How could the proposed Community Center expand city sports programs? Here are some answers.

Do you have questions about the proposed Enumclaw community center?

If so, you’re not alone — everything from, “Was there already a vote on the community center?” to “Who will be taxed?” and “Why not utilize another building instead of constructing a new one?” has been asked at least once in the numerous social media conversation threads over the last several months and at city-sponsored open houses.

But less attention has been given to what the community center can do for Plateau youths, especially when it comes to Enumclaw’s Parks and Recreation department, how current programs are limited, and how they can be expanded if the bond measure passes.

The window to answer those questions dwindling, so here’s the second part of a two-part series that aims to address your queries about how a community center can be used by local kids. The first article, published Feb. 14, focused on the bond in general.

If you still have questions, the city is hosting two more open houses — one on April 6 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Enumclaw library, and another on April 9 at the Enumclaw City Hall council chambers, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Questions and comments can also be send to the city of Enumclaw at jrose@ci.enumclaw.wa.us, or you can go to the city’s website (cityofenumclaw.net/604/Proposed-Community-Center) for more information.

WHAT DOES THE CITY DO FOR LOCAL YOUTHS?

Enumclaw’s Parks and Rec program, headed by Alina Hibbs, offers myriad programs for kids, from indoor and outdoor sports programs to after school activities and summer camps.

The city itself runs its youth (grades K-5) basketball and volleyball programs, as well as Camp Commotion, but contracts out for summer baseball and soccer and other half-day summer camps around the city.

Basketball appears to be extremely popular — so much that Parks and Rec has to turn dozens of people away.

At this time, the city has 33 teams that utilize Enumclaw School District elementary and middle school facilities for their practices and games; three of the teams are for the developmentally disabled, and another three come from the Muckleshoot tribe.

Each team consists of ten kids, so that’s 330 youths dribbling and shooting on school nights, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

But there are still more that want to play, and Hibbs said the city’s waitlist for basketball alone is 40 people long — and the city capped it there in order to save staff time and energy. She noted that only two people were able to get off the wait list this year so far.

One of the reasons Parks and Rec needs a waitlist is because the ESD facilities are tapped out; either there are teams already using the gym floor (some schools only have room for one team to play at a time, others two) or there are school events that take priority, Hibbs said.

And Saturdays are a no-go.

“Saturdays are more expensive,” Hibbs said. “It [wasn’t] worth it, without having to raise prices.”

Camp Commotion is in a similar situation.

“We do fill up. We have 55 kids per week, and people call in constantly wanting to get in,” Hibbs said, noting that the all-day program goes for nine weeks, and every week consists of different activities, events, and field trips.

At this time, Camp Commotion uses two of the 1970s-era J.J. Smith Elementary rooms, which limits the camp’s capacity.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE THESE PROGRAMS?

One of the major reasons why Hibbs believes it’s so important for the city to provide these sorts of programs is because there are few other local opportunities for elementary school-aged kids to play indoor organized sports — especially the younger ones, since there are no official K-5 sports programs organized by the Enumclaw School District, Director of Communications Jessica McCartney said.

One of the only indoor alternatives seems to be the Enumclaw Hornet Youth Basketball program, but that’s from fourth grade on up, and the Sumner Gordon Family YMCA, which requires a trip west. Other outside programs include the Foothills Soccer Club, which does have programs for five-year-olds and older but is held in Bonney Lake, the local Chinook Little League (which serves around 700 kids, which is why the city of Enumclaw hasn’t broken into that market), Junior Hornets cheer and football, and a private lacrosse club.

In general, it’s not just important to have local programs to teach kinds the fundamentals of sports, Hibbs said, but the social-emotional learning that youth sports provides.

“It’s about friendships. It’s about the connections they’re making. It’s about learning respect, learning compassion — learning the fundamentals of basketball, too, but learning how to be with people,” she said. “Yes, they can also do that at school… and they can do that in AAU basketball, but I think the relationships I have formed through parks and rec sports, where I am not judged on my ability to play basketball or soccer or cheer, have been lasting friendships and lasting relationships.

“It’s truly, I think, a human need,” Hibbs continued. “It’s a service that the city provides that’s super important for developing community.”

HOW COULD THE COMMUNITY CENTER EXPAND YOUTH PROGRAMS?

According to Hibbs, there is nothing set in stone about how Parks and Rec programs could expand, if locals approve the upcoming bond measure.

But the possibilities are there, and even conservative estimates show that youth programs — and even adult leagues — would be able to grow.

Hibbs said that if they schedule time for programs to use the Community Center gym for four hours a day, on the weekdays only, they would be able to add dozens more kids to the basketball program, as well as several additional men basketball teams and a few women volleyball teams.

And if you add in weekends, there’s the potential for more tournaments for all programs, which Hibbs said is always popular with the players and their families.

That’s just the current programming, though, and Hibbs said that Parks and Rec could look at starting an indoor soccer program, if they had more space — and that could be for the age group the department currently serves, or even go younger.

“We’re missing the lower-end, under 5 year olds,” Hibbs said.

Camp Commotion could also take on more kids if a Community Center is built, she added, noting that the additional classroom space would also give kids the opportunity to split up into smaller groups for various activities like STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) classes.

“If we can find some people to teach it, we’re willing to explore it,” she said.

WILL OUTSIDERS HAVE TO PAY TO USE THE CENTER?

For basic usage like the commons area, or to attend city events? No.

But Enumclaw’s Parks and Rec sports programs are fully-funded through registration fees, which differ based on whether participants reside within city limits or outside.

Those costs vary, as they rely on program expenses divided amongst the number of participants (using data from the previous year to calculate those fees). Youth programs currently come out to $80 for local residents, and $90 for non-residents.

Hibbs said costs only increase when expenses increase, like school gym rental rates, and there are no plans to increase fees if the community center is approved.

Other parts of the center, like the kitchen, classrooms, and common spaces will also be available to rent, though what those rates are have not been discussed or set, said Enumclaw City Administrator Chris Searcy; additionally, while the senior center is generally free to use, there are often fees for various activities and meal programs, which will continue.