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Longfellow Life
Our Monthly Newsletter
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A message from Laury Hammel, 
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 Dear Members,
I hope you had a fantastic summer and you are entering our wonderful New England autumn refreshed and enlivened. In our July-August Newsletter we spoke of the pain that our community suffered as a result of the tragic death of one of our Longfellow children-Lauren Astley. Our staff has been hurt deeply by this loss, and we want to help heal the wounds from this tragedy and to do what we can do to prevent this senseless act of violence from happening again. Phil Parrish, Teresa Newton-Moineau and I met with Malcolm Astley, and we have agreed to have a fundraising event for the Lauren Astley Memorial Fund. The event will be at Wayland Longfellow, and it will be a day of tennis, fitness, and other activities held on Monday, January 2, 2012. We will involve Lauren's friends and other high school and college students from our community in this important event in Lauren's memory.
In this week's Town Crier, Lauren's parents, Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunn (both members of Longfellow), wrote a letter to the editor expressing their appreciation for the support they received from the people of Wayland and surrounding communities. In their words, "We appreciate the turning of grief into caring, celebrating Lauren and her memory, and saying the humble and defiant human "No" to death and harm and affirming life and caring ongoing." They went on to invite community members to attend the Walden Forum that will take place on Tuesday evening, October 18th, at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Wayland at 7:30 pm. A trio of dating violence prevention experts will review the prevalence and causes of dating violence, will discuss innovations in prevention, and look at the possibilities for local action in a discussion titled, "Preventing Dating Abuse and Promoting Healthy Relationships: A whole community approach to supporting youth".
Despite this terrible loss, Longfellow has had a very successful summer and we've been working hard to enhance the experience of our members every day! This newsletter has a wide variety of articles that I think you'll enjoy reading. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm for good health and fun exercise.
Yours in health
Laury Hammel, President
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| Making Longfellow Sparkle! | |
Beginning in June, the
Longfellow
Management Team has been working with a management consultant, Alicia Korten, with the express purpose of making Longfellow the best club we can possibly be and to provide extraordinary customer service every day.
At our Management Retreat in June, we began the work of developing a set of core values and finding ways to deepen and further integrate these core values into the life of Longfellow. During this process we discovered that Longfellow is indeed fortunate to have a staff that already embodies the essence of our core values, and we've learned that we can do an even better job. This work has been inspirational for our Management Team and is becoming a game-changer for The Longfellow Clubs. Over the next few weeks we will be announcing our newly established core values and our plans to bring them to life.
We have decided to focus our initial efforts on the core value we've named - Make Longfellow Sparkle! In order to make Longfellow clean as a whistle, to shine and glow, we've crated the Sparkle Breakthrough Project. This is an audacious and exciting project, and we've engaged our staff on a daily basis. We welcome your feedback and suggestions and below we've listed some of the things we've done and are planning to do to make Longfellow Sparkle:
At the Longfellow Sports Club:
 | | Refinishing the pool |
- lot and painted new lines
- In the process of completely replastering the whirlpool and main pool
- Purchased a new pool bubble heater to keep things toasty in the cold winter
- Ordered new free weights and additional strength training equipment
- Refinished the Studio One Group Exercise Floor
- Will be ordering new rugs for the men's and women's locker rooms
At the Natick Racquet Club:
 | Painting the outside
of the Racquet Club |
- Started repainting the outside of the building with a new bright color blue
- Patched and sealed the parking lot and painted new lines
- Removed old Air Conditioners on outside of the building and the wooden stairway to the tennis bubble
- Will be removing all metal lockers and ordering new wooden lockers for both the Men's and Women's locker rooms.
- Will be ordering new rugs in both the women's and men's locker rooms
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Longfellow on FaceBook!
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Do you like to be inspired and have your day uplifted!
Join the Longfellow Facebook Page and be inspired every Monday with a Quote of the week.
The Longfellow Facebook page continues to gain interest as more and more people "like" it. You can find us on Facebook under "The Longfellow Clubs - Wayland and Natick." "Liking" the Longfellow page means you'll have access to an excellent resource to support your health and fitness goals and give you a boost of inspiration.
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Longfellow Opens Our Doors to Our Neighbors in Need
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 Hurricane Irene hit the Metro-West area hard, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power. Fortunately, our Wayland and Natick clubs only lost power for a few hours, and the bubbles stayed sturdy against the high winds and flying debris.
