RECREATION
DEPARTMENT
To the Board
of Selectmen:
It is only
fitting, that we begin the 2003report by extending a sincere "THANK
YOU" to all those 300+ volunteers who dedicated more that 30,000 hours of
volunteer service to the youth of this community. We applaud their efforts in teaching our
youth good sportsmanship, while also, dealing with many of the social pressures
placed on our youth today.
In 2003, we
finished our eight year of operation of Pine Knoll Recreation Area. We continued our Junior Counselor
program. This program was geared
toward the youngster that was too old for our regular program, but not old
enough to be considered for employment at the facility. They experienced what it would be like
to be an employee at Pine Knoll by doing office duty, working with groups and
participating in all activities that are held at Pine Knoll. Use of the
buildings, for special events, included birthday parties, civic group picnics
and local nursery school graduation. Our goal for
this facility continues to be year round recreation activities.
Our
"Mail-In-Registration" policy continues to be a popular method of
registering for programs and virtually allows participants to register 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. Brochures
of activities, which include seasonal program information were printed and
distributed in September and March.
Additional program information was distributed, as needed, to residents
through the Schools, Library, The Reminder, and the Recreation Office when new
programs were developed. We
continue to use the "East Longmeadow Cable Channel" which carries
important information about programs not carried in our brochures. Another source of publicity is our Home
page on the “Internet” that is now fully functional listing all the
current programs offered by the department. We have online, registration forms and
medical history forms that can be downloaded and filled in at home or filled in
on line and printed. Our address is
www.eastlongmeadow.org This is the Town of East
Longmeadow Home page. You will find
us listed on the right side of the page.
Just click on Recreation and you will find all the information you need.
The
Recreation Commission continues to evaluate both the facilities used and
programs offered. Our
"Goal" is to continue to recover all direct costs of programs
offered, while keeping in mind that some fees could pose a financial burden
upon large families. Programs will
remain to be open to all who wish to participate and we will offer financial
assistance when necessary.
The
Recreation Commission would like to "THANK" all the other town Boards
and Commissions for their continued support and cooperation. In conclusion, as we enter the New Year,
we eagerly await the challenges and continued growth in programs and
facilities.
Respectfully
submitted:
Richard
Paige, Chair
Nancy
Roberts, 1st Vice Chair
Michael
O'Neill, 2nd Vice Chair
Vincent
Scordino
Richard
Matuszczak
Faith Leahy
Steven
Beaumier
John
O’Heir
Paul Nardi
John M. Whalen, Jr., Recreation Director
2003 Competitive Swim Program
The East Longmeadow Marlins swim team has experienced great
success during the past year. The team won the Championship title at the 2003
winter Pioneer Valley Swim League Championships under the direction of Head
Coach Julie Piepho and Assistant Coach Ed Waterhouse. The team finished 2nd out of 12 teams
during the summer season under the direction of Head Coach Julie Piepho and
Assistant Coach Adam Overlock. More
than 120 children age 6 to 18 participated in the program during the past year.
So far this winter, the Marlins have a 2-2 record with 2 meets remaining.
Competitive swimming involves knowledge of the four strokes
- backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. Many hours are spent
concentrating on stroke technique as well as proper racing starts and flip
turns. The goal is to improve the
time it takes to swim each race.
Head Coach Julie Piepho, along with new Assistant Coaches Juli Kibbe and
Jennifer McQuade focus on stroke technique, racing starts, and endurance. Swimmers earn “Improved
Time” ribbons each time a personal best time is achieved. Also, swimmers are awarded bronze,
silver and gold medals for accumulating personal best times throughout the season. An awards ceremony is held each week to
recognize those swimmers who earn “Improved Time” ribbons. In addition to competing in the swim
meets, the swimmers enjoy making new friends and participating as a team.
