Category: Sports

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

With binoculars at the ready, numerous spectators sat in lawn chairs near the edge of the bluff overlooking Tulalip Bay on a sunny August afternoon. “Back it up” a voice instructed over a loudspeaker, as sleek canoes began to slowly creep forward in anticipation of the air horn which signaled the start of the race. Four canoes, each guided by eleven Indigenous athletes, were guided back to a line of floating buoys. As soon as the long canoes were behind the starting line, the airhorn blasted and echoed across the bay, and forty-four paddles simultaneously struck the water. 

Moving at high speeds through the local Salish waters, the competitors pulled the entire length of Tulalip Bay, and passed through the inlet before journeying out into the sea. For a while, the canoes were out of sight, and then they came back into view, and raced back to the Hermosa side of the bay before making the last stretch of the race back toward the longhouse.

“Tulalip has always been one of our favorite races,” said Karlie Kinley (Lummi) of the Merisa Mae Canoe Club. “It’s one of the newer courses to the circuit, and it’s on the US side. A lot of times we have to travel far away, because many of the canoe clubs are from Canada. Tulalip is close to home, and we can bring more of our families. The hospitality and everything is always really good here. And it’s saltwater, and we’re saltwater paddlers so we get a little bit of advantage in the water – it’s definitely one of our favorite places to come.”

For the first time since the pandemic hit, the annual Canoe Races returned to Tulalip Bay during the weekend of August 20. The tribal athletes were excited to get back out on the water and visit with friends and family hailing from other nearby tribes. 

“We started in 2015 at the direction of one of the elders of our family,” said Natasha Fryberg, Tulalip Canoe Races organizer and hostess. “They thought it was very important to bring it back to Tulalip, we used to host it many years ago. We really wanted the canoes back on our waters, on our land. My favorite part of the races is everyone coming here, seeing everybody who we haven’t seen in a while, hearing all the laughter and stories, and seeing the participants on the water. You get to see so many different athletes who bring so much to the canoe circuit.”

You may already know that traditional cedar dugout canoes were created as a means of transportation, so that the Salishan ancestors could navigate from tribe to tribe or harvest from the sea. The canoes utilized for the races, however, are much different than those seen every summer at Canoe Journeys. Sometimes referred to as war canoes, this speedy canoe variation is narrower and much lighter in comparison. Developed centuries ago, many traditional stories claim that these canoes were created so that people could travel quickly to and from other tribal nations to conduct raids during wartime between tribes. 

“This goes all the way back to the beginning of time,” explained Willie Jones Jr., Lummi tribal member and skipper of the Lady Rose Canoe Club. “Of course, through the years the stories change. But what these races evolved from is when our ancestors started racing the canoes just for something to do at our potlatches. This is part of our teachings – we’ve been racing canoes for as long as I can remember.”

Participants of all ages pulled in a number of competitions throughout the weekend including singles, doubles, 6-man and 11-man races. Several Coast Salish tribes, bands and canoe families were well represented during the event.

Vivianna Thomas and Kieneshia Dominic James, young pullers from the Scowlitz First Nation, reflected on returning to Tulalip Bay and participating in the races. 

Said Vivianna, “I pulled in the women’s six, thirteen and under six, women’s eleven and thirteen and under eleven. We got fourth in both women’s. And thirteen and under, it was a bunch of little kids and I felt happy to take them out. Coming out to Tulalip is always really fun and I enjoyed everything we did this weekend.

Kieneshia added, “It’s really fun to do, especially throughout the summer. You get to meet and see a lot of people and compete against other kids. And being out on the water gives me peace and a strong mind. And I always send up prayers for all my people in need.”

The Canoe Race circuit consists of several waterway courses located at tribal villages throughout the Pacific Northwest region. As Natasha mentioned, the Tulalip Bay course was recently unlocked during the summer of 2015 and has been a racer favorite ever since. 

“I love the scenery here,” expressed first time puller, Kendra Jefferson who also belongs to the Marisa Mae Canoe Club. “This is my first-year racing and it felt amazing. I really enjoy canoe pulling and being with friends and family. This is something that I grew up with, and it’s been in my family for years. To me, it’s very important and I know it’s important to my mom, my dad, and my grandparents to carry on the tradition, and I hope my kids follow along.”

Passing on the tradition, along with various techniques, is something that every racer looks forward to. In fact, many of the young competitors belong to a longline of canoe racers, and often race alongside their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties during the team races. 

