West Seattle, Washington
09 Sunday
One year ago, we reported on the Southwest Titans lacrosse program for girls, just getting its start. Now they’ve wrapped up another season – with a winning record! – and want to get a jump on inviting new participants next year. They shared this update on their program and the sport in general:
Lacrosse for the last decade or so has been regarded as the fastest-growing sport in North America. A sport that’s mostly known for being played on the East Coast has exploded across the US. From 2001 to 2017, participation in the sport more than tripled, from roughly 250,000 players nationwide to well over 825,000. Specifically for girls from ages 5-14, participation more than doubled from 81,000 to nearly 164,000, and the Southwest Titans Girls Program helped contribute to those growth figures in 2018!
We started with a 10U program with 14 girls on the team from ages 7 – 10. After a successful inaugural season, we grew to a program of 26, fielding a 10U and 12U team for 2019, still with every girl coming from West Seattle (primarily Genesee Hill Elementary). For next year in 2020, we have hopes of expanding to having a team for girls as young as 5 and as old as 15. And our reach goal for a few years from now would be looking at potentially starting a high-school club program for the girls in 2022, so we are setting our sights on recruiting as much as we can, in preparation.
We start registration in late fall (November) and our optional preseason practices start up in February. Our preseason work is an hour long, up to 2x a week. Our official season begins in March for all our teams and wraps up the first weekend in June. We play games all across the county and really aim to build community, with carpools and snacks together after games. We offer scholarships for registration, have equipment rentals, and can/will provide equipment for any girl that needs it (no matter the reason). We practiced during the season this year at Pathfinder K-8 in Pigeon Point and played most home games at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center and will likely do the same in 2020.
8U (Grade K-2 or ages 5 to no older than 9 on 8/31/2020)
10U (Grades 3/4 or ages 8 to no older than 11 on 8/31/2020)
12U (Grades 5/6 or ages 10 to no older than 13 on 8/31/2020)
14U (Grades 7/8 or ages 11 to no older than 15 on 8/31/2020)
Girls’ lacrosse differs from the boys in that the girls’ game is more about finesse and speed. Girls have to use their stick skills and speed to get through traffic and stick checks from defenders but don’t have to worry about anyone lowering their shoulder to lay a hit. Girls are also taught to play defense a little more thoughtfully and with precision to avoid being yellow-carded for unsafe play; unlike the padded boys, girls can’t run in front of a shot or pass or use their body to impede a player or the ball. Both are amazing sports to watch/play but are night and day in how things unfold on the field.
Many women that played lacrosse also grew up playing soccer in the fall and basketball in the winter before lacrosse in the spring. We appreciate and strongly encourage multi-sport athletes in our program, as we know we could not be as successful as we have been without the athletic background our girls have. The transferability of skills and concepts helps develop a well-rounded athlete and really strengthens their “Sports IQ.”
That growth at the youth level over the years has led to a wave of competitive collegiate club programs being seen across the west coast. And as those club teams become more successful, more colleges are rewarded with NCAA-sanctioned Women’s Lacrosse teams.
We are a recreational program that is focused on just getting girls in the area to try something new (and hopefully fall in love with it). However, the expansion collegiately matters as it helps feed the growth cycle with players graduating and then transitioning to coaching and/or founding new teams so opportunities continue to arise for kids that are looking to play, no matter their age or desired level of competitiveness.
The photos in this story include the 3rd/4th-grade and 5th/6th-grade girls teams with the Titans; we caught up with them last week at the Pathfinder field on Pigeon Point. Find out more about the team, registration, season schedules, and more by going here.
The photos are from West Seattle High School world-languages teacher Joy Patman, who explains:
Spanish 4 students have been working on a poetry unit. This week and next they are focusing on the poetic contributions of el gran poeta Chileno, Pablo Neruda, by watching the movie “The Postman” and also looking at several questions included in his book, The Book of Questions. (Thursday) we took the poet’s questions to the streets surrounding wshs to share with the greater community.
Side note: “The Book of Questions,” published after Neruda’s death, is the all-time best-selling title for Port Townsend-based Copper Canyon Press.
