It’s turning into quite the month for the young athletes of our valley.

While we didn’t set out to bring you a mostly sports edition of The Echo, there have been so many fantastic stories coming from our young stars of snow and ice that can’t be missed.

What’s great about so many of these stories is how our teams have gone up against some real challenges to succeed.

From the girls’ midget hockey team that triumphed over bigger centres with sometimes fewer than 10 players, to ski and snowboard athletes who shook off day long bus trips to put us on the podium, these kids are stepping up and making us proud.

As coaches often note in stories about sports in our valley, our athletes often end up playing against teams with easier access to resources and members. That they’re finding this level of success nonetheless is a testament to their tenacity, teamwork and work ethic. All skills that will help even when the season wraps or they age off their current team.

In smaller communities, keeping kids amused can be a real challenge — as evinced by much of the conversation we heard during last week’s three-day teachers’ strike.

It’s great that our youth have so many avenues open to them to get active, work together and learn from each other, whether they’re skiing powder or showing off their skating stylings.

Kudos have to go out, in this case, to the coaches and volunteers who make it possible for these teams to go as far as they have.

Practices, road trips, fundraising — all these take time and dedication from everyone involved.

It’s a major commitment and, if the success we’re seeing is anything to go by, one people seem to be making wholeheartedly.

—The Valley Echo