Form a new skate of mind with the Saratoga Springs Recreation Department’s Intro to Ice Skating Program. Learn ice skating basics or improve your skills. Ages 3 to adult. Tuesdays and Saturdays from Jan. 5 until Feb. 13. $60 for residents/$80 non-city residents.

Develop your skills, learn the rules and strategy to serve up your best in their Volleyball Program. Ages 8 -14 years. Jan. 6 through Feb. 10. $55 residents/ $65 non-city residents.

Join the Pickleball League and ace the court. Ages 18+. Jan. 10 until March 7 (no play Feb. 14). $45 residents/ $65 for non-city residents. Space is limited. 

The Rec’s nine pickleball courts are ready for Drop-In Pickleball. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9-11am. Participation is limited and is on a first come, first-served basis. Days/times are subject to change. $3 residents/ $4 others.

Basketball Programs: Tiny B’ball is a parent/child activity that introduces participants, ages 3 to 5, to the sport of basketball through games and activities. $55 residents/ $65 non-city residents. Intro to Basketball for participants in grades K-1st. Boys and Girls programs for Grades 2-8 build on skills. $60 residents/$80 for non-city residents. Space is limited. Volunteer Coaches are needed. All session fees increase $25 beginning Jan. 1. Participants must wear a mask at all times. 

One-hour Racquetball Rentals are available. $5 residents/ $10 others. 

Some programs require you to create an account and register for a Rec Card prior to arrival. Visit www.SaratogaRec.com, or contact the Recreation Department at 518-587-3550 x2300 or recreservations@saratoga-springs.org with questions.

After completing a successful Fall Season, the start of Winter sports this week has area high schools navigating another new set of challenges.

“It was a season that was successful for the Suburban Council across all the sports. The stance the entire league took was to protect the season. It was not intentionally more strict than what anyone else was doing. We took all the guidance from the State and local agencies, and used our professional judgement to do what we felt was the right thing to do,” said Nicholas McPartland, Athletic Director for the Saratoga Springs City School District.

HIGH-RISK SPORTS POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
On Friday, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced the postponement of all high-risk sports until authorization is granted by state officials. 

The New York State Department of Health has determined basketball, boys’ lacrosse, competitive cheerleading, football, ice hockey, volleyball, and wrestling to be high-risk. 

On Dec. 11, it was announced that high-risk winter sports would begin on Jan. 4. The increase in COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates across the State however, has now postponed the start-date of high-risk sports indefinitely.

OTHERS GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD
Low- and moderate-risk sports began practices this week. 

In Saratoga Springs, these include bowling, girl’s gymnastics, Alpine and Nordic skiing, and boys’ varsity swimming/diving (modified is not being offered at this time due to a lack of swimming pool availability).

“While preventative measures have been put in place in our school, we are still working through some of the hurdles that have come up. For the indoor sports, there is inherently a little bit of risk involved, but we felt it was important to salvage the opportunity to have these, as so many other opportunities have been lost for our kids this year,” said McPartland.

VIRTUAL MEETS & NO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Safety concerns associated with increased travel, venue capacity limitations, and social distancing restrictions has also led NYSPHSAA to cancel the 2021 Winter State Championships.

“When examining the feasibility of Winter State Championships, it became apparent that travel and overnight accommodations would create a unique challenge for our member schools,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director. “At this time, we must prioritize maximizing student participation without a focus on championship events.”

Echoing this sentiment, as well as the desire to protect local businesses, families, and others in the community, school-to-school competitions will be adjusted accordingly. 

Bowling and swimming meets will be held virtually until at least Jan. 31. While the details of the girls’ gymnastics matches are still being determined, competing teams will likely have staggered start times to allow for equipment cleaning and sanitizing.

The start of the Fall 2 Season in March, and the 2021 NYSPHSAA Spring State Championships remain scheduled at this time. 

NEW YORK — The NYSPHSAA Section 2 Executive Committee is pushing the official start date for Indoor Track back to January 4, 2021.

