SportsXpress Chatham/Kent May/June 2018 by SportsXpress

YOUR COMMUNITY SPORTS CONNECTION

Chatham-Kent & Area Edition

May/June 2018 Volume 5 Issue 3

Silver Medalists at Ontario Winter Games for CK Ice Dance Team Honouring Ken Houston

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See page 17

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Chatham-Kent & Area Edition

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Let’s talk about Money for Life.

fromthesidelines

Saturday, June 2 Habitat for Humanity Chatham-Kent Golf Tournament

04 | Letter from the publisher 12 | Mike Labute

Steve Brent

Sunday, June 3 Pretty in Pink Annual Chatham-Kent Hospice Golf Tournament

Tel: 519-354-3131 ext. 2226 steve.brent@sunlife.com www.sunlife.ca/steve.brent 133 King Street West Chatham, ON N7M 1E4

Saturday, June 9 Community Living 21st Annual Golf Tournament

– Umpire Extraordinaire

teamprofiles 04 | CKPL Book Review

Life’s brighter under the sun *Mutual funds distributed by Sun Life Financial Investment Services (Canada) Inc. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies. © Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2017.

Wednesday, June 27 Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament

“Hockey Hall of Fame: Unstoppable” 08 | Gymnastics and Cheer Inspires Self Confidence 10 | Kent Cobra’s Win it All! 16 | Let Them Play Other Sports

2018 RunCK Schedule

– You Owe it to Them!

Saturday, May 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Run For Mental Health Sunday, May 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YMCA Fun Run

17 | Silver Medalists at Ontario Winter Games for CK Ice Dance Team

sportshistory

Sunday, June 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trot to the Beach

05 | Honouring Ken Houston

Sunday, July 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sod Busters

health&fitness

Saturday, July 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Clair River Run Saturday, July 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wheatley Fish Festival 5k

07 | Encounters of a Unique Kind 09 | Sleep Significance 13 | Bowling is More Than a Strike 14 | CK 55+ Soon Adventure

Sunday, September 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Harvest Run

to Mississauga

Sunday, September 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Pumpkin Run

behindthebench

Saturday, October 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light Up the Night for Noelle

06 | Trust is Key for G&M 18 | Jr Kings Bringing Smash Wrestling to Dresden

For more information and to register check out http://www.runck.ca/

sportsfiles 08 | Gold for Nine-Year-Old Emma Negri 16 | Chatham Youth Bowling

Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

fromthesidelines letterfromthepublisher Happy Spring! We are so excited to finally be experiencing some warmer weather! The past few months have shown the power of sport connecting people, we saw this in the loss of local hockey legend Ken Houston, and with the Humboldt tragedy in April. An entire country united, showing solidarity for the victims of incredible loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with each person who’s life will never be the same. It’s been a winter of trying new things for us here at SportsXpress! We’ve been working on building multiple platforms that allow you to share your message with your fans. We are excited to offer the power of print, social media, video, podcasting, and just in time for our SportsXpo, an app! There have never been so many ways to engage with your community, and we are excited to be able to offer you the tools to do so. I am thrilled to announce that at the time of print, our SportsXpo is at 50% capacity. This is an exciting event and our committee is working hard to bring you a great experience with great sales, athlete appearances and more!

By partnering with Athletic Locker, we bring the health/sports conscious fan right to the venue. If you are a health professional or part of a sports organization, it’s time to take advantage of the thousands of people who will come out for this event. Thank you for your continued support as we grow and try new things. We are always working to serve you better! See you in June!

Rebecca Reimer, Publisher CK SportsXpress rebecca@cksportsxpress.com 519.436.4990

Julia Duenas, CK SportsXpress Co-op Student

Submitted by Kate McCullough Vandenhende, CKPL “Hockey Hall of Fame: Unstoppable” highlights the NHL’s most prolific offensive players. From Maurice Richard to Mike Modano, learn of the most memorable goals of the league’s hot-shot snipers. This comprehensive reference book is sure to score a goal with all hockey fans.

Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

PUBLISHER Rebecca Reimer 519.436.4990 rebecca@cksportsxpress.com EDITOR Julia Duenas GRAPHIC DESIGN Debbie Dunmall ddunmall@gmail.com CONTRIBUTORS Gary Patterson, Kirk Groombridge, Sharon Smith, Dr. Brian Sides, Don Hector, Darren Heidt, Cindy McFadden, Kyle Dittmer, Jay Smith, Chatham Youth Bowling, CKPL, Rebecca Reimer, Julia Duenas, Shannon Sasseville, CK SportsXpress Team, and other sports enthusiasts

AFFILIATES Cambridge Chatham-Kent London Mississauga Waterloo Windsor

Chatham-Kent SportsXpress is an independently owned and operated member of the SportsXpress Network

Hockey Hall of Fame: Unstoppable by Steve Milton

PHOTOGRAPHERS Kirk Groombridge, Susan Dieleman, Darren Heidt, Dr. Sarah Ystma, Don Hector, Darren Negri, Rick Maynard, Mike Labute, Cindy McFadden, Darryl Lucio, Amy Lenover, Hockey Hall of Fame and NHL.com, Stephen Andari, Danielle Earl Photography, Shannon Sasseville, CK SportsXpress Team and members of various local sports organizations and community sports fans

sportsfiles

Available at a Chatham-Kent Public Library branch near you or through our website, www.ckpl.ca.

MAY / JUNE 2018

www.ckpl.ca

Editorial Contributions: Submissions are welcome from writers, photographers, athletes, coaches and individuals. Please contact the publisher. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. Contributors are responsible for obtaining all approvals for publication of photos and content prior to submission. All submissions may not be used. We may edit, publish, reproduce, distribute and archive submissions in any form or medium without any compensation. We are not responsible for lost or damaged submissions. Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Reproduction or transmission of any article, photograph or artwork in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher is prohibited. Chatham-Kent SportsXpress is published six times per year. Chatham-Kent SportsXpress is committed to protecting your privacy as our customer. We may collect personal information only if it is required for the proper functioning of our business and only share this information with our business partners. The editors and contributors who write for ChathamKent SportsXpress attempt to provide accurate and useful information and commentary. However the editors, contributors and Chatham-Kent SportsXpress cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. We assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any readers based on the information provided.

sportshistory

Honouring Ken Houston Submitted by Gary Patterson, Photo credit NHL.com and Hockey Hall of Fame

He shoots, he scores! Atlanta Flames goal scored by number six, Ken Houston! That is the first line of my class speech in grade 5 as I wrote about my childhood hero and the NHL player who hailed from Dresden. Every kid in the area idolized Ken Houston, he was big, tough and could score. Just like everyone in Dresden, and Thamesville area I followed every game and was up before school looking at the box scores in the London Free Press to see if Ken scored any goals, picked up any assists or got in any penalty trouble. Fast Forward 17 or so years to the early 1990’s when I met celebrity “Doc” at a golf tournament that I was the MC for. We bumped into each other a few times after that and quickly became friends. That was when I got to know the real Ken Houston. The real Ken Houston was “that guy”. He was friendly and took time for everyone whether he knew them or not,

he would always speak to people and wave to them. If someone asked for an autograph he would always oblige. Ken Houston was so much more than a guy who played in the NHL, he really was a pillar in the community. He didn’t forget where he came from or what it was like to be a real person. Doc attended every hockey game, hockey banquet golf tournament or any other charity event he was invited to, so he could support his community. His big smile was just as big as his personality and his handshake. The number of former NHL’ers and hockey people that reached out when Doc died was amazing. What was more impressive was the number of local people whose lives he touched that celebrated his life. The real Ken Houston was a great hockey player who lived a dream, but he was also an amazing family man who loved his wife, children, and grandchildren infinitely. As fiery and tough he was on the ice, he was twice that way when it came to the support of his family and friends. His loyalty and friendship was second to none. It’s hard to describe who Doc was in just a few hundred words because I have

so many great stories of who he was and the legend that will continue to live on. Doc was simply the best. He was the guy that you want coaching your kid, the guy that you want to marry your daughter, the guy that you want on your side, the guy that you want as a friend.

To mourn Ken Houston would be wrong because he would only want people to celebrate his time here. He would want people to smile and think of that best memory and that big smile. Doc would want people to be happy. Back to that grade 5 memory… He shoots, he scores, Atlanta Flames goal scored by number 6, Ken Houston. Bye for now Doctor, talk soon, Skinman!

