Page 10 - Wednesday, July 20, 2022
The Sylvania Times
thesy lvaniatimes .com
How bout a little
Pickle Ball?
Becky Scott
Assistant Director
Recreation Department
One of the fastest-
growing sports in
America that has
really taken off
during the COVID-19
pandemic is the
game of pickle ball.
Pickle ball combines
the elements of
badminton, ping pong
and tennis using a
lot of strategy and
its own unique rules.
This sport has grown
since the spring of
2020 as an outdoor
alternative to indoor
activities. A survey
by the Sport and
Fitness Association
found a 21.3 percent
increase in the
number of Americans
who started playing
pickle ball in 2020
with a reported 4.8
million active players.
Its popularity has
continued to grow
each year. More
and more recreation
centers and vacation
destinations are
adding pickle ball
courts. Pickle ball can
be played as singles
or doubles, two or
four players, using
solid paddles and a
ball similar to a wififle
ball. The Screven
County Recreation
Department opened
its new tennis/pickle
ball courts in April.
There has been daily
use of these courts for
both sports. The local
pickle ball court lines
are painted in baby
blue. The recreation
department also has
two indoor pickle ball
nets/courts that can be
set up in the SCRD
gym but since the
completion of the new
outdoor courts local
interest has taken off.
If anyone would like
to learn more about
the rules of pickle
ball or would like to
borrow any paddles
or balls, stop by the
recreation office and
see one of the staff
members. Pickle
ball is a fun sport
that can be enjoyed
by all ages and skill
levels. There are
some friendly adult
competitions taking
place each week at
the new courts, some
young adults and
some retirees just
looking for a little
exercise. If anyone is
interested in joining
an adult league,
contact Becky Scott at
the recreation office.
Keith and Carrie Forehand return to Doug Dirst and Deanna Bragg in their pickle ball game.
Doug Dirst and Deanna Bragg help demonstrate the increasingly popular game of pickle ball.
Recreation Department News
Screven County
Highschool Cheerleaders invite you to
2022 KIDDIE
CHEERLEADING CAMP
Screven County Recreation Dept. Gym
Grades Pre-K - 6th
July 25th - 29th / 3:45p - 5:30p
$60 includes camp shirt and snack
FORMS AVAILABLE AT THE SCREVEN
COUNTY RECREATION DEPT.
GYMNASTICS CLASSES
Gymnastics classes will start back August 8
at the SCRD gym. Registration days will be
held August 2 & August 4 from 4:15-6:00p.m.
in the SCRD gymnastics room. Ashley
Edenfield is in charge of the gymnastics
program and sign ups will only be available
with the instructor. There will be limited
spaces in each class so it is important to attend
the registration days. 2022 classes will be
held August 8-December 15. Classes will be
offered for ages 3&UP. See instructor for the
class schedule or visit screvenrec.com. The
cost will be $35/month.
MARTIAL ARTS
CLASSES
Martial Arts classes start back August 2 at
the SCRD gym. Classes will be held every
Tuesday and Friday. Andi Johnson is in charge
of the martial arts program. Sign ups are
available with the instructor. Ages 5&Up may
participate. Class times and fees vary by level.
Call the recreation office or visit screvenrec.
com for more information.
m
Moments
Friday, July 29,
9 a.m. - 2 p.m.:
Junior Ranger Camp
for ages 5-15. Let your
child become a junior
park ranger and explore
all the park has to offer,
as we play games, tell
stories, and leam more
about the flora and fauna of Georgia. Cost is $15 per child.
Call the park office to register at 478-982-1660.
Saturday, July 30
10 a.m.- 2p.m.:
Family Fun Day
Come join us at the park!
We will have a bouncy
house, splash pad, crafts,
games, living history
demonstration, nature hike,
and more! Admission is $5
per vehicle and a $5 parking
pass is required. Come out
and see what the park has to I
offer! Call the park office for more information at 478-
982-1660.
