MetroSports Magazine Sept-Oct 2019

MetroSports Magazine ITTF Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships

September-October 2019

Youth Roller Derby

Westchester Boxing Championships

Hudson Valley Frightmares New Jersey Juniors Gotham Girls Juniors

Contents

September-October 2019

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Features 4 ITTF Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships The first ever event of its kind takes place at the Westchester Table Tennis Center 18 10th Annual Westchester Boxing Championships Outdoor boxing continues to draw crowds and talent in Mt. Vernon NY 17 MetroSports Follow-Up Former MetroSports Magazine featured athletes continue their winning ways 25 Metro Area Junior Roller Derby Roller Derby’s Nex Generation puts on the wheels as the Hudson Valley Frightmares hosts the Junior Derby Tournament.

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Train Like a Champion.

Train with a Champion.

MetroSports Magazine’s former Athlete of the Month and cover of our May-June 2015 issue, Keisher “Fire” McLeod, a former NY Golden Gloves Champion, current NYS Flyweight Champion and current WIBA World Flyweight Champion can now be your personal boxing trainer at the world famous Gleason’s Gym.

Let us put You on the cover of MetroSports send inquiries to warren@nyspg.com

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MetroSports Magazine (MSM) is published six times a year by the New York Sports Photo Group.

MSM is available online and can be downloaded in electronic format for viewing on tablet and hand-held devices, laptop and desktop computers and purchased as full-color glossy print editions.

Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Art Director: Warren Rosenberg Publisher: New York Sports Photo Group: nyspg.com Editorial Director / Sales: John Chuhran Director of Photography: Clark Thompson Social Media: Clark Thompson Photo Contributors: Clark Thompson, Warren Rosenberg, Contributors: Keisher McLeod Advertising: For rate card contact warren@nyspg.com Please direct all inquiries to: warren@nyspg.com Visit us on the web at: MetroSportsMag.com

MetroSports Magazine accepts and welcomes photos, short articles, opinions and letters from our readers. There is no guarantee that unsolicited contributions will be published and MetroSports Magazine assumes no responsibility for failure to publish or for editing published contributions. The Contents of MetroSports Magazine consist of copyrightable and/or copyrighted material and cannot be reproduced without the express written consent of the publishers.

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1st Annual ITTF Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships International Table Tennis Federation Holds Its Inauguaral Event at the Westchester Table Tennis Center

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n the weekend of October 11-13, 2019, the Westchester Table Tennis Center hosted the first ever ITTF Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championship tournament. Over 60 athletes from 20 countries gathered for the three day event to celebrate their abilities and highlight the growing consensus that table tennis has a place as a potential therapy to help delay or at least alleviate the symptoms of this disease.

Championed by a collaboration between two avid table tennis players Will Shortz, owner of the Westchester Table Tennis Center (WTTC) who is also the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times and puzzle master for National Public Radio, and Nenad Bach, a Croatian-American recording artist, composer, performer, producer and peace activist and a Parkinson’s patient, the pair has traveled the world promoting the tournament and recruiting both competitors and sponsors.

ITTF Foundation Director, Leandro Olvech, told MetroSports Magazine that, “It has been a real pleasure to be part of this historic event that showed the powerful tool that sports, and particularly table tennis, is. The ITTF Parkinson´s World Table Tennis Championships is part of our program ‘TT4Health’ where the aim is to promote a healthy lifestyle by playing more table tennis. The feeling and emotions from Pleasantville are something I will never forget, and as Nenad said, they didn´t just play

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for themselves, they played for the 10 million people around the World with Parkinson Disease who might be laying in their couches.”

ITTF President, Thomas Weikert summed up the event by noting that it is “shaking the world. All the participants were so enthusiastic, so ambitious, it was a real pleasure to see.

I enjoyed every minute of my visit, and so did all the players.”

Above: Participants arriving at the Westchester Table Tennis Center Facing Page: Nenad Bach (hat) opening the 2019 ITTF Parkinson’s World Championships and placing an official credential on ITTF Presidenr Thomas Weikert

Photo: Warren Rosenberg MSG Sports & Entertainment

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Since its founding in 2011, the Westchester Table Tennis Center (WTTC) has been a venue for internationally competitive table tennis contested by some of the best athletes in the world including many Olympians. It has also become a valued and treasured community resource hosting youth programs, charitable fundraisers and, most recently, therapeutic activity for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

The WTTC has been hosting a weekly Parkinson’s night, held every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. as part of their “Ping Pong Parkinson” campaign. The program is, in part, based on the premise that exercise, and especially ping pong, may be beneficial for Parkinson’s patients, “because it exercises so many parts of the body and brain while reinforcing timing, rhythm and balance” as stated by the National Parkinson’s Foundation.

