The challenge will begin January 4 and will run through February 26.  Participants are encouraged to register in person on January 2 at the Tega Cay Beach and Swim Club (BSC) between the hours of 9 a.m. to Noon.  During registration, participants will pick-up their pedometer and log sheets.  Registration will be available on-line beginning December 15.  However, participants that register on-line will need to pick up their pedometer at the BSC during operating hours.  The daily log sheets will also be available on-line.  The log sheets track the number of steps taken during the course of the day and cumulative steps taken during the eight week period.
 
At the end of the challenge, participants will be asked to submit their log sheets either in person or via email.  Once the logs have been calculated, awards and recognition will be given to the top three participants who tracked the greatest number of steps in their respective age/gender category.  (Male/Female: 6-8, 9-10, 11-13, 14-16, 17-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+)
 
On-line Registration Begins: December 15
In-Person Registration/Pedometer Pick-up: January 2

 

Tega Cay Parks & Recreation U10 Coed All-Star team competed in the Central District championship on November 19th at Turner Field. 

 

The U10 Rapid Fire won the championship match 2-0 over the Clover All-Stars.  Maya Wells and Megan Eastep each had a goal while Jaylen Henderson, Abbey Heinz and goalkeeper Gavin McCraw kept the visitors from scoring.  The team had great efforts from Gabriel Cobina, Andrew Vollmer, Daniel Joubert, Quinn Ashworth, Jackson Morgan, Sam Griffin and Evan Quinn.  The squad travels to Charleston, SC on December 5th to compete in the state championship.

 

Special thanks to Dilip and Binta Shah for hosting a Coaches' Appreciation Night at Maggie Moos in the Food Lion shopping Ctr on Tuesday, Nov. 10.  The rain kept many families from attending, but those that attended feasted on delicious ice cream and shared ideas with Parks and Rec committee members and Mayor-elect George Sheppard.

 

 

In planning the event, Dilip said "It will mean so much to our energetic coaches who work tirelessly to make all games alive. They are a big boost to the child in instilling team work. Our close ties in Tega Cay makes our community an envy to others."  Well said, Dilip!  And thanks so much again.

 

Things are moving forward on Catawba Park.  City Staff is working on selecting an engineering firm from the 26 firms that submitted qualifications.  "It is our intent to try and have an engineering firm under contract in early December so that we can hit the target dates necessary to have some playable fields at Catawba Park by September 2010", said Charlie Funderburk. 

 

The chief fundraising group for the Park, Champions of Catawba Park, has also begun work on marketing plans and fundraising efforts.  If you are interested in more information or would like to lend your skill sets to Champions of Catawba Park, please contact Kim Bogert at kimbogert@comporium.net.

 

 

During the seven years that J.P. Ippolito has been coaching in Tega Cay, he has seen first-hand how much the youth sports program has exploded and more importantly how the programs have fostered budding ball players into accomplished athletes.

 

"Our program is starting to grow and I see the future in not only these children but in the new coaches and those to come.  I was at Runde one evening with my boys working in the batting cage when a college age guy and a high school age guy were out working on pitching and taking some infield.  I told my boys to just take a moment and watch what he was doing.  After awhile the father of the high school boy came over to me and started talking about baseball, asked how old my boys were, are they playing rec ball, etc.  He made a statement that has stuck with me about Tega Cay Parks and Rec.  He said 'when my son was about your boy's age he played baseball out here.  He is now getting ready to play baseball in college.  To this day I am grateful to all the coaches in this program that helped him get where he is today.'    Tega Cay Parks and Rec has the potential to be a program to be recognized. The addition of Catawba Park is the step in the right direction.  I take a lot of pride coaching for Tega Cay and I know that there are other coach's that feel the same way," says J.P.

 

J.P., who currently coaches baseball (Coach Pitch, Minors, and the Travel 9U Storm) became involved with TCPR when he was looking through the local paper and saw an ad for soccer referees.  "I figured it would be a good way to pay my penance for all the hard times I gave officials while playing soccer in high school.  I refereed for about two years. At soccer sign-ups for my oldest son, Charlie Funderburk jokingly said "why not try your hand at coaching?"  I told him I would think about it.  Little did I know, it was sooner than I had planned."  
 
J.P.'s son, Donovan, was being coached by Ed Davis.  "At the first practice Ed said 'I have coached a lot of sports before but I have no idea where to begin with soccer. You are my assistant.' That basically got the wheels turning.  The next season I was coaching a team and then two teams when my youngest was old enough to play," says J.P.
 
Eventually J.P. started helping coach baseball and was soon coaching a team. "After the second season of being an assistant for baseball, I knew that baseball is where I belonged and became fully vested with Tega Cay Parks and Rec baseball program."
 
According to J.P., the rewards of coaching are numerous and are found in every first hit, first pop-fly caught, or reaching base for the hundredth time. "To know that I can share the love that I have for the game of baseball with other children and teach them the foundations of teamwork and sportsmanship is my favorite thing about being a coach.  I tell the kids at the beginning of the season that they are good, but have the potential for greatness.  My time is their time.  If I could take each kid aside and spend an hour with them I would."

 

Moreover, "I love how your name changes to 'coach'.  Even after the season is over, I still hear 'hey Coach J.P.' I still get called that from kids I coached in soccer years ago.    My hat goes off to Joey Blethen and the other members of TCPR. Thank you to them for providing insight and guidance and for making it possible to have a solid sports program to offer not only to the community of Tega Cay, but to the surrounding communities as well.

 

"Our method targets lesson retention in a whole new light." says Eddie Z,as he's known in professional music circles. "The lesson is presented to the student by a teaching professional .The entire lesson is recorded digitally then stored in an on-line archive that only the student has access to. Students then have the ability to review the lesson or past lessons, anytime they wish. It ties the instrument to the student, and the lesson to the home computer. We incorporate current technology with the personal approach of one on one lessons. It's interactive, effective learning at its best."

 

The Playroom Academy will open January 2010 at its location in Baxter Village in Fort Mill, but a retail presence will be open December 2. "We'll sell sticks, strings, instruments and other music related merchandise, with a focus on gift certificates and signing students up for lessons at The Playroom Academy."

 

Eddie Z is best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the band Charity Case. The group performed over 200 shows as part of the Ace and TJ's Grin Kids charity, raising $670,000 to send chronically disabled and terminally ill children to Walt Disney World. After an eight-year run, Charity Case is taking a break, allowing Eddie Z to work with kids of all ages and skill levels to develop the dream of playing music.
Eddie Z's dedication is apparent when he speaks of his new endeavor. "We want to be parent friendly and kid cool," he says. "The Playroom Academy offers a creative, encompassing music curriculum. We'll offer summer camps, group ensemble lessons and preschool programs as well as classes in music production, engineering and computer based recording."

 

"We're a one stop for anything music related, from lessons to instruments. We're here to help parents, kids and adults discover the delight of creative expression through music," says Eddie Z.

 

"Talk about a perfect holiday present!" he chuckles with the enthusiasm of a jolly Santa. "The joy of the gift of music is about as perfect as it gets."