A memorial service is planned June 7th for Earl M. Anderson, known as “Matt.” Here’s the remembrance his family is sharing with the community:
Earl Mathias “Matt” (Mathers) Anderson was born on March 13, 1940 to Chester and Clara (Barstad) Anderson in Glasgow, Montana.
Over time he attended First Lutheran Church of Glasgow, First Lutheran Church of West Seattle, Silverdale Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Lynnwood. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1958 and shortly thereafter met and married Judith “Judy” Arlene Fulcher, earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, and spent the bulk of his career at Boeing working on a variety of aircraft
Matt lost his beloved wife Judy to cancer in 1983, leaving Boeing shortly thereafter for computer programming contract jobs in Massachusetts, Alabama, and Texas. A career highlight was working for NASA on the Challenger Space Shuttle program.
Matt relocated to Hood Canal, where he built a home before eventually settling on Dyes Inlet. Matt passionately loved water sports, games, skiing, classical music, and was known for his quirky sense of humor, intellectual curiosity, deep love of faith and family and applying a critical lens to the status quo.
Matt passed away peacefully on April 30th, 2019. He is survived by beloved longtime girlfriend Cheryl Atwood of Edmonds; son Philip (Shelly) Anderson of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, daughters Terese (Wayne) Machmiller of West Seattle and Janine (Peter) Douglass of Renton; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and Cheryl’s beautiful family. Remembrances may be made to Bridge Ministries in Bellevue, Kaiser Palliative Care, or Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Memorial Service: Friday, June 7, 3:00 pm, at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle, 4105 California Avenue SW.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
6:54 PM: Here’s what brought all those police to the vacant-and-slated-for-redevelopment apartment site in the 2200 block of SW Barton, just southeast of Westwood Village. Police tell us at the scene that a stolen car was ditched outside the building and suspects were seen going into the building, so, with a bullhorn and K-9 team, they’ve been trying to get the suspects to come out.
7:04 PM: Our crew has since left but we’re hearing by radio that police have gone in and aren’t finding anyone, so far.
Three West Seattle biznotes:
SPRUCE MODERN APOTHECARY: The photo is from the folks who just opened this new business at 4156 California SW, offering “mindfully curated green beauty, wellness and lifestyle goods, as well as a holistic skincare studio. …. We want to welcome our community to come check us out!! We fill a need in West Seattle and the city for sustainable home goods, plant based wellness, and lots of nontoxic skincare and general self-care items for everyone.” They’ll be open Memorial Day, though usually they’re closed on Mondays. Hours 10-6 Tuesdays-Saturdays (“occasionally 7 in summer”), 10-5 Sundays.
LOCUST CIDER: That’s who’s taking the ex-Alki Urban Market space at 2820 Alki SW, according to a liquor-license filing that appeared online today. Locust Cider is based in Woodinville and has a taproom in Ballard. Reached via e-mail, their executive team promises more info next week, so stand by for a followup.
TALARICO’S ADDS LUNCH: Talarico’s Pizza in The Junction (4718 California SW) wants you to know it’s just expanded its hours, now open 11 am-2 am Tuesdays-Sundays (3 pm-2 am Mondays)
Gone now but we’re mentioning it because the other one might show up later: That was just the obligatory pre-holiday-weekend TV-news chopper ferry-traffic flyover.
P.S. Two-hour wait at Fauntleroy right now, per WSF.
Next Friday’s the big day! For the 16th year, Lou Cutler will spend a day running laps around the field at Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point to raise money for, and awareness of, Make-A-Wish. Even though he retired as Pathfinder’s PE teacher four years ago, Lou continues returning to the school in advance of his birthday and running one lap for each year he’s been on the planet; this year, that means 68! Students, staff, parents, and community members are welcome to join him – even just for one lap. Or, just show up on the sidelines (1901 SW Genesee) to cheer; he’ll get going just after 9 am next Friday (May 31st). And if you can, donate/pledge on behalf of Lou, who has been a longtime Make-A-Wish volunteer, actually helping “wishes” come true for ailing kids as well as raising money for the organization. Here’s his page on the Make-A-Wish website.
