CSports Bulleted List-January thru March

Here’s a bulleted list of what is going on for the beginning of 2018 in CSports. Refer back to it and feel free to forward to a friend!

 CSPORTS:

·        678 Volleyball – Registration DEADLINE is JAN. 19th!  For 6th, 7th & 8th grade girls.  Required evaluations are Friday, Jan. 19th, 2018 only.  Weekday practices and games begin in February, season ends in March. Fee is $75 until Jan. 12th. Register in person at the rec desk.  Online registration will not be not available for this sport.

·        T-ball, Baseball & Softball – Register online through Jan. 29th, in person through Feb. 2 for $80.  For ages 4 by 3/1/2018 through 4th grade boys and 6th grade girls. Required evaluations are Feb. 5th & 6th. Practices begin late February, Saturday games in March and season ends in May.

·        2018 Spring Young Runners Club – Registration begins Jan. 22nd.  For K5-9th grade. K5-2nd train for 1 mile distance, 3rd-9th train for 5k distance. Practices are during the week, runners will participate in 2 official road races (Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon races) as well as an endurance course at the end of the season.  Season starts late March and ends in May.  Fee is $40.

·        Flag Football Registration will begin in mid-March – more details to come.

 RECREATION:

Recreation Facility – Monday through Friday, 6am-9pm, Saturday, 8am-6pm.  Recreation includes indoor walking track, fitness room and basketball gymnasium as well as regular fitness classes.  All participants should complete a registration card in order to participate in any area of recreation.  The Fitness Room requires a one-time fitness room orientation, given Monday through Friday at 6:30pm.  

Basketball Gym - The basketball gym is reserved for CUMC Members and visitors who regularly attend services and 3 of their guests.

·        Children under 18 must have a parent/guardian signature on their registration card.  

·        Children under 14 must have a parent/guardian present in recreation. 

Fitness classes:

·        YOGA – First class is free, each class thereafter is $5 or purchase a 6-class card for $25.  Classes meet on Monday & Thursday at 6pm, Tuesday and Thursday at 9am for one hour.  Yoga mat is suggested.

·        BALANCE & STRETCH CLASS – Free class, 30 min sessions 1st Wednesday of each month.  SPECIAL 4 WEEK SESSION:  Feb.21st & 28th, Mar. 7th & 14th.  Instructor, Kathy Hays will lead you through balance, strength & stretch exercises that are instrumental in helping to avoid falls and disabilities that come from those accidents.  No special equipment or clothing required.

 Dates to Remember:

·        Feb 1 - 678 Volleyball practices begin

·        Feb 5 & 6 - Tball/baseball/softball evaluations & parent conference

·        Feb 13 - CLOSED

·        Feb 19 - Tball/baseball/softball Coaches Meeting & Roster handout

·        Feb 20 - 678 Volleyball Pictures

·        Feb 26 - Tball/baseball/softball practices begin

·        Mar 3 - Tball/baseball/softball pictures

·        Mar 16-17 - Volley 4 Christ Volleyball clinic

·        Mar 26 - 678 Basketball coaches meeting

·        Mar 30 - CLOSED for GOOD FRIDAY

·        Mar 31 - CLOSED

From the Rec Min-January 8, 2017

By Steve Ellisor, Recreation Minister

Good rainy Monday morning! I was speaking to a person on the phone earlier this morning who was lamenting about the cold weather. I reminded her that it is winter and that this is the weather we are supposed to have this time of year. It just usually doesn’t happen this way!

Saturday was a good day of CSports Basketball. I was privileged to deliver several halftime devotions during the day and I took the opportunity to share the words of a song I would sing at my youngest grandson’s baptism the following day. I have attached the words of the song to this email. I read a passage from the 6th Chapter of Deuteronomy which says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” These are things we MUST tell the children.

Just as we seem surprised and annoyed when winter weather occurs, we are sometimes shocked when “natural” reactions occur during close ball games. I’ve written many times about how our program is in the world but not “of” the world. We strive to bring light into the darkness that has permeated sports and other activities such that individuals will speak harshly to one another when, in any other situation, they would be polite and civil. Basketball is a sport that stirs emotions and often good people will bypass the “CSports filter” and become a bit more worldly in their comments to officials.

I have many faults but I don’t think being a hypocrite is one of them. I’ll tell you outright that I may be the worst, and yet God put me here to change many of the things that I identify as my weaknesses. As my children played sports, some of which I coached, I have embarrassed my wife and even made my daughter cry when I have lost my temper during games. “Open your eyes, Blue!” was one of my shouts. My son was a very talented pitcher and I would often shout, “Haven’t you ever seen a curveball Ump?” There was one time in a national championship tournament when my daughter was called out because she didn’t touch home plate. Even though we had a footprint and a video of her touching it, the umpire didn’t change his call. I blew a gasket! I know the feeling. I’ve been there! And I was wrong.

While sports are to be taken seriously as healthy activities, methods of teaching discipline, opportunities to develop talents, and the goal of each game is to score more points than the opponent, they are still recreational in their purpose. All who are reading this have seen coaches on tv going wild after they saw what they felt was a bad call by an official. Every level of every sport (See McEnroe/tennis) involves human behavior, instant decisions, and, ultimately, rewards and consequences. As a major part of our ministry we try to remove the perceived need and, in fact, the permission, to react rudely and aggressively for any reason in a game. Our players will enter the realm of “real sports” when they get in school and will hear all of the shouting and human aggression they can handle. They are here, in CSports, to participate, learn and have fun. Our coaches, team parents, and officials are all volunteers and we will not allow anyone to verbally abuse them, especially in front of elementary school children.

Yes, when we’re moving along comfortably and hit a bump it both makes me reflect on where I’ve been and where I’ve come since. Please join me in making the CSports games fun no matter if we agree with everything a ref or opposing coach says or does. Find Ms. Rose if you have a concern but please don’t shout to “assist the refs” or especially say derogatory things in front of your players. I want to thank everyone who makes this ministry work through the time and efforts they donate. Let’s model Godly behavior in everything we do. Coaches, be ready with a pat on the back or a hug if one of your cohorts begins to get a little rowdy. None of us are perfect…least of all me, for that matter…but we have a job to do and that job is to teach children how to love Jesus, love each other, and learn a little basketball while they do it.

See you Saturday!