UPCOMING EVENTS

Thanksgiving Food Donations – Thank You

WORD ON
THE STREET

HEALTHY RECIPE

TRY HARDER 

Indoor Triathlon To Be Held at the North Royalton YMCA

When:  Sunday, February 24, 2013, 7a.m. –1 p.m.

People of all fitness levels are welcome to join our indoor triathlon.  The race will consist of a 15-minute swim in our indoor pool, a 15-minute bike on a Keiser cycle, and a 15 -minute run/walk on a Precor treadmill.

Whether you are trying to take your fitness to the next level or cross something off your “bucket list” this is a great opportunity to experience a unique challenge and have some fun.  You may also register a team.  Three people can be on a relay team—one to swim, one to bike, one to run.  Each team member must complete their own form, and forms should be turned in together.

Call (440) 230-9339 or visit the Member Services Desk for additional information.

WINTER SWIMMING LESSONS

Attention Members!  Have you considered swim lessons for your son or daughter?  The Y offers a wide range of classes for all ages and skill levels.  Each session consists of five 30 minute classes over five weeks.  Please call or stop by the front desk to inquire about signing up for our winter sessions:

Winter I – January 7-February 10

Do you have a son or daughter age 5-18 interested in joining the swim team?

The RYD Swim Team provides swimmers of all ages and abilities the opportunity to excel in the sport of swimming.  Our Coaching Staff provides swimmers with the opportunity to excel through a structured, challenging, and supportive environment that cultivates the spirit, mind, and body.  We believe that success is the result of a constant pursuit of excellence in stroke technique and rigorous training.  Our goal is to help swimmers develop a life-long appreciation for the sport of competitive swimming and learn lessons from their involvement that can be implemented into all facets of their lives.

Congratulations on a great start to the season

The team is 2-0 in dual meets

$1250 in donations raised for the Annual Campaign at our annual Lollipop Swim Meet.

Over 20 swimmers qualified for YMCA Great Lakes Zone Championships held at Bowling Green State University in March.

1 Swimmer qualified for the YMCA Short Course National Championships held in Greensboro, NC in April.

The swim team currently stands 140 swimmers strong

FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TIM PINCHEK

As we enter into 2013, the North Royalton Family YMCA is a busy place planning for all the programs and events we will offer to our valued members.

Sport and Leisure programs that began in late November and continue through December include a Dodgeball League on Friday nights for ages 6-10, which is a six-week program.

We will begin Dance classes (Ballet, Hip Hop, and Creative Movement) in January, along with  Sports Skills Classes (Football, Basketball, and Soccer), Tumbling Classes, a Gym and Swim program, swim lessons and Adult Men’s Basketball.

Another exciting new program starting in January is the Jr. Cavaliers Basketball League.   The Jr. Cavaliers Basketball League has the same set-up as current league. Kids will receive a free ticket to the Cavs vs. Magic Game in April on Healthy Kids Day, which is planned for 1-3 p.m. April 7 at the “Q” downtown, and their family will receive discounted tickets. 

Participation in the Iron Kids program, youth weight training, is growing.

Kickboxing has been added to the Winter schedule.  A new program in development is BARRE, ballet fitness classes.  Stop in and enjoy a free cup of soup and get a health screening performed.  Register now for the first North Royalton indoor triathlon to be held in February.

 The Annual Campaign, formerly known as the Strong Kids Campaign, raised over $11,000 for 2012 since our opening on June 3.  Our goal for 2013 is $40,000.

Monies raised financially assist the community in membership and programs at the North Royalton Family YMCA.

The North Royalton Family YMCA will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  New Year’s Eve’s hours are 5:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and on New Year’s Day from 7a.m. 11 1 p.m.

On behalf of our entire North Royalton Family YMCA staff, I wish you and your family a safe and wonderful holiday season.

Sincerely,

Tim Pinchek

ERIC MONTLER AND WHY JANUARY 1 IS JUST ANOTHER DAY

With the New Year just around the corner and the air filled with ambition and talk of resolution, we crossed paths with Eric Montler, our featured Y-member this winter.  The calendar tells us there’s no better time for fresh starts than January 1; the dawn of another year and another opportunity to get it right.

Meeting Eric reminds us of the age-old cliché, “there’s no better time than the present.”   The possibilities are just sitting there waiting to become realities—all you have to do is choose to wrap your head around it and take the appropriate steps.

For Mr. Montler, it was simply a recognition of his desire to become healthier: to drop a few pounds; to simply get out and do it.  It wasn’t the second of January with champagne still digesting.  The day he resolved to start held no particular significance.  It was simply a stretch of unseasonably nice weather in the heart of winter.  So Eric took to the Metroparks, though he recognized that this decision could be no singular effort if it was to be effective.  Lucky for him, he had quite the support system.  “We’d get out as a family and go.”

