There are several fields at Aptos High where students’ dreams were born, took
shape, and soared to amazing heights.
Now the Aptos Sports Foundation, with the help of PVUSD, has added another to
that list.
If you’ve driven up Mariner Way surely you’ve noticed what used to be the dirt lot,
its sole purpose a mud pit for 4-wheeling, is now a brand new athletic field!
For years, sports teams at the high school have been desperate for another practice
field. During soccer season, four different teams were sharing field time and
practicing sometimes until 10:00p.m. It was the same story for lacrosse during the
spring when the track team was on the field.
So, about two years ago, the Aptos Sports Foundation saw an opportunity and
jumped on it. A company was doing some construction work nearby and needed a
place to dump their extra dirt, we gave them a spot, and the new field at Aptos High
was born.
A lot of hard work later, and thanks to the Aptos Sports Foundation collaborative
partnership with the District, the grass field also has a marked parking lot, spacious
bathrooms, a lighted pathway, and even netting to catch errant balls.
The high school will utilize the field as a practice facility for various levels of
football, soccer, lacrosse and baseball.
Outside organizations, like the Aptos Soccer Club who is already a tenant, can rent
the field space for their competitions as well.
If you haven’t seen it, we urge you to take a drive and check it out. We also urge you
to look beyond the grass and dirt and see the possibilities of what a student-athlete
can achieve, not only during their high school career but in life.
As memories of summer linger and kids are quite literally gearing up for another school year, this time of year re-invigorates and re-energizes the Aptos Sports Foundation.
Although we’ve still been very busy throughout the summer, seeing the pod of backpacks bobbing down the street toward the bus stop, and running into to the Fall athletes around town sporting their Mariner colors and logos reminds us why we do what we do. It also should remind you why it’s important to give back, “For Our Kids.”
The Aptos Sports Foundation is funded solely through charitable giving and donations, and now we want to take that to the next step for those looking to leave a legacy in the community.
ASF has decided to enhance our legacy of charity, by developing a more robust planned giving program.
In partnership with the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, a county wide Foundation based in Aptos, we have developed a comprehensive plan to receive charitable gifts and donations to be used for both current projects and endowment for the community of Aptos.
Each Donor will choose where their donation will go in essentially three different options of giving; whether it be for a current project fund, or toward the endowment to fund long-term projects and programs. Chair of Charitable Giving and Endowment, Brent Chapman, explains, “We are building an Aptos community asset that will benefit our kids into the future.”
The Aptos Sports Foundation goal for the newly created endowment fund is to raise $5 million in charitable donations to provide the necessary budget to build and maintain a world-class sport and athletic environment “For Our Kids,” forever.
We can’t do it alone, nor would we want to. Aptos has always been about the community pulling together, every single person extending a hand in some way to better serve the next generation. That is why we have been successful and that is why we will continue to be for years to come.
The Aptos Sports Foundation is one of the premiere ways to be a part of that; to leave a legacy that you and your family can be proud of for generations.
For more information on ways to give please visit www.aptossportsfoundation.com or contact Brent Chapman, Director of Endowment (831) 588-4822.
Yes, school is still out for summer but the student athletes at Aptos High School are always training hard.
Look no further for the pay-off of that hard work than the Football program success: Four consecutive SCCAL championships and two consecutive CCS Championships, not to mention many more trips to CCS Playoffs.
No, Head Coach Randy Blankenship doesn’t have the young men practicing in pads, scrimmaging, or walking through plays on the field year round, but they are living the code of what it means to be a Mariner student-athlete 365 days a year.
The Aptos High School Football Lift-a-thon was a major success again this June! The players sought sponsors who donated based on the amount of weight each athlete lifts.
The weight lifting competition was really more about team building and acknowledging each athlete’s self-improvement. The competition is broken into two classes: Varsity and Junior Varsity. The gym was set up with five lifting stations and the players were introduced as they took their place at the strength appropriate station. “The crowd really gets into it when they see a player reaching deep to keep going,” commented Athletic Director Mark Dorfman.
This year the strongest JV player was freshman Austin Thelander with a top lift of 225 pounds. “Well I’ve always been good at picking stuff up. It’s kind of cool to be appreciated for it,” said Thelander.
Top Varsity lifter Adrien “Fluffy” Galindo benched 350 pounds and used the Lift-A-Thon as motivation for his final season, “It’s all gone in a blink of an eye, but this (next season) is my fourth quarter and I’m going to give it all I have and then some,” said the junior Mariner.
They each received a donation from Sid’s BBQ on behalf of the Aptos Sports Foundation of a dollar a pound equaling a total of $575. Owner John Siddel said “When I heard about the weight lifting program I had to support the kids. Especially, the lineman, after all they eat a lot of food!”
In addition to the donation for the program, each of the top lifters were treated to an “all-you-can-eat” BBQ feast and Sid’s T-shirt.
So as we head into fall sports and the start of a new school year, give the Mariners a high five if you see them around town for their hard work already this season!
It is important to note that the Aptos Sports Foundation supports all athletic programs at Aptos High, junior high, and Aptos youth sports programs.