“I like getting to race with my kids,” said Nooksack tribal member, Jeremy Roberts. “I have three kids who are ten and under and it was fun to get to race with them this weekend. This is important to the culture – to keep our traditions going, passing on our teachings, and just getting out there and having fun. It was a great weekend with good weather, good water, it wasn’t rough. It’s been a great season and I am thankful to be back on the water with family.”

In addition to keeping the canoe racing tradition alive, the summertime event serves as a great way to keep the youth away from destructive activities and behaviors, while engaging them in a positive and cultural experience.

“The Canoe Races gives our people a place to go,” Natasha stated. “People participate for many different reasons, whether it’s cultural, or their looking for their own self-healing. This is also a prevention tool for our kids. A lot of different clubs use it as a prevention tool for their club members.”

“These races are important to our people, especially for our youth and younger people nowadays,” Willie agreed. “We’re losing a lot of culture, values, and teachings in our school systems – they’re not teaching it there as much as they should. This is vital to teaching our youth a cultural way of life, showing them a good way of life, and keeping them away from all those things that get kids in trouble. We’re fighting a lot of drugs and alcohol on all of our reservations up and down the coast. Prevention plays a huge role, and this is a good way to keep our kids busy and support our youth.”

The last stop on the Canoe Race circuit will take place during the final weekend of August at Neah Bay. And although there were a handful of young sduhubš racers this year, Natasha expressed a desire to start a canoe club from Tulalip to participate in next year’s circuit. 

For more information, including how to get involved in the races, please follow War Canoe Races page on Facebook. 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Over the three-day span of March 11–13, bucket getters from reservations all across the Pacific Northwest journeyed to Tulalip to participate in a thrilling Jr Nationals tournament. The first major basketball tournament in over two years produced stunning nail biters, wire-to-wire victories, clutch time shots, and memories galore for hundreds of Native spectators who cheered on their favorite hardwood hoopsters.

There were nearly a dozen competitive divisions, from 8U up to 18U, filled with boys, girls and co-ed teams. There were so many teams that tournament coordinators reached out to Marysville Getchell and Marysville Pilchuck high schools for access to their basketball courts. Both schools graciously offered their courts for play to give the tournament a whopping seven courts of action, including those at the Youth Center, Boys & Girls Club and Heritage. 

In total, a whopping 50 teams came together to play over 100 games over the three-day tournament. Giving players and coaches countless opportunities to showcase the free flowing, fast paced brand of ‘Rez ball’ that Native hoopers are well-known for.

“Traditionally, Jr Nationals is one of the first youth tournaments hosted on this side of Indian Country. It kick starts the tournament trail for parents, coaches, and athletes and gives them a long awaited opportunity to showcase all their skills and hard work,” explained Youth Enrichment manager Josh Fryberg. “It’s a great time for us as adults and coaches, too, because we’re able to network and see how we can continue to work together to make our youth and communities better.”

A horde of local Tulalip talent was present throughout the multiple divisions and age brackets, where they tested their dribbling and jump shot making skills against determined defenders from Muckleshoot, Lummi, Neah Bay, Yakama, and Lapwai. 

“It was really good to see all the athletes and coaches on the court again, along with all families that travelled a long way so their athletes could participate,” said Josh. “There was a lot of great competition and even more laughs and smiled shared. The entire tournament went really well and we are pleased with the level of engagement we received from tribes both near and far.”

Among the many proud parents and guardians cheering loudly from the sidelines as their kids dribbled, passed, and put up jumpers to their hearts content was momma bear Sarah Murphy. Four of her sons competed in Tulalip’s Jr Nationals tournament; Gaylan in 16U, Jaylan in 12U, Josiah in 10U, and Zaedyn in 8U.

“It was amazing to see my boys out on their home courts again, playing for Tulalip teams and having so many local tribal members root for them to be successful,” reflected Sarah. “Normally, its our oldest son Gaylan bringing home the championship hardware, but not this time. His little brothers have been watching and learning and this tournament all their hard work paid off. Zaedyn had so much fun playing with the 8U team and taking 2^nd place. Meanwhile J.J. brought the ship home for the 12U boys. 

