News & Stories

Anwatin Middle School Team Finds its Groove

After a slow start with only an average of four kids at practice during the initial week of school, the Anwatin Middle School Ski & Bike team found its groove the second and third weeks. Kids invited their friends. Posters went up. Coach Allie Rykken visited homerooms and lunchrooms. The team slowly built up into a dozen kids coming a day. When the official Community Ed After-school Activities program began, the numbers exploded into the thirties.

For a moment Allie thought, “I’ve created a monster!” But she reconsidered. “The fact is,” Allie notes, “kids these days don’t get outside unless there’s a structured and/or safe environment to do it. And they just want to get outside!”

Over the past couple weeks, Allie has had a consistent crew of eager, energetic middle schoolers excited to mountain bike and run trails. The kids had fun this fall participating in the Loppet Fall Adventure Series, enjoying different parts of Theodore Wirth Park.