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Trust is Key for G&M Photo credit Kinsey Moon The Groombridge & Moon Homeselling Team at Nest Realty in Chatham are celebrating their 3rd year together. Since joining forces in 2015, they’ve put the “team concept” in real estate on the local map. With a combined 77+ years of full-time real estate experience, there isn’t much in the real estate business they haven’t seen or done. From helping clients achieve their real estate goals, to renovating and ‘flipping’ homes, and even owning income property themselves, the G&M Team and “experience” go hand in hand. Team members, Kirk & Dale Groombridge (Brokers) and Dan Moon (Sales Representative) say that it’s still the customer service aspect of the business they enjoy most. “No two days are the same” Dan says. “The actual paperwork may be similar from one sale to another, but it’s the people, their unique personalities and unique needs that make every transaction a new and exciting challenge.” And the G&M Team should know. Since teaming up they have averaged close to 100 transactions per year! “The business has changed a lot since I started over forty-five years ago” Dale says, “but one thing that hasn’t changed is how trustworthiness and integrity are

two qualities needed to be successful in the long run. If people know you’re going to be honest with them, and that they can trust you, they’ll keep coming back. You’ll win their loyalty. If you lose that trust, however, you’ll probably never see them again”. The G&M Team uses a variety of the latest real estate technology available to assist their clients, whether they are first time buyers or seasoned investors. However, it’s still a people business at the core. Kirk says, “You never know what a client is going to need from you on a given day. Sometimes it is our real estate expertise and other times it’s just a listening ear because they are going through a difficult time. The paperwork can always get done, but sometimes it’s about more than that, it’s about connecting with people. For every hard day we have, there’s another when we’re able to be more than just a realtor

to our clients; we become friends… and that’s what makes it all worthwhile.” There are many choices when it comes to hiring a Realtor, but few have the experience and local knowledge the G&M Team has. As Dale says when it comes to real estate, “Why hire just one agent when you can have three?”

Visit the G&M Team at their newly renovated branch office at 160 St. Clair St, Chatham.

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Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

Groombridge & Moon

Love Where You Live

health&fitness

Encounters of a Unique Kind Submitted by: Sharon Smith, Photo credit Susan Dieleman A unique program occurs every year in the Chatham Christian School’s Middle School classes called “Encounters”. A couple of hours a week for 8 weeks, students join 1 of 6 specific Encounter groups run by Volunteers and Teachers. This year the students could choose from the following groups: Agriculture, Baking, Art Drama, Bootcamp and Triathlon. Susan Dieleman is running the Bootcamp group: 4 weeks at the YMCA and 4 weeks with Natalie Blazuk-Powers a trainer at Blair’s Bootcamp. The group started with a pre-test and plan to finish the sessions with a “Fitness Celebration Competition” and post-test to see their improvements over the weeks.

The intention of the group is to have fun and to learn good techniques with “fairly intense exposure”. Every week is different so the students receive a wide variety of fundamentals such as cardioboxing, stretching, and different strength training techniques using a variety of fitness equipment. The Triathlon group is practicing running, biking and swimming under the watchful eye of Grade 8 teacher, Andrew McCombe – learning how to pace themselves and how to excel in their strengths and improve in their weaknesses. The goal is to put it altogether by participating in The Tinman Triathlon in Wallaceburg. The Encounters program is designed

with the hopes of introducing students to challenges and opportunities that they have not been exposed to before as well as learning new skills and hopefully developing lifelong interests. Thanks to the many volunteers and teachers that pull this program together every year.

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teamprofiles Gymnastics and Cheer Inspires Self Confidence Submitted by Darren Heidt, Photo credit Darren Heidt 2017/18 season was once again a stellar success for competitive gymnastics and All-Star Cheerleading teams at Chatham Gymnastics Centre. Weekly training helps develop focus and competing is a great experience for these young athletes. We’re looking forward to watching them grow and build self confidence. This season our provincial level girls proved that good work ethic and winning attitude pay off. All athletes reached the podium and building all season long with personal bests. Ella Tryon joined our gymnastics team after taking a couple years off. She

found new focus at Chatham gymnastics and worked hard this season. Fighting oncoming Flu, she found it within herself to achieve personal bests on many events. She pulled out an outstanding performance on uneven bars, placing her 6th overall in the province. Chatham Inspire expanding cheerleading team built on the success of last season and continue to improve and inspire us all. They learn sportsmanship and build self esteem in a positive, safe environment with certified coaches and equipment. Chatham Inspire competitive coaching staff is expanding

Chatham Gymnastics Centre

and they are all qualified mature adults with a combined experience of over 80 years. All are level 2 certified and above. Want to join our growing team? Call or stop by the gym for more info. SUMMER FUN AND FITNESS Looking of some fun for your kids this summer? We are offering fun themed day camps, Rec classes, drop-in gym daily. Weekly clinics to develop the skill and strength to level up. We also have cheer, acro and special population camps.