These early efforts to become healthier weren’t Rocky-esque by any means; it wasn’t mile upon mile of up-hill running, nor was it hours a day spent pouring out sweat.  On the contrary, anyone who begins their journey to getting back in-shape by attempting a Rocky level exercise regimen might find themselves back on the couch watching the movie instead of walking the walk.

His strategy was simple yet effective.  The ultimate goal had to be broken into manageable pieces in order for it to gain momentum.  Even Rocky had to start somewhere.  Motler and his family recognized that the first step was to firmly resolve to make time every day.  In other words, their journey to good health quite literally began as a walk in the park.  In time that walk became a run, and so began the transformation of possibility into reality, one patient day after another.  To capture this steady curve toward better health, Here outlined are the steps of Montler’s progress turned into a model of sorts. 

1)    START!  A firm decision was made.  Go outside and walk.  Go to the parks as a family.  The most important thing is creating consistency.  The workout is light for now—the key is to wrap your head around building the time of day into a busy schedule.

2)    BUILD!  Now that the challenge of making time has been conquered, it’s time to ante up.  Daily walking became short distance running.  Eric explained a set of stairs his family would attack as part of their workout.  They called it “the hill of death.”  And so what started as a daily walk became a slightly more diverse workout—one that was manageable yet challenging.

3)    DIVERSIFY! “As the weight came off, I felt better, and started doing more.”   He and his family continued to push themselves, helping each other to stay on track.  When the North Royalton Family YMCA opened in June, he saw it as an opportunity to capitalize on the efforts he and his family had put forth in the months prior.  Their support system was extending beyond the family, and they now had numerous opportunities to diversify their exercise regimen.

4)    LIFESTYLE!  “It was a family effort completely, between diet and exercise and revamping the way we think.”  Montler framed the idea of healthy living as a complete package, not limited to only physical exertion.  From his initial walks in the park to climbing stairs to signing up at the Y, he had turned his search for a healthier life into a science.  He has done his homework, spending a fair amount of time studying fitness websites and online forums.  He learned from others’ suggestions about how to adapt his exercise regimen and eating habits based on different stages of weight loss.  He started keeping a food log, weighing in delay and tracking of his caloric intake.  He’s always on the lookout for new and healthy recipes.  Knowing that time pressures can distract from healthy eating, his family will sometimes prepare meals in advance if they know it will be a busy week.  His physical activity now includes a combination of cardio exercise and other activity such as basketball, biking, and tennis.   

5)    EVALUATE!  While it wasn’t the first of the year that spurred his shift to a healthier lifestyle, we asked Montler about New Year’s Resolutions for 2013.  He said his plan was to reevaluate his current exercise regimen and set up benchmarks to get to where he wants to be come his birthday in June.  Early January aside, this is just a continuation of the momentum he’s been building for months.  2013 will be just another set of days that will be used to stay consistent with his new-found lifestyle—and his strategy of setting small obtainable goals will continue to fuel this inertia.  So with what’s left of 2012, don’t hesitate to get started on whatever it was you’ve been meaning to do.  Sure—January 1 is a great time to make promises to yourself, but it’s really just another day.  Time to get to work.

MEAN GREEN HALLOWEEN: 
A MONSTROUS TURNOUT

Thanks to  everyone who participated in the Mean Green Halloween festival that took place on Friday, October 26.

Despite the evening’s wet, nasty weather, fairies, ghosts, and zombies showed up in startling numbers.  The night was filled with trick-or-treating and games galore.  Y members and community residents and their children made their rounds, trying their hand at games like pumpkin golf, tic-tac-ghost, and the recycling toss.  While music, dance, and games filled the gym, Magicians Bane and Lori put on quite a show in the Group Exercise Studio.

The festivities were so overwhelming that many a creature needed to take a break for apple cider and other treats.

As the smoke began to settle, the winners of our costume contest were announced:

Most Original:  Benjamin and Lily Leach--Tree and Bird.

Cutest Baby:  Ava Mikusa--dressed up as a pumpkin.

Scariest Costume:  Brogan Funni—masquerading as a zombie.

North Royalton Family Favorite:  The Rindfleisch Family--Potato Heads, Angry Bird, and Woody

Again, thanks to everyone who made this event possible—thank you volunteers, organizers, and all of you who contributed monetary and in kind donations for the event.  Thank you also to Grace Brother’s Nursery and Mr. Divots for their contributions.  And last but not least—thank you to all the young artists who adorned our halls with beautiful pumpkin compositions.