I want to acknowledge the parent volunteers who help run the
swim meets as well as other team activities. Swimming is a sport that requires
30-40 parent volunteers per swim meet and we couldn’t run our meets
without their help. Additionally,
special thanks to the Marlins Parent Board Members for their continued hard
work:
Mary Kossick – Vice President Kate
Rokosz - Treasurer
I would like to extend a special thank you to The Town of
East Longmeadow and the staff at the Recreation Department. We truly appreciate their efforts in
support of this great program.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jennifer L. Cowles
President – East Longmeadow
Marlins Parent Board
2003 Cheerleading Program
The 2003 Suburban Cheerleading season actually began in
January this year, as some of the Senior Squad members also cheered for the
Suburban Basketball Program. This
was well received by all, and will become a regular component of the program as
long as there is interest.
Our year began last April, with practices and tryouts being
held at Birchland
Park Middle
School with an impressive turnout. We then concentrated out efforts on
raising the funds to replace the 15 year old uniforms. The cheerleaders hosted car washes, a
tag sale, candle sale, raffle, and worked at the July 4th Jaycees
Carnival. Many thanks to the East
Longmeadow Jaycees and the Lion’s Club for their support in our
efforts. The hard work of many
dedicated volunteers enabled us to purchase new uniforms for the 2003 Football
Season.
Once again, the cheerleaders practiced and participated in
the July 4th Parade. All
three squads attended the NECA Cheerleading Camp at Western New England
College at the end of
July. The girls sharpened their
skills, and learned many new cheers, stunts and dance routines. Top honors at camp went to Libby
deMagalhaes, Best All-Around Intermediate Division (4th place medal)
and Jessica Grigely, Best All-Around Novice Division (5th place
medal). Other awards presented went
to Julia Morneau (Most Improved - Novice), Jessica Grigely (Best Jumps –
Novice), Emily Bliss (Most Improved – Intermediate), Brittany Baillargeon
(Best Jumps – Intermediate), and Cailin Donovan (Best Gymnast –
Intermediate and Best Talent Performance).
The Junior and Senior Squads also received a trophy for Most Dedicated
Team. Libby deMagalhaes also
qualified to perform at the National Scholarship Invitational and Pro Bowl
Performance Tour in Hawaii.
Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate during this
year’s football season, and we cheered at all but one of the games. On November 15th, all three
squads performed at the annual Suburban Cheerleading Exhibition, held at Ludlow High
School.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the coaches, junior assistant
coaches, and girls, they performed at a level never before attempted and
accomplished by our Suburban Cheerleaders.
Congratulations to all of the Suburban Cheerleaders! You should all be very proud of
yourselves.
On behalf, of the Suburban Cheerleading Program, I would
like to thank everyone involved: coaches, assistant coaches, junior assistant
coaches, parent volunteers, and last but not least, the cheerleaders. Thank you to all of the parents for
sharing their daughters with us every week, and for driving them to practices
and games. Finally, a great big
thank you to Carol Shank and John
Whalen or the East Longmeadow Recreation Department for their continued
support.
The 2003 Suburban Cheerleading Squads were as follows:
Senior Squad: Shelby Anderson, Paige Bailey, Brittany
Baillargeon, Erin Cunningham, Meghan Forest, Krystal Garofalo, Justine
Gelzinis, Caitlin Goudreau, Alyson Hawkins, Elizabeth Moirano, Meghan, Quinn,
Sara Sheehan, Amber Sheldon, Samantha Sullivan, Danielle Theberge, and Carolyn
Vincenzo. Head Coach –
Jennifer Baillargeon; Assistant Coach – Debra Forest; Junior Assistant
Coaches – Lia Katz and Darci Morrissette.
Junior Squad: Calli Basile, Brianna Bias-Kaye, Emily
Bliss, Claire Dion, Cailin Donovan, Kelsey Haraty, Starrett Houghton, Christy
Imme, Gina Marino, Julianne Merino, Jillian O’Melia, Deanna Pellegrino,
Tamara Sacharczyk, Kaitlyn Schroyer, and Alexandra Zerwitz. Head Coach – Jessica Flagg;
Assistant Coach – Carolyn Bliss; Junior Assistant Coaches – Erin
Sessions and Brittany Sullivan.