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sportsfiles

Gold for Nine-Year-Old Emma Negri Interview by CK SportsXpress, Photo credit Darren Negri 9 year old Emma Negri of Blenheim won a GOLD medal in shot put at the 2018 David McKendrick Minor Track Association (MTA) Indoor Provincial Championships held March 24 & 25 at the Toronto Track and Field Center. How long have you been training in shot put? I have been doing shot put for about one year. I also compete in the discus throw.

got to meet a lot of people and hang out with other athletes. We go to Toronto very frequently for track meets and we always do something cool when we are there. What was your favourite part of the weekend? We went out to Celebrate after I won gold at Dave and Busters. I also liked being on the podium with the music and hearing my name called.

What did you have to do to get invited to the Provincial Championships? I didn’t really get invited my dad signed me up for the track meet.

What are your goals for the upcoming year? My goal is to throw 7 meters in shot put and to work on my technique. I would like to throw 20 meters in discus too, and win outdoor provincials in both events.

What was it like to be in Toronto with so many athletes? It was really cool that I

Is there anyone you’d like to thank for helping you get this far? I would like to

Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

thank my dad for coaching me and my mom for packing all the supplies and being at every meet to cheer me on. Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers? Hard work and dedication to things pay off. It feels amazing when you work hard and reach your goals.

health&fitness

Sleep Significance Submitted By Dr. Brian Sides, Photo credit Dr. Sarah Ystma If you total it up, we sleep approximately 36% of our lives, yet scientists cannot completely agree on why we sleep. In fact, Margaret Thatcher once said, “Sleep is for wimps” and LOVESEAT SOFA Thomas Edison called sleep “A criminal 71 89 waste of time.” The one thing today’s 38 neuroscientists do agree on38is that we are largely sleep deprived. Likewise, there are Height: 34 Height: 34 numerous physiological complications that consistently occur when we are not getting enough sleep. Sleep experts agree that ideally, we should be getting around eight hours of sleep each night and teenagers should be getting closer to nine. In the 1950s most Americans committed this time, but by 2013, it’s estimated that most of us are only getting around 6 ½ hours nightly and teenagers often get less than

this. In addition to general irritability, lack of proper sleep is known to result in poor memory, poor judgment, and impulsiveness. Likewise, our creativity and ability to solve difficult problems is decreased by approximately three times. Perhaps the biggest downfall of CHAIR inadequate rest is that it induces the 45 stress response which is accompanied

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teamprofiles

Kent Cobras Win it All! Interview by CK SportsXpress and Kyle Dittmer, Photo credit Darryl Lucio and Amy Lenover Aitken. Since completing the challenge, every player can now shoot a puck. We had a lot of on-ice practice time, the players became great passers on the ice.

What was the defining moment for your team – when you knew you were going to go far? I had multiple coaches approach me after games and they would mention how well the players moved the puck. As a coaching staff, we also believed that if we were competitive with the top teams around we could tweak things during the games that mattered in order to come out on top.

You were the only Kent Cobras team competing for an OMHA title this year, did your kids feel that pressure? What was your 2017-2018 season like? The season was long and was filled with many great things. There were lots of practice hours put in on the Ice. This team grew way beyond the coaching staff’s expectations. We were the highest scoring team in the league and top 3 for goals against.

How have you seen your team grow this past year? During tryouts we only had one player

could shoot a puck. We did a shooting challenge over the summer where the kids had to shoot pucks to meet a goal. The goal was 4000 pucks and we called it the 4k club. To keep the kids motivated, I sent many emails out to companies to get hockey gear donated but only a few got back to me. Big shout-out to Anthony from SHER-WOOD Hockey for being helpful! They donated a new EK REKKER stick. Brian’s Custom Wear also supplied some dry wear shirts for the goalies. Thanks again, Joey

We explained to the kids what was at stake but we didn’t want to take the fun out of it. I gave pre-game motivating speeches when needed. After that series, there wasn’t as much pressure on us because we were considered the underdogs since we had never beat Belle River during the games we played through the year.

Tell me about the last round, key moments etc...

