My name is Chelsea Frank. I grew up in Ocean Shores and married my high school sweetheart, Kyle, who also spent his entire youth in the North Beach area. Today, we’re raising our four children in the same schools we loved and coaching youth sports from elementary through high school.

One of the things we appreciate most about our small town is that kids can participate in a variety of activities at the high school level. But what we’ve seen firsthand is the gap leading up to that. There are no consistent feeder programs, and for kids to compete and develop, parents often must get creative. There simply isn’t a dedicated system to support youth athletics in our unique, somewhat isolated beach communities.

There are opportunities in surrounding areas—Hoquiam Youth Baseball, Grays Harbor Soccer and Dance, Elma Basketball, AAU leagues, club volleyball, YMCA programs—but these come at a cost. Registration fees, travel, uniforms, and equipment add up quickly. Some teams require lump-sum payments of $500–$600. Insurance alone can run $200 or more per season. For many families, it’s just not doable.

Because of this, too many kids reach junior high or high school without ever having had the chance to truly participate in organized sports. And even when teams come together, the challenges don’t stop there: finding a committed coach, securing equipment, and simply having something to wear can all become barriers.  This was our experiences growing up here, and not much has changed in over 30 years.

A few years ago, my husband coached a group of kids in AAU basketball and took them to a tournament in Seaside, Oregon. For many of those kids, it was their first real trip—something they’ll never forget. But we showed up in worn-out jerseys we’d pieced together from old school gear. During one game, a foul was called on player number 4—but it wasn’t number 4. It was number 14. The “1” had fallen off years before, leaving just a faint smudge. We ended up taping a new number on mid-game.

Meanwhile, other teams walked in with matching uniforms, gym bags, and sweatshirts from the tournament—looking confident, prepared, and proud. Our kids noticed. And while we were incredibly grateful to even be there, I couldn’t help but want more for them.

Because the truth is—when you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you show up differently.

That experience stuck with me.

Later, when my husband became the cross-country coach, there were just eight athletes total across grades 6–12. We found small ways to build pride.  Tie-dye shirts in school colors, then sweatshirts free to athletes and sold at cost so families could support and represent the team. We talked to the kids about what it meant to wear those colors—to represent North Beach wherever they went.  And they rose to it.

Today, that same program has grown to over 30 athletes. But with that growth comes new challenges. It’s harder to provide for every need, and fundraising becomes more important than ever.  That’s why I created North Beach Youth First.

We want to support our youth at every stage—whether that’s helping an individual athlete, supporting a team, or giving organizations a better way to raise funds and grow. Our high school programs—golf, track, baseball, fastpitch, basketball, powerlifting, wrestling, soccer (Hoquiam), swim (Aberdeen), football, cross country, and volleyball—are not fully funded. Coaches and students rely heavily on fundraising just to cover basic needs.  We’re here to help change that.

North Beach Youth First is about creating opportunities, building confidence, and giving our kids the chance to show up prepared, proud, and ready to compete.  We can’t do it without community support.