSR proprietors Lori and Tim McConnell mapped the run along a route they said would take runners past everything from a yard with more than a dozen inflatable Santas to the Gai Family‘s Madonna.
The shop offers multiple free events every month, including group runs every week. (Last one of the year will be an early New Year’s celebration, 8 am Saturday, December 30th, with champagne and sparkling cider toasts afterward.) In the New Year, WSR also will start another free Get Fit “couch to half-marathon” training series, beginning with an info night at 6:30 pm January 3rd – email lori@westseattlerunner.com with questions.
Love soccer? Get ready to support the newly formed West Seattle Junction FC. Here’s the announcement about the team, which starts play next spring, but needs a show of community support right now:
The club aims to foster a strong connection to a hyper-local fanbase and create a memorable experience for fans, players, and everyone involved. They also intend to have a positive impact both on and off the field. Ticket sales will begin in early February with their schedule announcements and will be priced between $13.00 – $15.00 per ticket with a block of tickets set aside at no cost to provide accessibility to the entire fan base.
The team has already begun preparations for the upcoming season and will announce early January tryouts at Delridge Playfield within the next week through their social media pages. The coaching staff is currently being assembled, and they promise to bring a wealth of experience and expertise, ensuring that West Seattle Junction FC is well-prepared for the challenges and triumphs of USL2 competition. Competitors will include Ballard FC, the 2023 National Champions, OlyTown FC, PDX FC, and many more Northwest Division teams.
West Seattle Junction FC invites the community to join them on this exciting journey. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements, events, and opportunities to get involved. Follow the team on social media for the latest updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses as they prepare to make their mark in USL2.
Special note: Formation is not without its challenges. Their desired home field, Southwest Athletic Complex, a perfect location to host the West Seattle community and a soccer match, requires an application process through Parks and SPS.
Questions and concerns related to the Club’s use of the field persist and they have been unable to properly secure the 7 field reservations needed to host their home matches. The club would greatly appreciate a community show of support by providing written support in the Blog comments and/or an email that can be forwarded by the Club to the parties reviewing their application with your vote of support. Highline Soccer Association and its board members have all rendered full letters of support to the decision makers and now it’s time for the community to weigh in.
Email address is info@junctionfc.org – website (as linked above) is junctionfc.org.
It’s snow-sports season in the mountains – which can bring a lot of fun, but also danger in some circumstances. Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) is offering a free, potentially life-saving event tomorrow night – here’s the announcement:
We’re co-hosting a free 90-minute Avalanche Awareness Course on December 13th at 6 pm with NWAC!
The NWAC (Northwest Avalanche Center) – AIARE Avalanche Awareness Course utilizes interactive presentation materials and local case histories and encourages questions from the audience.
The course is expected to:
-Introduce and explain to students where and why avalanches occur.
-Describe who gets caught and why.
-Provide a basic approach to staying safe in the backcountry.This course targets the young and unaware backcountry traveler, and introduces the recognition of avalanche danger and how to reduce the risk.
Student Learning Outcomes
-Learn to access local avalanche bulletins and weather reports.
-Recognize basic signs of avalanche danger.
-Learn to avoid avalanche danger.
-Understand the need for companion rescue techniques and equipment.This event is free but registration is required. Please use the tickets link to register.
Mountain to Sound Outfitters is in The Triangle, at 3602 SW Alaska.
Chief Sealth International High School hosted a big wrestling tournament this past weekend – and emerged as champions. The report and photos are from CSIHS athletic director Ernest Policarpio:
The Chief Sealth Wrestling Program started of the year with a Bang, winning the 30+-team tournament “Return of the Seahawk” last Saturday by 40 points vs Ballard HS.