Low/moderate risk sports will begin on December 14, and while Indoor Track is considered low-risk, questions and concerns have been raised regarding the ability to run the sport effectively, efficiently and in a safe manner. 

Currently, Section 2 has no available facilities that can host an Indoor Track meet. In addition, the gathering size limitations would require the components of a meet to be divided up into multiple days and perhaps, multiple sites. 

There are hopes that the delayed start will provide the additional time needed to allow for changes in facility acquisition or availability, additional planning and clarification regarding potential virtual or pared-down competitions.

High-risk sports are scheduled to begin on January 4, 2021, pending approval from The NYSDOH and NYSPHSAA. If they do not have approval to compete, that start date will be revisited. 

If Winter sports need to be cancelled, it is likely there will not be additional opportunities made available, although this decision will be made at that time, should it become necessary.

Fall 2 sports are tentatively scheduled to run March 1 through April 30, and Spring sports tentatively scheduled to run from May 1 through June 30.

BALLSTON SPA —The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) announces that the Girls Competitive Coach of the Year Andrew Werner has also selected by the East Region as their award winner. 

Werner was nominated by Ballston Spa Soccer Club President Rob Smarz, as well as the parents of two of his players. The Girls-Under-12 team that Werner coaches plays in the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL). 

“I’ve never seen a volunteer youth coach put in what Andrew puts in to his team. He lives and breathes his job as a detective with the New York State Troopers and does the same with his daughter’s soccer team, for all the right reasons,” wrote Smarz.

The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) has approximately 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers. ENYYSA promotes and enhances the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and encourages the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players, as well as Children with Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to www.enysoccer.com

With winter comes those sweet sounds of skates sliding across the ice and the unmistakable clap of the hockey sticks.

These echoes of memory inform the way so many enjoy those long winter months looming just over the horizon. 

“We’ve created a community of lifelong hockey lovers and players. This game builds comradery, and that’s the biggest win for all of us,” said Travis Higbee, Saratoga Youth Hockey board member and coordinator of their Learn to Skate/ Learn to Play program for children ages 5 to 10 years old.

TEAMING UP WITH THE NHL
To teach more kids how to skate and how to play ice hockey, last fall, the non-profit, volunteer-run Saratoga Youth Hockey league partnered with the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers. 

The partnership delivered. The Learn to Skate program nearly doubled, with a number of those participants continuing on to the next levels of play. 

“If they had jumped right into the Mites or the Squirts programs, there would’ve been a big learning curve, because, and it may seem simplistic, but if you can’t skate, you can’t play hockey,” said Higbee. 

EQUIPMENT IS INCLUDED
In youth hockey, big names equate to big gains and more bang for your buck. 

Your child will learn the basic skills of skating, stick-handling, passing, shooting, and teamwork through ten weeks of 1-hour lessons in the program; enjoy appearances by professional NY Rangers staff and alumni; and the $250 registration fee includes a complete set of new equipment. 

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“It allows them to dip their foot in the water with hockey without a big investment. They’re given a head-to-toe set of brand-new equipment. That’s one of the very big intrigues of this partnership and it’s a great way to get people in to try hockey,” said Higbee. 

STICKLERS FOR SAFETY
While others are only now scrambling to keep up with safety concerns related to limiting the spread of the Coronavirus, Saratoga Youth Hockey got out ahead of it by organizing the “Intent to Play” committee last Spring. 

Working with healthcare professionals, first responders, educators, public and city officials, parents, and community members, the committee developed and put a list of safety protocols in place, said Saratoga Youth Hockey President Rodney Eddy.

Hockey, already considered a “low-risk” sport, instituted precise social distancing and mask-wearing procedures, installed guardrails, closed the locker rooms, and established check-in and contact tracing requirements. 

They also ask that kids come dressed to practices and have eliminated games and tournaments. 

“There was a real community push to make sure we can give the kids an opportunity to play. We all took a page from each other’s books when it comes to safety. We’re all parents and understand the importance of keeping this program going. We’re pretty proud of what we’ve accomplished and feel that we’re in a good place to continue,” said Eddy.