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Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

to see why!

teamprofiles The game that sticks out the most was Game 3 in Belle River. We were leading the series 4-0 in a best of 6 points. We went down 3-0 by almost the 3rd period of that game. The goalie locked down our net and the boys believed that we could win. We ended up coming back in the 3rd period and won 4-3. Belle River was a great skating team. Our defence improved a lot throughout the year and they were clearing pucks in front of the net and keeping the forwards wide when they would come into our zone. This helped our goalies see shots and let the forwards have the extra seconds to back check and help. The forwards were the same – we have 3 hard working lines. When we had three lines working hard it’s a tough game for any team to place against us. Kyle Simpson and I focused on getting the forwards to be great at the small things.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge or thank? I would like to thank the parents for putting in the time to get the boys to the rink. Our team manager, Rob Lenover, for making my job as a coach so much easier. He was great to have on the staff and such an asset to the team. The coaching staff – Kyle Simpson, Ian Waddick and trainer Brian Sunnen. They put the time in and cared about development of the players. They made

it easy for the team to improve and I knew the kids were always looked after. Goalie coaches – Owen Lemieux and John Pinsonneault for the time they put in helping to make the goalies better. A special mention to another coaching staff member who did not have a child on the team but showed up to games, as well as almost every practice we had. Henry Bruhlman. He was someone that the players could joke with and he found a way to connect with many of them in a special way. He had a listening ear for many and was a great friend to all. Henry passed away April 4th – just after we won the OMHAs and just before the last tournament that the kids went in and won. The kids all bonded together following his passing and knew we had to play the final tournament for Coach Henry. The players all say that win was for Henry. The Team lost a special man who will not be forgotten, and the team and coaching staff are honoured that we were able to spend the time that we did with such a great mentor and friend. RIP Henry. My wife, as well as the other coach’s wives for putting up with the extra time away from home that we need to prepare a hockey team. Finally, to the team’s toughest critic and their biggest supporter – my father. He was at nearly every practice and game. He was the first one I would call after a game or practice to see what he had to say. He

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Anything else you’d like to say to CK? I’d like to thank all of the sponsors who supported a player on this team. Big thank you to the guys at Chatham Pro Shop – Maximum Edge for all of the support they gave us throughout the year! Also to Wade Crosby for donating the free McDonalds fries coupons to give out to players that did something new or well during each game. Thank you to the fans for the support during the OMHA run as well.

If anyone wants to donate prizes etc. to the upcoming major Novice AA team, please contact me. The more motivation the better.

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Mon-Fri 9:30 am-5:30 pm | Sat 9:30 am-5 pm Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

fromthesidelines

Mike Labute

– Umpire Extraordinaire Submitted by CK SportsXpress, Photo credit Mike Labute In recent years, Mike has taken on more of a mentorship role, teaching younger men the ins and outs of umpiring. He is currently the Umpire Assignor for the Maple City Umpire Association, which offers their umpiring services from Harrow to Wardsville and in between.

“Mike Labute has been an umpire for 34 years. The 65 year old retired as a mailman earlier this year, with plans to get back out on the field more.” “I played ball into my 40’s, and I still wanted to be a part of the game. As a mailman, I couldn’t afford to get hurt, I’ve always loved the game, so it made sense to umpire in the meantime.” While the focus is usually on the players on the field, there’s more to being an umpire than making calls, those interested need to attend clinics and gain

experience with a mentor before taking on a game on their own. For Mike, learning to stay cool when someone doesn’t like your call is key to umpiring well “I play the game, I get that someone might be upset with my call – I always say I’m right 50% of the time, one team likes my call, the other one doesn’t. I’ve learned how to calm someone who’s upset down by now”. The Maple City Slo-Pitch season runs from April 30 to mid September. Fellow Umpire - and Vice President of Maple City Slo-Pitch - Rodney Juniper says there’s a place for everyone, from beginner to competitive player. “Good ball, good company” about sums it up. For more info on how to play Slo Pitch in Chatham – check out their website at https://www.leaguelineup.com/ welcome.asp?url=mcsp The Maple City Umpire Association is another organization that uses Blazin BBQ’s fundraiser dinners to help offset the costs associated with running clinics and offering their services. To learn more about how Blazin BBQ can help your organization, contact us today!

