CRPD offers sports for all ages
Newbury Park High School offers numerous sports, in which hundreds of students participate. While only a few of these students will go on to play these sports in the future, the Conejo Recreation & Park District [CRPD] offers a variety of sports to keep adults and senior citizens active, even in their busy lives. From tennis, to softball, to even line dancing, sports are created to align with the abilities that these adults have. And while the age between high school students and these adults may be largely different, the community each provides is forever memorable.
Mark Williams is currently a Recreation Specialist for the CPRD, and has been organizing the senior softball program for nearly 30 years. After coaching for his son’s baseball team, Williams could see the differences within the teaching programs of children and adults. The senior softball games needed to have a slight difference, to keep everyone safe, but without changing the game too much. “For example, players do not need to touch the bases when running, there are deviation lines at each base they must pass before being thrown out,” Williams said. “Pitchers need to either wear a pitching mask or stand behind a pitching screen when pitching, so they are not hit with a line drive up the middle and of course no sliding.”
Over the years, the adult senior softball program has grown and developed into what it is now. With roughly 150 players in four different leagues, there is a spot for everyone interested in the game. “The leagues were developed from seniors who were looking for a recreational outlet and for those that had a love for the game,” Williams said. The four leagues include Majors, Minors, 70 plus and a drop-in league, for those who are unable to commit to playing every week. Each of these leagues accommodates a range of players’ abilities, to allow for the most participation possible.
Another sport that the CRPD offers for adults is volleyball, which consists of 5 divisions: C1-C5. Andy Morales, CRPD Recreation Coordinator has only been working in this position for three months but has been working for the department for 20 years, in which he has been the team manager and organized the volleyball league. For the adult volleyball leagues to come together, Morales believes it is very important to have an active manager for each team. “[Managers] are in charge of finding players and Coordinating the players on the team. Many people want to play, however not everyone wants the responsibility of managing the team,” Morales said.
Ranging from teenagers to adults to seniors, hiking is another form of exercise that the CRPD offers. Brian Naginey, another one of CRPD’s Recreation Specialists, enjoys hiking himself and hopes to promote hiking to all in the Conejo Valley. “Hiking and getting out is very mentally and physically refreshing. You can hike the same trail every day and see something new each and every time,” Naginey said. Naginey helps plan all of the hikes the CRPD sponsors, and he hopes to grow the hiking program. “One of our plans is to reinvigorate those programs so we have more of those hikes going forward,” Naginey said. The hikes sponsored by CRPD are cost-free for all, and Naginey notices that it is a satisfying endeavor. “People who…at the beginning of a hike aren’t sure if they’re ready for the hike or [think] they’re not going to make it…but the smile on their face when they complete it and are like, ‘I can do that’…The satisfaction of the participants on a hike completing it and knowing that it’s a great activity that they want to continue doing,” Naginey said.
Across all of these sports and activities offered by the CRPD, it is not a matter of changing sports to make it “easier” for adults to play, but rather for giving each and every player the chance of playing, regardless of their abilities. “The Thousand Oaks Senior Softball motto is ‘Friendship, Sportsmanship and Comradery,’” Williams said. “The program is important for several reasons, but the chance for seniors to socialize together and the ability to exercise as they participate in this recreational program has been a big benefit for all of our players.”
