here - Abbey Seltzer

Play Ball!
Adults Keep Active
with Rec Sports
By Abbey Seltzer
Health & Wellness Staff Writer
A
dult recreational sports have
been around in the Santa
Clarita Valley even before
there was a city. Previously organized by the County of Los Angeles’ Recreation and Parks Department, there have been adult softball
leagues in the Santa Clarita area for
more than 40 years, and some players have been around nearly since
their inception.
After the city’s incorporation in
1987, the adult sports options expanded to include basketball and
volleyball. Adult soccer was added
in 2007.
“Recreational sports keep people
more committed to participating because of the set schedule, the teammates and camaraderie,” said Dr.
James Weagley, a physician at The
Doctors’ Office of Santa Clarita.
“The benefits of exercise in general are immense. Team activities
result in less depression, more social
interactions.”
Doctors recommend two and a
half hours of moderate exercise per
4 · Health & Wellness
week, according to the
Center for Disease Control.Being part of a recreational sports team helps
to accomplish that.
“We want our participants to spend quality
time with their family and
friends in a safe and structured environment,” said Jodi Jones,
recreation administrator for the
city of Santa Clarita. Jones said the
leagues have remained fairly consistent over the years, in terms of
enrollment.
Softball, the most popular sport
for the city, is offered in spring, summer, and fall seasons, and there is
league play six days a week. Games
are played at Central Park. Soccer,
only offered in spring and fall, also
plays Sundays at Central Park on the
multipurpose fields. Registration for
the spring volleyball and basketball
leagues was in March, but the fall
leagues will begin in August.
But why join an adult recreation
sports team? What are the benefits?
“It’s really been
a
great experience,”
said Martin Simone,
65, an attorney from
Chatsworth who
drives out to Central
Park each Sunday for
his softball team, the
Alabastro Slides.
“You can see people
from 26 to 76 playing together,” he said.
Simone is now coach
of Alabastro and has
been playing softball for more than 40
years, coaching for 20.
“You’ve got to work
with the team if you
want to win,” he said.
“I got hooked. I love it.”
The team has played continuously
since 1986, before there was a park
to play in, and its original members
all lived on Alabastro Drive.
“It makes my Sunday fun,” said
Tyler Mydock, 21, a substitute for
the team. “It’s
more laid back, we
have a good time. We
keep it competitive, but not too
much.”
Mydock’s sister, Trish Pregler,
agrees. This is her first season in the
co-ed Wednesday night league. “It’s a
really healthy environment,” she said.
A friend called and asked her to join
the team. “I haven’t played in awhile.
Getting back [to softball] is fun.”
When actually on the field, Dr. Weagley cautions people to stretch before
working out to loosen up. When at the
gym, stretch after exercising.
“As they get older, people need to
prepare for exercise better,” he said.
Before you start working out with
your team, do simple toning and
stretches first, he recommended.
Spend 15 to 20 minutes doing a lowimpact exercise every other day for
two weeks to get back in shape.
David Chellis, a police officer from Santa Clarita, plays both
softball and soccer on Sunday
afternoons.
April 2012
“I love the game,” he said. “It’s
“I like soccer and always have,”
also a good way to get exercise.”
added Analia Biscaldi, 26, a mediUnfortunately, participating on
cal assistant who drives from Simi
just one rec team usually doesn’t
Valley each Sunday. “It’s co-ed and I
provide the relike the competiquired exercise per
tiveness you get
week, said Weawhen you play
If you’ve lost out on the
gley. Any exeragainst boys,”
chance to join a team,
cise is helpful, but
she said with a
you can join one as a
you need to get
laugh. “It’s not
free agent by contacting
more than just one
the same when
workout a week.
you’re playing
the adult sports office at
“If people do
against girls.”
(661) 290-2240 or go to
a rec sport, I still
Biscaldi goes
www.santa-clarita.com.
recommend you
to the gym three
go to the gym adtimes a week, but
ditionally,” he said.
still credits the
“You have a choice of other activiweekly soccer games as a good way
ties that are good for you and fun to to exercise.
get your heart rate up.”
“It’s fun and it’s a good way to
Not having to choose every day
spend the afternoon outdoors,” she
has its benefits.
said. “What could be better?”
Henry Mayo’s Stroke
Program Receives Silver Plus
Quality Achievement Award
Content provided by Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
H
enry Mayo Newhall Memorial
Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American
Stroke Association’s Get With The
Guidelines-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award
recognizes Henry Mayo’s commitment
and success in implementing a higher
standard of stroke care by ensuring
that stroke patients receive treatment
according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
To receive this award, Henry Mayo
achieved at least 12 consecutive
months of 85 percent or higher adherence to all of the program’s quality
achievement indicators and achieved
at least 75 percent or higher compliance with five of nine quality measures
during that same period of time.
These measures include aggressive
use of medications, such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy,
DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing
drugs and smoking cessation, all aimed
at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.
April 2012
The program uses the “teachable
moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are
most likely to listen to and follow their
healthcare professionals’ guidance.
Studies demonstrate that patients who
are taught how to manage their risk
factors while still in the hospital reduce
their risk of a second heart attack or
stroke. Customized patient education
materials are made available at the
point of discharge, based on patients’
individual risk profiles.
“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost,
and this quality achievement award
demonstrates that our staff is committed to providing care that has been
shown in the scientific literature to
quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based protocols,”
said Dee Rickett, RN, ICU director at
Henry Mayo . “The full implementation
of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines
is a critical step in saving the lives
and improving outcomes of stroke
patients.”
Want to
become
financially
fit?
Get Moving!
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(Inside Walmart Supercenter)
26471 Carl Boyer Dr., Santa Clarita, CA 91350
Hours:
Monday-Friday, 9:00am-6:00pm
www.avfcu.org • 661.945.5805
Health & Wellness ·
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