Happy New Year! With the beginning of each New Year, the Department of Parks and Recreation is pleased to announce a variety of new programs for youth and teens. As with the personal “new year resolutions” each of us makes, the department takes the beginning of each year to offer expansion programs or brand new ones in an effort to offer some type of recreational program for everyone.
The new “3rd Floor Fun” program is a series of workshops that are geared toward second and third grade boys and girls. Each workshop will focus on different skills, interests and activities designed to offer children a new perspective on “recreation.” This month, 3rd Floor Fun is Wood Working Workshop, taught by local business owner and hardware guru, Peter Bender. Bender will be offering this three-week workshop as a means of introducing children to work working techniques and tool safety. Pete and his wife Julie are the owners of Moorestown Hardware and are instrumental in the Moorestown community. Through the Wood Working Workshop, Bender will partner with recreation artist in residence Sophia Geiger, who will assist children in the final aspect of the project by painting their finished work. Program dates are Tuesdays, Jan. 12 through 26 from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Another new program is for all volleyball enthusiasts in grades five to nine. The Volleyball Clinics will be held on Friday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Church Street Recreation Center beginning Friday, Jan. 8 through Feb. 26, led by Manuelita Kardos. The clinics will stress fundamentals of play through instruction and drills. Kardos was a member of the Peruvian National Team (1992–1995) and Hofstra University (D1) from 1999–2003. Kardos has coached at Syracuse as well as local clubs. Despite her impressive credentials, those wishing to participate in the clinics need not have previous experience. Girls and boys will learn techniques for passing, serving, setting, and basic hitting. Beginners will practice from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. and intermediate players will practice 7:45 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The expansion of the Boys Recreation Basketball League continues and registration is still ongoing. Additionally, this year, for the first time, Recreation Youth Basketball will include a high school girls league. Due to the overwhelming demand for a high school girls league, the Department of Parks and Recreation is pleased to offer this program. Games will be played between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday afternoons. Players wishing to practice informally may attend open basketball nights at the Church Street Recreation.
So as you make your own New Year’s Resolutions, one should be to bookmark the Department of Parks and Recreation and to “like us” on Facebook, so that you can always be up to date on our new programs and activities. Registration is always available through the township website at moorestown.nj.us/253/Parks-Recreation or via www.moorestownrec.com.
We wish every resident a Happy New Year. We look forward to you and your family’s participation in the new and upgraded Parks and Recreation 2016 programs.
