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The Commerce News
Sports
CONTACT US: Brandon Reed / brandon@mainstreetnews.com / (706) 367-5233 or (706) 335-2927
Commerce Park and Rec
IB
THE COMMERCE (GA.) NEWS
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 28, 2008
Commerce Ushers In Summer Season
Aquatic Center Now Open
There’s one easy way to tell
that summer has arrived in
Commerce. That’s when the
pool at the American Veterans
Memorial Park Aquatics Center
opens for the season.
Monday was opening day for
the pool, as several swimmers and
fun seekers hit the waters to seek
relief from the heat.
The pool operates Monday
through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.
The opening marks the begin
ning of several pool-related activi
ties held by the Commerce Parks
and Recreation Department dur
ing the summer.
Swimming Clubs
Registration is currently under
way for the Tiger Shark Swim
Club, which comprises two divi
sions.
The “Minnows” group is designed
for 5 and 6-year-olds. It serves as
an entry-level activity of the swim
team.
The swim team includes youth
ages 7-18 who know how to swim.
Entry into North Georgia Swim
League competition and the GRPA
District Swim Meet is optional for
participants. Team members also
have the opportunity to qualify
for the GRPA State Swim Meet.
Registration for the Tiger Sharks
runs through Friday.
Swimming Classes
Residents 3-4 years of age will
also have the opportunity to learn
to swim. The program will run
June 16-20 with daily one-hour
classes beginning at 9:45 a.m.
Two separate eight-day sessions
are available for children ages
5-12 who do not know how to
swim. The first session is June
2-11, with the second session on
June 30-July 10. Both sessions will
be held on weekdays only.
Water Aerobics
The Water Aerobics exercise
class is for adult men and women
in general. Water aerobics strength
ens all muscles and joints without
the stress, stiffness and soreness
that can accompany land exercise
programs. Workouts require par
ticipants to use their arms, legs,
hips and neck and will elevate
their heart rate through the buoy
ancy of the water.
For more information on these
activities, call the Commerce Park
and Rec office at 706-335-3236.
Registration dates, times and costs
can also be found on page 2B.
Jl .
Kids of all ages came out to the pool opening on Memorial Day.
Photo by Brandon Reed
Summer started with a splash in Commerce this week, as Park Acquatic Center Monday afternoon. Photo by Brandon Reed
Monday marked the opening of the American Veterans Memorial
Softball
Auto Racing
Around 35 girls came out to the Tiger Softball Camp last week. Photo by Brandon Reed
Tiger Softball Camp Wraps Up
By Brandon Reed
It was a chance to see what
the sport is all about.
Last week, girls who are ris
ing third graders through rising
eighth graders had the oppor
tunity to attend the Commerce
Tigers Softball Camp. CHS
softball coach Pam Canup,
along with several current and
former CHS players, gave about
35 girls a taste of what playing
softball is like.
“We worked on hitting, throw
ing, catching and base running
every day,” Canup said. “We
spent one day on fly balls. We
spent one day on how to set
up as a catcher. We worked on
how to hold the ball for pitch
ing, and actually going through
some of the warm ups that a
pitcher does. We showed them
some of the drills that we do
in middle and high school as
well.”
Canup said the camp is not
only for middle school players
who want to keep their skills
sharp, but also for girls who
may want to know what playing
softball entails.
Canup says having a camp
like this is very important.
“It’s a chance to come out
and learn, and kind of see how
things are done,” she said. “You
get a chance to meet some of
the players, and actually work
on some of the same things.
You get an idea of whether you
like it or not, but it’s not in a
game in front of a bunch of
people.”
Canup said it’s not hard to
keep the kids in attendance
focused on the task at hand.
“The real little ones, they
run to the field and they run
back off,” she said. “Even after
you’ve been there a couple of
hours, they’re still running and
going. As long as you change
activities pretty often, they’re
pretty focused. As you get (to
the older kids), it depends on if
they are there to actually learn,
or if they’re just checking it out.
Some are very, very serious,
and others are trying to see if
it’s something they want to do.”
Canup says there are cer
tain things she wanted the
girls to leave the camp with
when it wrapped up this past
Wednesday.
“That it does take some work
and some skill,” she said. “We
talk about little things, like hav
ing your elbow high when you
throw. There is hard work, but
you can have fun too.”
Jefferson's Shore Grabs Peach State Win
Classic cars and local stars were the center
of attention at Peach State Speedway Saturday
night, as the National Vintage Racing Association
returned to Peach State, sharing the bill with the
local divisions.
Jefferson firefighter Russell Shore took top honors
in the Outlaw late model feature, holding off a hard
charging David Murphy for the win in the 30-lap
race. After an early caution due to a spin and engine
fire on the car of Terry Martin, Shore, Murphy and
Lula’s Mike Davidson raced hard for the lead, until
Shore and Davidson got together, allowing Murphy
to slip past them both. Shore gave chase, and with
three laps left, was finally able to clear Murphy to
pick up his first win of the season.
Paul Antley came from an eighth place start to
win the 30-lap Toyota Tundra Super Truck feature.
Antley took the top spot on lap 12, and never looked
back. A late caution gave Wes Whitfield a chance at
Antley, but a good restart gave Antley the space he
needed for the win.
Russell Shore, of Jefferson, picked up his
first Outlaw Late Model win of the 2008 season
Jefferson’s Steve Hill picked up another Mini-
Stock win Saturday night. The event also had the
scariest moment of the night, as Michael Buckner
lost control of his racer, slamming into the water
barrels at the end of pit road. The cars of Spanky
Hicks and Robby Erwin made contact as they tried
to avoid Buckner’s car, and Erwin’s car rolled side
over side down the front stretch, finally coming to
rest right side up at the finish line. All three walked
away from the accident unscathed.
In action for the National Vintage Racing
Association, Bryan Cantrell won in the Limited
Sportsman division, Martin Sapp was victorious in
the Modified Sportsman class, and Jason Bowen
took top honors in the Late Model Modified divi
sion. David Adams came out on top of the Late
Model Sportsman ranks, and Mickey Gibbs won in
the Open Modified division.
Racing action is scheduled to return to Peach
State on June 21, with racing in the local divisions
on tap.
Saturday night at Peach State Speedway.
Photo by Brandon Reed