The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 12 No. 48 - September 12, 2012

sports

A 20-year soccer tradition

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Scott Dell | Sun
4 & 5 year olds will blaze the field, some for the first time,
during the kick-off the season spirit soccer games at the
Anna Maria Island Community Center on September 22nd.

 

The Beach Bistro will be kicking off an Island soccer tradition for the 20th year in a row when it donates all the food for the Anna Maria Island Community Center’s annual youth soccer kickoff fund-raiser banquet! The event marks the start of the season and helps raise much needed money for the kids soccer program. Over the past twenty years, Sean Murphy and the Beach Bistro have donated and prepared the food for this event which in the past nineteen years has raised more than $25,000 for the kids soccer program.

The banquet will be held Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the gym at the Center. To celebrate, the Bistro will be donating a complete dinner to include spaghetti casserole with caesar salad, garlic bread and a drink. The cost is only $6 per person. Children under the age of 3 are free. Players who attend will receive their jerseys and socks after the dinner. Coaches will pass out the season, spirit and picture schedule.

This feel-good community celebration event is not limited to players and parents only and anyone who wishes to support the youth soccer league is more than welcome to attend. Take-out is available for anyone. The proceeds of this banquet are very important and go directly into supporting the youth soccer season.

Spirit games will take place on Saturday, Sept. 22. Players and families are encouraged to dress in their team’s colors and show their team spirit. The more creative the greater amount of points your team will receive. There will be a winner for each age division and it’s a fun spirited way to kick off the season.

Adult co-ed Soccer schedule:

Sept. 13, Thursday, 6 p.m.
Sato Real Estate VS. Wash Family Construction

Sept. 13, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Moss & Bernard Construction VS. Florida Discount Signs

Sept. 13, Thursday, 8 p.m.
Pink & Navy Boutique VS. Island Pest Control

Sept. 13, Thursday, 9 p.m.
Jessie’s Island Store –VS. Slim’s Place

Youth Soccer Schedule:

Instructional League (4 & 5 Year old):

Sept. 22, Saturday, 10 a.m.
Beach Bistro VS. Air & Energy

Sept. 22, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
Firkins VS. Bowes Imaging Center

Sept. 24, Monday, 6 p.m.
Bowes Imaging Center vs. Beach Bistro

Sept. 24, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
Air & Energy VS. Firkins

Instructional League (6 & 7 Year old):

Sept. 22, Saturday, 11 a.m.
Bowes Imaging Center VS. Surfer Bus

Sept. 22, Saturday, noon.
Beach Bums VS. Tyler’s Ice Cream

Sept. 25, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Beach Bums VS. Bowes Imaging Center

Sept. 25, Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Surfer Bus VS. Tyler’s Ice Cream

Division III (8-10 year old):

Sept. 22, Saturday, 9 a.m.
American Marine Vs Best Buy

Sept. 22, Saturday, 10 a.m.
Tyler’s Ice Cream Vs Miller Electric

Sept. 22, Saturday, 11 a.m.
Lobstah’s Restaurant Vs LaPensee Plumbing

Sept. 24, Monday, 6 p.m.
Best Buy Vs LaPensee Plumbing

Sept. 24, Monday, 7 p.m.
Miller Electric Vs Lobstah’s Restaurant

Sept. 25, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Tyler’s Ice Cream Vs Lobstah’s Restaurant

Sept. 25, Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Miller Electric Vs American Marine

Division II (11-13 year old):

Sept. 22, Saturday, noon
Steam Design Vs LPAC

Sept. 22, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Wash Family Construction Vs Jen Crady Massage

Division I (14-17 year old):

Sept. 22, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Westcoast Refrigeration Vs Edgewater Real Estate

Sept. 24, Monday, 8 p.m.
Edgewater Real Estate Vs Westcoast Refrigeration

Adult co-ed Basketball schedule:

Sept. 11, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Eat Here Vs Best Buy

Sept. 11, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Island Real Estate Vs Agnelli Pools & Spa

Sept. 11, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.
Gatorman Pools Vs The Feast Restaurant

Sept. 18, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Island Real Estate Vs Gatorman Pools

Sept. 18, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Eat Here Vs Agnelli Pools & Spa

Sept. 18, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.
Best Buy Vs The Feast Restaurant

 

Running on Sunshine

Running on our beaches. Euphoria sets in at five seconds flat. Arms extended by my sides behind me as my 5K playlist on iTunes takes me soaring. Yeah, that was me running like a bird Saturday morning on Manatee Beach in Bradenton. I had this rush of wanting to gather up everyone and bring them with me. Just for a minute. I know lying on those towels makes it hard to move. But the feeling, smells and sensations of running on the beach are intoxicating as any alcoholic drink I’ve ever sipped in the Caribbean. No amount of money could ever get me to live anywhere else. Ever! Where else can you run on mostly flat, most of the time, high-quality sand, pristine beaches like ours?

I can’t imagine living anywhere else, even in hurricane season! The winds today were whipping at 15 miles an hour. Running into it, even in summer heat with a bundle of humidity, was refreshing. With the wind behind me, it really was like flying!

When I traveled and sang with the international cast of Up With People (yeah, I did that too), I remember someone in management telling me that she believed cast members who came from the sunshine states, Florida and California especially, were more cheerful, energetic and perhaps even smarter. During my trip to Seattle this year on book tour, I sat next to a commuter who was on his way to the airport to go get his “quarterly dose of sunshine in Mexico.” I think there may be something to the idea that sunshine puts you in endless good moods.

On Labor Day, I placed 1st in my age group for the Canes Classic Cross-Country 5K at the beautiful, forested, GT Bray Park in Bradenton. The race benefited the Manatee High cross country and track teams where I’ve been a volunteer assistant coach up until this year when my book tour and personal training biz took over my life.

This was the 27th time I placed in my age group in a 5 or 10K race in the Tampa/Bradenton/Sarasota area since 2008. What was interesting is that I was the oldest runner in my age group, which makes it even harder to finish first, or even place. I joked that if the race had been held 2 months later, after my birthday when I jump to the next age group decade, I would have won the Senior Grand Masters award. Another change is that now running couples and individuals come up and introduce themselves to me, saying they eat vegan for athletic performance, among other reasons.

I had started running when I was 28…32 years ago. I never placed in a race then. They didn’t have the fancy running strollers they do now, so I put my running on hold while my three children were young. I really didn’t contemplate the idea of running again until a shotgun went off in April of 2007. I wandered over to where I heard the sound in the nearby park. A 5K in progress, totally smitten.

I trained on the hidden, lush trails on Anna Maria Island fearing I’d be last at any race. After I got the guts to try a race, it took me about a year before I started placing in my age group. I liked to joke, “Part of winning at my age is just showing up!” But with a little training, OK a lot of training, my speed picked up and two years ago, I started achieving personal records in almost every race. Even this year’s Canes Classic saw me do 2 minutes faster than my time last year. No idea why; maybe it’s the sunshine.

My favorite personal running coach, who is also the coach at Manatee High, Rae Ann Darling Reed, has a favorite song, “Walking on Sunshine.” Oh my, Florida, I love you and I’m never leaving. Except on weekends again soon heading as a headliner to Portland’s Vegetarian Festival, then Chicago’s Veganmania, then to the 40th International Vegetarian Union Congress VegFest in San Francisco. All back-to-back weekends. I’m getting invited to speak all over now, and am in that fun position of having to choose. I want to have time for my personal training clients, as well as my phone and online coaching clients.

Oh, and running.

Who woulda thunk?

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.


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