Practices are held on Saturdays at 10:30 am beginning on January 2nd, 2021 at the Weibel Avenue Ice Rink in Saratoga Springs. Full and partial scholarships will be awarded based on need. 

To register, or if you have questions, go to www.nhl.com/rangers/community/junior-rangers-rookie-series or email learntoskatelearntoplaysyhi@gmail.com

“Using force, overriding intuition, undervaluing heart consciousness, berating myself into submission, or changing because I think it’s going to prove my worth, are no longer options for me. Living under those belief systems has created such negative consequences in my life that whenever I can, I try for the most loving, gentle, and allowing path. The path of least resistance.” – from “Mindfulness – An Introduction,” an eBook by personal trainer and wellness coach Allison Petroski.

As if this year wasn’t already stressful enough, now are the holiday feasts and for many of us, the months when battling the bulge becomes a daily tug-of-war. 

“I would love to allow people to let themselves off the hook a little. To tell them they don’t have to radically transform their lives at this time, to take the pressure off,” said Allison Petroski.

SOOTHING THE SENSES WITH SELF-LOVE
For almost a decade, Allison struggled with eating disorders. Anorexic and bulimic in her teens and early twenties, by her mid-20’s she’d stopped exercising and gained 50 lbs.

It was a low point that led her to an out-of-the-box diet plan – a system of making healthier food choices by first calming the nervous system through emotional, mental, physical, spiritual care, mindful living, and self-love. 

“Soothing the nervous system is the key to shifting how you experience your entire life.”

LOVE IT TO TRANSFORM IT
Allison’s experience as a personal trainer and wellness coach, as well as a group fitness instructor at the Saratoga Springs Branch of the Saratoga Regional YMCA, combined with the advice from international motivational speakers including Louise Hay, Pema Condron, and Abraham Hicks, has informed her unique relationship to food and exercise – a system where you love the body to transform it.

“Stress, anxiety and depression are huge contributors to anxiety, depression, and mental unrest. There are all these emotions around self-acceptance, the negative self-talk, and why we use food as a coping mechanism, that there’s often such a disconnect between our mind and our body that we don’t tune in to our own hunger and fullness cues. It seems like a very simple act to know when we’re hungry, but it actually takes an immense amount of wisdom and connection,” said Allison. 

GET FREE FROM FOOD OBSESSION
Allison has helped many of her clients lose 50 to 100 lbs. but the weight-loss is really a side-effect of the healthier mindset she teaches them how to develop.

“What people are most excited about is that they achieve a level of freedom from the obsessive quality that food and weight have on our brains and that they can bring into our lives,” she said.

If you want help identifying your own unhealthy patterns and a personalized plan, Allison offers weight-loss coaching sessions over the phone and by email. For personal training exercise routines, she conducts in-home visits or Zoom calls.

To find out more and to get a copy of her mindfulness eBook, find her on Facebook or go to www.loveittotransformit.com

Have you ever been driving by a lake or pond and saw a duck that just did not look quite right?

Eventually, when you got a closer look you indeed discovered that it was in fact a fake. You must have been thinking to yourself, “why would someone put a fake duck in the water?” These fake ducks are in fact known as decoys and they are widely used today by hunters to attract waterfowl. 

Recently I had the opportunity to talk to Shawn Beaulieu, owner of Market Hunter Decoys, who explained to me what makes a hand-carved duck decoy so special. Creating decoys to replicate ducks is a process that was started by the Native Americans over 2,000 years ago. Beaulieu explained to me that initially, decoys were made from reeds and grasses, but eventually decoys became made of wood. Hunters found that by having decoys in the water, waterfowl species were more likely to fly closer because having other birds around shows them that the area is safe. This allowed hunters to get closer, thus making them easier to shoot. The practice of hunting with decoys became widely adopted and eventually in the 1800s wood carvers were highly sought out to create decoys for the wealthiest of hunters. The process is truly an art form as it involved hours of hand carving and painting different types of wood to create lifelike presentations of duck species. Instead of using traditional methods to carve decoys, today most modern decoys tend to be made from canvas or plastic. The plastic ones are easier to produce and therefore cheaper, but Beaulieu says that they lack certain aspects that could impact the outcome of your hunt. This is what he said inspired him to begin making them himself.

