Have a fresh start to fitness this fall
By Hallie Hutchins, Parks & Recreation Marketing Assistant
Fall is full of personal favorites – crisp weather, delicious food, football weekends, and pumpkin everything. Unfortunately, those great things can also be a recipe for falling off the fitness wagon.
The College Station Parks & Recreation Department can help you stay on course with a variety of exercise programs and opportunities at the newly renovated and expanded Lincoln Recreation Center.
Our fitness classes are the perfect way to keep your workouts fun, challenging and effective while adding a social element that keeps you coming back. The Lincoln Recreation Center also offers a fitness center equipped with cardio machines, a weight-training circuit, single-station machines and a complete range of free-weight equipment.
During open gym hours, you can work on your basketball skills, meet friends and simply be active. You must be at least 18 years old to participate in the classes or take advantage of the fitness center or open gym.
Get Jiggy With It Body Jam
The upbeat, fast-paced workout will get your heart pumping and your body moving through a combination of dance moves and strength exercises. The classes are from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursday from Oct. 1-Nov. 5. The cost is $50 for the season or $8 per class.
Werk’ It Wednesday Beginners
The class is geared toward beginners but effective for all levels to build endurance while improving strength through high-intensity interval training and light weightlifting. The classes are from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays from Oct. 3-Nov. 7. The cost is $30 for the season or $8 per class. Registration is required.
Saturday Morning Slay Boot Camp
The boot camp style workout combines traditional bodyweight exercises with interval and strength training to increase lean muscle mass and improve cardiovascular endurance, coordination and balance. The classes will be from 9-10 a.m. on Saturdays from Oct. 6-Nov. 3. The cost is $30 for the season or $8 per class.
For more information or to register, visit rectrac.cstx.gov or call 979-764-3779.
Fitness Center & Open Gym
You must have a membership for open gym and to use the fitness center. The cost is $10 a month or $3 per day. The fitness center is open from 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. from Monday-Thursday and from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday.
Open Gym is from 6:30-9 p.m. on Tuesdays, with courts available on a first-come, first-served basis. Call us to find out about additional availability.
Take advantage of the Lincoln Recreation Center’s fitness opportunities this fall!
About the Blogger
Hallie Hutchins is in her fourth year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
How you can help fuel the fall monarch migration
By Hallie Hutchins, Parks & Recreation Marketing Staff Assistant
College Station is perfectly situated to witness the fall monarch migration. The black and orange beauties funnel their way through the Brazos Valley each year from September through November.
At distances up to 3,000 miles, the monarch migration is among the world’s longest wildlife journeys. The monarchs fly up to 250 miles a day from their summer habitats to their winter sanctuary in the mountains of Mexico.
Waystations and pollinator gardens serve as stepping stones where they can rest and recharge along the way. Unfortunately, as the number of friendly stopping points has declined, the monarch population has dwindled. The good news is that kind-hearted citizens are taking action.
Locally, Butterflies in the Brazos has endeavored to recreate native habitat by building a butterfly garden in Bee Creek Park (1900 Anderson St.). You can become a part of this community effort by participating in the Butterflies in the Brazos Planting Day on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 8 a.m.-noon. Volunteers will plant milkweed and other nectar plants along the park trail.
You’ll need to bring water, appropriate work shoes or boots, gloves, sunscreen, and garden tools such as rakes or shovels. Contributing nectar-producing plants or host plants for butterflies isn‘t required but would be appreciated.
Thanks to the College Station and Bryan Lowe’s, Culligan Water, Shipley’s Donuts College Station, Farm Patch, Producers Cooperative, Home Depot, Aggieland Grass and Stone, Living Earth, and Legacy Ace Hardware for donating materials and supplies.
For more information and a list of suggested plants to bring, visit cstx.gov/monarchs.
About the Blogger
Hallie Hutchins is in her fourth year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
How to become part of the pickleball craze
By Hallie Hutchins, Parks & Recreation Marketing Assistant
Is it tennis? Badminton? Ping-Pong?
No, it’s pickleball, a racquet sport that combines elements of those sports. Singles or doubles players use solid paddles to hit a perforated polymer ball – similar to a wiffle ball – over a net.