The University of California at San Francisco’s (UCSF) Parkinson’s Disease Research Center has produced an Exercise and Physical Therapy Guide for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease. According to the UCSF Center’s Guide, the most effective activities are those that “require large, rhy-

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thmical movements through a full range of motion.” Also cited in the Guide are “exercises that demand attention, repetition, progression of difficulty with spaced practice over time.” In general, exercises “challenging the individual to change tempo, activity or direction…” For those who have watched any of the competitions held at the WTTC or are otherwise familiar with the game, that sounds like a pretty accurate description of table tennis.

Writing in the February 2019 issue of the journal, Frontiers in Neurology, Drs. Markey Olson, Thurmon Lockhart and Abraham Lieberman summarized research that “has shown that physical exercise therapy can help patients with Parkinson’s Disease to adapt to new feedforward strategies to partially counteract their symptoms”. More recently, and just weeks before the ITTF Championship, a paper presented at an international conference in Stockholm in September reported that a 10 week program of table tennis training, two times per week for 120 minutes each session, improved Parkinson’s patients’ performance on the Mini Balance Evaluations System Test, a 14 item test assessing six different balance control systems.

Above: Men’s Gold Medalist Hamid Ezzat-Ahmadi prior to his match Below: WTTC’s Will Shortz (center, standing) watching the competition.

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Bach to Bach in the Battle Against Parkinson’s Fighting Parkinson’s Bach to Bach The links between fighting the ravages of Parkinson’s Disease and the music of Bach are numerous.

Dr. Eric Roter, a Julliard trained cellist, and a physician practicing at Kaiser Pemanente’s Cleveland Heights Medical Center, believes in putting his musical talents to work helping to raise funds to fight challenging diseases, including Parkinson’s. Getting his musical start as a street musician in NYC before making his solo debut at Lincoln Center, Dr. Roter has put the music of composer Johann Sebastian Bach to use in a program he calls “Bach to Health” through which he has supported the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

In 1995, the Dance for Parkinson’s project of the Brooklyn based Mark Morris Dance Group collaborated with world-renowned cellest, Yo Yo Ma, in a performance entitled “Falling Down Stairs” which is set to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Third Suite for Unaccompanied Cello. Through the good graces of Morris’ Bourree Project, this piece has been made available for use around the world through the Dance for Parkinson’s initiative.

Not to be outdone, another world-renowned composer named Bach, Nenad Bach, has now linked his name to the battle against Parkinson’s Disease. Although there is no family relationship between these two Bach’s, they are united through both their love of music and disdain for disease.

Above: Musician, composer,and Ping Pong Parkinson’s founder, Nenad Bach, performing at the event.

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Above: Nenad Bach with Men’s Champion Hamid Ezzat-Ahmadi and Women’s Champion Margie Alley Below: Nenad Bach (center) photographing the action with his smart phone.

Above and Below: Men’s Doubles Champions, Harry Wissler and Thorsten Boomhuis, competing for team Germany.

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Above and Below: Women’s Doubles Champions, Yuri Kato and Asako Katagiri, competting for team Japan.

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Damasio Caeiero, Portugal

Returning home to Portugal as the World Championships Silver Medalist, Damasio Caeiero gave his thoughts on the tournament and his time in Pleasantville, NY. “After all is summed up what remains, and what matters to retain ,is that, as someone said in the opening ceremony of the championship, “we represent 10 million people all over the world who have Parkinson’s.” I mean that in the same way that I had participated in the championship, others in the same circumstances as me, with the same disease, instead of sitting in despair, can do what I did and face their condition with some optimism and the chance for improvement in the future.

Dear Parkies, I’m still in the Pleasantville hour and, as usual, I’m not friends with sleep so I’m addressing to you all, to give news on how this thing of winning a silver medal at the PPP has been affecting my life. This has been frantic. I never thought for a moment that it was going to be like this.