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Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

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health&fitness

Bowling is More Than a Strike

Submitted By Cindy McFadden, Photo credit Cindy McFadden

“STRIIIIIIIKKKKKKE!!” Another participant of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent Special Populations Bowling Program knocks down all of the pins with one shot. Every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. or Friday at 1 p.m these participants can be seen at Chatham Bowlerama, celebrating their successes, improving their skills, and socializing with friends. What is it about this program that makes it such an attraction? It may be the thrill of watching the ball speed toward the pins. It may be the sweet smell of fries, fresh from the bowling alley canteen. Is it simply the time to hang out with friends in a nonjudgmental space, with joking and laughs galore. It may even be in hopes of catching program coordinator Cindy McFadden with a microphone in her hand, most likely singing Christmas carols in April. In 19 years, Cindy has watched confidence grow, and with it scores building higher and higher. She has had the privilege of witnessing the improvement of skills, not only in the game of bowling, but also social skills and independence. A shy boy with Down’s Syndrome has gone from quietly taking his turn, taking his seat, to cheering exuberantly for the other bowlers on his lane. An individual with Autism who at one time used bumpers in order to bowl now achieves strikes and spares, and bumpers are no longer even thought of. Motivation, dedication, and passion can be seen on the bowling lanes. Recently, Cindy bowled a game with the

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participants, and achieved a score of 200. A young man was determined to beat this score. He set his eyes on the prize, focused on the goal, and reached the score of 213! This individual left the alley proud and confident that evening. Not everyone may think that bowling may be so influential in a person’s life, but the individuals who participate in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent Special Populations Bowling Program know this to be true. For more information or if you are interested in being a part of this opportunity, please contact Cindy McFadden at 519-360-1998 ext. 4226 or find us on Facebook.

June 11-16, 2018

519-683-6266 Dan VanMoorsel, Manager

Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

health&fitness

CK 55+ Soon Adventure to Mississauga 2018 Chatham-Kent 55+ Games Qualifiers Being Held for 20 Events – Top Place Finishers Eligible to Attend the 2018 Summer Provincial 55+ Games in Mississauga in mid-August Submitted by Don Hector, Photo credit Don Hector May 8, a Prediction Walk and a 5k Run at Wallaceburg on May 9, Lawn Bowling at Ridgetown and Chatham the week of May 21 to 25, Callaway Golf at Willow Ridge Golf and Country Club, Blenheim on June 5 and Floor Shuffleboard at the Golden

Events are already underway for the Chatham-Kent 55+ Games. A series of playdowns are scheduled across Chatham-Kent running until mid June. Over 20 active and mentally challenging sports and activities will be played in a variety of venues across Chatham-Kent. While the spring/summer series of events began in early April, a large number of games are still scheduled… Cribbage at the Chatham Retirement Resort on

Acres Shuffle Club in Blenheim on June 12… among many others including tennis, scrabble 6 handed pepper, and pickleball. The top place finishers will be eligible to attend the 2018 Provincial 55+ Games being held in Mississauga August 10 to 12, 2018. The 55+ games series offer events for Fun, Friendship and Fitness throughout the year in the spring and fall periods.

For more information on local Chatham-Kent 55+ games, events and registration forms go to: www.ckseniorgames.com or further information please contact: Don Hector, Chatham-Kent 55+ Games Coordinator Email: ckseniorgames@gmail.com • Telephone: 226 881-2453

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Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

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Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

sportsprofile

Sports Profile – Chatham Youth Bowling Submitted by Chatham Youth Bowling, Photo credit Rick Maynard At Chatham Youth Bowling everyone plays, regardless of ability. There are no benchwarmers, everyone is offered an opportunity to shine! The program geared towards youth aged 3-19, starts the first weekend after Labour a Day and runs until the end of April. A budget friendly sport, we accept registrations all throughout our season. Our volunteers dedicate their time and skills to develop your child, on and off the lane. Their goal is to create an enjoyable weekly experience of instruction, participation and competition for each participant. Come see us at the CK SportsXpo to learn more and pick up a registration form!

teamprofiles

Let Them Play Other Sports – You Owe it to Them! Submitted by Shannon Sasseville, Photo credit Shannon Sasseville

Swimming is a unique and specialized skill. And so is hockey, baseball, golf, gymnastics, and every other sport out there. The difficulty with many kids today is that they, or their parents, set their sights on trying to be the best in just one sport, much too early. Both research and real life is showing us again and again

that kids need exposure to many sports, early on. It is so tempting as parents to try to put all their sport eggs in one basket, but what is healthiest and best for the child is being competent at many different sports. Sport diversity not only develops their fundamental movement skills, it also exposes them to so many new social opportunities. If you don’t believe me, check out the information on physical literacy. It’s true parents, being competent in several sports will help your child exceed in their favourite sport when it comes time to specialize. Think also about their social opportunities later in life – being comfortable swimming at a pool party, able to play pick-up hockey with friends, joining in a beach volleyball game, or going for a round of golf with colleagues. You have the power to make this happen for you kids right now. Not many kids are making it to the Olympics or to the NHL, but most kids will want to play sports with their friends later in life. At the Chatham Pool Sharks we want your kids to be good at other sports. Of course, we want them to love swimming,

Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

but we also want them to try other sports. That is why we welcome athletes from other sports to try us out, and we want our swimmers to try other sports too. Swimming is excellent cross training with little risk of injury; it helps build endurance and conditions the entire body -and we won’t make you quit other sports. Come on and give competitive swimming a try. We offer yearly programs or an 8-week Swim School program every May for those swimmers who just want to give it a try. If you swim we can teach you to race!

For more information on the Chatham Pool Sharks visit www.chathamypoolsharks.com Sponsored by:

teamprofiles

Silver Medalists at Ontario Winter Games for CK Ice Dance Team Submitted by SportsXpress, Photo credit Stephen Andari and Danielle Earl Photography Local Ice Dancers Alyssa Robinson and Josh Andari have steadily been generating Provincial attention. The two time Provincial Champions earned a Silver medal at the Ontario Winter Games in Orillia on March 3, 2018 in Pre Novice Dance. The duo, who are both Honours students at CKSS are currently training with Head Coach David Islam and his team of coaches at the Mariposa Skating School in Barrie, Ontario. They also train at Central Park Athletics in Windsor and the Chatham Skating Club. Prior to this, they were coached by Connie Toth of the Blenheim Skating Club. Their training is intense, skating an average of 12-15 hours a week year round. This summer they will be in Barrie at the Mariposa Skating School, skating 4 hours per day and then training another 2 hours off the ice Monday through Friday. Many athletes choose to focus on one sport and dedicate all of their time to it. However Alyssa and Josh have found they enjoy other activities as well. Both play the piano. Alyssa is an accomplished track and field athlete and has represented CKSS at various meets. Josh plays house league hockey, and enjoys water skiing and wakeboarding in summer and snowboarding in winter. The team is very appreciative of the support they’ve received from their coaches and the community. Even with their training and extra curricular activities, they find ways to give back to their supporters. Both work with the Chatham Skating Club as Program Assistants, teaching CanSkate Sessions. Josh also helps skating clubs in Chatham-Kent by partnering dance tests. Their highlight of the season is obviously the Silver Medal at the Ontario Games, but also being able to compete at the Skate Canada Challenge - their first national competition. Their schedule may be busy but this team is willing to put in the work to reach their long term goal – to compete internationally. With their work ethic and strong community values, they are certainly a duo we’ll be hearing about for years to come! Congratulations Alyssa and Josh!

Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

behindthebench

Jr Kings Bringing Smash Wrestling to Dresden GAS CARD ASON

APRIL 2, 2018!

WARR ANT Y

EVENT 0n Now!

ty TY

Submitted by Jay Smith

As seen weekly on The Fight Network, Smash Wrestling will debut at the Dresden Arena on UP TO June 16th. Saturday, The event is a fundraiser for the Dresden Jr Kings PJHL hockey organization. “We’re always looking for different ways to WARR ANT Y fundraise,” said club President Dave Cameron. “We’ve been following what Smash Wrestling has been doing locally and thought they were a perfect fit.” Smash Wrestling has quickly become one of Canada’s top professional wrestling outfits, since its inception five years ago. With regular events in Toronto, London and now Sarnia, Chatham-Kent has been targeted. “Our community is always supportive and are the backbone of the Kings organization,” added Cameron. “We think this will be a really fun night and could be the start of a regular tour stop for Smash.”

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ew and unregistered Suzuki Motorcycles purchased at participating Canadian Dealers between January 3, 2018 and April 2, 2018. Suzuki Retail ed warranty plus additional warranty coverage to total listed warranty coverage. Warranty offered has no dollar value and cannot be exchanged of gas cards). Model may not be exactly as shown. This promotion is time limited and subject to stock availability and certain conditions may cified. PDI charges from $110 to $528, freight charges from $165 to $350, taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and registration are extra regulations. See your participating Authorized Suzuki dealer for availability and complete details. Suzuki. Way of Life!

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Chatham-Kent SportsXpress • May - June 2018

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