Longfellow welcomed all folks in our community (Longfellow members or not) who were without hot water and/or electricity, and needed a hot shower or just a relaxing place to read or work on their laptops using the Longfellow WiFi. One entire condo complex in Wayland was without power or hot water, and Longfellow opened the doors for them. We've welcomed the community in the past after storms took out the power of our neighbors, and we will continue to be there for our neighbors when the need arises. Serving the needs of our community is what Longfellow is all about!
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Fitness News
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Fitness Staff Members Dan Salerno and Janice Theriaque (far right) at the recent Spartan Race
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August was a month of accomplishment for the Longfellow Fitness Team. Please congratulate Dan Salerno and Janice Theriaque who both completed the Spartan Race.
The event includes races through muddy and rough terrain, 3+ mile runs, with 10 or more obstacles. The challenging sprint trail races are a great way to get off your couch and start living. From beginner trail racers and mud run participants to hardcore warriors, tough guys and marathon runners, they all come out to test themselves on these insane obstacle races!
99.9% of all people who try this event will finish, and 100% will have their thirst for mud & trail racing fully satisfied! Top 3 Males and top 3 Females at each Spartan Sprint qualify for a free entry into a Super Spartan Event of their choice. Janice and Dan both finished in the top 800 among nearly 4000 competitors. Janice finished in the top 200 women finishers among 1300! Check it out at http://www.spartanrace.com/  | |
Personal Trainer Sone Souvanna
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The Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival is dedicated to the preservation, protection and sharing of the cultural heritages of the Southeast Asian Americans of the Greater Lowell, Massachusetts area. This event occurs every year in August, with more than 60,000 people from around the country and the world gathering around the Merrimack River to celebrate water as it is celebrated in Southeast Asia. They come for the blessings, food, cultural dances, music performances and (of course) the boat race.
This event includes a traditional longboat race for competition and pride; it's to educate new generations about their valued heritage and culture and promote a fully meaningful cultural exchange between peoples of the United States of America and the countries of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
The annual event includes boats with a crew between 20 to 24 members, one team captain, one steerer. This race is 1000 meters (roughly 9 football fields, including the end zones) and each race has two boats. The first heats select the eight fastest teams who advance to the semi-finals.
Sone Souvanna, one of our personal trainers at Longfellow Natick, was given the opportunity this year to train and compete in this traditional race to represent the Laotian community. His crew the Mekong Rowers led by team captain Sye Chanthaboun, rowed a solid 18.
"It was great to see a diverse group of people get together and cheer us on," Sone said. "This is what America is all about; unity." At the end of the event the Mekong Rowers ended up placing 2nd out of 8 teams.
September Personal Training Special - Get 10% off of e very package of 10 sessions purchased. This is a great opportunity to get a great value in price for the great value of working with our fantastic Personal Training staff. Offer good until September 30th.
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Tennis News
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24 of Longfellow finest juniors went to enjoy the US Open and get a closer look at the pro's, and had a great time doing it!
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The Natick Racquet Club has been a beehive of activity since Labor Day when all the junior clinics and women's teams started. The Racquet Club has the largest number of weekday inter-league teams than any club in the Boston area. The junior program is also one of the largest in the Boston area.
 Below is the list of Clinics and Programs that will be starting in the next couple of weeks. We urge anyone interested in getting involved in any of these to call the Natick Racquet Club and sign up.
- Adult Clinics: (6 week sessions) Monday evenings, Wednesday evenings, Thursday noontimes and Thursday evenings.
- Cardio Classes will be held Wednesday evenings, Friday mornings, and Saturday mornings.
- Men's Drills: Wednesday evenings and Mixed Doubles: Sunday evenings.
- Men's and Women's Singles Flex Leagues will be starting in October.
In addition to the above clinics and programs, there are private lessons and special group lessons that can be arranged by calling the racquet club. Why not call the racquet club now and sign up to play in one of our programs? Tennis - the "Sport of a Lifetime"!
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ater Exercise News
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Don't Worry - be Happy!
Though our pool is closed for most of September, you can still enjoy the water in Wayland!
The Natick pool is closed from Sept. 6th to Sept. 25th to resurface the pool and hot tub. Below is a list of Natick Water Exercise & Master's swim classes that are being added to the Wayland schedule while our pool is closed. Please pick up a packet (in the literature rack near the front desk or out by the pool) that includes a list of these classes, the Wayland Water Exercise Schedule for September, and directions.
The Wayland regular class schedule, starting Sept. 6th will also be posted on the web site. The Longfellow staff is working hard to create space for Water Exercise (including P.T.), lap swimmers, & swim lessons. We appreciate a positive & cooperative spirit from everyone in order to make this an enjoyable 3 weeks - with 2 of them still outside!!!