“Our car ride home after the tournament finished was definitely memorable because J.J. kept saying ‘It’s my time!’” she added. “As a mom with boys who dream of playing in the NFL and NBA someday, I was so proud of their efforts and thankful for the Tribe for allowing this tournament to happen. It was refreshing to see so many Natives on our homeland, united by sports once again. My family looks forward to many more tournaments this spring and summer.”

Be sure to keep a look out for flyers and accountments in future SeeYahtSub editions, or routinely check online at https://www.tulalipyouthservices.com/ for information regarding a host of basketball, softball, and other sports tournaments returning to Tulalip in the upcoming months.

Congratulations to Kierra Reese and the Arlington High School Girls Basketball team on their 3rd place finish in the State finals! The Eagles beat Mead 61-44 and finished the 2021-2022 season 21-3, with their second consecutive 3rd place trophy.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

There are many things Tulalip is known for. Depending upon who is asked, the responses may vary widely. However, within Snohomish County coaching circles a common response is raw athleticism.

Indeed, for generations now, Tulalip has churned out athletes who have showcased an uncanny ability to learn and compete in sports at a high level. Whether it be at the beginning stages at the Boys and Girls Club or YMCA, middle school intermediate stage or varsity quality at local high schools, Tulalip is well-represented across the sporting spectrum.

As our proud athletes continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible for a simple Rez kid, like those currently fulfilling their dreams to play collegiate sports, it’s critical for the next generation to receive access to the newest training technology and latest performance-based guidance. 

Analytics and data is quickly becoming the preferred method for evaluating college prospects and professional athletes. In keeping up with the data-driven times, husband/wife duo DeShawn and Sharmane Joseph created a first-of-its-kind partnership to bring cutting-edge athletic assessors Basic Athletic Measurement (BAM) to Tulalip.

“Moving in real-time, many Tribes, educational systems, and business institutions throughout the world are using data and analytics to make informed decisions about any number of things. Why not, then, use data and analytics to assess our children’s athletic needs and abilities? This way we can showcase their talents and give them something real from top level trainers to motivate, inspire, and change their path, one kid at a time,” explained DeShawn. 

The Joseph’s Reservations Without Borders program and BAM hosted a modified skills camp in the friendly confines of the Tulalip Youth Center on Saturday, January 29. The skills being tested? That raw athleticism Tulalip is known for.

Athletic assessment typically relies on stop watches, manual data collection, and non-standardized testing protocols. Due to bias and inconsistency, comparing and benchmarking an athlete’s performance has historically been a subjective measure. BAM has revolutionized the process with remote sensors, motion tracking lasers, and other SmartSpeed tech wizardry. BAM’s staff and methodology have been stamped with approval by the NBA, ADIDAS, Under Armour, EuroCamp, and power 5 college conferences such as the PAC12 and the BIG10.  

“We were invited to come to Tulalip and present our service we offer to athletes around the world,” said BAM founder Brett Brungardt. He has nearly thrity years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach for the Dallas Mavericks and University of Washington basketball teams. “We brought this technology to the NBA fourteen-years-ago and since then its been utilized for twenty-two different sports. Our design assesses each athlete and provides them with a foundation to build from. This way they can workout or train in a manner that they know is making them faster, improving agility, increasing power…basically improving all the components necessary for becoming a better athlete.”

After the preregistered Tulalip athletes showed up at the Youth Center, joined by a few excited day of participants, things quickly got going on the freshly waxed gymnasium hardwood. Brett and his team gave the aspiring sport superstars a quick orientation and immediately got to warm-ups. Everyone hit the lines and participated in a 15-minute group warm-up session to adequately stretch and prepare for the training to come.

The traditional basketball court area had been reconfigured into five testing zones, each with a unique function and it’s own set of challenges. The group of kids were split up into groups and rotated through each zone, being allowed a practice try and then two scored attempts. A nearly identical set up as professional ballplayers at the annual NBA Combine. 

Each testing zone provided a key measurement that when used as a whole can determine a participant’s overall athleticism. The zones were as follows:

• Vertical Jump. Evaluates the ability to exert a maximal force in as short a time as possible within vertical distance depending upon sport specifics.
• Sprint. Evaluation to determine acceleration, maximum speed and endurance speed. Sprint time can be performed over varying distances, depending upon sport specifics.
• Reaction Shuttle. Evaluates the ability to show how quick and effective decisions are made and actions initiated, plus the brief interval of time it takes to react to an external stimulus.
• Broad Jump. Athlete starts within 15 feet of the Vertec. It is a running start vertical jump. Measurement is similar to the vertical jump, but also includes athlete’s ability to coordinate and incorporate strength and power with reach.
• Agility. Valuation measures the ability to make quick changes of direction while moving at speed and the ability to move quickly and change directions. 

