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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-01-10, Page 14Page 14 January 10, 2007 • The Huron Expositor Do you have a sports tip? CaII our newsroom at 527-0240 Skate Canada puts on clinic in Seaforth Susan Hundertmark While teaching figure skating technique, strength and endurance were part of a Skate Canada skater development day in Seaforth last Thursday, fun was the true focus, said coach Mary Hartrick. "We're up against girls' hockey these days and hockey is marvellous at promoting itself. If we don't step up, the chances are getting slimmer of getting kids into figure skating," said Hartrick, a Skate Canada coach from Kitchener. Close to 45 skaters from through- out the Interclub North region - 14 of which were from - Seaforth spent the day at the Seaforth arena learn- ing on -ice figure skating techniques and off -ice training in warm-ups and hip hop dancing. Skaters' ages ranged from six to 15. "It's meant to be motivating but it's also got fun and positive enthu- siasm to go with it," said Hartrick. "We're very pleased today. It's obvious the students here have had good teachers," she said. Skate Canada coach Jeff Cann added that the off -ice training and hip hop dancing, which sometimes also involves yoga, martial arts and fitness training - is meant to help skaters develop core strength, coor- dination, musicality and "just awareness of the body." The skater development day if offered once a year at each of the nine regions of Western Ontario for a "minimal fee" so that all figure skaters can take advantage of it. Hartrick added that another advantage of the day is for skaters to meet their peers from other clubs. "We want to encourage what's there and keep our skaters interest- ed. It's more important than any of us probably realize," she said. Susan Hundertmark photos At left, Leine Newby -Estrella, 14, of Texas and Kassidy Dube, 10, of Goderich warm up for a hip hop lesson while above, Logan McGregor, Mattie McGregor and Jessie Campbell, all of Seaforth, practise skating on their edges during a Skate Canada skater development day last Thursday in Seaforth. Seaforth club remains closed, despite mild weather Jeff Heuchert 1111111111111111 While golf enthusiasts may have been lucky enough to find a few golf courses open in larger urban centres over the past couple of weeks, the Seaforth Golf and Country Club chose to keep its doors closed - despite plenty of inquiries from antsy golfers. Owner Cam Doig said the course closed for winter in mid-November, after its year-end tournament. The course was then sprayed with a winter fungi- cide chemical, which pre- vents the growth of winter mold. But, while the mild weath- er has prompted "lots" of local golfers to call, Doig said golfing at this time of year will cause too much damage to the fairways and greens. He said some larger cours- es that have an asphalt path throughout the course for carts may have been able to get away with opening their courses in December. By allowing golfers on his course after spraying, Doig said the chemical could become diluted and leave patches of dead grass in some of the more commonly - travelled areas. "If we let them on the course we make a few peo- ple happy, but will make a lot unhappy in the spring," said Doig. "Because there was no snow, the ground is quite mushy and the turf isn't the strongest," he added.