Weekly Newsletter from the AD’s Office
Quote of the Week:
"The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney
Thank you:
Each week the activities department will highlight a group of people who help make our activities department run. This week we would like to thank our Salida Spartan Athletic Booster Club. The club is made up of volunteers who meet and work throughout the year to raise money for our activities. What they do for our programs is immeasurable. I would encourage anyone with a student participating in activities to get involved with our Athletic Booster Club. Make sure you let them know how much you appreciate them!
Shout outs:
Congratulations to our Girls Basketball staff and team! This past weekend they won the Tri Peaks League tournament. They finished the regular season 20-3 and will be hosting the regional tournament here in Salida on Friday/Saturday.
Congratulations to our Boys Basketball staff and team! In a must win game this weekend, they were able to avenge an earlier loss to La Junta. Their win helped to secure them a playoff game this Friday!
Congratulations to our E-sports coaching staff and team. The team performed very well last week, picking up their first match win. They improved their state ranking from #142 to 93.
SMS Wrestlers did awesome at BV this past Thursday, improving in all positions, using new technique well, and maintaining emotional cool in tough competition.
How about our Cheer coaching staff and team!! They have the longest season of any activity (and it is not even close). Some members of the team start practicing in early August. They are there to support our fall teams, all while practicing for their own competitive events in Nov/Dec. They continue to practice and support our winter sports teams. They will continue to go strong until our basketball seasons end. Then their off season training begins.
This Week’s Events:
Basketball: Friday (5 PM) Girls host Skyview in the Regional round
Friday (6 PM) Boys play @ Strasburg in the Regional Round
*Saturday (11 AM) Girls Regional Final @ Salida
*Saturday (1 PM) Boys Regional Final @ Strasburg
*Salida must win on Friday to play in the Saturday games.
MS Wrestling: Tuesday (4:30) @ Salida Aux Gym
Friday (9 AM) @ Monte Vista High School
HS Track: Saturday (10 AM) @ CSU-Pueblo
HS Track: Thursday (5:30) Parents Meeting @ HS
HS Baseball: Tuesday (6:30) Parents Meeting @ Baseball Field
Choir: Thursday (5:30-8 PM) Fundraiser Production at Amicas Pizza
AD’s Remarks:
What an exciting time to be a SPARTAN!! Both basketball teams qualified for the playoffs! Our spring sports are getting ready to begin their first competitions, all dreaming of post season runs in May. Esports is doing great things. And our wrestling and swim teams just finished their amazing season with their participation in their respective state meets.
The greatest thing about students being involved in extracurricular activities is the many life lessons they learn. Two of the many lessons learned are “commitment” and “perseverance.”
Perseverance: the quality of continuing to try to achieve something despite difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement, showing steadfastness, determination, and persistence in a course of action, even when it's hard.
Commitment: a strong promise, obligation, or dedication to a person, cause, or activity, involving loyalty, time, and effort, often requiring sacrifices and unwavering focus despite difficulties.
You see commitment and perseverance in all of our student athletes. A great example of this is in our basketball teams. The girls began the season 2-2, the boys began 1-6. The girls then went 18-1 to win the league and qualify for the post season. The boys then went 9-7 and qualified for the post season. These accomplishments do not happen without a commitment to their coaching staff and to each other. They don’t make the playoffs if they don’t persevere through a slow start to the season and having others doubt them. The greatest joy of being an AD is seeing these student athletes learn these lessons, whether they realize it or not.
I encourage all parents to get your children involved in activities that teach these and many other life-long lessons.
SHS Sports Schedule
SMS Sports Schedule
It is time to start thinking about SMS Track & Field season! For those students ready to run, jump, and throw - all abilities welcome!
Optional pre-season practice on Wednesdays at 4:15, Fridays at 9 am once the season begins - these are great opportunities to get in shape, meet teammates, and have fun before the official start.
The official season starts after spring break - then practices will start after school at 4:15 pm. Watch for more details soon.
There will be a parent meeting the first week of the season - more details on that soon as well.
Track and Field builds confidence, friendships, and improves speed and strength.
Reach out to SMS Assistant Athletic Director Stephen Crane for more information.
Hi Parents,
My name is Zach Ellis, and I am thrilled to be coaching your kids this season. Baseball is a fantastic game, and my primary goals this year are simple: help the players develop their skills, foster great sportsmanship, and—most importantly—make sure everyone has a blast on the field.
As our pre-season workouts wrap up this weekend, I wanted to reach out and officially introduce myself as we head into the regular season. I would also like to thank James White and the rest of our coaching staff for running the preseason workouts. What great resource for our boys!