Fall athletes working,
softball start two weeks away
Summer practices for
basketball and wrestling
are done. All official
athletic practices within
the Screven County High
School athletic program are
now geared toward the fall
sports of softball, football,
competitive cheer, and cross
country. The regular seasons
for each are just around
the corner. Softball’s
first regular season game
is August 5, football’s is
August 19, cheerleading’s is
September 17, and for cross
country, the schedule is not
made of yet.
Season ending injuries
have already dealt Lady
Gamecock softball Coach
Jim Randall Doyle a serious
blow but he and his staff
are very optimistic about
the season. As Region 3A
D-lfeaturs but four softball
playing schools, the Red
and White are going to
the state playoffs for the
17th consecutive season.
With an extremely tough
nonregion schedule the
girls are looking to compete
with region favorite Bryan
County for the title.
“We coaches have been
very pleased with the effort
and attitude of our girls
this summer,” said Doyle.
“They’ve really embraced
our expectations and have
worked hard to improve
each day.
Fundamentals have
been stressed daily
as well as a focus on
defensive communication,
cuts/ tandems, and bunt
coverages.”
After an August 12
scrimmage with AAAAAA
Effingham County the
gridiron Gamecocks of
Ron Duncan will open
their regular season with
the Georgia School for
Innovation and Classics
on August 19 at Kelly
Memorial Stadium. The
team has been hard at work
over the summer hoping to
improve upon a 3-8 record
from 2021 that did include a
state playoff trip to faraway
Pelham where the team lost
by a field goal.
According to Duncan,
“Things have been really
going well. The guys have
been working hard and
morale has been much
improved. We have a lot of
young guys that will have
to play and we will have to
grow them up quickly, but
I’m excited about what we
have seen this summer. We
don’t have a lot of guys that
require a lot of maintenance
from an attitude standpoint
and that has been refreshing.
The new coaches have
really stepped right in and
it’s been great having those
couple of guys around to
provide a new voice. We
don’t have a lot of depth and
we have yet to really start
installing our special teams,
but I think we are improving
every day.”
September 17 is the
date the cheerleaders
of Cindy LeMaster will
open their competitive
schedule making their
current practices not
quite as earnest. For
another scheduling cycle
cheerleading at the Class
A level will not be divided
into regions. All Class A
squads will compete at Ola
High School in McDonough
on November 5 with the top
16 squads there advancing
to the state finals in Macon
on Saturday morning
November 12.
Says LeMaster, We
are wrapptng up summer
conditioning. These are
the last three days (They
will start again on August
1) for the girls to work
routine, stunts, tumbling,
and sideline routines.
They learned a great, clean
routine for competitions
and are excited to start
working all their skills
needed to execute it. The
girls finish their summer
conditioning with their
annual Cheer Kiddie Camp
(July 25). This is a fun
opportunity for the girls to
work with younger girls of
the community. They will
teach them motions, cheers
and a dance.”
In all likelihood the Lady
Gamecock cross country
team, coached by Anna
Canetto will open their
season before September
17 but scheduling will not
begin until school starts.
Currently with but six
runners (a full team is seven,
with the top five counting
for scores). Canetto said,
“We are working on
increasing distance. We
also take a few days to set
a timer and just run, not
tracking distance.”
Open House Information
CES
SCMS 6th
SCI IS 9th
Friday, July 29. 2022 from 8:00 AM to TOO PM
^^Thursdoy July 2Gth from ET30 PM Xo 4:30 PM. This is
jil ^~foiall upcoming 6th gixiders.
> Friday. July 29. 2022 from fl:00 AM to V00 PM
Thursday July 28th frqm 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM in SO 15
I**' Auditorium. Tftls is for qU upcoming ?lh graders
f.CHS lOth-Uth
4 .4 1
Friday. July 29 2022 from 8:00 AM to W0 PM
For more informat ion, visit our
website ot www.sereven.klZ.go.us
kAiMA uii a a * k
