By now, practice fields around the area are usually buzzing with kids of all ages getting warmed up for the fall season of soccer, football, and baseball. With the continued COVID craziness, however, most student athletes have found the start of their sport season delayed at best. Just as it is with in-person learning, it is equally important for kids to have ways to keep active and burn off energy during distance learning.
Local recreation programs and other entities are offering a number of low-risk possibilities, both indoors and outdoors. These programs are following COVID-19 health and safety protocols while also giving kids an opportunity to channel pent-up energy following four hours of screen time that comes with online classes.
Tahoe City Public Utilities District’s Recreation Afterschool Program (R.A.P.) is an outdoor-based activity program at Skylandia Park. Open to Tahoe Truckee Unified School District students, R.A.P. started in September for kids in grades K-5. In addition to physical activity, there will be craft time and homework assistance. Students are grouped by the grade they are attending for the 2020/21 school year. Camper to staff ratio is 8:1 and the program features a kinder/first grade group; second/third grade groups; and fourth/fifth grade groups. The program runs Monday through Friday, 2 to 6 p.m., through Oct. 2 and is $20 per day. Find full details at tcpud.org or by phone at (530) 583-3440 or email at recreation@tcpud.org.
Incline Village Parks and Recreation has a number of options available this fall. Choose from Invasion Soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Outdoor Grass Volleyball on Mondays and Wednesdays, Saturday Night Lights Flag Football on Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings, and Village Skate School with Cedar Gately. Pricing available for full session or for drop-ins. Other options like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Youth Indoor Soccer League, and Shotokan karate are temporarily on hold, while Tahoe Timbers Gym Time and Youth Dance are scheduled to resume sometime in the fall. Visit yourtahoeplace.com for full information.
The Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District recently released its 2020 fall activity guide which includes a wide variety of activities to get your student up and moving. Although the climbing wall is not open for public sessions, climbing classes are open for kids ages 5 to 17. Also find golf camps, basketball clinics, and dance classes, and as winter arrives, add hockey skills clinics and Buddy Werner Development skiing (pending what happens with ski season) to the mix. New this fall is P.E. & Play, designed to provide kids the benefits of exercising in a group setting. Find the full guide and details at tdrpd.org.
Although American Youth Soccer Organization has canceled its season, your kiddos can still get their soccer fix with Truckee Sports Camp non-competitive soccer camps, held after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m. TSC is also running a fall ice hockey program at South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena, teaching kids all aspects of ice hockey. Transportation and gear are included. Find more information at
truckeesportscamp.com.
Woodward Tahoe is holding after-school multi-sport sessions as part of its Woodward Mountain Kids program. Participants will be grouped by grade and ability level in a sport-learning curriculum, allowing them to start fresh or focus on their favorites if they’re already into action sports. This coach-guided program runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday this fall, starting Sept. 28. Book one week or book multiple weeks, with eight total available weeks to choose from. Learn more at rideboreal.com.
Truckee Dance Factory has a wide variety of classes to get your kids up and moving. From traditional styles like ballet, tap, and jazz to modern genres like acrobatic arts, hip hop, and turns and leaps, there’s something to entertain every skill and energy level. Classes are back in session for fall and are limited in size to follow strict COVID guidelines. Find class descriptions and registration information at truckeedancefactory.com.
Cheer Preschool is open for your energetic little one to learn chants, cheers, stunts, and dance routines in a fun-filled session of cheer. Make new friends, learn about the sport and create amazing cheer routines. Registration is now open to residents and non-residents of the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District. Camp is for children ages 3 to 5. Go to tdrpd.org for more information.
Tahoe Flow Arts & Fitness is offering two Circus Camps this fall. Held in the outdoor garden, Circus Camp immerses your child in the many flow arts including aerial fabrics, hula hoop, dance, acrobatics, yoga, and more. Learning these skills will instill creativity, self-expression, and focus. Spots are limited, so don’t wait to sign-up. An afterschool session will run from Sept. 21 to 25 from 3 to 5 p.m. and a weekend camp will be held Oct. 2 to 4 starting Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., and from 9:30 to 3:30 Saturday and Sunday. Both camps are open to kids ages 8 to 13. Sign up at tahoeflow.com.
Introduce your child to martial arts with the Karate Kids program at Tahoe Mountain Fitness in Truckee. Although classes are looking a little different these days due to COVID-19 guidelines, your child will learn the basic principles of this freestyle karate program. Using the fundamentals of self-defense, emphasis is placed on the elements of form and structure, stance, and alignment, which create the building blocks crucial to a successful and disciplined martial arts practice. Open to ages 5 and older, Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Learn more at tahoemountainfit.com.
The Truckee Bike Park is open year-round, weather permitting. Located at Riverview Sports Park on Joerger Drive, there is something for every age and ability level with five different tracks: a traditional pump track, a pump park, dirt jumps, flow lines, a drop zone, and dual slalom. The Truckee Skate Park is located at Truckee River Regional Park on Brockway Road and is open year-round, depending on weather conditions. Find information about group and private lessons for each at truckeebikepark.org and tdrpd.org.
Truckee Gymnastics, located on Deerfield Drive, reopened in June and ran camps over the summer. Classes will run this fall following strict COVID-19 health and safety protocols and with reduced class sizes. There are various levels of programming available, ranging from parent/child classes for toddlers up through more advanced levels in the teen years. Find a full schedule online at truckeegymnastics.com.
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