To a Season Well Done

Written By: Recreation Specialist, David Kieffer

Now that PAC’s 2013 Football/Cheer season is over, a short recap of its successful nature is in order. The program had 76 youth participants, spread between Flag Football, Tackle Football, and the Cheer Team. Practices began on August 19^th and ran through the last football game on October 19^th.

Program athletes practiced twice a week, and had one game per week beginning in week three. The Cheer squad provided consistent support for the football teams as they battled all season, both at in-house games, and those with Big Piney and Jackson’s youth football programs, all with amazing success.

To culminate the 2013 Tackle Football season, the 4^th and 5^th graders combined into one team to play 11-player games with Big Piney and Jackson.

Big Piney traveled to Pinedale this year on Thursday, October 10^th, where the Pinedale volunteer coaches had the challenge of combining four individual teams into one cohesive unit. A positive experience was had by all, and the Pinedale Jr Wranglers came out victorious, beating Big Piney 26-0.

The next week, on Saturday, October 19^th, the same team traveled to Jackson for the first ever meeting with Jackson’s youth football team. The Jr. Wranglers kept the momentum going, and beat Jackson 38-6.

The final two wins were great accomplishments for the players and coaches of the program, and will provide encouragement for those K-3^rd grade football players to STICK WITH IT, and remember, The Future Starts with YOU!

PAC would like to thank all those who had a part in this year’s season, and the great leadership and sportsmanship they displayed. It takes a collaborative effort from the players, coaches, parents, officials, and all supporting individuals to make a season like this run!

Cheer Team: Tara Barnes and Stephanie Kervitsky

Flag Football: Spencer McMillen, Steve Green, and Nick Jaquez

Tackle Football: Mike Gregory, Jon Goetsch, Jamison Ziegler, Brian Gray, Charlie Lopeman, and Randy Keating

A Haunting Good Time with a Cause

Every year, on the Thursday and Friday prior to All Hallows’ Eve, PAC releases the ghosts and goblins for a haunting good time.  Over the years, we have overtaken PAC, going up and down the elevator and stairs, using areas inside and out, include both pools.  We have haunted the halls of BOCES, and, now, we spend the nights wandering through a dark, winding maze in the PAC gym.  PAC’s annual Haunting has become a tradition, an annual event we look forward to offering the community each year and an event that is the largest contributor to the PAC scholarship fund.

We are proud to say we have successfully survived the 6^th Annual Haunting with over 570 people testing their courage as they ventured through a haunted town maze, resulting in a fundraiser of over $2800 for the PAC scholarship fund. 

Financial scholarships are available to assist youth, adult, and families in funding enrollment fees for PAC activities or PAC memberships.  Scholarships are awarded on an ‘as needed’ basis and all information is confidential.  So whether you are interested in enrolling in swim lessons, summer camp, Jr. Jazz, or purchasing a PAC pass, we may be able to help!  Activity and membership scholarship applications are available online at www.pinedaleaquatic.com or at our Guest Service Desk.  If you have any scholarship specific questions, or to see if you qualify, contact our Director, JJ Huntley, at jhuntley@pinedaleaquatic.com or (307)367-2832, ext.6245.

Thursday Night Haunters

Friday Night Haunters

On a final note, PAC would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers, sponsors, and visiting patrons who made this year’s Haunting a success.  We look forward to seeing you next year… October 23 & 24, 2014… come if you dare!

A Committed Community

by Amber Anderson, Recreation Coordinator

As we review and evaluate our summer season, I am reminded of the numerous individuals and organizations that generously donated their time and services to making the summer of 2013 a great season for the youth of Pinedale.  From off-site trips to on-site visitors, the summer at the Pinedale Aquatic Center was positively enhanced by the Pinedale community.

We launched our summer in Little Wrangler Day Camp with a visit from the Sublette County Sherriff’s Office who led the group through bike safety.  These safety skills were put to use as we biked around town for varies off-site trips including archery with Mark Kroger from the Wind River Archery Club and attending free kids movies, generously sponsored by the Pinedale Entertainment Center, the Pinedale Preschool and the Sublette County Recreation Board.  We visited the Sublette County Library to check-out books, research our favorite super hero, and participate in a number of their interactive youth activities.  We also had the opportunity to take a trip to the Daniel Fish Hatchery and Sommers Homestead Ranch, although these trips did not include bikes!

Along with our off-site trips, we had the honor of hosting a number of guest presenters on-site at the Pinedale Aquatic Center.  We expanded our knowledge with projects about nutrition, including cooking practice, with Sam Harnack and soil experiments and wild fire demonstrations with Kari Bousman from the Sublette County Conservation District.  We panned for gold with miner enthusiast Jon Crockett and were introduced to the farm with a visit from Heather Grossman and her 4-H animals.  We even learned about the various types of trout in the area with the Wyoming Game and Fish and the areas wildflowers with botanist enthusiast Lincoln Proud.

