Once again this year, MyTeam Triumph led the way at the Float Dodger 5K, celebrating its 10th year as the West Seattle Grand Parade‘s opening act. About 600 people had registered by race time – here’s most of the rest of them “dodging” the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s logo float at California/Lander:

Half an hour before race time, the Kids’ Dash saw dozens of young runners take a lap around the Hiawatha track.

The Float Dodger is presented by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), and proceeds go to the West Seattle Food Bank, which had a booth at Hiawatha, selling their fundraising summer raffle tickets.

(Above, WSFB’s Robbin Peterson and volunteer Al Carlson, with WSR proprietors Tim and Lori McConnell)

Also on hand – Lake Washington Physical Therapy-West Seattle (WSB sponsor):

Results are posted here.

We’ve told you before about local jump-rope athletes heading to national competition. Here’s what happened! The update and photos were sent by Zack Hill:

Rain City Ropeworks, the amazing West Seattle-based jump-rope team coached by René Bibaud, has just returned from the American Jump Rope National Championships, and they have a great deal of success to celebrate! This year, 14 members of the team traveled to compete against the best jumpers in the nation. Several of these incredible athletes finished top 3 nationally, including:

Single Rope Speed Sprint: Haru Ogawa, 3rd place (12-13 year old division)
Single Rope Speed Relay: Mara Garrison, Adelaide Musselman, Haru Ogawa, Mia Wheatley, 3rd place (12-13 year old division)
Single Rope Individual Freestyle: Mara Garrison, 1st place (12-13 year old division); Madeleine Garrison, 1st place (16-18 year old division)

Single Rope Pairs Freestyle: Grace Muller and Craiggan Wickliff (photo above), 3rd place (14-15 year old division) …

… Haru Ogawa and Reymon Pader (photo above), 3rd Place (12-13 year old boys division; Mara Garrison and Mia Wheatley, 2nd place (12-13 year old girls division); Riley Hill and Madeleine Garrison, 3rd place (16-18 year old division)
Double Dutch Single Freestyle: Halle Morgan, Riley Hill, Madeleine Garrison, 2nd place (16-18 year old division)

Double Dutch Pairs Freestyle: Halle Morgan, Calla Freeman, Riley Hill, Madeleine Garrison, 1st place (16-18 year old division)

And 4 of these athletes qualified for the Grand National Championship, by virtue of scoring in the top 6 of an event across all age groups: Halle Morgan, Calla Freeman, Riley Hill, and Madeleine Garrison. Congratulations to all of these kids and their amazing coach, Rene!

If you have a child interested in either joining the team or participating in one of Rene’s summer jump rope camps, you can get more information at www.LearnToJumprope.com.

Next Saturday (July 20), you can watch for Rain City Ropeworks in the West Seattle Grand Parade!

(Photo by Earving Marquez, courtesy Junction FC)

In addition to West Seattle Summer Fest, other big events this weekend include the final two home matches of the first season for West Seattle Junction FC. They’re playing rival clubs Midlakes United (7 pm Friday) and USL League 2 defending champion Ballard FC (1 pm Sunday). They’re offering merch deals for both, and that’s not the only bonus features for attendees, per Junction FC’s preview:

Leading up and through the (Friday) match, fans will get 30% off all of Junction FC’s West Side Best Side merchandise, including select t-shirts, flags, hoodies and scarves. Additionally, Friday’s game will be Román Torres Foundation Night. The former Seattle Sounders legend will be in attendance signing autographs and selling his book, with all the proceeds going toward his foundation. Fans can learn more about the foundation online.

… Sunday afternoon’s game will double as Fan Appreciation Night, where all remaining merchandise will be on sale, as well as special giveaways and surprises throughout the duration of the match.

Tickets are available online for $10 for both matches, which will be played at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).

West Seattle Little League has two more All-Star teams celebrating district titles – the report and photos were sent by WSLL’s Jackie Borg:

Little League WA District 7 tournaments wrapped up this week with West Seattle Little League (WSLL) 10s Softball and 11s Baseball teams taking the district title win to secure their spots in the WA State tournament.

