Just one week after Total Sports Development (TSD) announced a $50,000 fundraiser to help to save C-team sports at Yelm High School, the organization not only reached its goal but surpassed it by $10,000.
Yelm Community Schools announced on Monday, Aug. 5, that all high school and middle school football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball and volleyball C-teams would be cut due to the education programs & operations levy failing. TSD sprung into action the next day on Aug. 6, announcing during a Zoom meeting intentions of raising $50,000 to save C-team sports at YHS.
Yelm Community Schools Superintendent Chris Woods was pleased to see the community rally together in efforts to save C-team sports at YHS.
“It is encouraging to see our community come together during these challenging times to support our students. I believe this is what makes Yelm special,” Woods stated in an email to the Nisqually Valley News on Aug. 13. “I look forward to working with our community groups to support our students this school year and for years to come.”
Jason Ronquillo, TSD co-founder and vice president of sports development, said it feels great to reach and surpass the goal of $50,000 just one week after announcing the fundraiser for C-team sports.
“I’m glad that the community came together. It was crunch time, and we needed to move fast. The community responded, and we’re grateful for that,” Ronquillo told the Nisqually Valley News on Aug. 13. “The community support leads me to believe that this fall is going to be very exciting, and our stands are going to be packed. We’re very grateful for the community coming together the way they did. We look forward to seeing all of these young men and young women get their opportunity in athletics.”
After over $40,000 was raised as of the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 13, Kenneth Dinsmore, owner and president of Dinsmore Auto Group, met with TSD board members and YHS coaches to make a donation of $20,000. McKenna’s Northwest Chevrolet is part of Dinsmore Auto Group, and Dinsmore himself felt motivated to assist the local community.
“We heard about the need of the C-teams here in town, and I just thought this was right down my alley — something I’d really like to help with. I’d love to give the kids the opportunity to compete, and hearing they were not going to have that opportunity wasn’t going to work for me. Thankfully, we have the ability to step in and help support the local community,” Dinsmore told the Nisqually Valley News on Aug. 13. “I understand that it’s not just helping the football program, it’s helping all the C-team programs. We’re not just focusing on football, though we love football — but we’re focusing on all of the C-teams. Over 200 kids are going to have the opportunity to compete in sports, and I love that.”
Dinsmore added that he will try his best to attend YHS C-team games this year to show his support if programs resume.
“We wanted to make sure they got over that $50,000 goal, and from what I understand, they did. We love this community in Yelm,” Dinsmore said. “We’ve been out here for 10 years now with Northwest Chevrolet. We’re involved in the Dollars for Scholars, the youth Tornados football program, and I just really believe in the community out here. It’s a great opportunity for us to have a big impact on the local community.”
Ronquillo added that the contributions and support from Dinsmore Auto Group and Northwest Chevrolet tells him the organizations want partnerships, that they love athletics and love the local community.
“Reaching our fundraising goal means we can continue the traditions and the culture that we’ve built here. It means we don’t have to stop. It allows kids to have opportunities,” Ronquillo said. “We’re going to put the fundraiser to a close. Anything that’s over our goal amount is going to be banked until next year. When we get into the off season and the early spring, we’ll figure out how to attack next summer.”
Ronquillo said last week the fundraiser is strictly focused on this upcoming school year, and the money raised is not intended for athletic transportation or middle school sports.
Heidi DeFord, head volleyball coach at YHS, was thrilled to hear the news that the C-team sports fundraiser had reached and surpassed the $50,000 goal.
“Thank goodness,” DeFord told the Nisqually Valley News on Aug. 13. “I was hearing already that a lot of girls weren’t going to try out because there wasn’t going to be a C-team, and that broke my heart. I’m really happy that [Jason] Ronquillo and TSD got together to make this happen.”
The coach added that C-teams serve important roles as feeder programs and that including a third team, in addition to varsity and junior varsity, helps build a successful program.
“I don’t have a ton of girls that play club. C-team is really where they start getting the feeling of how we’re going to run things and build on,” DeFord said. “If we don’t have a C-team, how am I building my program?”
DeFord is also hopeful that successfully fundraising to save C-teams will help boost morale at YHS and throughout the district.
“I think a lot of people are going to be happy when they get this news, just seeing how much it’s been supported,” she said. “I think a lot of people maybe didn’t realize what was going to be cut with the levy.”
During the launch of the fundraiser on Tuesday, Aug. 6, in a Zoom meeting, Ronquillo highlighted the importance of high school sports, and specifically, the inclusion of C-teams.
“Athletics can literally change the trajectory of a child’s life. I’ve seen so many student athletes saved by athletics,” Ronquillo said on Aug. 6. “They’ve stayed in school, removed themselves from gang activity and have come back to their coaches to say thank you. ‘Thank you for all the lessons you’ve taught me and for never giving up on me.’ Personally, I would have never gone to college, got a bachelor’s degree, got a masters degree, my national boards, etcetera, if it wasn’t for athletics. It changed the entire landscape of my life.
“When you cut sports out of kids’ lives, they may not have any other options. There’s a larger picture to this,” Ronquillo added.