I’m coming into this season with the dual perspective of both a parent and a coach. Both of my boys have played ball since they were little, and I’ve had the privilege of coaching them through Salida’s rec programs as well as within our school district. My oldest son played through high school here, and my youngest is currently part of this middle school team. After coaching the High School JV team last year, I am incredibly excited to step in this year as the Head Coach for our middle schoolers.
Whether your player is a returning veteran or picking up a glove for the first time, we’re going to focus on the fundamentals and playing as a cohesive team.
⚾ Parent Meeting
Once our roster has been finalized, I will schedule a Parent Meeting. It will likely take place the second week of practice. More information to come...
🗓️ Practice Schedule & Logistics
Official practices begin this Monday.
When: Monday through Thursday, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
Location: Marvin Park (unless otherwise noted)
Transportation: Players are welcome to ride the provided school bus (#1) from the middle school to practice every day.
🧢 Gear & Uniforms
To ensure the boys are ready to play, please make sure they have:
Required: Glove and bat (labeled with their name), baseball cleats, helmet, and water bottle (plenty of hydration is key!)
Practice Attire: Baseball pants are encouraged but not required. Please ensure they are dressed comfortably/appropriately for movement and the weather. No jeans or shorts, please.
Game Day Attire: School provided uniforms, including a jersey, pants, belt, and hat.
📢 Communication
Game Schedule: Games are currently posted on the Salida School District website. Click here for more details.
Team Emails: Trisha White will be handling the majority of our team communications this season. We will send out weekly email reminders with specific game details, schedule changes, and updates. Please make sure your contact info is up-to-date and that we have included all guardians who would like communication from us. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me directly at 719.960.1662.
🤝 Volunteers
To ensure the season runs smoothly and the kids have the best experience possible, we are looking for a few parents to help out with game-day operations. Please see the open roles below. If you’re interested, please reach out to me or Trisha White.
Score Keeper: Responsible for the official paper scorebook during games.
GameChanger: Responsible for tracking the live play-by-play on the app (great for parents/grandparents who can't make it to the field!).
Snack Coordinator: Responsible for organizing post-game snack schedules.
🔄 New: The Baseball Gear Swap
We would love to start a Gear Swap within our program! If you have any baseball clothing or equipment that your son has outgrown, please consider donating it to help other players within our school or Salida's rec program.
Drop-off: You can bring donations to practice or drop them off at the Longfellow Elementary office for Trisha White to collect.
Thank you so much for trusting me with your boys. My goal is to make this a season filled with growth, team building, and great memories on the dirt.
Go Spartans!
Best,
Coach Zach
Middle School Baseball Head Coach
Valentine's Grams are for sale this week!
Spartan Voice is selling Valentine's Grams- a valentine's card with a special treat - all week long for $1 during lunch.
Next week they will hand deliver these special grams to students.
We're incredibly proud of our Girls' Basketball Team.
They had a stellar 12-0 season and won the Tri-Peaks Championship this past Friday! They passed along this sweet message to fellow classmates: " A huge thanks to all the middle school fans that showed up to the game and cheered us on. Your relentless encouragement gave us the strength to persevere. You rock!"
February 4th was "Loving on Our Community Day"!
Our SMS 7th graders and their teaching team dedicated a full day to service, showing appreciation for our staff and giving back to our Salida community.
To start off the day, every SMS staff member received hand-delivered coffee and donuts from a student!
Then, for the rest of the morning 7th graders participated in a variety of service projects inside our school and in the community!
- Students gave free bike tune-ups to staff family and friends with the help of some of our biking community experts.
- Students went to Columbine Manor and spent quality time with our community's elderly residents. - Some awesome GARNA members led students in building "seed bombs" to pollinate our trails and our SMS garden got some TLC from students who helped fix the garden beds.
- Students showed some love to their younger peers at Longfellow Elementary and the Early Childhood Center.
- A group of students went to the Salida Community Center and helped prepare meals for those in need.
- Students helped our SMS Librarian sort through and restock books and they helped make blankets for children at Children's Hospital.
To finish out the day, all 7th graders got to walk to the bowling alley for some well-deserved fun with their classmates!
A massive thank you to our SMS 7th-grade teaching team for organizing this inspiring day, and to all the parents and community chaperones who volunteered their time to participate! We are so proud of our students!
Salida Middle School's 2nd annual Dream Summit is coming up on Wednesday, February 11th!!
Students will hear from a keynote speaker in the morning, followed by 3 breakout sessions with speakers from a wide range of industries in our community!
Students will get the opportunity to choose to attend the sessions that interest them the most!
