Author: Saratoga TODAY

Youth Sports Leagues 

Soccer: A developmental league that combines practice and game time in one session. Volunteer parent coaches are needed. This league will be held at the Wilton Branch (indoors). Ages 3-4 yrs. will play from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Ages 5-7 yrs. will play from 9:50 to 10:15 a.m. Ages 8-10 yrs. will play from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. 

T-Ball: This league combines practice and skill building with a game at the end. Volunteer parent coaches are needed. This league will be held at the Wilton Branch (indoors) on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Sports Skills & Drills 

Little Rookies: This class introduces a different sport every week for children ages 3-5 years old. Classes will be held at the Saratoga Branch on Tuesdays, 12:30 to 1 p.m., or Saturdays, 9 to 9:30 a.m. Classes will be held at the Wilton Branch on Mondays, 10:45 to 11:15 a.m., or Wednesdays, 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. 

Basketball: The Y has classes for all ages and skill levels at the Saratoga Branch. Ages 4-5 yrs. will play on Mondays from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Ages 6-7 yrs. will play on Mondays from 4:50 to 5:30 p.m. Ages 8-10 yrs. will play on Tuesdays from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Ages 6-9 yrs. will play on Saturdays from 9:40 to 10:20 a.m. 

Beyond the Basics Basketball: Take your child’s game to the next level with this advanced class for ages 10 -13 yrs., Thursdays from 6 to 6:45 p.m. 

Volleyball: Learn the fundamentals of volleyball in this co-ed class for ages 10-15, Wednesdays from 4:15-5 p.m. 

Archery

Youth Intro teaches in the fundamentals of archery, including safety and equipment use, for ages 8-13 yrs. Intro will be held on Saturdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. or Sundays from 2 to 3 p.m. 

Teen and Adult Intro are introductory classes for ages 14+, and will be held on Sundays from 3 to 4 p.m. 

Longshots Club is a program that teaches archery skills and introduces competition in a fun team environment for ages 10-16 yrs., and will be held on Saturdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Programs for Young Children 

These programs are designed for a caregiver and child to engage in together, socialize, learn, and meet new friends. 

Roc-n-Tots and Baby Jamboree are fun music and movement classes at the Saratoga Branch. Roc-N-Tots is Wednesdays from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. for 18 months – 2 yrs. Baby Jamboree, for ages 6-18 months is Fridays from 10 to 10:30 a.m. 

Story Time is a class that combines a story with activities and an art project. Story time at the Wilton Branch is Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Story Time at the Saratoga Branch is Fridays from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. 

Mini Activity Play Group is a playgroup for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years. Each week the Y puts out gross motor activities for children to engage in. The playgroup at the Wilton Branch meets in the gymnastics studio on Mondays from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. The playgroup at the Saratoga Branch meets in the gym on Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. 

Dance Classes 

Tiny Tutus: Children learn the basics of ballet in this beginner class for ages 3-5 yrs. Classes will be held on Tuesdays, 4:30 to 5:10 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:15 to 10:55 a.m. or 11:05 to 11:50 a.m. 

Twinkle Toes: Ballet and tap basics are combined in this class for ages 4-6 yrs. Classes will be held Tuesdays, 5:15 to 6 p.m., or Saturdays, 12:05 to 1:05 p.m. 

Jazz: This beginner jazz class introduces a new dance style for children ages 6-9 yrs. Class will be held on Tuesdays from 6:05 to 6:50 p.m. 

All dance classes will be held at the Saratoga Springs Branch in the multipurpose room. 

The Saratoga Regional YMCA has programs for everyone from toddler and parent classes to youth sports, to teen and adult archery at both the Saratoga and Wilton Branches. Come check out everything that the Y has to offer to keep your family  healthy, active, and learning. Registration is open, and classes run from Jan. 17 to March 13. 

BH-BL/BS V. Shenendehowa 

On Saturday, Jan. 8, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake/Ballston Spa faced off against Shenendehowa. Shenendehowa won the match-up 4-2. 

Jack Scalise and Gavin Tribley scored one goal apiece for BH-BL/BS, and goalie Alex Shear recorded 26 saves. 

Colin Palmer scored 2 of Shenendehowa’s 4 goals. Alex Dunkleberger and Nolan Sullivan scored one goal each. Keagan Linn, Brandon Stocker, and Sullivan (2) recorded assists. Goalie Mason Snider had 15 saves. 

BH-BL/BS is on the road on Friday, Jan. 14 to play Bethlehem at 7 p.m. 

Adirondack (GF/SGF/Warrensburg) v. Beekmantown 

The Adirondack Rivermen, made up of Glens Falls, South Glens Falls, and Warrensburg, lost a close game, 3-4, against Beekmantown on Saturday, Jan. 8. 

Jillian Willis scored 2 of Adirondack’s 3 goals, and John Attardo scored the other goal. Goalie Andy Buser had 36 saves. 