10s Softball All-Stars

The 10s went undefeated in the District 7 tournament! In a nail-biter game, the 10s held onto their lead to clinch a 7-6 victory over Seattle Central LL.

All three of WSLL’s All-Star softball teams will represent WSLL and District-7 at the state level! Congratulations to the amazing players and dedicated coaches on this incredible achievement! Their state tournament starts July 14th in Othello, Washington.

11s Baseball All-Stars

The 11s Baseball All-Stars faced a challenging start, losing their initial game to Rainier District LL on Tuesday night. However, they showcased resilience and determination, staging an impressive comeback in a decisive winner-takes-all match. Their hard work paid off with a triumphant 5-2 victory, demonstrating their grit and teamwork under pressure. Their state tournament starts July 20th in Richland, Washington.

In all, WSLL is sending five teams to the state tournaments to represent District 7: 11s and 12s baseball and 10s, 12s, and Juniors softball. The 12s softball All-Stars are in the midst of their state run and have won their first two games. They play again tomorrow (Thursday, 7/4), at 10 a.m. at Hartman Park in Redmond vs. Mill Creek.

To continue following their All-Star journey, visit the WSLL All-Stars News page.

The West Seattle Little League 12s All-Stars are headed for state competition after winning the district championship. Thanks to Jackie Borg for sending the report and photos:

The WSLL All-Star baseball 12s achieved a thrilling victory Thursday night, securing the District 7 Championship!

With incredible determination and skill, the 12s had to rally to beat South Highline National twice to clinch the title. Now, the team is headed to the state tournament to represent District 7! The 12s state tournament run begins July 13 in Aberdeen.

Manager: Nick Datz
Coaches: Sean McKinney & Stu Widman
Players: Timothy Kime, Elijah Fraser, Gavin Ross, Patrick Bowen, Ben Datz, Cameron Widman, Nathan Shafi, Mason Pfeifle, Henry Corr, Milo Reese, Keanu Ignacio, George Faull, Duncan McKinney

For the All-Stars Tournament schedule, visit the WSLL website:
westseattlelittleleague.com

Among the upcoming games, the 11s All-Stars play tonight at 6 at Bar-S (64th/Admiral).

Pickleball on the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex courts west of Southwest Pool isn’t a rare sight, but Saturday’s activity was more extensive than usual – the Westside Pickleball League was hosting its second annual Rally on the Rock tournament. Rosina Geary and Amy Greger from the WPL were tournament directors, managing to keep things running with about 160 players participating, including a few from Canada.

Every so often, they had to wrangle winning teams for medal presentations and photos:

We happened to be on hand for that group getting their medals – Max Brockman, Spencer Klein, Eric Kim, James Lee, Zachary Wagnild, and Shane Silkey. The league routinely raises money for student athletics, as we noted when we reported on its formation a year and a half ago – and the Rally on the Rock tournament was for Chief Sealth International High School Cross Country – some students from the team helped out as runners during the tournament, ferrying scoresheets around among other things.

ADDED: Amy sent a few stats – by tournament’s end, they had 182 players – 58 percent men, 42 percent women, ages ranging from 20s to 80s, with the biggest demographic group in their 30s.

(Photos courtesy Southside Revolution)

Following up on this report about their planned trip for national competition, we have an update from junior roller-derby organization Southside Revolution on how things went and what’s next, sent by Andrew McCarty:

This past weekend, the Southside Revolution Rebels, our local junior roller derby travel team, spent 3 days in Denver to compete against 5 other teams at the Junior Roller Derby Association playoffs. After a long weekend, competing in two challenging games against Rome Junior Roller Derby (Rome, GA) and FoCo Junior Roller Derby (Denver, CO), Rebels came in second place after an unfortunate loss to FoCo ending off the 10th season of Southside Revolution with an 13-3 season record.

(Southside Revolution [black and green] vs Rome [white and gold])

In addition, Southside Revolution will sadly be saying goodbye their two seniors, Fiona Lindsey and TJ Elbert, graduating from Chief Sealth Int’l High School and Garfield High School. They are also known as Silent But Deadly #222 and Fox & Furious #240 on the track. An age-out ceremony was held during the first day of the tournament, congratulating Fiona and TJ along with many other seniors from other competing teams.

