SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School gymnastics team beat Bethlehem 173.025 – 161.95 at the Wilton YMCA to end their dual meet season with a record of 6-0.  It was the 14th consecutive undefeated dual meet season for the Blue Streaks. Saratoga was led by senior Ava Dallas who finished first in the all-around with a score of 36.8 followed by fellow senior Sophia Damiano who finished second with a score of 36.3.  Bethlehem’s top finisher in the all-around was Ali Gray who finished 3rd with a score of 34.6. The season ends on Sunday, Feb. 14, with the League Championship meet hosted by Shaker. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Registration for the Spring One Session of classes offered by the Saratoga Regional YMCA opens up on February 16. Classes begin on March 1 and end on April 24. Available programs include: 

• Soccer (Ages 3-4 years) Wilton Branch. Thursdays, 4-4:30 p.m. Members $40/Non-Members $50

• Soccer (Ages 5-7 years) Wilton Branch. Thursdays, 4:35-5:15 p.m. Members $50/Non-Members $50

• T-Ball (4-6 years) Saratoga Branch. Saturdays, 11:30-12 p.m. Members $40/Non-Members $70

• Little Rookies Baseball (3-5 years) Saratoga Branch. Saturdays, 10:45-11:15 a.m. Members $40/Non-Members $70

• Basketball (4-5 years) Saratoga Branch. Mondays, 4-4:30 p.m. Members $40/Non-Members $60

• Basketball (6-7 years) Saratoga Branch. Mondays, 4:40-5:20 pm, Saturdays 12:10-12:50 p.m. Members $45/Non-Members $80

• Basketball (8-10 years) Saratoga Branch. Tuesdays, 4:15-5 p.m., Saturdays 1-1:40 p.m. Members $55/Non-Members $90

• Beyond the Basics Basketball (10-13 years) Saturdays, 3-4 pm. (14-17 years) Saturdays, 4-5 p.m. Members $70/Non-Members $100

• Youth Intermediate Volleyball (10-14 years) Saratoga Branch. Wednesdays, 4:15-5 pm. Members $60/Non-Members $90

• Leadership Club: Teens (8th-12th grade) 1st and 3rd Mondays of the Month. 6-7 p.m. Free with Family or Youth Membership. 

For more information, go to srymca.org

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to announce that Tony Izzo has been chosen for induction into the Class of 2021. 

Izzo is a longtime Section 2 basketball broadcaster for Saratoga High School and the playoff games at the Glens Falls Civic Center. He is currently the host of the Saturday Sports Hour on Saratoga’s Star Radio, 93.3 FM and has received the Dutch Hollard award for promoting sports throughout the Capital District.

His dedication to, and love of the game has made an impact in the area through his 47 years of broadcasts, including his coverage of the memorable battles between Sonny Gooden of Saratoga and Jim Town of Glens Falls.

The Hall of Fame induction will take place this Fall.

Staying active when you’re not able to go places and gather together is tough enough, now add not being able to see well into the equation, and you’ve got an even trickier problem to solve. Camp Abilities Saratoga (CAS) has figured out a solution.

“Everyone is struggling with isolation due to COVID. This issue is compounded for children who are blind or visually impaired.  CAS is focused on reducing isolation by keeping these children connected with their peers and counselors,” said Joe Brady, Vice President of Communications. 

TRANSFORMING VACA’S INTO VCAS
The week-long CAS educational sports camp, sponsored by the Saratoga Lions Club, is like a very special and educational, vacation. 

It’s a one-on-one VACA that typically offers guided activities including baseball, soccer, horseback-riding and more to its campers. To comply with social-distancing guidelines, they decided to adjust their program and instead go virtual this past summer – transforming a VACA into a VCAS (Virtual Camp Abilities Saratoga).

“In 2020, we had a couple months to prepare, develop programs, send equipment and technology to the campers and counselors so we could conduct our annual camp – transforming it from a physical camp to a virtual camp while keeping and strengthening CAS’s mission,” said Brady. 

“Our camp directors and counselors did a masterful job of creating a wonderful, meaningful, and educational experience for our campers.”

The online campers, ages 10 to 16, were invited to log-in three times a day for six days of activities including yoga, strength-training, and pound fitness (a high-intensity cardio workout that combines yoga with rhythmic drumming). 

