Children, Fathers Go to the Races at YMCA Derby

More than 150 families packed the Placerita Junior High gym Sunday, when the Santa Clarita YMCA held its annual Pinewood Derby.

Squeezed together along a 36-foot-long track, an excited group of children from kindergarten through third grade watched the races and cheered for the winners as rows of parents equipped with cameras looked on.

The derby was part of the YMCA’s “Indian Guide” and “Indian Princess” programs, which are made up of activities for fathers and their children to do together.

“Many times in this rush, rush, rush world, we don’t have time to spend with our kids,” said Kris Kelso of the Santa Clarita YMCA.

For David Asplund of Valencia, the derby provided a chance for greater interaction with his 5-year-old daughter Naomi.

“This gives us an opportunity to do things together, which we probably wouldn’t do if not for the tribe,” said Asplund.

Many parents at the derby also experienced a little nostalgia as they remembered their own childhood experiences at such events.

“It’s really fun to do a little reliving of what I did by seeing the little guy do this on his own,” said Dan Johnson, a Valencia resident who has participated in the program for the past three years. He attended with his sons Erik, 7, and Alex, 5.

To participate in the derby, parents and their children had to assemble cars from kits consisting of a pine block, wheels and axles. The cars could be designed any way as long as they weighed less than 6 ounces.

Blake Borland, 7, said he spent two days working on his car with his father. When finished, Blake said, he “felt proud.” The Borlands have been in the Indian Guides for more than a year.

“I like it because you can be with your dad,” Blake said.