A time to give thanks
One of my favorite holidays to celebrate each year is Thanksgiving. In addition to the guilt-free consumption of colossal amounts of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and all the other mouth-watering fixings, Thanksgiving brings together family and friends in every home across America.
It is the quintessential time to recognize and show your appreciation for not only the food, shelter, and possessions we have but to show gratitude towards the people who care and support us in our everyday lives. Thanksgiving is indisputably genuine as far as holidays go, as it doesn’t prescribe excessive spending and gift-giving, but rather focuses on spending quality time around the ones you love. It’s not about how much you spend on someone or keeping track of who gave you what, but more so about simply being thankful and gracious for all that we’ve experienced and currently have in our lives.
Here at the Falmouth Recreation Department, we take pride in giving back to the community on a daily basis and hope to spread one clear and lucid message this holiday season. That message is that a simple “thank you” costs you absolutely nothing but goes an awful long way on the lengthy list of kind gestures. So, once you have enjoyed your second or third helping of delicious Thanksgiving bounty, and before your eyes are about to rest as you watch football on your couch, stand up and say “thank you” to your family and friends. Taking a moment to verbalize your appreciation for all that we have in this amazing country will hopefully urge us all to realize how lucky it is to be an American. Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and Go Clippers!
The end of November also illustrates the seasonal transition us New Englanders face each year. Our installment of autumnal youth sports programs have all concluded and preparations for the winter sports are currently underway. Most notably, Youth Basketball is the centerpiece of recreation in the Town of Falmouth during the frigid cold winter months. As mentioned in recent articles, registration for Youth Basketball is open and the first game of the winter season begins Saturday, Dec. 12. We are hosting games at three different locations again this year, depending on the age group. Grades 1 and 2 will play at North Falmouth Elementary School; grades 3 and 4 will play at the Mullen Hall School; and grades 5 - 8 will shoot hoops at the Gus Canty Community Center. Also, starting up in January is the incredible Munchkin Hoops program, led by Joe Olenick. Similar to our other youth programs offered to kids ages 4-5, Munchkin Hoops is a terrific way for our youngest members in the community to have fun, meet other kids their age, and learn how to work together playing a new sport. Registration for Munchkin Hoops begins on Monday, Dec. 7th and the season begins on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016.
As mentioned in recent articles, we have many year-round, adult programs currently being offered at the Gus Canty Community Center. Open Adult Walking goes from September – June, Monday – Friday, from 8-9 a.m. and 11 a.m. until noon. Open Co-Ed Adult Volleyball runs on Tuesdays evenings from 7– 9 p.m., ages 18 and up, and Open Adult Basketball is available again from noon until 2:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Pickup Co-ed Adult Soccer has also returned, with games every Wednesday, ages 21 and up, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. from Sept. 16- Dec. 16. Adult Pickle Ball is now offered to Falmouth residents on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until 2 p.m. and seasonally on Saturdays from 8:30– 11 a.m.. Some other programs offered are the Community School Exercise Class, the Jackie Sorensen Aerobic Class, Ki-Aikido, and Tai Ji Quan. Also, as mentioned in the previous article, beginning on Dec. 1, Freedom Rows Cape Cod will offer coached ergometer training sessions (rowing machine) at the Gus Canty Community Center for all active and veteran status military personnel and their families tentatively planned for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. Please contact me at the Falmouth Recreation Department for scheduling information via phone at 508-457-2567, ext. 15, or via email at mlucey@falmouthmass.us.
The Falmouth Recreation Department “Person of the Week” is awarded to the entire Falmouth High School football team. Carving out one of the most successful seasons in recent years, this young band of gridiron enthusiasts represented the Town of Falmouth quite well this year and we’re all looking forward to the years to come. Thanks for such a great season!
—Michael Lucey serves as the program director of the Falmouth Recreation Department. Contact him at mlucey@falmouthmass.us.