BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — I9 sports fall season starts Saturday September 19 at Polo Park. This organization helps kids pursue their dreams in multiple sports. While motivating them to try new ones based on the short seasons.
- Plays all sports year round, allowing kids to constantly get practice in their desired sport.
- Five locations throughout Bakersfield with around 200 coaches.
- Winter registration is open now, season starts in January.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Multiple big-name athletes have come from the city of Bakersfield from a variety of sports. I'm Eric J. Dockery, your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter, and it starts at a young age. I9 Sports is starting back their season on Saturday to help those young athletes reach their next goal.
I9 Sports is a nationally recognized organization that helps students from the ages of 3-14 train and compete in their favorite sport. On average, they have around 2300 students participating during each six-week season stretched out between five locations in Bakersfield.
Zach Bertey one of the directors of I9 said "Some kids will stick with one sport every season. Some kids might want to try different things; they want to try basketball one season. Football the next season and then soccer, then rotate back to basketball. It's good for kids who are kind of getting their feet wet with different sports, allowing them to try different things."
Once students reach their freshman year in high school, their time with I-9 ends. Officials say it's not uncommon that the players then find their way back to the field, as a coach or a referee.
Ethan Aronson student referee says "It feels good, you know, to give back. Whenever I played, I had a whole bunch of fun. So, it feels good to go back and give back to the community."
The organization has around 200 coaches, and they tell me they either have kids playing, or simply love coaching. To see the reaction on a kid's face when they take the field.
"I grew up in Bakersfield. I'm a Bakersfield native. I played sports here in Bakersfield; I had a lot of good experiences with some great coaches. I had a soccer coach when I was young. Coach Tim, taught me a lot when I was growing up, more than just the sport. We had a relationship on and off the field. I wanted to continue that and pass that on to other kids." said Coach Jordan Guevara
When you go to their website, you can choose which location you'd like to register your kid in. Winter registration has started and will start in January. They base it on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The season starts September 21st at Polo Park in Bakersfield. If you weren't able to register for this season, don't worry; they start a new one every six weeks. For 23 ABC, I'm Eric J. Dockery, your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter.
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