Fitness takes center stage
Free clinics add baseball, hoops to mix
Last year, his first as Bristol County District Attorney, Sam Sutter stood on the tennis courts at Bristol Community College and announced the initiation of a series of free youth tennis clinics that he and a group of volunteers from his office would personally conduct and administrate.
Monday afternoon, Sutter was back on a tennis court, this time at B.M.C. Durfee High School, to announce not only the return of the tennis clinics but also the inauguration of two new programs that are part of his expanding initiative to cut down on juvenile crime as well (hopefully) juvenile diabetes and adolescent obesity.
In addition to tennis clinics, which will be held throughout the summer, beginning July 26 at Durfee, Sutter also stated that his office will conduct a series of free baseball and basketball clinics over the course of the year.
The clinics will all be conducted in conjunction with the office of Mayor Robert A. Correia as well as the Community Development Recreation Department and the Thomas Chew Boys & Girls Club.
The basketball clinics will be led by former Providence College All-American and Boston Celtic guard Ernie DiGregorio and the baseball clinics by former Dartmouth High and Boston Red Sox pitcher Brian Rose.
Volunteers from Sutter's office as well as local high school players will also work as instructors with the youngsters.
"We want to encourage kids to leave behind the screen," said Sutter. "We want to get them away from the television screen, the video game screen and the computer screen and get some exercise, play sports, get fit and have some fun.
"Our children are spending too much time sitting down in front of the T.V., video games or computers. It's become a national problem. In the last three decades statistics have shown that obesity in children between the ages of six and 11 has tripled."
Sutter added that getting youngsters involved in sports not only will help them develop a healthier and more active lifestyle but will also "teach them valuable life lessons, let them experience the sheer fun of playing sports and the irresistible value of working hard to improve."
Statistics have also shown that youngsters who become involved in athletic activities are much less likely to get into trouble.
"This is a pro active program to help the younger population in the future," said Mayor Correia. "This is a solution for tomorrow."
DiGregorio said that he's wanted to become involved in something like this for several years and wrote Sutter a letter offering his services shortly after the new D.A. had been elected.
"I asked him how I could become involved in working with kids who haven't necessarily had rosy lives," said DiGregorio, who was the NBA's Rookie of the Year with the Buffalo Braves back in 1973-74. "I felt that if I could work with kids like that perhaps we can build their self esteem."
Last fall DiGregorio ran two clinics, working with Sutter's office, and both were huge successes.
"It's an honor and a pleasure to work with somebody who believes in his heart that he can make a difference and believes in what he's doing," said Sutter of DiGregorio.
Rose, who like DiGregorio, was forced to retire prematurely due to a series of injuries, has been the Volunteer Coordinator for the D.A.'s office for a couple of years now, first hired to the post by Sutter's predecessor, Paul Walsh.
"I was fortunate," said Rose. "I was an only child. My grandparents lived right behind us. I had two parents at home. I always had that support group, somebody to always lean on. Hopefully these clinics are going to give that sense of good feeling. We want to get these kids out and about. We want them to learn how to play and get along together, to meet new people and do it in a good, positive manner."
The tennis clinics will be held at Durfee on Saturday, July 26th and Aug. 2nd. Children ages seven and eight will be instructed from 8:30 to 9:20 a.m., kids ages 9-10 from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. and 11 and 12 year olds from 10:30 to 11:20 a.m.
All necessary equipment as well as water will be provided free of charge.
The basketball clinics will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8th at the Spencer Borden School, 1400 President Ave and Saturday, Nov. 15th at the Bank St. Armory.
Baseball clinics will be conducted next spring on April 18th and 25th at sites yet to be determined.
Registration forms for the clinics can be picked up and filled out at the District Attorney's Fall River office, 38 Rock St., the D.A.'s New Bedford office, 888 Purchase St., the Fall River CD Recreation office located inside the Bank St. Armory or the Chew Boys and Girls Club, located at 803 Bedford St..
Parents with any questions or concerns can contact Rose at 508-997-0711, ext. 422.
By Tim Geary
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