“What I’m hearing from them is that their week with us it the highlight of their year, so I thought, why can’t we connect with our campers throughout the year and keep those relationships going?” said Camp Director Tiffany Suppes. 

MINI-CAMPS HAVE MAJOR IMPACT
The success of the August 2020 virtual camp was the impetus of the CAS mini-camps that are now happening every other month. 

The first, in December, featured a Body by Dottie workout, a yoga class, and as a special treat – cookie making. In addition to empowering the 16 campers to find ways to be physically active on their own at home, these activities are geared to help them improve upon their daily living skills. 

These activities are also a chance for families to get involved like never before. 

“Some things are a blessing in disguise. Now we’re able to work with families closely which we were not able to do before. We show campers’ parents and siblings how to adopt and modify activities for them, and the options they have at home,” said Suppes.

An easy, socially-distant outdoor activity that she suggests is disc golf – just have a sighted companion set up a cell phone or an inexpensive Bluetooth speaker at the target and you’re ready-to-play. 

The next mini-camp will be held on Saturday, February 6 and will include a HIIT workout, a virtual scavenger hunt, and a game of Family Feud. 

“I feel very fortunate to be able to connect with the campers and to find ways that we can all come together during this time,” added Suppes. 

Follow Camp Abilities Saratoga on Facebook for more information. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Rotary Club of Saratoga continued their support of Act with Respect Always (AWRA), with a recent donation. 

“The Rotary is proud of their ‘circle of giving’ and we are proud to complete that circle by giving away AWRA T-Shirts whenever possible,” said AWRA founder Coach Rich Johns.

Act with Respect Always is a “pay it forward” movement that stresses the importance of one’s personal character. It is designed to build respect and leadership, teach positive and constructive behavior, and to help stop bullying before it starts. It emphasizes the importance of teamwork, kindness, empathy, courage and honesty.

Companies that would like to help further this message can have their group’s logo printed on AWRA shirts. For more information, email Coach Johns at acejohns@aol.com. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School gymnastics team continued their winning ways with two more victories this week. 

Last Thursday, they won against Shaker at the Wilton YMCA with an overall score of 169.525 – 146.75. Saratoga was led by senior Sophia Damiano who finished first in the all-around with a score of 36.1, followed by fellow senior Ava Dallas who finished second with a score of 35.80.  Shaker’s top finisher in the all-around was Alyssa Kearns who finished 3rd with a score of 32.775.

Then, on Sunday afternoon at the World Class Gymnastics Academy in Latham, the Saratoga team moved to 5-0 for the season when they bested Bethlehem 170.15 – 159.25.  Senior Ava Dallas finished first in the all-around with a score of 36.35, followed by senior Sophia Damiano who earned a score of 35.55.  Bethlehem’s top finisher in the all-around was Ali Gray who finished 3rd with a score of 34.85.

On Friday, February 5th, Saratoga will be competing in their last dual meet of the season against Bethlehem at the Wilton YMCA.  Saratoga has not lost a dual meet since 2007.

Local COVID Rates Drop, Hospital Capacity Increases,
County to Decide on Potential Return of High-Risk Sports

BALLSTON SPA — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Jan. 22 that as of February 1, high-risk school sports had been given the green light to return as long as certain conditions were met and that the decision would be left up to individual county health departments. 

Among those sports believed to fall under the high-risk category in New York State are football, wrestling, ice hockey, rugby, basketball, contact lacrosse, volleyball, martial arts, competitive cheer. There are one dozen school districts in Saratoga County with 1,100 school winter athletes.

Among the conditions was a community COVID-19 positivity rate of 4% or under. At the time of the governor’s announcement, the seven-day rolling average infection rate in Saratoga County was 7.4%. 

On Jan. 29 – when the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors announced it was approving higher-risk K-12 sponsored school sports to resume on Feb. 1 in conjunction with similar conditions, that average rate of infection had fallen to 4.7%. and on Feb. 3 had fallen to 4% – the first time it had done so in Saratoga County since Dec. 2, when the post-Thanksgiving Day infection surge was on its rise. The infection rate had previously been at or near, and often below 1% from Memorial Day weekend through Halloween. 

