Winchester Skate Team keeps kids rolling in school

"It changed my life," Richard Thomas said, referring to the Winchester Skate Team. "If I hadn't joined this, I would probably still be doing the same stupid stuff."

The team is a youth group of 12 skateboarders sponsored by the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive.

Thomas, 19, is enrolled for classes at the College of Southern Nevada this fall. Just two years ago he dropped out of Valley High School after accruing more than 70 absences in a school year.

"I would just get up and walk out in the middle of class," Thomas said. "I just didn't care anymore."

The team, he said, compelled him to finish what he started. He received his high school diploma through Adult Education classes from the Clark County School District.

Hektor Esparza is the skate program leader and mentors the kids.

Esparza has been skating for nearly 25 years and knows exactly what these kids face daily.

"I saw all the semi-homeless kids," Esparza said. "The majority of the skateboarders come from single-parent homes. Dropping out, that's pretty common around here."

Esparza started the skate team in 2006 to help fill a void.

"There's over 30 skate parks in the valley, and there's no programming," he said. "That's fine, but with no programming there, you have a lot of kids smoking weed and drinking, and they end up turning a lot of (younger) kids onto self-destructive habits."

Kids must prove with a report card that they have a 2.0 grade point average to try out for the team in January, and they must be training in an art medium.

Thomas, or "Blackie Chan" as he is known to his teammates, likes to rap his original lyrics. He plans to study music at CSN so he can one day produce his own.

His mother, Arnethia Terrell, said she's grateful her son found the team.

"I'm a fan of Hektor and the skate team because it keeps my son, as well as other kids in the neighborhood, safe," Terrell said. "It's encouraging. He just seemed to have really improved his behavior. It's given him an opportunity to express himself, to be creative and artistic."

Those who make the team must volunteer at the community center and at the skate team's fundraising events, such as the skateboarding contest and art sale that was scheduled for July 30 at the center.

Team members receive a new skateboard deck each month and other parts as necessary. Esparza also brings guest speakers to the center, and he takes the team on occasional field trips to art galleries or college campuses.

The team also gave away 20 new skateboards and upgraded 25 more for underprivileged youths at a June event.

Esparza declared August as Education Month and plans to bring in presenters to prepare the kids for high school graduation and the college application process.

The team has an awards banquet each December for such honors as Skater of the Year, Skater Scholar, Community Spirit Award and more.

The 2010 Skater of the Year, Juan Medina, has been on the team every year but one since its inception. He's entering his second year at CSN studying photography and drawing.

He said he'd like to be an art teacher when he graduates because he "would like to pay back to society."

Medina works alongside Esparza at the center and is still very involved with the skate team, though he's no longer an active member.

He was successful in school, in part, he said, because of his years on the team.

"When you skate, we have this thing in our minds," Medina said. "When we're learning a new trick, we have to learn it clean and nice. Hektor said use the skate mentality in school. You don't want a 'C,' you want an 'A.' That's a clean version of the trick. Do it again until you get it right."

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.