Tuesday, September 18, 2018

September Sports


My goodness, the year is flying by!  I hope everyone has a healthy and fun autumn, now that we’re officially in Pumpkin Spice Season.  As always, our friendly and helpful staff at Pathfinder Produce will be at the Village Commons on Thursdays throughout this colorful time of year, to help you access the freshest, tastiest fruits and veggies.  We hope to see you this week!

And don’t forget, you can do your shopping online with our convenient online ordering on our website.  How easy is that … order and pay for your fresh items for the week, and then pick up your order at either the Morris or Edmeston locations on Thursday afternoons.  Our market staff is ready and waiting to fill your orders!
****
The past few weeks have been filled with sports activities for many of us:  My son is on his high school soccer and cross country teams, which means lots of practices, games, and meets.  And at Pathfinder Village, things have been busy with our recent events, the Chobani Tennis and Juniors Tennis Classic, and our second annual EDD Memorial Fund Bike Clinic.  I served in a supporting role for all these events and had a great time taking pictures of people of all ages and walks of life enjoying sports and fitness.
Soccer seasons are now in full swing, and Grant’s Field is busy most nights and weekends with practices and games for youth athletes in the Tri-Towns Youth Commission League.  And this coming week, I’ll be taking more pictures of our area cross country runners as they take to the Pathfinder Village Community Trail for two scholastic meets, on September 18 and 25, starting at about 4:30 p.m.  We’re looking forward to seeing all our area XC runners compete!


I had a great time this past Sunday taking pictures of the bike clinic that the EDD Memorial Fund and Pathfinder Village co-sponsored, which was focused on encouraging people with disabilities to enjoy riding for exercise and as a social experience.  We had a great turnout with 25 participants, and I got to see some good friends and former Pathfinder School and Otsego Academy students.  The EDD Memorial Fund, a longtime partner of Pathfinder’s, is a regional non-profit organization that provides a wide array of recreational and competitive sports programs for individuals with disabilities.
The event was organized by Pathfinder’s Enrichment Department and EDD staff and board members.  Additionally, we had several staff and student volunteers from the Recreation & Sports Management program at SUNY Delhi.  Organizers laid out two courses for the athletes: a straight course for our Strider balance bikes -- sleek, two-wheeled bikes that are propelled by walking the bike; and a more-demanding figure-8 for those riding our sturdy adult trikes.


After a short break, some bikers felt confident enough in their abilities to take on the paved bike path in back of Pathfinder School.  Several individuals – Shawn, Marc, and Katie – felt so confident that they cycled around the quarter-mile track several times at a good clip.
"It was wonderful to spend the morning with so many friends from Pathfinder Village. After saying hello and catching up, we got right down to the business of riding,” said Gretchen Owens, EDD’s executive director.  “I was impressed with everyone’s willingness to hop onto a bike.  Every rider seemed to gain a sense of independence that happens when riding bikes; enjoying that feeling of the wind in their face and the sun on their back as they cruised around the paths.  We hope to inspire riders to come back and do it again!"
According to numerous articles on the internet, adaptive cycling is a fun way to exercise that offers the benefits of improved mental health; better breathing and circulation; improved ranges of motion, balance and trunk control; and can help with visual perception and cognitive development. If one thinks back one’s own riding experiences, it’s easy to see how biking can open up opportunities and adventures for all.
Until next time, take advantage of these beautiful autumn days for fun and activity outdoors,
Lori