Athens Rec Center unites people of all ages through sport | Community

The Athens Recreational Heart has grow to be a beacon of friendship and activity, uniting individuals of all ages in a frequent curiosity.

This could be by tennis, basketball, pickleball, typical exercising or significantly additional that the Rec Middle offers.

It’s a area where our city’s elders turn out to be friends with our city’s youth. Men and women who may perhaps not have crossed paths just before conclude up turning into companions on the courtroom. This is what sport and the Athens Rec Center can offer to the metropolis and county.

It is not special to any distinct particular person, both, as nearby development in acceptance of athletics these types of as pickleball has led to even Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks attending actions at the Rec Centre.

There are a number of ways for individuals to get associated at “the rec,” allowing for, for case in point, Marks and nearby Rec Centre fanatic Chase Spitzer the chance to connect on the court docket.

Spitzer has befriended Marks and may possibly other members, youthful and aged, at the Rec Center. This contains June Holt, Anthony Environmentally friendly, Greg Skipworth, Rhonda Weatherford and Sherry Sampson.

Though some of these new friendships between Rec Middle associates are basically for sporting uses on the courts, other individuals go further than that to aid with other points as perfectly. For example, Holt aids with participation in sports activities these types of as pickleball, although also aiding out at the club amount with documentation.

“The important portion of connecting with men and women is getting frequent ground,” Spitzer stated. “It just so happens that when you are participating in a activity or involved in any pastime that is an too much to handle, good environment, it helps make finding that popular ground straightforward. We all have one thing to master from each and every other and I have been extremely blessed to attain a ton of pals, specifically older friends, that are full of wisdom and information.”

While he is not on your own in his praise of the Rec Centre for the prospects they give to connect, Spitzer also states that the Rec Middle provides an possibility to assistance keep in form, aiding persons keep young regardless of age.

“Personally enjoying and bonding with these individuals at the Rec Middle also offers me hope to stay a wholesome life myself for many years to occur,” Spitzer explained. “Getting outdated doesn’t mean you are unable to nevertheless be active and be nutritious.”

Considerably of what has been completed for the Athens Leisure Heart to increase into what it is right now is thanks to the attempts of people today as higher up as Chad Vining, who serves as recreation supervisor for the Metropolis of Athens, all the way down to folks who assist out at the Rec Centre out of the kindness of their very own heart.

The facility has been eager to adapt together the way to listen to the calls for of the people of Limestone.

With pickleball escalating every single day in Limestone County and North Alabama, the Athens Rec Center is now serving as a hub for the sport. The facility not too long ago increased the variety of courts allowed for pickleball participation, from a person court to 3 courts.

This appreciably drops the wait time for obtaining a spot on the court docket, even with a growing range of men and women intrigued in the game.

In July of 2020, they opened up new tennis courts and sand volleyball courts for the citizens of Athens-Limestone as effectively, in the vicinity of the beginning of the new Rec Center’s inception.

Ricky Inexperienced, of Limestone County, advised The Information Courier in a past write-up that the courts are “state of the art.” The tennis courts permitted Environmentally friendly to join on the courts with Limestone County resident, Cline Jones, and further more make on their friendship nevertheless the sport of tennis.

This is yet another example of the friendships budding at the Rec Middle for all who are associated.

For all these initiatives to offer sport and action to the men and women of Limestone, Spitzer is grateful. He explained he is happy to see the elders of the local community have a location to take part together with the youth of Limestone.

“I thank the Athens Rec Middle, and the actuality that it even exists reveals the dedication of this metropolis to impacting the individuals of Athens in a favourable way,” Spitzer explained. “Not only do we have a leisure heart, we have a top rated-notch staff members that goes earlier mentioned and outside of to accommodate every person from the youth to the elderly and dozens of distinct interests. The physical factor of what is presented is just a tiny portion of how these amenities and courses much better people’s life, primarily when it will come to mental overall health, and not just bodily wellness.”