By Tanesha Coley

Seeing the Lady Royals start their season off together and being able to coach them was such a tremendous opportunity. After a long school day, these girls worked each day to improve their skills. They learned how to be the best teammates, good sports — even in challenging situations — and represent Kids Unlimited Academy with maturity and class. 

Although the team had some challenging games, they had supportive families and friends along the way. I am impressed to see how each one handled themselves under such pressure and continued to have fun. Both varsity and JV figured out different ways to tackle obstacles in the best ways possible.

The KUA Lady Royals learned what it was like to work together and be a part of a team, and we got to a point where they were excited to practice and get better. Comparing this group during our first practice with the season’s improvements was terrific. We got to a point where everyone was scoring in games, and for a coach, that’s a great feeling. 

Both varsity and JV finished with incredible records. We had some tough opponents, but both teams played their best in each game and improved immensely during practice. Trying out a sport can sometimes be challenging. So to all the ladies who tried out and played through the season. Congratulations! WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU! Thank you to the parents, referees and bus drivers who made our practices and games possible! 

By Tiani Bradford

The Royals kicked off their second annual basketball season with a group of talented young men eager for competition. They learned a lot more than just basketball. They learned to hold each other accountable on and off the court, respect one another, and represent KUA Royals with class. They understood what it means to put the student first before the athlete. Most importantly, they learned even through failure, there is still something to gain. That lesson was demonstrated in our game against Hanby Middle School. 

The bleachers were packed, and our crowd was electric – the kind of big staged moment an athlete lives for. It was an intense game from the beginning, with both teams trading baskets and making plays. However, midway through the second quarter, our boys began to get frazzled and sent us into halftime with a 15-point deficit. I could see the frustration on the boys’ faces and their spirits deflated as they walked over to our huddle. Looking them all in the eye, I reminded them this game was far from over, and we were all about to find out what type of team we were really made of. With one stop at a time, if they could cut the lead to eight points or less by the fourth quarter, we still had a shot at winning. 

I was blown away by their response. The boys played with an elite level of intensity and cut the lead to two points late in the game! Unfortunately, the game did not end in our favor, and we lost by six points. Although the boys were overcome with emotion at a tough loss, I was so pleased with the heart and tenacity they played with to fight back. The scoreboard may have shown differently, but the boys’ efforts to battle adversity made them true winners after that game. They were tough, played for one another, and never gave up. It will forever be one of my favorite games I’ve ever coached. 

Both Varsity and JV finished the season with winning records of 7-2. On behalf of the team, thank you to all the coaches, referees, bus drivers, and parents who made this season possible. We could not have done it without you! As the boy’s season comes to a close, no amount of words will surmount how proud I am of them, but I TRULY AM SO PROUD OF THEM! Our boys received several compliments from spectators on our away games about how they carried themselves and how respectful they were to others and the facilities. I watched them grow and become better versions of themselves since the beginning of the season, and that is a more satisfying win than any basketball game ever could be. An honorable congrats to our KUA boy’s basketball team for a successful season!  

Upon returning from the holidays, the girls’ season has officially started. We are excited for a promising season from our Lady Royals, who are nothing short of talented. We are looking to kick off our first game of the season Thursday, January 19th against Applegate. Our first home game is scheduled for Monday, January 23rd against Ruch!  I am excited to see what is in store for our girl’s basketball team. We’ve got a tough, gritty group ready to get after it on the court. Go Royals! 

By Andrea Gee

Our girl’s volleyball team grew this year; we had a 7/8th grade Varsity team and a 6th and 7th-grade JV team. Our two JV teams played in our normal Kids Unlimited small school league. They did very well this year and grew as players. Many JV girls had never played volleyball before, and their skills improved significantly towards the end of the season. A few girls could not serve over the net; however, I promised them they could do it by the end of the season, and they did. They worked hard and improved their skills, even skills they didn’t know they had. Thank you to Coach Tanesha for helping these girls grow over the season. I am very proud of all the JV girls who played this year.  

Our Varsity girls placed in an 8th-grade bronze big school division, where we got the opportunity to travel to Grants Pass and Roseburg. I didn’t know what to expect playing in a big school league. I told the girls we had our work cut out for us. We were in a league that KUA had never played in before. They were all scared. I told them that I believed in them: “We may not win a single game, but you girls will prove yourself and do things you may not know you can do. We will work hard and have fun.” During practice, I would work them hard. They had conditioning days, and they stuck it out. The girls built their confidence level, and they worked harder. I pushed them and their skill level. They improved so much that I cannot wait to see some of the girls in high school playing.  

We created a lot of fun memories. I enjoyed coaching them. I wanted to build trust with these girls, so they knew I always had their back. I held my girls to a higher standard in respect. These girls did not just learn how to play volleyball, they learned life skills that I hope they continue to use daily. I cannot wait to see the 8th graders play in high school. I am proud of all these girls. Go KUA Lady Royals. We did it!!!!!!!!