Coupeville Sports

No athletic fee hike for Wolves

June 29, 2023 by David Svien

The cost to play remains the same for Wolf athletes. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Your wallet will NOT take a hit, after all.

A proposal to raise athletic fees for Coupeville High School and Middle School athletes has been pulled from the consent agenda for tonight’s school board meeting.

“It was removed because we realized we had not done our community income survey, which is required before making changes to the fees,” said Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King.

“So, if we change fees in the future, it won’t likely be until at least the 24-25 school year.”

The cost to play a sport at CMS remains at $50, while high school athletes pay $75.

Under the proposal, which would have raised fees for the first time in more than a decade, costs would have jumped to $75 and $110, respectively.

The move was related to things such as increased game fees for referees, though school officials offered assurances the district would continue to help athletes in financial need.

The change was expected to bring in an additional $15,000 for the district.

Posted in Everything changes | Tagged athletic fees, CHS Wolves, CMS Wolves, Coupeville School Board, increased costs, refs | Leave a Comment »

Wolf duo taste college baseball life

June 29, 2023 by David Svien

Wolf baseball stars Landon Roberts (left) and Chase Anderson, fueling up for the day. (Jon Roberts photo)

They’re on a pizza-eating tour of Eastern Washington.

Coupeville High School athletes are spending some of the first days of summer hanging out at Gonzaga University, picking up pointers to help fine-tune their games.

The Wolf boys’ basketball team will be in Drew Timme land — no word on whether coach Brad Sherman grew a mustache for the trip — this weekend for a hoops team camp.

Two Cow Town stars made the trip a little earlier, with Landon Roberts and Chase Anderson attending the Zags Baseball Prospect Camp.

The event, aimed at Class of 2025 and 2026 athletes, attracted a strong group of diamond dogs who hailed from multiple states.

Players arrived from Texas, California, Idaho, and Montana, among others.

All in attendance worked with Gonzaga coaches, picking up defensive and offensive instruction, plus nabbing a session with the school’s strength and conditioning coach.

Coupeville’s best enjoy the smell of college baseball grass. (Jon Roberts photo)

Toss in pizza, talks laying out NCAA rules and recruiting info, and then a nine-inning game with coaches from other colleges eyeballing the action.

Anderson, who is headed into his sophomore year at CHS, took the mound, tossing two innings.

The lanky hurler whiffed four, while Roberts, an incoming junior, worked a frame in right field, then another at first base.

The Wolves switched up after that, with Roberts also working two innings on the bump, striking out a pair of rivals, while Anderson lurked in left field.

At the plate, Roberts walked, struck out, and lashed a laser to second base which was inches away from being a hit.

Anderson collected a base-knock, earned a free pass, and lofted a long fly out to cap things.

“Overall, this was an amazing day of baseball for these boys,” said Wolf Dad, and Coupeville coach, Jon Roberts.

“Most of these kids, we will see at D1 level teams in three years!”

Now, it’s off to the lake for a day, before a slight zig to meet back up with their basketball teammates at Gonzaga.

Posted in Baseball | Tagged baseball, Chase Anderson, CHS Wolves, Gonzaga, Landon Roberts | Leave a Comment »

“This is a mistake”

June 29, 2023 by David Svien

Tom Black

It’s not just students.

Parents are speaking out as well, determined to convince Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King to reverse his decision to cut the Dean of Students position, ending Tom Black’s 19-year run of working with local students.

Our next letter to the editor comes from a father who has seen lives changed, teens helped, new hope given.

Here are my two cents:

It felt like a punch in the gut when I heard that Dean of Students Tom Black had been terminated by Coupeville High School as part of their budget process.

This is a mistake.

A mistake that will have drastic consequences to many current and future students of Coupeville High School.

As a parent of two former Coupeville High School students and a current middle school student, I know from personal experience that Mr. Black selflessly helped a great number of students, including my own sons.

When one of my own sons was having an extremely difficult time, due in great part to the Covid remote learning, I reached out to Mr. Black and shared my concern.

Within an hour, Mr. Black was at my home having a heart-to-heart conversation with my son.

I don’t know what they talked about, but it was enough to keep my son in school and he has since graduated with honors.

I have many other examples of the positive things Mr. Black has done for my kids, both big and small.

I have just as many examples of the extraordinary things Mr. Black has done for other kids we know.

Dean of Students is not just a job for Mr. Black – he is ALL IN for the wellbeing of his students.

Mr. Black genuinely cares for kids.

They know that, and because of that, they look forward to seeing him.

They trust him, respect him, and take his advice.

I cannot imagine how many kids went on to graduate that otherwise would have dropped out if Mr. Black hadn’t been an influence in their lives.

I personally know of several.

On this, a value cannot be placed.

If the superintendent and board put the well-being of the present and future students of Coupeville High School in the forefront, they will look elsewhere to cut the budget.

Eric M. Ohme

Posted in budget cuts | Tagged budget cuts, Coupeville High School, Eric Ohme, letter to the editor, Tom Black | Leave a Comment »

Spikers get sudsy, cars get shiny

June 28, 2023 by David Svien

Get your car nice and shiny before it’s covered in bits and pieces of fireworks.

Coupeville High School volleyball players are hosting a two-day car wash at Ebey Academy Saturday and Sunday.

Money raised goes to help fund Wolf spikers as they get ready to rock La Conner and Co. this fall.

All the info is in the photo above, so, like a Grey Peabody spike hitting the floor, I’ve made an impact and am out of here.

Posted in Fundraisers, Volleyball | Tagged car wash, CHS Wolves, Ebey Academy, fundraiser, volleyball | Leave a Comment »

“His presence makes a huge impact”

June 28, 2023 by David Svien

Ja’Tarya Hoskins (center) credits Tom Black with having a significant impact on her.

His community is embracing him.

Budget cuts in the Coupeville School District claimed the job of CHS/CMS Dean of Students Tom Black, but people are not having it.

The through line, as captured in this letter to the editor from 2020 Wolf grad Ja’Tarya Hoskins, is that what the man brings to students is worth far more than the dollar figure on his contract.

Hoskins, who recently graduated from Saint Martin’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice, has the mic:

Mr. Black made Coupeville High/Middle School home.

He has been the Dean of Students since before my older brother graduated.

He watched and nurtured four generations of Hoskins graduate from 2011, 2013, 2020, and lastly, 2022.

Mr. Black was always the person that I looked forward to for a laugh every day.

His presence makes a huge impact, and it made a significant one on me.

My older brother and sister walked the halls years before I did.

I was always determined to be my own person, but it’s hard to do that when everyone wants you to be exactly like them.

Mr. Black never compared me to my siblings in the many years that I’ve known him.

He made sure that I was my own person even though we shared DNA.

Mr. Black also made CMS/CHS home; he always fought the injustices in school.

There were many times where racial slurs and racial commentary would be said around me, or at me.