NATICK CLASSES THAT WILL BE HELD IN WAYLAND FROM SEPT. 6th-SEPT. 25th
- WATER EXERCISE: 6:00 a.m. - Tuesday 9:30a.m. Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. (NOT Wednesday) 7:15 p.m. - Mon. & Wed. 9:00 a.m. - SATURDAY Class will be held on Sept. 10th & 24th, NO CLASS ON Sept. 17th.
- THE POOL WILL BE CLOSED ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 17th TO PUT THE BUBBLE UP.
- MASTER'S SWIM WORKOUTS: Tues. 8:45 am: Sept. 8th, 15th, & 22nd - JEN; Wed. 9am: Sept. 14th & 21st - JOAN; Sun. 9am: Sept. 11th, 18th, 25th (Sunday is with Joan OR participant facilitated.)
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Al Steinroeder and Will Spector
End Successful Junior Tennis Career on High Note!
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 | Laury Hammel (center)
with Al Steinroeder (l) and Will Spector. |
Longfellow has been training nationally ranked juniors for forty years, and two of Laury Hammel's students, Will Spector and Al Steinroeder, have been two of Longfellow's best juniors ever! Will has trained at Longfellow since he was nine (with Laury), and Al since he was 12 (under Laury and Jason Hammel). These two outstanding players and scholars have done it all in their junior tennis careers and these are a few of their highlights: - They have both been ranked #1 in their age division in New England. At one point Al was ranked #1 in both the Boy's 16's and Boy's 18's division at the same time.
- They have both been ranked in the top 50 in the nation (Al was in the top ten).
- They have both represented New England in national team competition
- They have both won the Mass State High School individual championships, and led their high school team to the state high school team championships at least twice.
- They were both highly recruited college prospects, and will both be playing tennis for an Ivy League school this fall - Al at Harvard and Will at Brown.
Most important, these two former juniors are great guys who are always respectful, and respected by their peers, other parents, coaches, and tennis officials throughout New England. They both worked in the Hammel Tennis Camp this summer, and served as wonderful role models and sources of inspiration for up-and-coming young players. Al and Will have developed outstanding all-court games where they are equally good at defense and offense, and they can hit balls forever from the baseline (both topspin and slice), pound forehands, chip and charge, and serve and volley. The vast number of tools they possess in their tennis tool box together with their intuitive knowledge of how to use these tools has confounded their opponents for years and make them exciting players to watch. These exceptional tennis skills enabled them to have a fantastic summer where they were key factors in the New England Junior Davis Cup Team's fourth place finish in the nation. This impressive performance was followed by their most successful results to date at the legendary National Boy's Tennis Championships at Kalamazoo, MI this past August. They used their considerable tennis skills to out-fox and out-play their opponents, enabling them to win five matches each against the toughest competition in the nation. Will was in the quarter-finals of the back draw and had only lost one match in the tournament when after being in Kalamazoo for nine days, the boys and Coach Laury decided they had had enough - it was time to call it a day, declare victory, and go home. We're so proud of Al and Will's many accomplishments, and these two fine young men will be sorely missed around Longfellow. However, many of us will be following their college tennis careers, and we look forward to them doing some teaching at Longfellow next summer. |
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Aquatics News
| Everyone at the pool would like to thank all our members for a wonderful summer! We had great participation in our summer classes, and saw lots of improvement in all of our swimmers. The weather cooperated to give us plenty of pool time to enjoy.
 We are looking forward to starting our fall session on Sept. 26th in our newly resurfaced pool! We are offering Red Cross instruction Mondays through Saturdays in all levels. Class brochures are printed and are in the mail to members. There are also brochures available at the club. If you have any questions regarding classes, level or schedules, please contact Robin Carroll, at 508-653-4633 ext 215.
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Lifeguard Training Course!
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Longfellow will be running a Lifeguard Training Course in October! Get certified early for a great summer (or winter) job. Many pools are indoors or covered during the cooler months, so a lifeguard certification can mean an awesome job year round!
 Participants must be at least 15 years old, able to swim 300 yards continuously, and retrieve a brick from 7 feet of water. The class has a six person minimum, and costs $350.00. The discounted price for club members is $300. The class runs October 2, 16, and 23 from 2:00 to 8:00 pm. Sign up with Jamie Gould at longfellowpool@gmail.com or call us at 508-653-4633. Flyers and applications are available at the front desk!
