The Islander Sports Foundation (ISF) is a local nonprofit that has been working to support athletics programs for Coronado schools since 1994. Kris Collins recently stepped into the role of ISF’s president after serving on the organization’s board as their booster liaison, and she’s now looking to continue ISF’s legacy. Partnering with the Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) and Coronado High School (CHS) Athletic Director Aaron Brooks and Coronado Middle School (CMS) Athletic Director Kristen Guymon, Collins and ISF are helping provide students with top-tier athletic opportunities.

Collins explained how ISF’s mission has expanded over the last 30 years from focusing solely on CHS student-athletes to now having the capacity to help support all Coronado student-athletes from sixth grade through high school. “We’ve taken on any club sports if there’s not an ISF sport [equivalent], as well as Coronado schools sports. [We] offer sports not only for Coronado Middle School and High School but for the other schools here on Coronado Island, which includes Sacred Heart, Christ Church [Day School], and homeschool kids, as well.

“Right now, we have about 15 board members and about six student representatives who come to the meetings and act as liaisons between their schools,” she noted. “So far, it’s been great.”

Aaron Brooks, CHS Athletic Director, said, “We coexist and work alongside each other. I attend all of the meetings where I’m listening and there to offer input for the high school level of what’s going on, updates, and everything.”

As an athletic director, Brooks sees firsthand how important the schools’ athletic programs are for students. “You don’t have to go far back to see the impact. If you look at the COVID times, you can see how much was impacted and how much people needed to be outside,” he mentioned. “Even the social side of things – building relationships and making friends. And it’s neat that being such a tight-knit community, it doesn’t matter if you played last year or 15 years ago, being a part of that sports team or having that one coach, you automatically have that connection.”

Collins, whose three daughters have been involved in various CUSD sports programs, also brought up the life skills that Coronado’s student-athletes are building on and off the field. “I feel the school does a great job of laying the foundation of being a student and learning about time management, being a leader not only by label but as a leader within your own group, and we see the results of all of that with the continuation of their academic and athletic careers in college.” She noted the history of Coronado students who have gone on to play sports at the top levels in college and have become Olympians and professional athletes.

Brooks said that starts at the middle school level now, where ISF’s partnership with CMS Athletics Director Kristen Guymon has helped expand the availability of opportunities to younger students. “There’s a couple of different values that [the] program offers, including the competitive sports side of things,” he explained. “But it also provides a significant opportunity for students to explore different sports and put themselves out there, see if they like something without [parents] having to put in tons of money.

“That and all of the factors that it helps build in athletes – the commitment, the engagement, the accountability and hard work aspect of, ‘You get from it what you put into it,’ the confidence, being able to self-advocate…the list goes on and on,” he continued. “We’re just trying to build those long-lasting relationships, create those memories, and instill those values in these future contributors to society. There are a lot of great things that this program does.”

Collins, who is a nurse, also spoke about the physical and mental health benefits of the athletics programs. “[Guymon] is bringing a lot of different types of activities to the kids. Pickleball, for example, has taken off. And when kids sit in a classroom all day, to be able to stretch their legs and be outside, it’s very important for mental health,” she said. “It keeps kids off their devices and allows their brain to have a different mindset.”

Brooks explained how funding is more important than ever for these programs as sports technology and the level of competition continue to shift expectations from athletes, parents, coaches, and recruiters. “Years ago, there was a different level of expectations for uniforms, equipment, facility use, and everything,” he said. “Back in the day, coaches could show up and just put out cones and be an expert in that sport. But now they have to have the college connections, they have to communicate with athletes and with parents on a regular basis. Not only do they have to have the skill, but they have to do fundraising on their own and be able to be all over the place.”

Brooks noted the popularity of private sports clubs across the country and their role in increasing the players’ and parents’ expectations of a high level of training, facilities, and equipment. While the school is able to provide the necessary equipment needed, the current budget isn’t always able to account for those wants that go beyond the basics. That’s where ISF has been able to partner with them and are helping to bridge those gaps.

Brooks and the high school’s athletic trainer, Victoria Waller, have been meticulously assessing the school’s sports equipment. Some items, like some team uniforms, are over a decade old.