Beekmantown’s stats were not available. 

Adirondack will play La Salle next on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at Hudson Valley Community College. 

Saratoga v. Rye 

Saratoga’s most recent game was against Rye on Dec. 28. Rye defeated the Blue Streaks 9-1. 

Payton Borak scored the lone goal for Saratoga with an assist from Frank Klaus. Goalie Xander Clarke had 30 saves in 44 minutes of gameplay. 

Rye’s stats were not available. 

Saratoga is scheduled to play Bethlehem on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 6:45 p.m., and CBA on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be held at Weibel Ice Rink. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Ballston Spa Scotties Varsity Wrestling Team placed 6th, while Saratoga placed 7th at the invitational Saratoga hosted on Jan. 8. Eighteen local teams competed from across New York and Vermont, including a majority of local high school teams. Toga placed first with a team score of 186.0 and four individual wrestlers winning their championship matchups. Other team scores are as follows: 2 – Spaulding, VT (135.0), 3 – Windsor (126.0), 4 – Shenendehowa (114.0), 5 – Shaker (109.5), 6 – Ballston Spa (105.0), 7 – Saratoga Springs (92.0), 8 – Saranac (84.0), 9 – Mohonasen (72.0), 10 – Queensbury (62.0), 11 – Glens Falls (61.0), 12 – Averill Park (55.0), 13 – Canajoharie-Fort Plain (45.0), 14 – General Brown (39.0), 15 – South Glens Falls (29.0), 16 – Northern Adirondack (27.0), 17 – Schenectady (26.0), 18 – Corinth (20.0). 

Between Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs, three wrestlers made it to the championships; Ralph Kenney (Sophomore, Ballston Spa) was the only one to win his matchup, pinning Greg Green (Shenendehowa) in 0:35 in the 102 weight class. Sachiel Chuckrow (Senior, Saratoga Springs) lost to Mason McCombs (Windsor) in a 9-1 major decision in the 160 weight class. Darrien Insogna (Junior, Ballston Spa) lost to Ryan Stein (Shaker) in a 6-4 decision in the 215 weight class. 

Next up, Ballston Spa faces Averill Park and Saratoga Springs faces Shaker in league matches on Wednesday, Jan. 12. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – On the invitation of Saratoga Springs Athletic Director Nick McPartland, Coach Rich Johns recently met with the High School’s Athletic Leadership Group. Coach shared elements of his Act With Respect Always mission and his experiences as a teacher and coach at Saratoga. At the end of his presentation, Coach had a chance to meet and greet many of the students and have a photo taken with them. To learn more about AWRA, please go to the foundation’s website: www.actwithrespectalways.com 

OZONE PARK, NY – FOX Sports and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced a historic deal in which FOX Sports acquires the exclusive media rights for the Belmont Stakes, the final jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown series. 

The eight-year agreement, which starts in 2023, is inclusive of the entire Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the multi-day event preceding the Belmont Stakes comprised of dozens of elite thoroughbred races. 

Additionally, the new deal grants NYRA Bets the title sponsorship to the Belmont Stakes. With this deal, the NYRA Bets Belmont Stakes becomes the most prestigious American sports event to be sponsored by a gaming brand. 

NYRA and FOX Sports began their collaboration with Saratoga Live in 2016 at the historic Saratoga Race Course. FOX Sports’ total coverage of horse racing has grown every year since the partnership began, eclipsing 700 hours in 2020. 

In 2019, FOX Sports became the national television home for Belmont Park, airing live coverage of nearly every race day throughout the fall and spring/summer racing seasons. That same year, the brand furthered its commitment to the sport by televising the Runhappy Travers to a national audience on the FOX broadcast network (FOX) for the first time in network history. Following its successful presentation, the Travers returned to FOX in 2020 and 2021. 

In March of 2021, NYRA and FOX Sports expanded their partnership through a landmark media rights agreement. That agreement extended FOX Sports’ television rights with NYRA through 2030 and further expanded exclusivity for daily racing at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. It also ensured that the Travers will remain on FOX through 2030. 

The agreement announced in March provides a FOX Sports subsidiary with a future opportunity to increase its current 25% equity interest in NYRA Bets. Driven by a dramatic expansion in live television coverage on FOX Sports, NYRA Bets generated $250 million in wagering handle in 2021 and $225 million in wagering handle in 2020, a more than 100% increase compared to 2019. 

BALLSTON SPA – The Shuster Series of play readings is once again being presented by Home Made Theater. A “round table” play reading will feature participants dissecting and discussing some of theater’s great literature as a group. Roles are assigned so all who attend will have “performance” time. Audience members (non-readers) also welcome.

The first play in the series is at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22. Participants will be reading Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker. Based on true events, Our Country’s Good is set in Sydney, Australia in the early days of the settlement of Australia as a penal Colony. The play is about another play, a comedy called The Recruiting Officer, being performed using convicts as the actors, and directed by a very earnest young officer.

