Report From RIOC President Leslie Torres - Roosevelt Island Sportspark Swimming & Basketball Programming, Table Tennis Tournament, Grandparent's Day And Black History Month Swing Dancing Performance

You Tube Video Of Roosevelt Island Table Tennis Tournament Finals

RIOC President Lesie Torres sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.

It’s been a long cold winter and lots of folks are starting to suffer from cabin fever. If you are one of them or just looking to get out, socialize, and exercise, Sportspark might be just the place for you.

Under the direction of Michael Smith, RIOC's Parks & Recreation Manager, and his team, we have made infrastructure improvements and implemented new, free or low-cost programming for the community.

Most recently, on February 5th, Sportspark hosted round robin table tennis qualifying matches that will lead to a championship play-off during Health & Fitness Day in May. This tournament was born out of a very successful table tennis program run at Sportspark on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights by world-famous champion and Island resident George Braithwaite.

Over 40 players, almost all of them regulars from Ping-Pong program, competed in beginner, intermediate, and advanced categories. Thirty-six winners are advancing to the finals.

We also offer programs for residents interested in basketball or swimming. Our free play basketball, held on Saturday’s from 2pm – 6pm, has quickly become popular, with 40 to 50 people regularly showing up to play. We also host wheel chair basketball on Saturday’s from 10am – 1pm.

And if you’re interested in learning to swim, take a water aerobics class, or just swim, we offer classes and open swim at our newly upgraded pool. The work we’ve recently completed includes installation of new drains, a new filtrations system, the resurfacing of the pool, and repainting of the locker rooms. For information about classes and open swim, call 212-832-4559.

We are always looking to provide better services to residents. If you have an idea for a recreation we can provide at Sportspark, please call Mike Smith at 212-832-4559 or email him at msmith@rioc.com.

If you are looking for other activities, we’ve got our Black History month event and our Annual Grandparents Day coming up. There is more information on these below.

The Public Safety Department and SafeKids NYC are co-sponsoring their Annual Grandparents Day on Tuesday, February 22nd from 10:00am-1:00pm at the Senior Center (546 Main Street). Safety tips and goodies will be given out to the seniors. Refreshments will also be served.

In partnership with the Roosevelt Island Senior Association, the annual Black History Month event will celebrate the history of Swing Dancing in America. Performers will demonstrate popular dances from the Swing era, including the Lindy Hop, Charleston and the Jitterbug. Guest speakers will provide a brief history of the dances, which evolved at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. The event will take place on February 26th at 6PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center. Refreshments will be served immediately following the event at the Senior Center, 546 Main Street.

A version of the RIOC President's column also appears on RIOC's web site and the February 12, 2011 Main Street WIRE.