Lopez Island School District - Home of the Lobos

Athletics

Confidence, Skills and Health

Athletic Director Larry Berg’s athletic program involves students early, keeps them motivated and delivers a healthy dose of inspiration along with perspiration. 

First through fifth graders take a weekly 55-minute P.E. class. Learning sports and cooperative games, they begin building fitness habits that are reinforced in the healthy cafeteria, wellness classes, L.I.F.E. Garden Program and Vita Parcours. Middle and high schoolers turn out twice each week for 80-minute gym classes where they play team sports, hone personal skills and develop sportsmanship.

“With the obesity crisis in America today, you may find 30% of kids in school who can’t fully participate. That’s not the case on Lopez. With no fast food restaurants on the island and positive role modeling at school, students simply get a better start. That’s not to say they don’t eat any junk food, but my kids won’t even let me stop at a fast food restaurant on the mainland  any more. It’s pretty cool.”     —Lopez parent

Extracurricular Sports: “You’re On The Team!”

Because of our small size, kids get a big bonus: everyone who turns out, makes the team. More than 80% of the student body participates in extracurricular activities, fostering a school-wide culture of support for fitness and athletics. Fielding basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, track and golf teams plus a cheerleading squad, the program gives kids with many opportunities to develop skill and gain physical confidence. While students at larger schools, fortunate to make the cut, often end up specializing in a single sport, many Lopez students play multiple sports each year. It’s an opportunity that we hope to continue offering, no matter what our size.

Our teams love to win, but we focus on more than the scoreboard. Coaches teach cooperation and teamwork on and off the field. In addition to respectable records and many league and district championships, our teams have brought home numerous academic and sportsmanship awards. 

High School Awards:

2008 football: 3 wins/6 losses

• WIAA Distinguished Scholastic Award  Team GPA: 3.07
• Pacific Coast League Team Sportsmanship Award
• John Trotto Team Sportsmanship Award

2008 girls volleyball : 10 wins/ 7 losses

• Bi-district finals
• WIAA Distinguished Scholastic Award  Team GPA: 3.48

2008 boys soccer: 6 wins/12 losses

• NW “B” League Team Sportsmanship Award
• Boys WIAA Academic State Champions  Team GPA: 3.677 

2008 boys golf:  Second Place NW “B” League

• WIAA Outstanding Scholastic Award  Team GPA: 3.57

2008 girls golf: NW “B” League Champions

• 2008 Second Place Quad-Districts
• 2008 WIAA Academic State Champions  Team GPA: 3.59

2008 girls track:

• Third place Bi-District
• Girls 8th place State
• WIAA Distinguished Scholastic Award  Team GPA: 3.44

2008 boys track: 

• NW “B” League Champions
• 2008 Bi-District Champions
• 2008 Boys Second Place State
• WIAA Distinguished Scholastic Award  Team GPA: 3.47 

Team Travel: Rich Experiences on and off the Field

Some of our teams compete across the state. These trips build camaraderie and give young athletes valuable experiences with new cultures and lifestyles. For some students on the football team, heading over the mountains to the wheat fields of Eastern Washington was a first-time adventure. When the team played The School of the Deaf in Vancouver, Washington, a KOMO film crew aired a clip of the game on the evening news. Afterwards, the Vancouver team hosted our students for the night. 

“Following a football game at Neah Bay, the Makah Community gave us a community potluck with native songs, dance and storytelling. It was great! There were probably a couple hundred people there. Most city kids never get that kind of experience in a sports program. It made a real impact.”    —Larry Berg, Athletic Director and Football Coach

We want students to be active and healthy, and urge them to use athletics to learn about themselves, each other and the world. At Lopez we set the bar high, and our students consistently rise to the challenge.