Outdoor Times. MARION COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT Escape, Experience, Explore

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1 MARION COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT Escape, Experience, Explore Outdoor Times Volume 87, Issue 1 JANUARY 2015 In this issue: East Marion Mustangs Kick-Off their Spring League Are you FireWise? Big Sun Youth Soccer Scores Another Season Rotary Sportsplex Swinging into Spring HOW CAN PARKS HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR NEW YEAR S RESOLUTIONS? Leah Hoffman We ve all done it...made a New Year s Resolution that we meant to keep, but things didn t work out as planned. Well, Marion County Parks and Recreation is here to help you stay motivated to keep your top five resolutions throughout #5 Spend More Time with Family. Whether its boating, picnicking or playing catch, there is a Marion County park near year with the right amenities to help your family connect (and re -connect) with each other. #4 Stay Fit and Healthy. Diet and exercise are the keys to a healthy lifestyle and we have lots of fun recreation programs to get (and keep) your blood flowing including: team sports, low impact walks, or kayak programs for new and experienced paddlers to name a few. We offer a variety of programs for all ages and abilities, allowing you to enjoy our beautiful natural resources. #3 Spend Less / Save More. Most of our parks are free. Those that aren t are able to be used by buying an annual park pass for only $35, plus tax and administrative fee for Marion County residents. It s a great value and gives you access to our most popular parks including Carney Island, Gores Landing, Hampton Beach, Hope Boat Ramp, Horseshoe Lake Park and Retreat, Moss Bluff (North and South) and Ray Wayside (Ocala Boat Basin). Passes can be purchased online, at the Forest Community Center, at Parks Administration or at any Marion County Tax Collector s Office. #2 Get Involved. We are always looking for volunteers to perform general park maintenance, help with our recreation programs, coach a team or Adopt-A- Park as an individual, family or business. There are lots of ways for you to get involved in our community, making it better...one hour at a time. #1 Lose Weight. While the most popular, losing weight is the most difficult resolution to attain and maintain. Let Marion County s parks provide the venue for you to walk, run, hike, swim, inline skate, bike and paddle to achieve your weight goals (and give you a variety of different activities to keep you motivated throughout the year. To find a park, register for a program or buy your park pass this New Year, v i s i t u s o n l i n e a t parks or call for more information.

2 EAST MARION MUSTANGS KICK-OFF THEIR SPRING LEAGUE Bob Meulemans The East Marion Mustangs Football are kicking-off their second spring season at Wrigley Fields where they will practice and play their home games. As members of the Florida Spring Youth Football League (FSYFL), they play 8 on 8 tackle football from February through May. The FSYFL consists of more than 220 teams from across the State. They are inde- ARE YOU FIREWISE? Jeanette Lewis FireWise is a program of the National Fire Protection Association providing inforpendently operated and are unaffiliated with other leagues or programs. They have been in existence since The Mustangs are proud to be the largest spring and fall youth sports football and cheer program in the area. Their goal this season it to bring a State Championship title home to Marion County, making them one of our elite youth sports programs. Because of their numbers, they plan to field five divisions in the spring for 5-16 year olds including: Varsity, JV, Midget, Pee Wee and Mitey Mites. To register, or for more information, please them at eastmarionmustangsfootballcheer@yahoo.com. mation and education to help protect people, property and natural resources from wildland fire. W i l d l a n d fires are a natural process occurring from drought, warm temperatures, high winds and dried vegetation. BIG SUN YOUTH SOCCER SCORES ANOTHER SEASON Brian Behan By learning what you can do to make your home Fire- Wise, you have a better chance of protecting your home and property from the devastating affects of wildfires. Join us at the Forest Community Center for two FREE workshops on Jan. 21 and Feb. 18 at both 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. These workshops will provide you with valuable information on preserving and protecting your forest lifestyle. The Forest Community Center is located at 777 S Hwy 314A in Silver Springs. For more information, please call o r e m a i l p a r k The Big Sun Youth Soccer League (BSYSL) is the premier not-for-profit soccer program in Marion County. For more than 32 years, the league has been run by dedicated volunteers bringing fun, competition, structure and quality guidance to youth and their families. The lifelong skills and values acquired by the program s athletes include: exercise, good sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play, and respect for others. Furthermore, friendships are formed, memories are made, and children of all ages, shapes and sizes have a chance to deve lop their skills and selfc o n f i - dence. T h e l e a g u e has two locations, one off 36th Avenue and the other at the Rotary Sportsplex. The league offers programs for youth (ages 4-19) and adults with three divisions: Youth Recreational, Youth Competitive and Adult. They play two seasons each year, spring and fall with additional summer programs and camps to continuously refine skills. The structured Recreational Programs of the league have provided a training ground for youth looking to move to higher competitive programs in high school and college. The Adult leagues offer a fun way to stay in shape or continue to be a part of competitive soccer. Spring registration for youth is now open online at Adult registration for spring opens Jan. 1 0 o nline at Volunteers are always needed. If you are interested in being a volunteer, or want more information, visit them at