Here are the place winners for Chief Sealth:
Chief Sealth Boys
113lb 9th Brandon Tran Co-3rd Place
126lb 9th Xander Gomez 2nd Place
132lb 12th Cody Stout Co-3rd Place
144lb 11th Xavier Nguyen, Champion
150lb 10th Xavier Stout 2nd Place
157lb 11th Jay Johnson 2nd Place
(Micah Policarpio)
165lb 11th Micah Policarpio Champion (He also recorded his 100th career win – Overall career record 101-15)
175lb 11th Alex Varenhorst Co-3rd Place
175lb 12th Prince Maota Co-3rd Place
190lb 9th Eli Policarpio Co-3rd Place
220lb 12th Nigel Wiggins Co-3rd Place
285lb 10th Shane Allen Tino Co-3rd PlaceGirls Wrestling
110lb 10th Tara Kankesh Co-3rd Place
120lb 10th Petra Sheppard Co-3rd Place
(Jennie Brown)
130lb 12th Jennie Brown Champion
(Alyssa Reyes)
135lb Alyssa Reyes Champion
140lb Lucy Self 2nd Place
170lb 9th Shawn Hudson Co-3rd Place
190lb 12th Elyse Leger 2nd Place
235lb Triana Tuia Co-3rd PlaceWest Seattle HS also had place winners.
West Seattle Wrestling
126lb Sam Fordham Co-3rd Place
132lb Jackson Prater Thaden Co-3rd Place
150lb Karim Johnson Co-3rd Place
175lb Caeden Calderwood Co 3rd Place
Again this year, the West Seattle High School cheer team is headed for state competition. Head coach Nadine Nguyen sent the photo and report:
West Seattle High School Cheerleaders are headed to the Washington State Cheer Championship! They earned their spot by competing this past weekend in the Traditional Co-Ed Tumbling Division at Auburn Mount View High School, taking first place for their division. Last year, they placed 2nd in the State. This year the team is competing under the direction of Coach Nadine Nguyen (her 6th year leading the program) and Coach Walker Layne (1st year with the program). This year’s cheer state championships are set for February 2-3, 2024 at Battle Ground High School in southwest Washington.
West Seattle Little League has opened registration for next year’s baseball, softball, and Challenger programs – here’s the announcement we received to share with you:
Each year, we want to make sure all kids have the opportunity to write the next chapter in the Little League story, regardless of their situation. Thanks to the generous support of T-Mobile, financially challenged families in our community can apply for the T-Mobile Little League Call-Up Grant, which helps cover registration fees associated with West Seattle Little League for the upcoming season! Little League and T-Mobile share the belief that every kid should have the chance to play ball.
The WSLL baseball and softball spring season will run from March – June and features fun activities like the jamboree, sandlot days, and end-of-the-year bash. Interested to know more details? Check out westseattlelittleleague.com to find information about boundaries and divisions of play.
We look forward to seeing you on the field!
High-school basketball season has just begun. But no game tonight for the West Seattle High School boys’ team – they’re at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW) for the Slam Dunk Social benefit event. It’s on until 9 pm with food, fun, and a silent auction. Meet the coaches, too:
From left in our photo are Rick Ticeson, Jeff Auter, head coach Dan Kriley, Jeff Dabbs, and Nick Crespinel. Supporters raise money for expenses that the basic sports budgets just don’t cover – and that’s what tonight’s event is all about. A silent auction is part of it too, including a highlight item – a Pearl Jam Christmas record autographed by Eddie Vedder! Meantime, the boys are 1-1 on the season so far – next game Tuesday night, varsity at 7:30 pm, at home vs. Garfield.
So many holiday events in West Seattle this weekend – but a few non-holiday events too! Like this one for kids:
It’s happening 9 am-noon Saturday (December 2) in the gym at Lafayette Elementary (2645 California SW). The Burien Elks – whose wide service area includes West Seattle – will be holding a “hoop shoot” contest. The Elks’ Missy Wheat says it’s part of a national competition for kids 8 through 13. The top scorers on Saturday will move on to district competition, followed by state and nationals. There’s a chance to win scholarships through the Elks National Foundation. No preregistration required – just show up Saturday morning! If you have questions, squareknot85@gmail.com is how to reach local tournament director Mark Komac.
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