Archive: Sports

Winter programs are gearing up for January at the Lansing Recreation Department.  Recreation Director Steve Colt says there is a lineup of travel basketball, second and third grade basketball, a new gymnastics session, an oil painting session, and after school skating at The RINK for grades 3 through 8.

The ski program is popular every winter.  This year the program kicks off on January 7th.  Colt estimates about 40 skiers going on two busses, plus 10 to 15 elementary school level skiers.  One bus is for elementary students, and the other is for middle and high school skiers.

"There are an awful lot of people over the years who were introduced to skiing or continue to ski by going on the bus," he says.

Based on skill level and grade and age kids and parents find the appropriate level of instruction.  They get an hour of instruction every time they come, and they get to free-ski afterwards, with friends or parents in groups of two or more.

Kids qualify for the difficulty levels of multiple runs, so they ski at their own level, even in the free-skiing portion of each visit.  Once they qualify they get a tag with a green dot (beginners), blue square (intermediate) or a black diamond (advanced).

"Our kids in the program have done it long enough that their skills are pretty darn good," Colt says.  "We have kids in our program that probably ski from black diamond to green.  They're pretty decent."

"We're already starting to plan for spring and summer," says Colt, always looking ahead.  "We're moving along and we appreciate everybody's support."

v10i46