Shawn Beaulieu had wanted to build decoys for years because as an avid duck hunter, he felt that there was just something missing on the plastic ones. So, in 2017 he sat down in a spare room of his house and began carving. He continues to use the same method when carving by using a two-handle draw knife to complete the shape of them. At first, he started making decoys out of cedar wood, but eventually switched to a high-density cork. Ducks are known to have extremely good eyesight, so he knew he had to pay as much attention to detail as possible.

After he carved his first decoy, he did not know what kind of impact it was going to have. He soon made a set of around 12 decoys and began testing them in the field. Beaulieu found that he was able to significantly attract more ducks to the areas he had his hand-carved decoys in  than his areas with the plastic ones. Although the success of duck hunting has many variables, he truly felt that these hand-carved decoys made a difference. A hunter always wants his decoys to look as real as possible and one of the biggest differences between a hand-carved decoy and a plastic decoy is how they sit and move in the water. Beaulieu discovered that by using cork bodies with a basswood head, the decoys became much more buoyant. Each of his decoys ends up coming out slightly different, so they end up looking much more natural. Duck hunters tend to hunt with a dozen to upwards of fifty decoys to imitate a flock of feeding ducks. By using hand-carved decoys, each one appears to move differently in the water, whereas plastic decoys all move and look the same. The painting process is the most difficult and time consuming, but attention to detail makes his decoys one of a kind. By using high detailed photographs of duck species as a template, the decoys he hand paints come out looking extremely lifelike. He says the painting usually takes a few hours to a full day depending on the species of duck. Ducks like Mallards (the ones you see as you walk in Congress Park) are straightforward, but duck species like Teal and Wood Ducks have more advanced color schemes. Beaulieu says his hand-carved decoys are made to fool the ducks that the plastic decoys do not.

So next time you pass by a lake and see a flock of ducks, be sure to look twice. You may be looking at a set of decoys. Although if they are made by Shawn Beaulieu, you may have to look three times. Market Hunter decoys are currently available at Blueline Sports in Saranac Lake and are available for pick up at their shop in Ballston Spa. Be sure to also check out their Etsy page. If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to reach out to Market Hunter Decoys by email: mkthunter.decoys@gmail.com. Contact Info: Etsy shop: MarketHunterDecoys.

The Saratoga Springs High School Boys Cross Country team started the 2020 season in a state of uncertainty. 

Despite that, they set an intention early-on to make the best of this year’s challenging situation and success followed. 

“Our main perspective, when we were talking a lot about the uncertainty, was to do anything we could to have a great season,” said senior Dawson Tooker.

Saratoga is undefeated among the Suburban Council competition this season. They came in first among the 15 teams in the league at their meet on November 21. Then, at this weekend’s regional championship, they were crowned New York State’s top team and the second-best ranked team in the entire Northeast. 

SELF-MOTIVATED TO GO THE DISTANCE
They were expecting to have practice on that afternoon last Spring when it was announced school was going to be cancelled because of the pandemic. 

From March until June, the 30-40 guys on the XC team trained remotely, running an average of 50 miles/week. In the summer, they stepped it up to between 60-70 miles/week. Once school resumed in the fall, they were still running up to 12 miles/day while also competing in seven remote meets this season. 

The Suburban Council exhibited more caution than almost any other league in the state, conducting races remotely. The teams ran independently and then merged their times to determine the winner.

THE HEAT IS ON
The Northeast Championship was the only time this season that Saratoga XC raced in-person at the same location as their competition. 

Start times were staggered, with another group running every 30 minutes. Saratoga was the final team on the list. 

“There was a little bit of pressure seeing everything in front of you and everyone coming in, there was a high bar to meet – higher than I expected. Despite what anyone else was doing, we just decided we would run our best that day,” said Dawson. 

It was a tight spread as one runner came in after another.