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In fact, I can be a bit of a spectacle when I play sometimes, but besides that I prefer to maintain a low profile and I begin to feel that this had already gone a bit too far - there are news about me in the papers, I had been interviewed by national and a local radio yesterday, I will be on national television.

Can you imagine that?

And all that I wanted to do was to play some table tennis with a reasonable level of success .

This thing went in a way that I now feel that, besides talking about myself, I have the opportunity to spread this message - every Parkinson’s patient can do a little bit better for themselves, as we did in this ITTF Parkinson’s World Championships.”

Best regards to everyone, Damásio

Margie Alley, USA

You’ve Come A Long Way “You’ve come a long way, baby” was the slogan used in one of the most famous advertising campaigns of the late 1960s, celebrating the strides made in the women’s liberation movement.

It was in early September of 2009 when 56 year old Lynne Tombs, a woman coping as best she could with the symptoms of her Parkinson’s Disease, received some disappointing news from her home town table tennis club. She was asked not to participate on doubles night at the Gloucestershire club out of concern that her spastic movements might cause her to accidently hit and injure other players.

Just ten years later in Pleasantville, NY, Asako Katagiri and Yurie Kato of Japan, both Parkinson’s patients, claimed revenge by capturing the Women’s Doubles Gold medal, an honor

that would have been denied Lynne Tombs a decade earlier. Also capturing Gold in the Women’s Singles event was Pleasantville native, Margie Alley.

Indeed, as the Women’s Singles Gold Medalist, Margie Alley, told us, “It’s hard to put into words the fulfillment and joy that I experienced from participating in this tournament. I had only been thinking about the table tennis aspect of it however it became clear that the social aspect of interacting with such an inspirational group of fellow athletes took on much more power.

I felt proud of being a winner but I felt more honored to be part of a community that came together for the first time to make history. It was memorable in ways that I would have never imagined also I am proud to be the gold medal winner! Hard work and training does pay off!”

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Roberto Morand, Brazil “As layman on matters of medicine, just based on my own experience, I wonder to understand how the practice of Table Tennis (TT) helps me to fight against the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

I realize that TT causes me much welfare during and after my workouts. The tremor, the slowness, and the imbalance are reduced and even are not perceived, it sometimes makes me forget the medication.

Analysing the activity of a table tennis player, no matter the technical level practiced, we can notice that it is required a lot of actions when trying to play his best, as for instance, keep the body balanced in positions that vary constantly, have a rapid reaction in blows and counterattacks, have a fine control of movement to direct the ball where he want to or to give spin on it, have a fast reasoning, have a suitable game strategy, have good memory to save the score and strategic, have good muscles memory, have focus on position, direction, rotation, speed and direction of translation of the ball, have muscle strength and flexibility, have aerobic endurance and certainly there are other requirements that were not mentioned here. Everything above, for sure will have its own intensity and quality according to the technical level 14 | September-October 2019

of each practitioner.

I realize that most of the skills I need to practice TT are also abilities gradually degraded by PD. This may seem discouraging, but I see this in a positive way, as I am given the opportunity to fight against the disease in a more comprehensive way and as intense as my determination to practice can be. It seems that the brain, in some way, when stimulated, can metabolize what I need, thus reducing the suffering of symptoms. I think the main advantage of TT is to provide great scope and intensity of stimuli that can reduce PD symptoms.

Besides the benefits of physical well-being highlighted here in relation to the practice of TT, as well as all sports the TT also brings the socialization and the improvement of self-esteem. This can greatly help in overcoming depressive conditions that very often accompany the disease.

On the internet, I found an article that talked about the production of dopamine through the conquest of something very desired. They made a scientific study and found that the brain produces dopamine with the

Naomici Saito, Japan

Above and Right: Naomici Saito of Japan in his Bronze Medal performance (above) and at the medal ceremony (right). In an interview with Jens Greve, Naomici San noted that he has suffered with Parkinson’s for 31 years and can “still walk and move because of playing table tennis.” He described his reason for entering the tournament was, “to give other people with Parkinson’s an example of what can be accomplished.”

Continued from page 14 conquest, but the same study noticed that the production of dopamine falls as the achievements became routine. To ensure high levels of dopamine the conquest had to be unexpected. The TT allows unexpected achievements at every instant in the dispute of the desired points. Even the defeated in a game can have the satisfaction of winning your own points.

