By Polly Keary, Editor
It's a lot easier for a kid to be active in the summer, when weather is good and there is lots of time for sports and outdoor fun, than it is once the school year has begun.
That is especially true for kids whose families can't spare extra to pay for sports programs.
But through the Boys and Girls Club, anyone can afford to provide exercise opportunities for their young ones, year-round.
"We have athletic opportunities every day for the kids," said Boys and Girls Club of Monroe Director Marta Miller. "It could be volleyball in the gym, or sometimes we go out in the park and play dodgeball. We do some kind of athletic program every day."
Older kids get exercise options first, as they get out of class earlier than younger kids. Between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m., they do an athletic activity. Sometimes the staff plans it ahead, and sometimes kids decide what to do on the spot.
Then, the kindergarten-through-fifth-grade kids do something physical from 3:30 to 4 p.m., after their snack.
Turnout is high for the activities; about 120 teens and elementary students participate each day.
Part of the reason it is so popular is because it is very affordable.
Membership to the Boys and Girls Club is just $30 a year, and that includes a daily snack. And no kid is turned away for lack of funds; the club allows kids to cover the cost by volunteering.
Another very popular athletic opportunity, if somewhat more expensive, is the winter basketball program, which is $100 for grades K-2 and $120 for older kids.
Sign-ups are currently underway, and the program starts in November and runs through February.
Kids who need a scholarship in order to play can come to the club, provide some household information, and they will be able to participate.
The teams are coed for the youngest kids, and after first grade, kids are divided into boys and girls teams by age.
They practice once or twice a week after school. Saturday mornings, they compete with kids from other clubs around Snohomish County.
Basketball is just one of the seasonal sports offered through the Boys and Girls Club; other offerings include flag football and volleyball.
To learn more, visit http://bgcsc.org/snohomish-clubs/monroe-club/monroe-sports/.
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