“It’s things like the timing systems for swim and track, the state-of-the-art helmets, and getting things reconditioned and fixed for player safety,” Brooks said. “All of these things have just ramped up across the board and cost more money. And money is being put into that stuff but it’s not always the fancy things that people see when they step onto the field, like the way the team looks or what ball they’re throwing or kicking around. Nobody is excited going, ‘Yes, the officials are being paid!’ but they’re expensive. Having lights on at the facilities…it does take the entire village to raise the product that we want and offer the opportunities that we want to provide our students, and what we think this community deserves.”

Collins explained that ISF’s long-term goal is to address everything on that list for every team while working with CUSD to do so. Collins knows there’s a long way to go to complete that list (uniforms for 24 sports teams alone are likely to cost over $100,000), but sees the wheels turning and the collective desire to be able to provide this equipment for students.

“That groundwork has been laid by a couple of our board members who have created that open dialogue with the District about where we are and what we have seen over the years that needs replacing,” she continued. “It’s things [we need] to be aware of as the teams are getting more competitive and are in the limelight with these great student-athletes and the great people behind them developing their futures.”

In addition to working with CUSD, ISF collaborates with other organizations in town to support the athletic programs financially and through volunteer efforts.

Students are directly involved in ISF’s fundraising events, including their largest sponsorship events with the local Crown City Classic Fourth of July run (Click Here/) and Valentine’s Day run. Teams also help raise money through snack bar sales, collecting tickets through the CIF platform during the post-season, and other individual team fundraisers.

“There are multiple organizations that help support teams throughout the year and multiple organizations that reach out and volunteer. Over the years, it just gets stronger and better,” Collins said.

“One thing that’s nice with ISF is the community involvement,” Brooks said. “You get a lot of different people that are involved and it’s a way of redistributing the resources and the finances at an appropriate level for things that are supporting the community. They give back in multiple different ways.”

With about 950 students at CHS, ISF’s aim is to have very athletically competitive programs. Brooks noted that any successful sports program involves good coaching and beginning early.

“We don’t want to have any rebuilding or rebound years and one thing ISF has done a phenomenal job with Kristen Guymon is to really build a middle school program that feeds right into our high school [program],” he said. “We accept all athletes and we’re a smaller school and need people to make up teams. But my goal is that when we have students come in, they’re coming in with a higher skill level so we can compete.”

Those programs and efforts are paying off as nearly every CHS team has made it to post-season playoffs so far this year. Four teams won CIF championships last year, as well, and multiple sports have moved to play in more elite divisions in recent years. Teams that have also struggled to fill their rosters in recent years are seeing a lot more interest.

“For a long time, there was also only one team per sport,” Collins said. “Now, with these programs that are starting at the middle school, you have two [high school] teams. We now have two girls’ basketball teams when, a few years ago, we could barely fill one team. I think that’s a true testament to [Guymon’s] dedication to getting the right coaches, the right people to motivate these kids.

“And it’s great to have both [Brooks] and [Guymon] because I feel like they have the same love of sport and the passion for the kids to develop. To have fun and understand that it’s not just about you, it’s about your team and how to pick each other up. These two, together, are great and I think that will continue to paint a successful athletic program here.”

Brooks added, “My cliché line is that as we look back as athletes, we may not always recall the records of those teams, but we know how those teams made us feel and how those coaches made us feel. We’re just trying to create more of those moments for these students and their future.”

There are many ways to get involved and join in ISF’s efforts. ISF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), and people are always welcome to make a donation, which will go directly towards funding Coronado school athletics programs by providing new equipment and other financial needs to ensure every student has the opportunity to be a student-athlete. Commemorative bricks that are displayed in the breezeway under the high school stadium seating at CHS can also be purchased through ISF to honor a CHS graduate or educator.

Additionally, ISF’s meetings are public and anyone interested in volunteering can attend a meeting to find out more information about current volunteer needs or other ways to help out (contact Collins directly via email at isfcoronado1@gmail.com for information on upcoming meetings).

“If somebody has their own way of being able to offer support, there are other ways to be able to get involved and support [Coronado athletics] if you don’t want to go to meetings but want to contribute,” Brooks added. “Otherwise, we’re always looking for members and people who want to support our programs. Every person doing boosters for our individual sports teams has a booster representative from ISF, for instance.”

Additionally, the community can help support teams by going to the games, buying something from the snack bar, and cheering them on.

To learn more about the Islander Sports Foundation, Islander sports, upcoming games, and more, please visit Click Here/.