Finally, I feel great satisfaction to play table tennis and in addition, have in return the relief of Parkinson’s symptoms. I would like to share with others my experience and be able to improve the quality of life of those who very need.”

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Ilya Rozenblat, USA I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about seven years ago, and have been playing table tennis since I was seven years old but, upon moving to United States when I was 16, I didn’t play for about 12 years.

It is somewhat hard to estimate the effects of the table tennis in my condition, because I was playing prior to getting diagnosed, but I’m pretty certain that if I didn’t play my condition would have been a lot worse than it is now. I encourage anyone who has Parkinson’s disease to pick up a paddle and start playing.

The most memorable part of the tournament was the camaraderie and sportsmanship of all participants, and ability to build relationships with players who go through this unique life experience that we all share. It was also important to continue to send a message to all Parkinson’s patients that physical activity, especially table tennis, can in16 | September-October 2019

crease their movement and is very beneficial for their health and for their mind.

I first learned about the ITTF Parkinson’s World Championships from my doubles partner, Navin Kumar, who I met for the first time in person at the U.S. Open in Orlando last December. He knew that I had Parkinson’s as I was the only player who participated in the para event a couple of years ago.

I went to the tournament hoping to talk to the ITTF leadership to share my story about being denied an opportunity to play on the para team at the international level, and to hope that following this tournament, they will be able to create para Class for Parkinson’s players. I think I accomplished the first part during the tournament after having many conversations with the ITTF and also providing my responses in the survey following the tournament.

Stefan Kling

Gold Medalist

Silver Medalist Bronze Medalist

Women’s Singles

Margie Alley (USA)

Yuri Kato (JPN)

Vlatka Dragoc (CRO)

Men’s Singles Class 1

Holger Teppe (GER)

Damasio Caeiro (POR)

Naomichi Saito (JPN)

Men’s Singles Class 2

Ilya Rozenblat (USA)

Thursten Boomhius (GER)

Roberto Morand (BRA)

Men’s Singles Class 3

E-A Hamid (USA)

Edmur Mesquita (BRA)

Navin Kimar (USA)

https://worldpeaceinonehour.com/ MetroSports Magazine | 17

“We Win. We Learn. We Never Lose” 2019 Westchester Boxing Championships

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n Saturday, September 7th, the Tenth Annual Westchester County Boxing Championship took place outdoors, under sunny skies, in Mount Vernon’s Hartley Park.

Fans who attended the free event were treated to 13 competitive and entertaining amateur bouts where both developing and advanced boxing skills were on display along with great sportsmanship.

The event was sanctioned by USA Boxing Metro and hosted by Mt. Vernon’s Main Street Boxing Gym. Mt. Vernon Mayor Andre Wallace welcomed the combatants, officials, sponsors and fans noting that the Westchester Boxing Championship is a special event in the city and one that he looks forward to seeing continue. A warm welcome was also extended by Jacene Thomas of Mt. Vernon’s Department of Parks and Recreation as was a welcome by Danielle Campisi of Prime My Body before the crowd rose for Janelle Albritton’s rendition of the National Anthem.

It’s quite fitting that The city of Mt. Vernon, N.Y. be host to the Westchester County Boxing Championship as the city holds a solid place in boxing history.

Mt. Vernon was, after all, the home of Olympic Gold Medalist and two time World Heavyweight Champion, Floyd Patterson. It is equally

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fitting that the event be held outdoors, in one of the city’s beautiful parks. Two years before James Braddock won the world heavyweight title by defeating Max Baer in Madison Square Garden, he fought a bout against Abe Feldman in a temporary outdoor ring set up in one of Mt. Vernon’s outdoor parks. The bout, on September 25th, 1933 was a benefit for the Mount Vernon Police Department Relief Fund, took place in the city’s Memorial Field. Port Chester native, David Telesco fought in the Capitol Theater as did Carl “The Truth” Williams of Ossining.

U.S.A. Boxing Metro president and former IBO World Heavyweight Champion, Sonya Lamonakis, noted that, “Today was a great event for the city of Mount Vernon. It was

great to see the community come together and support a local organization that teaches kids discipline and helps them gain courage.