Here's a sneak peak at some of the sessions students will get to choose from:
- An introduction to swiftwater awareness with "Fast Water, Strong Power!" from Colorado Parks & Wildlife
-Get a chance to groom and walk miniature horse with Susan Shampine from Mini Blessings in "A Day in the Life of a Miniature Horse."
-Dive into the art of sourdough from "Baking with Dough Mama"
-Participate in a fun, interactive activity at City Hall in "Running the City: You're in Charge!" with Justin Critelli and Sara Law
-And so much more!!
This conference will be all day, taking the place of normally scheduled classes. Students will have lunch and recess as normally scheduled.
Can't make it to our SMS Girl's Basketball away game vs. Florence Junior High?
You can still cheer the team on by going to SoCoTicket.com to stream the game from home!
When: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
What time: C Team starts at 4:00pm, JV starts at 5:00pm, and Varsity starts at 5:50
Let's go Spartans!!
Athletics Nov. 3rd-8th
Congratulations to both the Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country teams for their success at the State Championships! The Boys’ team brought home the reserve State Championship, and the Girls ended up in third place, keeping pace with a very tough TCA team. We are proud of your strong finish on the season!
Postseason
Playoff action begins for both Boys’ Soccer and Volleyball. Salida’s varsity soccer team is the number 2 seed in the Class 2A state tournament bracket. The Spartans will host Liberty Common on Wednesday, 11/5 at home, and the winners of that game will play in Salida on Saturday, 11/8 quarterfinals round facing the winner of the 11/5 Front Range Christian/Vanguard match.
The Girls Volleyball team has been invited to the Class 3A Regional Tournament. The bracket has been set, but details including location, dates, and times will be released soon. For all of the latest information, visit the 3A Girls Volleyball bracket on the CHSAA website.
All updated Team Schedules can always be found on the Salida Spartans page on the TriPeaks League Website.
Mon, Nov. 3rd
MS Basketball @ Harrison MS (3 Levels), Harrison MS, 4:00
Wed, Nov. 5th
MS Basketball @ Woodland Park (3 Levels), Woodland Park, 4:00
CHSAA Boys Soccer Playoff Game vs. Liberty Common, Spartan Stadium, 6:00
Sat, Nov. 8th
CHSAA Boys Soccer Playoffs vs. TBD, Spartan Stadium
CHSAA Volleyball Regional Tournament - TBD
NFHS Channel: Did you know that all contests held in the Main HS Gym and in Spartan Stadium are live streamed on the NFHS Channel? What a great way for our fans to watch the Spartans!
92.3 The Peak: For those wanting to listen to Salida Spartans in action, the home varsity games are broadcast on 92.3 The Peak.
Finally, I want to encourage all fans to remember we cheer for the Spartans and NOT against our opponents.
BE LOUD! BE PROUD! BE POSITIVE!
SMS is celebrating the end of the 1st quarter!
Spartan Voice hosted Spirit Week last week - Monday was Twin Day, Tuesday was Adam Sandler Day, Wednesday was Tacky Tourist Day, and Thursday was Pajama Day. We're looking forward to celebrating all of our students’ accomplishments with a pep rally for students on Thursday, October 16. It’s a great time to reflect on our successes and build excitement for the rest of the school year.
Sports Physical Night
When: August 4th, 2025 from 6:00-8:00pm
Where: Salida Middle School Gym
Who: All incoming SHS & SMS 5th-12th grade student athletes
Cost: $10 per student, cash or check
All athletes must have a current physical on file (completed in the last year) before they are allowed to participate in practice or games. Getting a physical done now will cover your athlete for the '25-'26 year.
A parent or guardian must be present with each student. Physical forms will be provided.
Chaffee County Public Health will be on-site at Sports Physical Night offering adolescent vaccinations. We will have Tdap, MenACWY, HPV, Polio, Hep A, Hep B, and MMR. Many adolescents need these vaccinations, especially those going into 6th grade, college, or those who have started a series but have not completed that series. Please have your insurance card with you. Parents either need to be present with their child or can give verbal consent over the phone. They will bill health insurance for those who have it, and there is no charge for those who don't have insurance. (Please bring your health insurance card.) Please visit the Chaffee County Public Health Immunizations & Disease Prevention website and fill out the child health questionnaire and the Insurance registration form in advance. (Note - you don't have to be an athlete to come for an immunization - all students are invited to participate).
Thank you to the medical doctors and professionals who are donating their time to support our community's student athletes!
Learn more about Spartan Athletics at salidaathletics.com
For questions about Spartan Athletics, reach out to Athletic Director Marko Hahn, mhahn@salidaschools.org
For questions, reach out to Anastacia Fraijo, anastacia.fraijo@hrrmc.net
