Members of the Southern Regional Skateboard Club, along with adviser Sarah Evert, stopped by the Long Beach Island Elementary School last Monday, Oct. 26, to help with a skateboard clinic for 34 very enthusiastic third- through sixth-graders.
Superintendent Peter Kopack, four parent volunteers, the LBI youngsters and the Rams skaters gathered in the elementary school parking lot, in Surf City, and as Kopack noted, the kids were “eager to strap on their helmets and protective pads and get rolling.”
Evert, a history teacher at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, started the skateboard club about a year and a half ago. She has since teamed up with English teacher Bobby Corliss as well as Eli Defranca, who helped establish a skateboard club for the middle school as well. The group gets together to skateboard in the school parking lot and takes regular trips to nearby skate parks.
The club also recently held “Shred Fest,” a fun day of skateboarding and volunteerism at the Waretown Skate Park.
STOKED: Sydney Hoch is geared up for the skateboard clinic.
On Monday, Evert had with her skate club members Mason Milko, a junior from Waretown; Kaiden Mishkovsky, a freshman from LBI; and Archie Coen, also a freshman from LBI.
The group “generously brought additional skateboards and protective equipment for students who needed them,” said Kopack. “Beyond learning how to skateboard, the clinic provided a wonderful opportunity for students to challenge themselves, try something new, encourage one another and experience the excitement of learning from older student mentors.”
Miko, Mishkovsky, Coen and Evert offered instruction in basic to intermediate skateboarding skills, helping students develop balance, coordination, confidence and perseverance in a fun and supportive environment. Coen also performed some tricks that wowed the young crowd.
When asked if they liked skateboarding, the kids answered with a resounding “yes!”
“It’s great to see the number of students who want to skateboard increase,” Kopack remarked. “The students really enjoy being outdoors, and experiences like this remind us of the tremendous value of getting students active and discovering new interests. We are looking to start up our PTA (parent teacher association) enrichment programs soon, which is always a great experience for our school community.
“A special thank-you to the Southern Regional Skateboard Club, adviser Sarah Evert and to our parent volunteers for helping make this unique learning experience possible,” he added. “It is great to see the commitment, time and energy of our Southern Regional students. The students are not only good at practicing the sport of skateboarding, but they also did an amazing job teaching and working with the elementary-aged students.”
