February 2010 Newsletter

Parking permits are required to be displayed on all vehicles parked at select parks and facilities. Parking permits are required at Windjammer, Pitcarin, Beach and Swim Club, and the Marina.

Residents get two free parking passes and the permits are good for three years. Non residents can purchase parking permits for $150 per year.

Parking passes can be obtained at the Beach and Swim Club. You will need to show your drivers' license and registration for each vehicle.

SUBMIT INFO

To submit information or photos regarding recreation, sports, or fitness, please email Jackie Miller, Editor.

Sports Registration Ends February 13

Tega Cay Parks and Recreation spring sports registration ends on February 13. Register online until then, or in person on Saturday, February 13 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Tega Cay Administration Building (120 Lakeshore Pkwy).

Youth Sports Offered

Little League Baseball (Ages 4-12), Youth Soccer (Ages 4-12), ASA Girl's Softball (Ages 7-12)

Adult Sports Offered

Men's Softball (team sign-up), Women's Softball

(individual sign-up), Adult Kickball (team and individual sign-up)

If you have any questions regarding registration please contact Joey Blethen, 803-548-3516 rec@tegacaysc.org.continues through February 13.

Seeking Volunteers & Supplies:

"Runde Park Workday"

evans field work Tega Cay Parks and Recreation is soliciting volunteers and supplies for the "Runde Park Workday" on Saturday, February 20 starting at 9 a.m. We are looking for volunteers that do not mind rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands a little dirty! Please bring any work gloves, shovels, pruning shears, rakes and/or wheel barrels to assist with the volunteer work. We are also seeking someone with artistic talent that would be interested in painting a mural at Runde.

Donations requested: garden rakes, flat shovels, concrete bricks 4' x 8' x 16' (large quantity), sound system, and batting cage nets. If you can volunteer, provide any of the materials needed, or have any questions about workday please contact Joey Blethen, 803-548-3516

rec@tegacaysc.org

Please join us on March 6 from 8 a.m. until noon for the "Tega Cay Community Health Fair." In addition to hosting health and wellness exhibits, this health fair will also host the awards presentation for the "Piedmont Pedometer Challenge" participants. The awards and door prizes will be presented at 10:30 a.m.

Awards & Door Prizes:

All Piedmont Pedometer participants who met their "step goals" will automatically receive a certificate of completion and be eligible to win a door prize in their respective category . . .

Gold Level Winner: ipod Touch
Silver Level Winner: ipod Nano
Bronze Level Winner: ipod shuffle
Two additional MP3 players will be given away as door prizes to Health Fair attendees.

Piedmont Lab Services:*

·Lipid Profile $10 (includes total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides)

·Total Cholesterol $5

·Blood Glucose $3

PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) $10

*Note: Lab results are most effective following a 9-12 hour fast (no food or drink, except water).

Piedmont Screenings & Exhibits:

·Free BP and BMI Screenings

·Managing and Preventing Diabetes

·Cardiac Services Booth

·Heart Healthy Nutrition

·Preventing Cancer

·Stroke Prevention and Management

·Educational Material: Stress Management, Sleeping Well, Smoking Cessation, etc.

·Ambulance Tours

CWC Screenings & Exhibits:

·Nervous System/Stress Test

·"15 Minute Challenge"

·Chair Massage

Additional Exhibitors:

Download "Tega Cay Community Health Fair" Flyer

Coach Profile: Marc Mullis

Marc Mullis' road to coaching baseball for Tega Cay Parks and Recreation was a unique journey. As an athlete himself, Marc's experience is predominantly in the sport of tennis. As a high school competitor, Marc continued to play USTA tennis until just a few years ago. Another unique detail of Marc's journey to coaching was how he got started coaching 15 years ago.

While attending the College of Charleston, Marc began coaching basketball in an "Inner-City Midnight Basketball League." The goal of this league was simple, yet profound . . . keep teenagers off the streets and out of trouble. Turns out there are some "not-so-touristy" parts of Charleston, SC that needed programs and coaches to mentor kids who would otherwise "exercise their energy" in not-so positive ways. "It was a very rewarding program that turned a lot of kids' lives around. The excitement in the kids' eyes when they have success and the fun makes me smile. Kids are so fun to be around...they make me laugh," said Marc.

