Lake Chelan Valley Boys & Girls Club sees surge in youth sports participation

CHELAN — Participation in youth sports programs offered through the Lake Chelan Valley Boys & Girls Club continued to grow this year, with significant increases in both basketball and flag football enrollment across the Chelan Valley.

Athletic Director Ric Chavez shared the organization's seasonal update with the Chelan City Council on June 9, highlighting growth in participation, volunteer involvement and plans for expanded programming.

The club's youth basketball program grew from 147 participants in 2025 to 199 participants this year, an increase of 52 children. The program expanded from 18 teams to 24 teams and hosted 79 games during the season.

The basketball league drew players from Chelan and Manson while also competing against teams from Mansfield, Bridgeport and Pateros.

Volunteer involvement remained strong, with coaches, community members and student volunteers contributing more than 400 volunteer hours throughout the season.

The organization's flag football program experienced similar growth.

After launching with 95 participants and 13 teams in 2025, the program expanded to 137 participants and 19 teams this spring. Players competed in 58 games while volunteers again contributed more than 400 hours supporting the league.

Chavez said a key goal of the program is ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent children from participating. Local sponsors helped provide scholarships for families needing assistance with registration costs.

The club is also preparing a variety of summer camps focused on science, sports and water safety, along with field trips and other activities for local youth.

Looking ahead, Chavez said the organization plans to continue expanding its offerings. Future programming under consideration includes youth cheerleading during football season, spring soccer, T-ball and indoor soccer once additional gym space becomes available.

The organization also continues to grow its before- and after-school programming, working with local schools to introduce more students to the club's activities and services.

Chavez said the eventual completion of a gymnasium at the Lake Chelan Community Center would create additional opportunities for recreation programming and help accommodate continued growth in participation.

"We're lucky to have that in our community," he said.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media