Turning Kids into Skaters and Creating a Positive Community
As the sun begins to set on North Valleys Regional Park, and as White Rabbit, by Jefferson Airplane, plays out of the speaker standing in the truck of Eddie Washington’s white pick-up, members of the Reno Skate Alliance attempt another skating maneuver.
“There's lots of bad stuff out there in the world,” the founder Eddie Washington explains as to why he wants to motivate kids with skateboarding. “When you're on a skateboard, you're not thinking about anything besides skateboarding, you know, you're not caught up with things; other people around you. You're just doing you, and that's what we want the kids to be about. Stay away from the bad stuff, all the negative stuff. I think it's a really good outlet for kids. And then also that it teaches them hard work and determination; skating is not something you can just do easily. And so they really have to like work for it and progress constantly.”
The Reno Skate Alliance has not only been a place for young aspiring skaters to become friends but also a place for Washington to make friends as well. Spencer and Sam Eldridge became intrigued about Reno Skate Alliance, thinking it would be a good program for their son, Oliver.
“We joined because we wanted a community for our son. We saw how much he loves skateboarding, and we took him to the ski park, but there was never really like other kids his age that he could connect with. And I grew up skateboarding as well. And you know, there is nothing like this, you know? I'm a Reno local. It's hard to get out there when you're a kid; there are not many people to talk to, you know? It was definitely different, you know, growing up as a kid compared to now,” Spencer Eldridge said.
The Eldridges have become vital components to the Skate Alliance, with Sam managing its social media, and Spencer helping Washington out with coaching.
The Reno Skate Alliance thrives on mutual support and the deep connection of knowing the rush of finally landing a trick. “It's kinda like in baseball when you get a home run, you know, it's like, you've been practicing for all this time, and you've never got a home run. It's kind of like getting home really, you know, you're like, Oh my gosh, try it again. And again and again, until you get it, you know, we always say, you know, it's the kind of a celebration of watching my son learn new tricks. It'll be like 20 or 30 times of trying the same thing. Once he actually lands it, It's like the whole skate park goes wild,” Spencer Eldridge said.
Feeling Accomplished Despite the Setbacks of COVID-19
“I mean, it hits you. You get, especially when trying something new and having like 15 people just watching, especially when you got that many people just supporting you and you land it, it's just, it's an awesome feeling,” Washington said of the pride everyone shares as a member progresses.
Just as Reno Skate Alliance began to grow in popularity, Covid-19 hit. “We did try to do some distance things when COVID hit, but we eventually had to shut everything down,” Sam Eldridge said.
Now slowly getting back into a new groove, the Reno Skate Alliance is seeking help from the community. “I think that it's really a great resource for the community right now, especially with COVID and so many indoor activities and restrictions, but it can only work if the community is involved. On our Instagram, we have like a little logo, and it says “by the community for the community,” so really it's like whenever the community wants to come together and what they put into the skaters’ lives, the Skate Alliance will just turn that around and put it back into the community.”
They’ve organized family picnics, and received donations such as used or new boards, bearings, trucks, wheels and hardware, helmets and pads, and are open to all help via their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RenoSkates/