Now as a coach in the "Coach Pitch" program, Marc continues to enjoy the excitement and rewards of working with children and building a team. "Although every team has provided special moments, I think the rewarding experiences that stand out in my mind are the stories that parents tell me about their kids being excited to come to practices and games. Funny stories about kids putting on their uniforms hours before a game or sleeping with their gloves are pretty special. Oh yeah . . . going undefeated last spring (Bayou Bengals) was fun," jokes Marc.

In terms of his experience as a Tega Cay coach, Marc credits Recreation Coordinator, Joey Blethen with managing a stellar sports program. "Joey has put together the finest youth sports organization in the area. Between Joey, the kids, the umpire staff, and the other fantastic coaches, it is a lot of fun to be at the baseball field every night of the week," says Marc

Marc is a Fort Mill native, son of Ron and Brenda. Marc graduated from Fort Mill High School in 1990, attended the University of South Carolina and graduated from The College of Charleston. He is married to "an incredible wife and mother," Robyn. Marc and Robyn have two "amazing" boys, Tyler (8) and Sammy (6). Marc jokes that his wife would probably count him as being the third child in the family.

"Adopt-A-Park" Kicks-off in March

The Tega Cay Parks & Recreation Committee is encouraging folks to start taking pride in their area of town. This March we will kickoff our new "Adopt-a-Park" campaign.

Modeled after the "Adopt-a-Highway" program run by SCDOT, we are looking for families, groups of families, neighborhoods, or civic groups that are willing to take on adopting a park, greenway, or public open space within the City. The areas will be available for "adoption" on a first-come, first serve basis.

Adopting groups are taking on the area for one full year, agreeing to spruce it up at least once a month. We encourage adopting groups to make their adopted area their own for the entire year, working with City staff on ideas they may have for improvements. The program will be what you put into. If you simply just want to help pickup sticks and trash once a month, that's fine. If you want to build a flower garden or plant trees in your area, that's fine too. For a list of the park facilities, visit our facilities page on the Parks & Recreation website. To adopt an area in your corner of the world, please contact Charlie Funderburk at Charlie@tegacaysc.org.

Forging Relationships

Tega Cay Parks & Recreation has a long standing relationship with athletics in the Fort Mill Township. In the early days of Tega Cay recreation, our teams could not have survived without the help of the Leroy Springs Recreation Complex. LSRC has always provided recreational programming for residents of Fort Mill and surrounding areas.

Beginning March 1, the Town of Fort Mill is returning the favor. The Town of Fort Mill will begin running athletics at LSRC, which offered to let the town take it over last year. "This is a big change that will be very positive for folks living in the Ft. Mill Township as well as participants in Tega Cay," said Charlie Funderburk, Tega Cay's Operation Director. "Now, Tega Cay will co-program with another municipality, instead of with a private entity," he went on to add.

What types of changes can folks anticipate? One big change is that Fort Mill is getting back into Little League. Last year, LSRC made a switch to Dixie Youth baseball, a decision that proved to be very unpopular with many of their participants. The change back to Little League should be beneficial for everyone involved. Folks living west of I-77 are asked to continue signing up in Tega Cay for Little League baseball and folks living east of I-77 are asked to sign up with Fort Mill. This should help balance out some of the over crowding issues we have been experiencing on our facilities for the past couple of seasons.

Tega Cay recreation has also partnered with the local YMCA, beginning with 2009 fall season. That relationship has expanded this spring with the YMCA now running Rookie soccer and the Tiny Tees program. "We hope to build a lasting relationship with the YMCA here similar to the relationship between the Rock Hill YMCA and Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PRT). Every group has their niche. In communities everywhere, many young children get their introduction to team sports through the YMCA. We hope to have that same approach here and are looking forward to developing this relationship with the local YMCA," concludes Funderburk.


For more information: Editor