Our summer adventures continued with themed weeks that included focused activities.   Animal week was enhanced with an educational visit to Faler Brother’s Taxidermy, while Wild West week was enriched during a visit to the Mountain Man Museum as well as a visit from a posse of Mountain Men from Rio Verde Engineering.  Super hero week was made real with a visit to the County Jail and a visit from the Pinedale EMS, which included a full tour of the ambulance.  We practiced our tricks and skills during carnival week with a hula hooping challenge with Michelle Fenn, a friendly game of bowling at Big Piney’s Flicks & Pins, and watched live demonstrations at the Sublette County Fair. 

The above list is amazing!  All of these organizations and individuals volunteered to make the summer of 2013 educational, adventurous, and memorable.  Thank you Pinedale for your commitment to the youth of our community!  As the saying goes… “it takes a community.”

College Colors Day

Today is National College Colors Day! Come in wearing your college colors and receive free admission to PAC!

PAC News: Change and Challenge

PAC News: Change and Challenge: This is the week….the week that the FALL ACTIVITY GUIDE unveils PAC’s many offerings for the upcoming season.   Registration is open for p...

Change and Challenge

This is the week….the week that the FALL ACTIVITY GUIDE unveils PAC’s many offerings for the upcoming season.  Registration is open for programs about to launch, and Jr. Wrangler Football and CHEER have already begun…

With Labor Day weekend plans on everyone's mind, PAC is wrapping up the last hours of summer. Fall hours begin Tuesday, Sept. 3^rd…allowing access to PAC sixteen hours a day, Monday – Friday.

Summer recess becomes a memory.  Carefree days, when the warmth of the sun touching bare skin are numbered.  As the nights get colder and a hint of leaf color teases our senses, we prepare ourselves for what’s to come…admittedly, a bit reluctantly…

But then, who doesn’t love fall?   Even with our wistful reluctance to lose the warm intensity of a great summer….the shorts, sandals and late evening walks; not to mention those times with friends around the campfire that stretched into the wee hours, there is something more that calls us…the exhileration of a season’s change! 

We are creatures seeking constant change (as much as we complain about it!) and very much bolstered and invigorated by the allure of the unknown, something different, challenging and yet to master…  Easily bored, we are always looking for something new...

PAC embodies this spirit of change and challenge and is ready to embrace a new season.  Outside, as the days get shorter and cooler, PAC is open for longer and offers more classes, programs and events for the whole family.  We’re accommodating the early birds, noon lunch break exercisers, after school kids, and evening fun and fitness for all ages.

Check the website, PAC FACEBOOK page and ACTIVITY GUIDE for the “new” classes, titles and times, that will excite you and motivate you to set some new personal fitness goals.  Admission to PAC is FREE if you’re attending a fitness class Sept. 3^rd – 13^th.  Don’t miss this chance to try everything! 

A very specific goal for ramping up your fun/fitness quotient could be the IRONMAN CHALLENGE, that runs November 4^th - January 17^th.  For this one, you will need to swim 2.6 miles, bike 112 miles and run/walk 26.2 miles.  By mastering the IRONMAN, you’ll be in good shape for the annual PINEDALE INDOOR TRIATHLON on January 18^th. 

And to be sure you don’t cave in to the ‘peer pressure’ of the holidays, we have the HOLIDAY FITNESS CHALLENGE from November 25^th to December 28^th.  With your holiday “passport,” you’ll attend each fitness class PAC offers and qualify to enter the drawing for a pass and other fun PAC prizes.

But, most importantly, you will be enjoying the benefits of setting and reaching a personal wellness goal...and ready to start another...

By nature, we crave change and challenge.  Despite the temptation to settle for inertia, we cannot resist what might happen if we do!  PAC invites you...yes, CHALLENGES you to step out and enjoy the change that you create for yourself.

 

And that’s what makes my job so much fun.  Along with the PAC Staff, I get to entice you to get moving and to recognize the physical and social benefits of doing so. 

 

As your alarm clock rings Tuesday after Labor Day---be sure that first day of the fall season includes your first step of conquering the challenge you have accepted. 

 

PAC is here for just that purpose.  Change and Challenge?  We have plenty of both!

 

Let us help you make life better---

PAC---making a difference in your community!

JJ Huntley

 

Welcome!

Welcome to the Pinedale Aquatic Center's new blog!

This is where you can come for the more personal side of PAC. We'll post photos, articles, testimonials, and more here. You'll hear from our facility director Julie (JJ) Huntley, the aquatic and recreation directors, program facilitators, instructors, and even patrons. Get to know PAC like you never have before. You'll find out for yourself that we're more than just a pool.