Niwot Youth Sports wraps up summer sports season; looks ahead to fall

BASEBALL

For Niwot Youth Sports’ (NYS) Director of Recreational Baseball Tim Rudden, the 2016 season was “just a lot of fun.”

“We had great support from the parents and sponsors, and we got lucky with the weather,” Rudden said.

The NYS baseball program, which has been continuously active since the late 1960s, wrapped up its 2016 season mid-July. The program, which fields both competitive and recreational teams, is composed of the T-Ball/Coach Pitch league for players ages four to eight, and the Player Pitch league for players ages 9 to 14. Each league has different age divisions. This year, nearly 350 participants combined to form a total of 30 teams.

On the recreational side, games began for player pitch teams during early May, and concluded with a double-elimination playoff tournament held July 5-9. In the AAA division, for players ages 9-10, the Knights were first-place finishers in this years’ tournament, while the Majors division (ages 11-12) crowned the Nationals as its winner for 2016.

Meanwhile, NYS competitive baseball teams played in the Longmont AA or AAA leagues, and in a variety of tournaments throughout the season. The 12u Niwot Cougars, coached by Chris Huisken, traveled to Park City, Utah to compete against 44 other teams in the Triple Crown World Series.

The NYS baseball program is also strongly supported by a wide variety of local businesses and merchants. This year, the league’s 30 teams were sponsored by 27 local and regional organizations, including 1st Bank, Because of Becca Foundation, Oskar Blues, Extra Innings, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Wong Orthodontics and Front Range Orthopedics. The Because of Becca Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting youth and community organizations, also started a scholarship fund to benefit Niwot Youth Sports.

“I would like to thank the coaches, parents and sponsors for a wonderful season,” Rudden concluded.

SOFTBALL

Glenn Wager, NYS director of softball, was equally enthusiastic about his program’s recently concluded season. “It was great!” an impassioned Wager declared. “We have a great group of coaches… I have nothing but positive things to say about our season.”

The NYS softball program is open to girls ages four-and-a-half to 18, and this year more than 110 girls formed 10 teams. According to Wager, this is "a fairly impressive number. There are only one or two other programs that have as many teams as us.”

NYS softball is a member of the Indian Peaks Girls Softball Association (IPGSA), which offers both competitive and recreational softball league play to teams throughout the northern Front Range. In games this year, Niwot teams competed against girls not only from neighboring Boulder and Longmont, but also from as far away as Westminster, Keenesburg and Windsor.

The 2016 season ran from May through the end of June. Two Niwot teams were eligible for post-season play in IPGSA’s single elimination End of Season tournament, held in July. The 14U Niwot Legend, led by Coach Robin Hoskins, came in second place in its age division, while Coach Roger Fisher’s Niwot Aces finished in fourth place in the 10U division.

Like the baseball program, the softball program attracts sponsors from around the region. This year Niwot’s teams were supported by these local merchants: Dick's Sporting Goods, Oskar Blues, ShortStop, Extra Innings, Guerin Financial Services, Ward Electric Company, Aircomm Corp, 1st Bank, Front Range Orthopedics and Guidestar Optical Systems.

Wager is enthusiastic about both the program’s success to date and its reputation in the region. “We have one of the best rec programs in the IPGSA,” he said, especially considering Niwot’s small size compared to Boulder and Longmont. He also has these words of encouragement for Niwot girls and their parents who might be undecided about softball, “All you have to do is try. You won’t know if you like it until you come out and play.”

FLAG FOOTBALL

With baseball and softball seasons in the books, NYS is now turning its attention to flag football. The program’s director, Mike Veeder, is optimistic about the upcoming season. “We’ve got a good thing going,” he said of the program. “We’ve got a good process, and good coaches... The kids will learn a lot”.

The NYS NFL Flag Football League is open to boys and girls ages 5-12. Registration for the upcoming season began in mid-July and runs through August 15. Teams will practice one or two times per week beginning in mid-August, with weekly games beginning the second weekend in September. Teams are guaranteed to play eight games, mostly against other teams in the St. Vrain Valley school district area. Veeder is also working with a neighboring league in Erie to implement a post-season tournament, something the program hasn’t had in prior years.

Like his softball colleague, Coach Veeder says Niwot’s flag football operation compares very favorably to leagues in the larger surrounding communities. “We always get great feedback about the quality of our training, equipment and playing fields,” he explained. Veeder said one of the most attractive features of the league is the diversity of the competing teams. “Our kids love away games and playing kids from other schools.”

The flag football program is currently in need of referees for its Saturday games. This is a paid position, and training and equipment is provided by the league. Coach Veeder encourages any high school students with at least a basic level of football knowledge to apply. The football program is also looking for volunteer coaches, team parents and team sponsors.

For more information, contact Mike Veeder at [email protected] or visit niwotyouthsports.com.