3 ROTARY SPORTSPLEX SWINGING INTO SPRING Jeff Salamone The Rotary Sportsplex, Cal Ripken League, is a place where kids can come and have fun playing the great American pastime of baseball. With more than 250 athletes, ranging in age from 4 12, our players are encouraged to learn the fundamentals of the game, sportsmanship, and having fun! The fall season runs from September through November and the spring season runs January through May. Some spring players have the opportunity to participate in the All Star season which runs throughout the summer. The Rotary Sportsplex hosts several tournaments each year, including the Rookie State Qualifier in June. This tournament brings in more than 50 teams from around our state. The 10B/12B State Tournament brings in 25 teams for a chance at the State Championship title. The league has also hosted two 10U World Series since By hosting the tournament our 10U team was able to compete against teams from around the country for the honor of being the 10U Cal Ripken World Series Champions. The Rotary Sportsplex offers eight Cal Ripken size fields and an undercover batting cage where players can practice their skills. Many coaches have volunteered for many years because they love the game and they love the players. It takes a team of volunteers to run the program including board members, coaches, parents, and players to pitch in and lend a hand. Our volunteer philosophy ensures that everyone involved takes pride in our park and the beautiful facilities we have. We also have many travel baseball teams that call Rotary Sportsplex, Cal Ripken League home. If you are interested in playing or volunteering, visit t h e m o n l i n e a t x.org. January 3 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Forest Community Yard Sale Forest Community Center 9 a.m. R.O.C.K. Reddick Basketball (Ages 8-15) Historic Reddick Gym 10 a.m. Quarterly Memorial Veterans Memorial Park January 5 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park January 6 9 a.m. Pickleball 101 (Adults) Coehadjoe Park 9 a.m. Kayak 101 Carney Island 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Stretching Class Forest Community Center 11 a.m. Advanced Kayak Class (Ages 17+) Carney Island 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Martial Arts Class (Youth / Adults) Forest Community Center 6 p.m. Pickleball 101 (Ages 15 up) Coehadjoe Park January 7 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Archery 101 (Ages 8-16) Brick City Adventure Park 6 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Forest Teen Club Forest Community Center

4 January 8 9:30 a.m. Kayak and Koffee / Rainbow River (Adults) KP Hole Park 2 p.m. Ft. King Heritage Association Meeting Ft. King January 9 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park January 10 9 a.m. R.O.C.K. Reddick Basketball (Ages 8-15) Historic Reddick Gym 9 a.m. Kayak 101 Carney Island 11 a.m. Advanced Kayak Class (Ages 17+) Carney Island January 11 8:30 a.m. Kayak Outing Silver River (Adults) Silver Springs State Park January 12 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park January 13 8:30 a.m. Nature Walk /Yearling Trail (Adults) Parks Administration 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Stretching Class Forest Community Center January 14 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park 3 p.m. / 4 p.m. Archery 101 (Ages 8-16) Brick City Adventure Park January 15 9 a.m. Eco Tram Tour (Adults) Ocklawaha Prairie 9 a.m. Forest Community Business Coalition Forest Community Center January 16 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park 4 p.m. 7 p.m. C.O.P.S. Spaghetti Dinner Forest Community Center January 17 9 a.m. R.O.C.K. Reddick Basketball (Ages 8-15) Historic Reddick Gym 12 p.m. It s A Poppin Popcorn Day (Ages 6 Adults) Forest Community Center January 18 9 a.m. Eco Tram Tour (Adults) Carney Island January 19 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park January 20 9:30 a.m. Archery 101 (Adults) Brick City Adventure Park

5 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Stretching Class Forest Community Center January 21 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park 3 p.m. Park and Recreation Advisory Council Parks Administration 3 p.m. Firewise Community Workshop Forest Community Center 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Archery 101 (Ages 8-16) Brick City Adventure Park 6 p.m. Firewise Community Workshop Forest Community Center 6 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Forest Teen Club Forest Community Center January 22 9:30 a.m. Kayak and Koffee / Silver River (Adults) Silver Springs State Park January 23 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park January 24 9 a.m. R.O.C.K. Reddick Basketball (Ages 8-15) Historic Reddick Gym January 25 8:30 a.m. Kayak Outing Ocklawaha River (Adults) Gores Landing Park January 26 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park 9 a.m. Outdoor Adventure for Home-School (Ages 9-15) Brick City Adventure Park January 26 9 a.m. Audubon Nature Walk Coehadjoe Park January 27 8:30 a.m. Nature Walk / Carney Island (Adults) Parks Administration 9:30 a.m. Archery 101 (Adults) Brick City Adventure Park 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Stretching Class Forest Community Center January 28 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park Noon -1 p.m. Rotary Sportsplex meeting Parks Administration 3 p.m. / 4 p.m. Archery 101 (Ages 8-16) Brick City Adventure Park January a.m. Shocker Park Board Meeting Parks Administration

6 January 30 8:30 a.m. Marion County Senior Softball League (Adults) Ralph Russell Park January 31 9 a.m. R.O.C.K. Reddick Basketball (Ages 8-15) Historic Reddick Gym