Pickleball made its debut more than 50 years ago near Seattle when a pair of congressmen decided to make use of an old badminton court on Bainbridge Island. They didn’t have badminton rackets, so they improvised with ping pong paddles and a wiffle ball and lowered the net to 36 inches. The following weekend, a friend joined in, and they created rules.
The most popular theory about the sport’s name is that one of the founder’s dogs enjoyed chasing and running off with the wiffle balls. The dog’s name was Pickles.
The sport has gained popularity for many reasons. The simple rules make it fun and easy to play for all ages, but it also can be a challenging, fast-paced, and competitive game for more experienced players. Aging tennis players might also enjoy the lighter plastic balls and paddles, which are easier on the joints. The court is much smaller, too.
Serve, sequence, and scoring
Like tennis, the ball is served diagonally across the court and must land within its boundaries. However, the serve is made with an underhanded swing. The first serve on each side is made from the right-hand court. If a point is scored, then the server switches to the left side.
The first server continues serving until losing the serve. Points are scored only by the serving team, and the first side to reach 11 points with at least a two-point margin wins.
Bounce, non-volley, and faults
On a serve, the ball must bounce once on each side of the net before it’s returned. Then, both teams may volley the ball with or without a bounce. The seven-foot non-volley zone is popularly called “the kitchen” and keeps players from smashing the ball.
Rule violations create a fault. A fault by the receiving team gives the serving team a point. A fault by the serving team results in the loss of serve.
A fault happens if:
- The ball is hit into the net or out of bounds.
- The ball is volleyed before a bounce has occurred on both sides of the net.
- The ball is volleyed in the non-volley zone.
- The ball bounces twice between strikes.
- The net is touched by the player, their clothing or the paddle.
- The ball strikes a player or any permanent object before bouncing.
How to join the craze
If you’re at least 16 years old, you can learn to play or hone your skills through College Station Parks and Recreation’s intro pickleball program, which focuses on the foundations of scoring, stroke production and match play.
The classes are scheduled from 4:30-5:30 p.m. each Sunday from Sept. 23 through Oct. 28 at Bee Creek Park. You can register through Sept. 28 at rectrac.cstx.gov.
If you already know how to serve it up, the Lincoln Recreation Center offers season ($10) or day ($3) passes to those 16 and older to play in the new indoor gym. The schedule is Sept. 4-Dec. 13 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.), Sept. 5-Dec. 12 (6:30-9 p.m.), and Sept. 8-Nov. 17 (9 a.m.-noon).
If you prefer to play outdoors, Bee Creek Park offers two pickleball courts for practice or play on a first-come, first-served basis.
Join the craze today!
About the Blogger
Hallie Hutchins is in her fourth year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
Be ready to make a difference with fall CPR classes
By Hallie Hutchins, Parks & Recreation Marketing Assistant
Some people seem to think life-saving CPR is a job best left to paramedics, doctors, or others with years of medical training and experience. The truth is that we’d all benefit from knowing cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques.
In an emergency medical situation, a quick response is critical. In many cases – especially with a sudden cardiac arrest – bystanders who know CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) can saves lives.
More than 300,000 cardiac arrests occur away from hospitals each year, and professional paramedics only treat 6 in 10 victims. Early intervention with CPR or defibrillation can increase survival rates as much as 60 percent.
Do you want to be a bystander who makes a difference?
This fall, the City of College Station Parks & Recreation Department will conduct CPR and AED certification classes to help you recognize emergency situations and equip you to handle a variety of first aid, breathing, and cardiac emergencies. If you pass the course, you’ll receive a digital certificate for Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED that’s valid for two years.
We’re also offering babysitter training and wilderness and remote first aid certification classes. The cost for the CPR/AED certification classes and the babysitter training is $75, and the wilderness/remote first aid classes are $150.
Registration for all classes is required at rectrac.cstx.gov. Here’s the schedule:
CPR, First Aid & AED Certification
>>Participants must be at least 10 years old
- Two-Day Class: Tue., Sept. 4 – Tue., Sept. 11 (6-9 p.m.), Lick Creek Nature Center
- , Oct. 27 (9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.), Southwood Community Center
- , Nov. 18 (noon-6 p.m.), Lick Creek Nature Center
Babysitter Training (Southwood Community Center)
>>Participants must be at least 10 years old
- , Sept. 15 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.)