Both joining Southside Revolution in 2019, these two seniors have made a major positive impact on the league over the past 5 years and have influenced many of the younger skaters in the league. Southside wishes them the best of luck in their adulthood, and hope they continue their derby career.

Composed of teenage skaters from West Seattle, White Center, Burien, and beyond, SSR makes its home at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. The league serves 90+ skaters aged 7-18 of any gender identity, with five teams spread across a range of skill levels.

The teams will make an appearance at the West Seattle Grand Parade this year as well. For anyone interested in signups for new skaters to learn about derby at SSR’s September clinics, contact info@southsiderevolution.com

West Seattle Little League‘s regular season is over, and now it’s All-Star competition time. One team – the 12s softball All-Stars – already has a championship. WSLL’s Jackie Borg sent the photo and this update today:

West Seattle Little League is off to a hot start in the District 7 tournament!

West Seattle Little League (WSLL) is sending three baseball teams – one for each division, 10s, 11s, and 12s -and three softball teams – a 10s, 12s, and Juniors (13-14-year-olds) team – to compete in the WA District 7 Little League All-Stars Tournaments.

The 12s softball team was a force with 3 solid wins to take the District 7 Championship and are state-bound!

WSLL is excited to host the 12s and 11’s baseball All-Stars division tournament games at Bar-S (6464 SW Admiral Way). The first games will be a thrilling start to the tournament this weekend, with WSLL 12s vs. Rainier District Little League. The Bar-S Snack Shack will be serving up classic baseball treats and snacks. We warmly invite the West Seattle community to join us at Bar-S and be a part of the cheering crowd, showing our teams the support they deserve!

Around town, you can catch the other WSLL All-Stars teams in play:
-June 28: 11s All-Star baseball tournament begins at Bar-S
-June 28: 10s All-Star baseball district tournament begins at South Highline National LL fields in Normandy Park
-June 29: 10s All-Star softball tournament begins at Rainier Playfields

We will update the website, westseattlelittleleague.com, with standings as often as possible. You can also check out the rosters for all teams.

You can find tournament info here.

Got a prospective soccer player under your roof? Not signed up for fall soccer yet? The West Seattle Soccer Club asked us to share this reminder that now’s the time:

Hey, West Seattle Families!

Founded in 1968, The West Seattle Soccer Club (WSSC) is a recreational soccer club for youth who reside in the southwest neighborhoods of Seattle. All youth ages 5-18 are eligible to play and experience is not required.

As we gear up for the Fall Soccer Season, excitement is booming with well over a thousand players already registered! With the Spring Season wrapping up this weekend, it’s time to ensure that you, your friends, and your neighbors join in too! Registration closes June 30th, so act fast. Whether your child is a seasoned player or just starting out, we’re excited to unveil our Fall Registration and anticipate the adventures ahead.

The Fall Season kicks off September 14th and 15th with seasons spanning 8, 10, or 12 games based on age division.

Secure your child’s spot or learn more at westseattlesoccer.org. Questions? Reach us at wsscboard@gmail.com.

Make this Fall Soccer season unforgettable! Enroll today to see your child thrive on the field, make friends, and create lasting memories. Financial assistance is available for qualified applicants. Don’t miss out – register now!

A local junior-roller-derby team is rolling into national competition this weekend! Thanks to Andrew for sending the report and photo:

Our local junior roller-derby team, Southside Revolution Rebels Travel Team, is heading to Denver this coming weekend (June 15-16) to face some of the best teams in the country in the Junior Roller Derby Association playoffs. Seeded number two in their regional, they have a season record of 10-2 against other teams in the area and the country.

Composed of teenage skaters from West Seattle, White Center, Burien, and beyond, the Rebels travel team is part of the Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby league. In its 10th year of operation, SSR makes its home at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center. The league serves 90+ skaters aged 7-18 of any gender identity, with five teams spread across a range of skill levels. The Rebels team travels throughout the year to play high-level opponents across the country.

The teams will make an appearance at the West Seattle Grand Parade this year as well. For anyone interested in signups for new skaters to learn about derby at SSR’s September clinics, contact info@southsiderevolution.com