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Page 14 The Huron Expositor • September 23, 2009
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Seaforth Figure Skating Club folds
Susan .Upndertmark
A lack of skaters and volunteers
has caused the Seaforth Figure Skat-
ing Club to fold for at least one year,
says outgoing president Lynn Beuer-,
mann.
"It's really, really sad," she says.
Beuermann says that with only four
skaters registered in StarSkate who
have completed their levels and 20
skaters registered at the CanSkate
level, the club's executive decided to
stop operations after a general meet-
ing in August where only nine people
attended.
"We had- Skate Canada come in Au-
gust and see what we could work out
but we received very poor support,"
she says, adding the numbers didn't
make sense when the club rents
ice in Seaforth every Monday and
Thursday night.
"Every scenario was discussed to
try and keep the club alive, but the
bottom line is there were no.. volun-
teers to take responsibility for run-
ning the club," said a letter that was
sent to the parents.
Last year, 48 skaters registered at
the CanSkate level and Beuermann
says it's getting harder and harder
to keep the older skaters interested
as well.
"They grow up and go to high school
and they want to do other things,"
she says.
She says the executive has been
trying to recruit more parents for a
while.
Beuermann says with the long and
successful history of figure skating
in Seaforth, she's hoping that par-
ents will end up coming forward
during the. coming year to offer the
CanSkate program locally again.
Beuermann says she can't offer the
CanSkate program herself because
her kids have progressed past that
point.
She says her children, along with
the others skating at the StarSkate
level are this year .skating- with the
figure skating club in Zurich. The
Seaforth figure skating coach also
works for the Zurich club.
"You need to practise two nights a
week to be able to compete but four
skaters are not enough to rent the
ice so we've gone to Zurich to follow
our coach," she says.
Beuermann says Seaforth has
become a probationary member of
Skate Canada for the next year.
"So, we'll have to reevaluate after a
year," she says.
Beuermann says with figure skat-
ing clubs still operating in Clinton,
Mitchell, ' Brussels, Bayfield and
Monkton, Seaforth families may
choose to travel to figure skate.
"Its not__ a lack of hard work or...
fundis - it's a lack of numbers," she
says.
Boxing classes offered at Vanastra Rec Centre
Dan Schwab -
41111111111111111,
Seven curious youngsters ' learned
there's a lot more to boxing than
simply throwing jabs and uppercuts,
during an introductory course on pu-
gilism offered at the Vanastra Recre-
ation Centre. on Sept: 16.
Kirk Killam, trainer. at Lakeview
Boxing Club in Goderich, instructed
the hour-long class, which will run
every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. un-
til Nov. 4, with a second set of ses-
sions running from Jan. 6 to Feb.
24.
Killam lugged a huge plastic bag
full of boxing gloves, punch mitts
and skipping ropes into the recre-
ation centre, unsure of how many in-
terested participants the first course
of the season would attract.
Shortly after 7 p.m. when the course
was scheduled to begin, a handful of
teenage boys and one adult woman
sauntered into the recreation centre,
with Killam urg-
ing them not to
be shy and join
the class.
Before long,
Killam got the
group into a
rhythmic rou-
tine of twist-
ing their hips
and moving on
the balls of feet
when throwing
jabs and hooks.
At next week's
class, Killam
would like to
bang punching
bags and get
Seaforth Community
Hospital Foundation
Fundraising Campaign
New X-RAY Unit
ur Goal
450,000
Radlothon
October 17
Radtothon
S,7s0
Summer
$13,2p1
*law 211*
OMAN
his studentsinto
boxing gloves, to
work on increas-
ing the power be-
hind their; punch-
es.
"After power,
they'll learn de-
fense," Killam
says, adding that
cardio exercises
such as skipping
rope and side-
stepping motions
will also be inte-
gral to the work-
outs.
Killam, 34, has
been training as
a boxer for 15
years and fight-
ing in the ring for
12.
"When I started
fighting I was
220 pounds, now
I fight at 147," he
says. "I've been as
light as 140 for a
fight, so the work-
outs do work."
Killam says
boxing is becoming more popular
among younger boys and girls.
"In Goderich alone, I'm seeing a lot
of 12 and 13 year olds coming out,
just for the-. fitness aspect," he says.
"A lot of them are hockey players and
they come out in the summertime
to get their training so when the
wintertime comes, they're in tiptop
shape."
Killam says a dedicated young box-
er is legally allowed to begin fighting
at age 12,, ir, matches prompted. Ig .
Dan Schwab photo
Kirk Killam, of the Lakeview Boxing Club, teaches a newcomer to the sport how to hit a punching
mitt during a class M the Vanastra Recre4tlon Centre last week. The classes will be offered every
Wednesday night it 7 p.m. All ages are welcomed to attend.
sanctioned by the Ontario Boxing
Association.
With only three boxing clubs in
the region, in Goderich, Hanover
and Owen Sound, Killam says many
young fighters do a lot of traveling
into the Greater Toronto Area for
matches.
But before they get to that point,
there's a lot to learn.
"At first, they don't like it. It's hard
and physical," Killam says. "But once
you're punching the bag and hitting
the pads more, getting into it with
<
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your own equipment, it seems more
fun. Once they get good enough, most
of them want to fight."
Killam says over the weeks to
come, he'll be instructing the stu-
dents about diet and nutrition, along
with physical training.
About 15 students of all ages will
be welcomed into the weekly class,
for a cost of $85.
To sign up, call the Vanastra Recre-
ation Centre at 519-482-3544.
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