- Two-Day Class: Thu., Oct. 11 – Fri., Oct. 12 (4:30-8:30 p.m.)
- Two-Day Class: Fri., Nov. 2 – Fri., Nov. 9 (5-9 p.m.)
Wilderness & Remote First Aid Notification (Lick Creek Nature Center)
>>Participants must be at least 14 years old
- Two-Day Class: Sat., Sept. 8 – Sun., Sept. 9 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.)
- Two-Day Class: Sat., Oct. 13 – Sun., Oct. 20 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Here are four reasons to make time to learn these skills:
1. You can be part of an elite group of prepared citizens.
Although CPR and AED use improves outcomes and survival rates, fewer than 3 percent of the population receives training. That leaves 97 percent unprepared to respond quickly to cardiac arrest.
2. You might save the life of a loved one.
Since 88 percent of sudden cardiac arrests occur at home, you’re more likely to save a loved one than anyone else. If a family member had a heart attack, wouldn’t you want to help?
3. You’ll have the confidence to take action.
Proper training gives you the confidence you need to be a lifesaver, not a helpless bystander.
4. Knowledge promotes a sense of safety and well-being.
A basic tenet of first aid training is prevention. It’s always better to be safe than to be sorry, and a working knowledge of first aid techniques not only promote a sense of safety and well-being, it also encourages people to be more alert.
Become a part of the solution! For more information, go to cstx.gov/Southwood or cstx.gov/Lickcreek.
About the Blogger
Hallie Hutchins is in her fourth year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
Photo Copyright: kritchanut / 123RF Stock Photo
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
New programs help teens discover their passions
By Hallie Hutchins, Parks & Recreation Marketing Assistant
The teen years can be rough. It’s all about self-discovery and trying out new things.
Positive, stress-free activities at the end of the school day can help teens discover their interests and passions. Two new programs offered by the College Station Parks and Recreation Department can lend a hand.
Teen Night After School at the Lincoln Recreation Center provides an all-inclusive, safe space for teens 14-18 years old to spend time with friends, get help with homework, and enjoy sports, board games, foosball, pool, and video games. Computers and free wi-fi are also available.
Teen Nights are every Monday-Thursday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. through Dec. 20. Membership is $45 a semester.
The fun continues on Fridays from 10 p.m.-midnight with 5th Quarter when teens can gather at the Lincoln Recreation Center to play basketball, dodgeball, volleyball, board games, ping pong, foosball, or pool. Light refreshments are also available at no charge.
Scheduled dates for the 5th Quarter are Sept. 28, Oct. 12, Oct. 26, and Nov. 2. The cost is $3 per night or free with an after-school membership.
These new programs will encourage teens to interact in a safe and supervised social environment that promotes healthy lifestyle skills.
For more information, visit cstx.gov/LincolnCenter or call 979.764.3779.
About the Blogger
Hallie Hutchins is in her fourth year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
Share your love of nature as a Lick Creek volunteer
By Hallie Hutchins, Parks & Recreation Marketing Assistant
If you enjoy the great outdoors and love to talk about it, you have what it takes to be a volunteer guide – or docent – at the Lick Creek Nature Center.
The Parks and Recreation Department is training a cadre of park lovers to be program leaders, tour guides and docents to enhance the overall guest experience by creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere. A free orientation will be Saturday, Aug. 18 from noon-3 p.m. at the Lick Creek Nature Center at 13600 Rock Prairie Road – and we’ll provide lunch.
Docents must be at least 18 years old and able to volunteer eight hours a semester.
The orientation will explore how a nature center operates, including environmental education, customer service, programming, exhibits and outdoor activities. Recreation Supervisor Virginia Godwin and the Lick Creek Nature Center staff will lead the session.
Regardless of your background, we’ll equip you with all you need. Take advantage of the opportunity to help provide quality outdoor science education to our community while sharing your knowledge and appreciation of Lick Creek Park.
To register, call 979-764-6216 or stop by the Lick Creek Nature Center.
About the Blogger
Hallie Hutchins is in her fourth year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