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Nutrition News
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 Explore local farmers' markets in your area. There are markets in Natick (on The Common), Sudbury (at the Wayside Inn), Framingham (on The Common), Newton (several places), and Waltham center (across from the Common on Saturday mornings). Wellesley has also claimed they are starting an outdoor weekly market. Have fun buying a fruit or vegetable that is new to you or that you haven't had in a long time. Even though it's still slightly early for some crops, there are a variety of interesting greens, vegetables and fruits available. Consider these 5 reasons for shopping at Farmers' Markets regularly:
1. The crops are freshly picked - often that same day. Food has the highest healthy punch when it's fresh. Every day it sits on a store shelf it loses nutritional value. Take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy eating produce picked, purchased and prepared all in the same day!
2. Farmers' markets create an environment that influences us to crave fruits and vegetables. Think about it, if you are in a local pharmacy, it's easy to crave a candy bar. When we spend time at the farmer's market, we think about eating corn, berries and greens.
3. Most farmers' markets have complimentary music and entertainment - free fun the whole family can enjoy.
4. EDUCATE yourself, your children, your spouse and your friends about local, down-to-earth, healthy eating. You can do this just by visiting the markets and creating conversation around the variety of choices. It doesn't have to be a nutrition lecture to be educational.
5. Support local farmers. If we don't support them, they won't be there for our children and their families - we want to develop patterns that will influence us now and for generations to come.
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Positive Spin for ALS Bike Ride
Rescheduled for September 18th!
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As many of you know, the annual Positive Spin for ALS Bike Ride scheduled for June 12 was postponed due to an unfavorable weather forecast. The new date has been set for Sunday, Sept. 18! Over the years the ride has raised over $700,000 for research and patient care for those afflicted with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). You can choose a 10, 25, 50, or 70 mile ride, all starting and ending at Longfellow with a cookout. The ride is in memory of Pete Farricker, Myke's brother, who passed away from ALS in 2001 at the age of 45. The picture to the left shows members of the 1982 Ultimate Frisbee World Championship Team that Pete was a member of, that rides each year in Pete's memory. So come join us at Wayland Longfellow, get some exercise riding through the beautiful backroads foliage of MetroWest, have some fun, and contribute to others less fortunate than ourselves. Hope to see you there!
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Laury and Carolee Hammel Tear Up the Courts in Seattle!
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Longfellow Founder and President, Laury Hammel, recently traveled to Seattle to play in the USTA National 60's Indoor Tennis Championships. Laury grew up in Salt Lake City, and his mother and father are both in the Utah Tennis Hall of Fame.Hhis family won the 2000 USTA Tennis Family of the Year. Last year Laury was ranked #14 in the nation in the Men's 60's, and his sister, Carolee Hammel, was ranked #16 in the nation in the Women's 60's.
Because the National Indoor Championships is one of the few Level One tournaments that features both women and men and mixed doubles, Laury and Carolee decided that they both would enter the tournament and play mixed doubles together. This sister and brother combination obviously needed a coach, so they persuaded their mother, Ruby Hammel, who is a highly respected tennis instructor, to travel with them and provide necessary coaching and moral support.
The event was a big success for the Hammel siblings. In the singles Laury lost to the #9 seed in a good match and then he went on to win four matches in the back draw and unfortunately had to leave before the tournament ended and defaulted in the consolation finals. Laury's sis, Carolee, lost to the #3 Seed, Molly Hahn, in a close match. Molly lives in Lexington and coincidentally grew up with the Hammel kids in Salt Lake City. She placed second in both the singles and the doubles.
In the doubles Laury played with one of his college doubles partners, Dick Svedman, from California. They lost to the 3rd seeded team in a very close match 6-3, 7-5. And in the Mixed Doubles Laury and Carolee lost in a tight match to the #4 seeds.
It was very sweet for Ruby, to return to the club where her husband and Laury's father, Lee Hammel, played tennis legend Bobby Riggs in a three set marathon match at this same Men's 60's tournament. A good time was had by all!
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Longfellow Health Seminar - Foot Orthotics
and the Prevention and Healing of Lower Extremity Injuries
(at Wayland Longfellow)
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Dan Bishop, OTC is a highly respected Orthotist who has been helping people prevent and heal lower extremity injuries for many years. Dan has created custom-made orthotics for Longfellow members and staff that have made a big difference in their ability to move during sports and exercise. If an athlete is wearing the proper orthotics, many sports injuries can be prevented including the following: - IT Band injuries (Hips and quads)
- Patella tendon injuries (knee)
- Shin splints
- Achilles injuries
- Ankles injuries
- Foot injuries-Plantar fascitis, metatarsal pain, Neuromas
Don't miss out on this free potentially life-changing seminar. Foot Orthotics by Dan Bishop, OTC Thursday, September 22, 1:00 pm in the tennis lobby at Wayland |
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Don't Miss the Second Boston Local Food Festival
on October 1, 2011 !!
