Staff Report
Entering its sixth season, the Santa Ynez Valley Pirates Youth Rugby Club has received a grant from the LA84 Foundation.
“We have been working with the LA84 Foundation over the past 10 months and are thrilled to receive their support for our club,” said Tonya Crandall, grant-writer and a co-founder of the club. “Without their support and the other major grants we have received from our local organizations, we would not be able to keep the registration fees so low and provide as many scholarships as we do.”
The rugby club just finished its fifth season with more teams and age groups than ever before, and the team in the high school division qualified for the league playoffs for the first time.
The coaching staff includes Head Coach Dan Freedman, Bill Pattee, Chris Prendergast, Kelly Rakes, Tim Thorburn, Russell Holland and Beau Wollerton.
The club began in 2013. It provides boys and girls from 7 to 18 years old an opportunity to play rugby from December to March.
The teams engage in competitive games with other youth rugby teams from San Luis Obispo to Ventura. For more information about SYV Youth Rugby, call Dan Freedman at 805-212-9845 or visit www.syrugby.com.
The LA84 Foundation is a nationally recognized leader in support of youth sports programs and public education programs about the role of sports in positive youth development. It supports thousands of Southern California youth sports organizations through grants while also training coaches, commissioning research, convening conferences and acting as a national thought leader on important youth sports issues.
To learn more, visit www.la84.org or follow @LA84Foundation on Instagram and Twitter.