Just in from SDOT, the weekly Avalon/35th project update, including this map:
The best news is actually at the end of the update SDOT sent, regarding progress, so we’re featuring it first:
We are almost finished with our first large zone. We are working as efficiently as possible and are wrapping up work in Zone B (SW Yancy to SW Genesee streets) faster than anticipated. We intend to begin work throughout Zone A (SW Spokane to SW Andover streets) as early as June 3.
Some work has already begun there, as you probably know. That starts off the full update:
Crews began work on curb ramps and base repairs on the west side of SW Avalon Way from SW Manning St to SW Charlestown St (Zone A) on Monday, May 20. During construction, we will maintain access to SW Orleans St. SW Manning St will be closed through the next few weeks. Local access will be maintained to the alley. Businesses are open. Follow signs for Avalon Business District parking off SW Avalon Way.
That’s at the north end of Avalon, under the bridge, while the east side of Avalon is temporarily off-limits. Earlier this week, Luna Park Café proprietor John Bennett sent photos of those signs, including a bit of humor:
Now back to the SDOT update:
The west side of SW Genesee St at SW Avalon Way is closed through Wednesday, May 29. This will allow crews to conduct utility work and pavement reconstruction. Similar to the previous closure on the east side of the intersection, crews will need to work across multiple lanes of traffic in the intersection for a few weeks. We will continue to maintain one lane in each direction on SW Avalon Way.
Crews began trenching and laying the new water main on the east side of 35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St (Zone E). We will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction on 35th Ave SW between Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Alaska St through approximately November 2019.
Crews anticipate paving the west side of SW Avalon Way between SW Yancy St and SW Genesee St (Zone B) on Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29. Advance notice will be provided for driveway impacts.
If you’re a new arrival or just tuning in, this is all part of one big project that will result in full repaving of Avalon, plus rebuilding/repaving/water-main replacement on 3 blocks of 35th south of Avalon, and repaving of one block of SW Alaska west of 35th.
(Thursday sunset, photographed by David Hutchinson)
The holiday weekend begins! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – which you can check out 24/7 – highlights for the rest of your Friday!
SNACK, CHAT, SOLVE: Fun for ages 11-14 at Southwest Library, 3:15 pm. (9010 35th SW)
GARY BENSON: Solo performer @ C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. No cover. All ages. (5612 California SW)
‘DETENTION LOTTERY’: 7 pm at Fauntleroy Church: “This immersive drama takes you inside a courtroom for a look at what detainees face in the U.S. immigration-enforcement system.”
(In the photo by Jesús Hidalgo, an “ICE agent” escorts a “detainee” away during an experiential performance of “The Detention Lottery” at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in June 2018.) Free admission. (9140 California SW)
GARAGE ROCK PSYCH & POP GET-TOGETHER: That’s what’s promised with The Knights of Trash, The Decibels, The Cheap Cassettes at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm. $7 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
4 BANDS: 9 pm at The Skylark, Grim Statistic, Brad Yaeger, Beef Supreme, Spectres of Chaos. $8. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
MORE MUSIC: 9 pm Fridays starting tonight at Great American Diner and Bar in The Junction. (4752 California SW)
SEE THE FULL LIST … for today, tomorrow, and beyond via our complete calendar.
10:02 AM: Thanks for the photo and tips! That’s the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), northbound in Puget Sound. It’s been at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton for maintenance for the past year-plus. It’s homeported at Naval Base Kitsap. (Added: The Kitsap Sun says it’s out for training.)
12:44 PM: Thanks to everyone who has since sent photos of the submarine that headed out shortly after the Nimitz; the photo above is by Jim Borrow. While we’ve had occasional submarine sightings over the years, they’ve been more frequent lately.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:58 AM: Good morning. Last day before Memorial Day weekend, and so far, no incidents or transit alerts in our area.
WEEKEND NOTE: Sunday morning, 7-9 am, the NB Highway 99 tunnel will be closed to motorized vehicles as it’s part of the route for the Emerald City Ride.
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