Every basketball player knows that major bragging rights go to the player with the most hops, and the easiest way to determine that is the though an official vertical jump test. One by one the athletes got into position, buckled their knees for an added boost and then leaped skyward, extending their fingers as far as possible. After the competitive jumping session, the day’s vertical jump crown went to 17-year-old Tommy Nguyen.

 “I knew I could jump high, but not that high! A thirty-seven inch vert is definitely low key bragging rights,” said Tommy to his fellow Marysville-Pilchuck teammates.

During the agility and reaction shuttle drills, it become apparent to the athletes that pure speed and power could be outdone by light, nimble feet and a lightning fast reaction. It was in these events that 13-year-old Mayleah Madera shined brightest.

“My favorite sports are basketball, softball and volleyball. I can’t choose just one, I love them all,” beamed Mayleah after her days testing session. “Today was a lot of fun and different than anything I’d ever done before. The coaches told me that by being light on my feet and continuing to develop better foot work that I’ll be an overall better athlete for all my sports. Also, it was really cool to outscore the boys on some activities.”

New and developing technologies like BAM’s athletic assessment system make it possible to standardize a player’s performance level. Giving them not only an athletic GPS to track their progress, but to recognize areas in need of growth as well. For families who dedicate endless time and financial resources to their child’s dreams, these assessment systems validate a commitment to athletic excellence.

Emphasizing the event’s unique nature, BAM staff made sure the young athletes recognized how special they were by remarking multiple times this was the first group of Native Americans to ever test their athleticism under the BAM system. Something DeShawn and his wife are proud of, as they hope to test thousands of Native kids throughout the country with this latest partnership. 

“They got to witness the beautiful athleticism come out of our kids. The showcasing talent we’ve always seen in our communities came to life today, in front of real professionals who were able to track the data we need to move our kids forward in a good way,” reflected DeShawn after the day’s session concluded. “With this technology, our kids and athletes can gauge themselves and know exactly which parts of their training they need to focus on to improve their overall skills.

“With this BAM partnership we hope to achieve the same outcomes in Indian Country  that the professional institutions are getting from their athletes – the inspirational improvements and the amazing stories,” he continued.  “I’m hoping over a 5-10 year span we can test over 10,000 Native American kids in all of their communities throughout the United States and Canada.”

DeShawn added a special thank you is in order to the Tulalip Board of Directors for believing in his vision for our athletes and the Youth Center for providing an amazing facility and lunches for all the participants.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Seattle SuperSonics legend Gary Payton, better known by his nickname “The Glove”, partnered with the Native basketball camp Rise Above in order to put his Hall of Fame talents to good use – impacting thousands of Native youth through basketball. His partnership with Rise Above took him to Colville, Kalispel, Coeur d’Alene and many other reservations throughout the Pacific Northwest. 

One of the truly unforgettable basketball camps Rise Above held was in Tulalip. Back in September 2015, Payton co-hosted a youth skills camp at the Tulalip Youth Center. For all those youth who participated and the adults who volunteered, they quickly realized the camp was about much more than just basketball. It was about using basketball as a means to empower our kids and teach life lessons, while instilling a bit of resiliency in each participant so they could grow into productive members of the community. 

Following that memorable basketball camp, Payton sat down with Tulalip News staff to share what his insights are on how to most effectively impact urban youth. 

You may be wondering what kind of insight a former NBA superstar can have about our Native kids. Well, the answer is simple – Payton’s very familiar with growing up in an impoverish neighborhood, being surrounded by the poverty mindset, witnessing drug use and petty crime being committed by his friends and family…all while having to struggle against a system determined to see him fail. 

Payton grew up and survived the drug-infested streets and gang filled neighborhoods of Oakland, California in the 1980s. Oakland was plagued in the eighties by a continuation of the rising crime rate and drug issues of the previous decade. Crack cocaine exploded as a big problem for the city during this period, and Oakland was regularly listed as one of the U.S. cities most plagued by crime. 