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 For the second year, Longfellow is the lead sponsor of the Boston Local Food Festival to be held on Fort Point Channel on the Boston waterfront near the Boston Children's Museum on Saturday,October 1. Presented by the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston, the Festival helps build and strengthen the Massachusetts and New England food system.
The Festival has partnered with over 130 leading food organizations, businesses, and farms, many that are actively building this exciting event. Every effort is being made to ensure that the Festival is a Zero Waste event.
Last years Festival attracted over 30,000 people, including several Longfellow members and staff. It overlooks the historic Boston Harbor, and is a free outdoor autumn celebration of the many virtues of locally grown and produced food. The Festival will showcase the wide diversity of our local and New England food system, by spotlighting local farmers, food businesses, local food and health organizations. The intention is to inspire the growing and eating of Massachusetts grown food, with a special emphasis on fruits and vegetables.
The most important objective of the Boston Local Food Festival is to increase accessibility and availability of healthy local food for all. Massachusetts eaters of all ages, races, and socioeconomic levels will see, taste, and appreciate the variety of healthy, delicious food choices that local specialty crops and products make available to them in their own back yard. This unique festival will bring Massachusetts farms together with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds, organizations, businesses, and local food advocates in an informative and fun way.
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Birthday Parties | |
Longfellow Sports Club offers an amazing party environment.
From swimming to sports, arts to dance, we have something for every age. Our staff takes care of everything, from activities to paper goods.
Longfellow has an experienced team that will set up, clean up and help serve refreshments - just bring your birthday child and kids ready to party and play, and we'll do the rest!
To reserve a party or get more information, call Lisa Furdon at Longfellow, 508-653-4633. |
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Massage at Rebound Physical Therapy
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 Rebound has recently expanded its services and facility to better meet
the needs of our clients. We believe in getting to the whole root of a problem, enabling you to bring out the best in yourself. Though originally established as a physical therapy practice, we know that feeling better is not just about joint health, diet, and exercise. Your well-being involves the whole package. That is why we have added this special team of Massage Therapists to our group in Natick.
Differing from businesses that offer a 'ready-to-order' menu of therapeutic styles, at Rebound we know that  your needs can vary   from day to day. We recommend your therapy involves having an ongoing consultation with your therapist to determine the optimal mix of techniques and therapeutic approaches needed to best address your unique situation and symptoms. Our therapists have extensive experience and certifications in a vast variety of advanced massage techniques. These toolboxes enable each of them to always be ready to provide the optimal response to your body's needs.
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 Add a Free Month or Two
(or more)
to your Membership! |
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Did you know, if you refer a friend to join our club for an annual membership, you get a free additional month on your membership. The more you refer, the more months you get FREE. Your friend just has to mention your name when they join. |
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Save 10% on
Yoga Birthday Parties!
Have fun with our NEW Yoga Birthday Party! Learn basic yoga while incorporating playing games and being creative, with story telling based on poses we learn! For ages 5 and up.
Only at Longfellow Sports Club, Natick Coupon Expires 12/31/2011 |
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Our Values |  The Longfellow Purpose:
- To build a world where everyone's basic needs are met, and people experience love, happiness, and satisfaction.
- To create a model organization, through the development of successful health and recreation businesses, that works toward the fulfillment of our global vision.
The Longfellow Mission Statement:
The Longfellow Clubs are a locally owned and independent business committed to the health and well being of our community, and provide extraordinary fitness, recreational, and educational programs for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
We honor all Longfellow stakeholders and appreciate all they do to make us the vibrant community we are. All management decisions consider the needs of Longfellow stakeholders and it is our intention to: - Love and care for our customer and to create a caring and compassionate culture that is committed to providing the highest level of customer service by exceeding expectations and saying yes if we can.
- Support every staff member in reaching their full potential as human beings - physically, mentally, and spiritually. We engage them in the management process and make every effort to pay a living wage with fair benefits to all staff members.
- Preserve our environment, minimize our carbon footprint, and join with others in our community to build a sustainable and just world.
- Work closely with individuals and nonprofit organizations to promote healthy, sustainable, and inclusive communities.
- Support the locally owned and independent business partners in our community and in our industry so that they can be financially successful and outstanding community citizens.
- Manage a profitable business that is a leader in our industry and provides a fair return to the owners and investors.
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