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“I thought, ‘We got this. I knew we did it,” said senior Max Fredette. 

“I really like winning and don’t like losing, so I was happy.”

SHINING AT THE SEASON’S END
Before their Championship run, to celebrate the end of their season, the Saratoga XC team held a drive-through banquet at Pitney Meadows Community Farm. 

The runners’ families watched from their cars as awards were handed out, tuning in to hear speeches from their coaches on their car radios. 

“It was a really nice way to wrap-up the season,” said Coach Shane Zanetti.

Now that they’ve done so well in the Championship, they have something else to celebrate. 

“It was a really great team victory. The Championship victory was a result of running as a team,” he said.

In addition to their fastest runners, it was the tremendous improvements made by other members that accomplished the team’s place in history.

“It’s crazy. It’s a crazy feeling being my age (I’m a freshman) and doing something this big. It’s insane that we got here and I’m super pumped,” said Owen Mansfield.

Senior Brady Tooker expressed a similar sentiment.

“Now that we’re finished, I’m really relieved that we ended it on a really good note,” he said

Although it was an unusual season, they were happy to have the chance to shine. 

“I was grateful I got to spend the season with these guys. I enjoyed every second of it,” said senior Shifan Shaffe.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Athlete of the Week: Will Braxton, Senior at Saratoga High School A fantastic talent on the golf course, a team leader, and a model student, Will Braxton won the Suburban Council Championship at Van Patten Golf Club on October 24. He shot a nine-under 63, and beat the rest of the field by 8 strokes! The Saratoga Springs Varsity Boys Golf team went 11-1 this season. Will’s season average was 36.5 strokes per 9 holes. He’s going to Washington & Lee University next year, and is planning on playing golf collegiately. Will is nominated Athlete of the Week by his coach, Jake Zanetti.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Throughout the United States, cross-country competitions look very different this year, but the Saratoga Springs Girls XC team has been facing the challenges and defending their status as the top-ranked team in the nation.

“It’s very different this year but in spite of that, they’re doing a fantastic job,” said Saratoga Girls XC coach Linda Kranick.

GETTING THE JOB DONE
With many of their meets cancelled and those that weren’t being run in separate locations than their competitors, the cross-country team has had to rely on other forms of motivation to get the job done. 

“The most important thing is to be safe and healthy. The Suburban Council is being very cautious and proactive to ensure that happens. These girls are doing it all on their own and still are the strongest in the country,” said Kranick.

Linda Kranick and her husband, Art, have been coaching cross-country in Saratoga for 36 years. The Kranicks have helped guide generations of athletes to achieve greatness in their sport and led the Saratoga girls to earn their 10th national title last year (running under the name Kinetic XC) in Portland, Oregon. 

Their style not only creates amazing athletes but ones who continue to stay connected to the coaches who inspired them.

“It’s less about competing with each other and more about working with each other to improve and do the best we can,” said junior Ella Kurto.

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A WINNING ATTITUDE
It was an unseasonably warm, sunny afternoon on Friday, yet the Saratoga Girls XC excelled in their 15-50 dual meet win against Shenendehowa. 

The Blue Streaks took the top three spots at Saratoga Spa State Park with Ella Kurto running the 3.04-mile course in 17:50.1, junior Mackenzie Hart on her heels (17:51.8), and freshman Emily Bush coming in at 17:55.

Keeping a cool head and a steady focus (despite the unusual sports season and the temperatures) has been instrumental to their success. 

“We just try to stay positive, no matter what,” said Emily Bush.

Their dedication is matched only by their desire for continuing improvement. 

“We try to make goals and focus on them while also staying positive,” added Kurto.

The high school team’s success has been possible for so many years because of the encouragement they’ve experienced coming in from all sides. 

“This is a great group of girls, they’re very close. My husband and I are still enjoying it and have no plans of retiring. We’ve also had great athletic directors to support us, which includes Nicholas McPortland, who took over the position last year, and Peter Sheehan before him,” said Kranick.

The Saratoga Girls XC team has one more meet on their roster before their November 21st run for the championship title.