Hospital capacity is another condition, with a low of 15% availability being a particular danger sign. The Capital Region – the eight-county region which includes Saratoga – is the worst of the state’s 10 designated regions for percent of hospital beds available. However, its 27% availability rate has trended in a good way, climbing in positivity in recent days, and nearing the statewide average of 34% bed availability.   

“While the seven-day positivity rate has dropped substantially in just the last two weeks, it is imperative that we do not lower our guard and leave our communities and hospitals vulnerable to another surge in cases,” said Dr. Daniel Kuhles, Commissioner of Saratoga County Public Health Services, adding that he had been directed by Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Theodore Kusnierz to study NCAA protocols to determine if they can be adapted to high school athletics.

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The Board of Supervisors called for a special meeting to take place Feb. 4 to consider the recommendations of Dr. Kuhles on high school high-risk sports. 

Pending updates which may emerge from the special meeting Feb. 4, Saratoga County had recently put additional guidelines in place for schools to proceed. 

• If the school is closed for in-person education due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, school-sponsored sports must be suspended until in-person education is resumed; however, this restriction does not apply to schools that are conducting only remote instruction. 
• Sports-related travel outside the Capital Region, North Country and Mohawk Valley is strongly discouraged and travel to, or from, any area that has been designated by NYSDOH as a red or orange zone is not permitted. Participation in multiteam events or tournaments is not recommended. To minimize contact, pod/bubble mini-leagues could be created.
• Weekly COVID-19 testing for each student-athlete, coach, manager, referee/official, or other individual associated with the higher-risk sport, unless the individual has documentation of a positive COVID-19 test within the previous 90 days.
• It is also suggested that coaches and student-athletes sign pledges acknowledging that what they do outside of practice and games can affect their teammates, opponents, and their community, as well as directly impact the future of the sports season.

Cuomo’s announcement came a few days after the New York State Athletic Administrators Association – representatives of the over 780 Athletic Administrators in the state – sent a letter to the governor, imploring his reconsideration of a decision to forego ‘high-risk’ sports for the winter and potentially the remainder of the school year, and to permit play to return immediately. The letter cited surrounding states keeping school sports programs operating while identifying mental health and increasing the socio-economic gaps as potential factors in cases of student depression and lower grades while engaged in some form of virtual learning.

Saratoga Springs — Everyone knows that Saratoga Springs is a horseracing town and one of the hardest bets to win at the track is the trifecta where the bettor has to pick the first, second and third place finishers in a race.  Dating back to last year’s Section II championships, the Saratoga Springs High School gymnastics team has hit the trifecta in four consecutive competitions. 

In each of those contests, Saratoga gymnasts Sophia Damiano, Ava Dallas and Carly Ruschak have finished 1-2-3 in the all-around. On Friday night at the Wilton YMCA, the trio led Saratoga to a win over Guilderland 169.9 – 156.0 to move to 3-0 on the season. Damiano was first in the all-around with a score of 36.825 followed by Dallas in second (36.45) and Ruschak in third (33.25). Guilderland’s top finisher in the all-around was Carli Rem who finished 4th (32.65).

Damiano scored highest on the vault (9.525) and the balance beam (9.05).  She finished second on the uneven bars and the floor.  Dallas won the uneven bars (8.9) and the floor (9.5). She placed second on the vault and the balance beam. Ruschak took third on the uneven bars, the balance beam and the floor. 

“I’m really happy with the consistency of the top three. They are scoring really well while adding more difficult skills to their routines. Really the whole team has come together nicely.  We shoot for a team score of 170 in each meet and we only missed it by 0.1 points tonight. We had an injury on the vault and another contributor did not compete.  I really like where we are at midway through the season,” commented Head Coach Deb Smarro.

Saratoga returns to action on Thursday, January 28 against Shaker at the Wilton YMCA. 