The Shuster Series play readings will be held at the Ballston Spa Public Library at 21 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa. Other dates in this season are Feb. 19, March 19, April 16, and May 21. All readings will be from 10:15 a.m. -1:15 p.m. 

Participation is free, though there is a suggested donation of $5 to cover the cost of printing. You can sign up to participate in The Shuster Series at Home Made Theater’s website: www.homemadetheater.org/get-involved/shuster-series-staged-readings/.

Per CDC’s new guidance and the Village of Ballston Spa mandate, masks must be worn at all times in the library regardless of vaccination status. In addition, Home Made Theater’s policy requires proof of vaccination, or a recent negative Covid-19 test.

CAMBRIDGE – A series of free discussions about the state of the arts in 2022 will take place via Webinair on four Wednesdays, starting Jan. 26. 

The discussions include issues of equity, programming, audience engagement, funding, and working as independent artists, and are facilitated by David Andrew Snider. Snider is a lecturer in the arts administration program at Skidmore College, executive & artistic director of Hubbard Hall, and author of the new professional playbook Managing Arts Organizations.

The talks feature arts leaders from a variety of arts disciplines throughout the United States, including Donna Walker-Kuhne, Walker International Communications Group, Inc.; Patrick Torres, Raleigh Little Theatre; Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Rep; Karen Zacarías, playwright; Mei Ann Teo, Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Melissa Crespo, Syracuse Stage; Nancy Yao Maasbach, Museum of Chinese in America; Lisa Richards Toney, Association of Performing Arts Professionals; Ben Cameron, The Jerome Foundation; Sarah Craig, Caffé Lena; Robert Barry Fleming, Actors Theatre of Louisville; C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika!; Anna Glass, Dance Theatre of Harlem. 

The discussion take place 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 26, February 16, March 23, and April 6, and are free.  Closed Captioning and ASL Interpretation will be provided. Sponsored by the Arts Administration Program of Skidmore College and the Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education.

For information about specific themes and to register for the free events, see: www.hubbardhall.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS -The Hawley Foundation for Children is accepting funding requests for its Community Grants and Camp Awards. Local organizations that assist youth in our community and best realize the Foundation’s mission of promoting the health, welfare and education of children in Saratoga County are invited to apply no later than March 1, 2022, at www.HawleyFoundation.org. 

Funding criteria includes but is not limited to:

• Organizations must serve disadvantaged children in Saratoga County 
• Organizations must have a 501(c)(3) non-profit status 
• Programs to be funded must demonstrate the ability and commitment to benefit, enhance and enrich the quality of life and well-being of children.

Applicants will be notified in early April and funds distributed at an Award Ceremony in May.  For more information, please contact info@hawleyfoundation.org. 

In 2021, The Hawley Foundation awarded over $150,000 to the Saratoga County community towards Community Grants, Camp Awards, and College Grants to high school seniors who are college-bound or vocational-oriented, as well as returning college students, and as discretionary funds to assist children on a case-by-case basis who are in financial need and reside in Saratoga County. 

About The Hawley Foundation

The Hawley Foundation for Children has a tradition of assisting the neediest youth in our community.  In 1888, Augusta P. Wiggins began caring for a few children who were orphaned, from families with limited income, or were not well-cared for at home. She enticed several Saratogians to support her project and in 1891, the institution was incorporated, electing Methodist Minister Rev. Bostwick Hawley as their first President. For 16 years, the children lived in different locations throughout Saratoga Springs. In 1904, the Hawley Home opened its doors on Ludlow Street — eventually housing 34 children from Saratoga and Warren Counties. It operated for 61 years until 1965, when increasingly complex state regulations forced its closure.  The home was sold, an endowment was created, and The Hawley Foundation for Children was established. Since then, the mission has been to promote the health, welfare and education of children in Saratoga County. The dedicated Board of Directors carries on this tradition to this day. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS -Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, with a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY and sponsored by Temple Sinai, presents a zoom discussion of Taika Waititi’s 2019 film JoJo Rabbit at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30. 

The film is about 10-year-old JoJo Betzler, growing up in a perilous environment seasoned with shameless propaganda. The film takes place late war Nazi Germany where JoJo is living with his mom; his dad is out of the picture in service. 

It is a satirical drama with a heavy dose of pathos. While containing explosive moments that find us chuckling, if not outright laughing, it delivers a jolt along with a jeer. JoJo Rabbit makes us uncomfortable. It makes us remember the good and the bad, the cold truths, and the fairy tales of childish imagining.  And it converges comedy and sobering sincerity to produce a story that condemns hate and, by extension, antisemitism. 

It is available to see on a wide variety of streaming services including Amazon Prime, You Tube, Apple iTunes, and Redbox. Registration is required and is accessible by emailing sjca.sjcf@gmail.com   www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org   www.saratogasinai.org