Pee Wee Squad:
Antoninett Brown, Ilena Burnett, Alyssa Celentano, Erin Craft, Kate
Elmendorf, Holly Framarin, Jessica Grigely, Alexia Kallaugher, Caitlin Marino,
Julia Morneau, Katy Packard, Nicole Robitaille, Erin Simon, Brianne Slade, and
Savannah Trombley. Head Coach –
Lois Grigely; Assitant Coach – Patty Clentano-Wholley; Junior Assitant
Coaches – Erin Schnepp and Bridgit Fradette.
Respectfully submitted,
Lois Grigely, Suburban Cheerleading Coordinator
East Longmeadow Boy’s Youth Lacrosse
I am writing to update you on the status of the boy’s
youth lacrosse program in East Longmeadow. Last Spring (’03), our teams saw a
successful completion to the season.
At the Junior level (grades 4 -6 ), the number of players registered was
slightly below average, with all boys learning the basic skills from the
coaching staff. East Longmeadow is
the only program in Southern New England that includes 4th graders
in the Junior level program; a policy that will hopefully produce better teams
at East Longmeadow High due to an additional year of experience. Consequently, the motivation at the
Junior level in our program is not to win, but to learn and have fun. The Junior team won its first season
play off, but was eliminated in the second round.
The Senior level (grades 7 – 8) places a bit more
emphasis on competitiveness. This
past season’s large and experienced coaching staff provided education,
conditioning, and discipline to show these boys a way to succeed in first
division schedule. The
Senior’s who participated in the play offs lost in the first round to Westfield – a team
comprised of all 8th graders, who eventually won the league
title. The game was a tie at the
half.
Both groups of boys competed in the Paul Bowers
Sportsmanship Tourney in Somers, and several boys from both age groups traveled
in 2003 at least once to a UMASS regular season game, as well as the NCAA
Division I National Championship at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
In all, the coaches felt that the season was a great
success.
Due to what appears to be declining numbers in enrollment
and the physical size and skill of players, both programs will field a second
division team this Spring. We are
expecting enough boys to field two teams of 18 to 20 players.
The Connecticut Valley Youth Lacrosse League which is the
governing body of play, has become strict on the issues of A) Code of Conduct
cards being signed by players, parents and coaches, B) pre-holiday sign-ups as
a way of ensuring the exact number of teams that each program (town) will enter
to compete, and C) a policy designating the maximum number of players on each
team. In short, the rules are
getting stricter and more difficult to abide by in order to comply with league
play.
A few areas where East Longmeadow is not in compliance #1)
we do not have any high school age or older new officials that have signed up
for training and #2) several of towns require an EMT at every game, with
an athletic trainer being a bare
minimum requirement. East Longmeadow has no such policy and may soon be
required to comply with these safety features in order to play in the
league. While no youth Lax player
has ever been seriously injured, this is an issue that the Recreation
Department may want to discuss. Of
course the downside would be the
impact on sports fees.
Finally, this will be may last year as the coordinator for
East Longmeadow Youth Lacrosse.
While this position has provided me with great fun, solid memories, and
tremendous professional growth, my business career and my family life need
attention. With that in mind, I am
calling a meeting of all parents and coaches prior to the season to arrange for
a successor, both in town and on the Board of Directors for CVYLL and possibly
the Board of U.S. Lacrosse – Western Mass Chapter.
Mr. Whalen, I would like to formally thank you, Carol Shank, and all of the members of the
Recreation Commission for your unending support. Six years ago, there was no lacrosse in East Longmeadow.
With the help of you and the high school coaching staff of Glenn Maller
and Marty Lynch, East Longmeadow Lacrosse is on the map to stay.
Submitted with sincere appreciation,
Jay Caron