TOP THREE FINISHERS IN EACH EVENT
Vault: 1st-Sophia Damiano(SS) 9.525; 2nd-Ava Dallas(SS) 9.15; 3rd- Addie Seebode (G) 8.25
Bars: 1st-Ava Dallas(SS) 8.9; 2nd-Sophia Damiano(SS) 8.8; 3rd-Carly Ruschak(SS) 7.3
Beam: 1st-Sophia Damiano(SS) 9.05; 2nd-Ava Dallas(SS) 8.9; 3rd-Carly Ruschak(SS) 8.6
Floor: 1st-Ava Dallas(SS) 9.5; 2nd-Sophia Damiano(SS) 9.45; 3rd-Carly Ruschak(SS) 9.25
AA: 1st-Sophia Damiano(SS) 36.825; 2nd-Ava Dallas(SS) 36.45; 3rd-Carly Ruschak(SS) 33.25

SARATOGA COUNTY — The Alternative Baseball Organization, a 501c3, provides an authentic baseball experience for teens 15+ and adults with autism and other disabilities.

They are looking for a volunteer coach/manager, volunteers, and players to help us start new programs serving those in Saratoga County and the surrounding area, in addition to their other Atlantic programs that are tentatively set to start in late Spring-summer 2021. 

The teams travel to other areas, play on traditional high school size fields, and follow Major League rules (wood bats, base stealing, dropped third strike, etc.), Alternative Baseball has clubs in 30+ states. In 2019, the organization was commemorated as a Community Hero at an Atlanta Braves game and has been featured on ESPN’s BASEBALL TONIGHT and NBC’s Weekday TODAY Show.

For more information, go to  www.alternativebaseball.org            

Ice fishing is for everyone, not just the heartiest of anglers. 

This year’s social distancing requirements are causing so many more people to take up ice fishing that shops in the area have been running out of live bait, said Tim Blodgett, owner of Saratoga Tackle & Archery in Schuylerville.

“I’ve definitely had some people come in who have never been ice fishing but finally have the time to do it. Fishing, archery, and hunting have all increased since lockdown began in the spring. People have found they have more time on their hands and want to do the activities that keep them away from the crowds indoors,” he said. 

Tim’s been placing much larger orders to keep up with the burgeoning demand. He has bubbling tanks of live fathead minnows, pike shiners, suckers, and Rosie red,; as well as a stocked fridge, and shelves of supplies to fully equip your ice-fishing adventures.

Here are some of Tim’s tips on how to make ice-fishing an enjoyable activity for the whole family.

1. PLAN AHEAD.
Overdress and stay dry. Bring extra gloves, a towel, and a stool/bucket to sit on. Saratoga Tackle sells auger drills, items like skimmers to scoop ice chips out of the holes, and strap-on treads. Don’t forget toys for the kids. Food, drinks, and entertainment are all essential gear when kids come along.

Before you go: Check online for areas open to ice-fishing and what you might expect to catch. Different fish like different bait. Useful websites for fishing in Saratoga County include the Department of Environmental Conservation www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/32366.html, the Saratoga Lake Association’s Live Cam www.saratogalakecam.com, and the Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District slpid.org 

Tim had a customer come in with pictures of a 35” pike he pulled out of Lake Lauderdale this season. He’s heard reports that Pickerel are biting all day in Moreau Lake, as well as some good perch and trout. At sun-up on Lake Lonely you can pull in some panfish or bluegills. Evenings on Saratoga Lake is when the Walleye bite. 

2. TREAT THE LAKE BETTER THAN YOUR OWN PROPERTY.
Be aware that most of the property around lakes is private property. Don’t park in people’s yards or obstruct traffic. Be considerate and don’t leave a mess behind.

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3. MAKE SPACE.
If it was open water and casting a line would hit your neighbor, your ice-fishing home base is too close.  Keeping a 50-100’ radius around your camp is a good rule of thumb.

4. DON’T BE GREEDY.
Look for clues that a spot has seen some success. Tracks, holes, and weeds strewn about are all indications that someone has spent time at that spot. You might have luck there, too. Don’t worry, no one “owns” a spot out on the ice. Be mindful of the amount of real estate you take up however, and don’t take more fish than your limit. 

5. BE CAUTIOUS.
If you’ve never gone ice fishing, start with a lake that you’re familiar with. Ice thickness varies, especially at current areas, known spring spots, around the shoreline, etc. Unless you know what you’re doing, don’t venture too far away from where other people have been. 

Get Paid to Play: The 1st Annual Saratoga Springs Ducks Unlimited Ice Fishing Tournament will be held on Saratoga Lake on February 20. For more information, go to ducksunlimited.myeventscenter.com/event/1st-Annual-Saratoga-Springs-Du-Ice-Fishing-46554