From being born and raised in Oakland to currently following his new life mission to travel to mentor and coach youth in most need of positive role models, Payton has the ability to not just address the issues of most concern to today’s youth, but also offer simple guidance to the adults who want to make our community better.

The following conversation may have happened six years ago, however the knowledge and perspective the Seattle hoops icon offered is just as relevant today. Here now, we offer our See-Yaht-Sub readers unique insight from one of the best point guards in NBA history as he endeavors to assist parents, teachers, and guardians to create a better environment for our kids. 

“Growing up in Oakland, California I was in a similar environment to a lot of these kids today, where they have a lot of free time on their own with not much adult supervision. That means you get to be around your friends the majority of the time, and your friends are going to be doing things that you want to be involved in because you want to fit in. Then things start to happen.

As a kid, I had a father who was working all the time, but he used to tell me ‘you got to be your own man, you got to be a leader not a follower.’ If somebody says something or wants to do something that ain’t right, then tell them they ain’t right. If they don’t want to be that person who helps you and says okay I understand, then they aren’t really not your friend. That’s what a lot of these kids are starting to see more and more of because youth of this generation prefer to do anything to not be bored. 

My generation was different because we knew how to go outside and just have fun. Everyone didn’t have a fancy cellphone, iPads, and all the rest of it. Even our cartoons and TV shows were only on during Saturday mornings and a couple hours after we got home from school. Today TV, cellphone apps, and the internet caters to these kids so they can be burying their face in a screen all day, every day. 

I think for these kids today, all they need is a little push. They need someone, like myself, who has been through and seen the same things they have, to come around and give them a talking to and tell them the right way and what not to do. Because once we leave and they get someone they think is a friend who pressures them, it’s hard for them to make the right decision because of the peer pressure and idea it’s better to fit in than stand out.

But when these kids have adults and role models around who are not only looking out for their best interest, but are actually making themselves available by text, phone call, or to meet up to talk, then it becomes easier for them to say no to the bad choices and yes to the good ones. All they need is to have that support behind them, people they know are helping build them up into the best person they can be. But it can’t be only a sometimes thing, it has be an all the time thing because these kids can tell who is fake and who is real.

It’s important for us as mentors, the adults who these kids will listen to and respect, to get the youth to set individual goals. We want them to set goals or to have an ultimate goal for themselves. Most of these kids don’t have goals other than to have fun or good times with their friends, that’s not a goal. We see it all the time where they’ll get just a little bit of satisfaction from what they are doing in school or from actual hard work and then they’ll immediately flip to okay that’s enough now let me go and hangout with my friends. That mindset comes from not having goals to succeed, not having the goal to be someone who the community looks up to.

If they had goals that are bigger than just hanging out with friends or messing around on social media, then they’d be more willing to say no to the little things that get in their way in order to achieve their goals. That’s the biggest problem with youth today. Their so focused on the immediate and what’s right in front of them that they don’t see the larger picture, they don’t have the passion to set long-term goals and follow through. They don’t understand that by focusing in and setting goals today that they are actually investing in their future.

As mentors, advocates, and educators we have to remain vigilant and get these kids to buy into setting goals and following through. It starts with their education because nothing is more important than getting a good education. A good education means opportunity and with opportunity comes the ability to do what you want to do, not just what you have to in order to scrape by. We know that kids today love doing what they want to do, so now it’s on us to get them to see that through education they can be adults doing what they want to do as well. Getting them to set goals in the classroom and with school is where it starts. 

We want them to have goals like, ‘I’m going to get better grades this year than I had last year’, ‘I’m going to make honor roll this semester’, ‘I’m going to graduate with my high school diploma’, and ‘I’m going to go to college’. They seem like no-brainers, but we’ve seen they are too interested in other things and have lost that focus in school and on their education, and I’m going to keep going back to it and say it’s because there’s a lack of goal setting. It’s not good enough to be satisfied with just showing up or only doing enough to get by. We have to want and expect more from them in order to get them to want and expect more from themselves. 

Our mission as mentors is to encourage, and support our youth as they discover who they are and what they want to be. Through goal setting and an emphasis on education as future opportunity for themselves, they’ll be able to become the best person they can be. Once they have that mindset to want better, to be better, everything will start to click and it’s an amazing process to witness. These kids have so much they can accomplish and so many opportunities available to them. When they are empowered to realize they’re capable of reaching their goals and achieving like they never thought before, then this entire community benefits. Let’s do our part to make this happen.”