Yuba recreation program has 'room to grow'

Less than six months into launching the first countywide recreation program, Yuba County officials are looking for a place the new department can call home.

With strong popularity for some programs and others not as popular, parents and their young children are participating in such programs as swimming and gymnastics.

But program coordinator Cheyenne Balderama said she's got a more overarching goal of finding a place in the county that could host much of what the program eventually wants to offer, and on a continual basis.

"If we find a location, it'll offer us a lot more flexibility," said Balderama, who works for the Yuba-Sutter United Way in coordinating the program. Yuba County is the governing agency, while the startup money for initial offerings has come through a grant from First 5 Yuba.

"We're doing well, but we definitely have room to grow," Balderama said.

For now, what is being offered is aimed largely at children of preschool and early elementary age, along with their parents. That is by necessity because of the three-year, $250,000 grant from First 5, which is funded by tobacco taxes and is designed to serve youngsters.

Balderama said if the county can get enough participants to make its youth programs self-sustaining, the program can begin adding programs for teens and adults, possibly as soon as the middle of next year.

Having just started gymnastics classes, program directors are hoping to drum up more interest in the Kid Fit program, six-week sessions to run through next spring where young children learn the importance of health, exercise and nutrition.

While the first session was supposed to start last month, it had to be canceled after there weren't enough participants, Balderama said.

"It's really a perfect fit with First 5, so we're really hoping there's a lot more interest," she said.

As her two daughters bounced off mats in the evening gymnastics session Tuesday, Teresa Russell of Marysville said she liked the Kid Fit idea, along with other concepts aimed at giving youngsters something to do.

"I think anything for kids to do in this town is needed, especially during the summer," said Russell, 38. "The kids do the 30-minute class here, and that's pretty good for them."

Youth basketball teams are being formed ahead of a Nov. 24 deadline to register, Balderama said, while next year will see the addition of dance or ballet classes and mixed-martial arts classes for children and lactation classes for mothers.

And hopefully, more progress toward a dedicated location, Balderama said.

While county residents seem to be aware of the program, and announcement of a new offering often brings several phone calls of inquiry, there is a disconnect to drumming up actual participation, she said.

"The really hard thing is just getting people to come out," she said.

But the programs do have appeal even across the Feather River.

Mom Stephanie Mays, whose son is in the gymnastics program, said she comes over from Yuba City because the $30 monthly price is more affordable compared to similar programs in her city.

"You get a lot for the money," said Mays, 25.

CLASSES

Here are the offerings the Yuba County recreation program has, along with the deadline to register and other details:

Gymnastics and tumbling: Tuesdays at the Allyn Scott Youth & Community Center in Marysville. Classes for parents and tots are $30 a month and begin at 5:30 p.m., children 3 to 5 years old are $35 a month and begin at 6 p.m. and children 6 years old to adult are $40 a month and begin at 6:30 p.m. To register: 743-1847.

Basketball: Ages 8 to 15 years old, $60 per player. Teams begin play Dec. 12 and have four divisions each for boys and girls, registration deadline is Nov. 24. Games will be at Marysville High School. To register: 743-1847.

Fencing: Ages 13 years and older on Tuesday evenings, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Allyn Scott Youth & Community Center, Marysville. Classes are $40 per month. To register: 743-1847.

Kid Fit: Physical education and health classes for preschools, 2 to 5 years old. Classes are six weeks long and are $20 per class but free for children 3 years and younger, on Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Pro Fitness in Marysville. Next class scheduled to begin Nov. 23 with a theme of "mouth." To register: 743-1847.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ben van der Meer at 749-4709 or bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com. For more Yuba County news, see Ben's blog "Yuba County Insider" at appealdemocrat.com.