As always U.S.A. Boxing is proud to be part of these events. Special thanks to Mike Stellate of Main Street Boxing. He always goes out of his way to help others and create opportunities for the youth”. The title of this article, “We Win. We Learn. We Never Lose.” are the words of Mike Stellate and bear witness to that commitment.

Although for 13 of the boxers, today did not go as planned, all were winners and will take home lessons from their performance to improve in the future. The results of the 10th Annual Westchester Boxing Championship are:

Joe Boyd (Main Street Boxing) defeats Emilio Contrera (Maestro Boxing) Curt Aitcheson (Main Street Boxing) defeats Clinton Howard (Gleason’s Gym) Stephanie Moss (Champs, CT) defeats Jessica Prada (Main Street Boxing) Kamaal Davis (Unattached) defeats Mauricio Martinez (Main Street Boxing) Chris Deleon (Eastern Queens Boxing) defeats Dedan Wilson (Main Street Boxing) Christopher Estrella (Gleason’s Gym) defeats Izaiah Mitchell (Main Street Boxing) Kerry Duperval (Westbury Boxing) defeats Dawshaquan Thomas (Main Street Boxing) Sean Meeghnah (Everybody Fights NYC) defeats Anthony Esposito (Main Street Boxing) Kidane Ramelo Bennett (Main Street Boxing) defeats Elijah Redduck (Gleason’s Gym)

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Photo: Warren Rosenberg, ZogSports-NYC

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Photo: Warren Rosenberg, ZogSports-NYC

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MetroSports Magazine Updates

Our May-June 2015 issue featured Brooklyn boxer, Keisher “Fire” Mcleod who, on October 19 of this year, re-entered the ring in Ute Reservation Recreation Cneter in Towaoc, Colorado, and scored a win capturing the WPBA World Title.

Our March-April 2017 issue featured Brooklyn boxer, Melissa St-Vil who, on October 24 of this year, re-entered the ring at the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex in Brooklyn and pushed her winning professional record to 12-4-4 with a unanimous decision over Dahiana Santana.

Our 3 Featured Covers May-June 2015 Roller Derby & Boxing

Our May-June 2015 issue featured New York boxer, Maureen Shea, on October 18 of this year, rentered the ring in Niagara Falls, NY, and won a unanimous decision over Edina Kiss and running her professional record to 28-2-1.

MSM’s August 2018 issue featured NYC boxer, Richardson Hitchins who, on November 1st of this year ran his professional boxing record to an undfeated 10-0-0 with a unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Our January-February 2016 issue featured MMA fighter and NYC actress, stuntwoman and producer, Anais Almonte who, on October 21st won Best Actress in a Dramatic Web Series for my performance in SMACK last night at the New York Short Film Festival.

Keisher “Fire” McLeod: Fighting to Prevent Suicide on the Ute Reservation

by Keisher McLeod I want to take a moment and give a special thank you to Promoter Thaddine Swifteagle, an amazing being. This event took place in a community in which child suicide is very high on an Native American Reservation.

There were about 100 people, maybe less, in attendance, and most were directly on the floor level with a great view of the ring. While this was not much of a crowd, it was more than I expected.

There is little in the way of recreational activities in this community with the exception of one Casino. Alcohol is prohibited at this particular casino so as to not feed into the already in existing problem of depression.

With that said...I’ve done many boxing shows put on by rich promoters and this show paid me more than most of them while giving me the opportunity to fight for a belt without having to sell one ticket.

Meeting the kids and people out there was so wonderful because they were so excited to meet and talk to me after the fight. I can never forget the look in one boy’s eyes when he came up to me and asked, are you Keisher? Thank you for the fight, it was so cool to see you in the ring. You were awesome then he reached out nervously to shake my hand. That moment was very heartfelt and special.

I was the “A side” fighter and I did not have to promote or sell tickets to cover my bout or my opponents. My team travel and lodging was completely paid for. Thaddine drove us back and forth to the gym and to the stores while running around with her own busy schedule.

She catered the event and made sure all my concerns were addressed. Thaddine was a one woman show and she also fought for a world title and won that same very night.

The promoter of this show, Thaddine Swifteagle, a world-ranked boxer and former Champion of the New York Golden Gloves tournament, is trying to bring shows like this to the reservation to give kids and adults some entertainment and distraction to help fight the suicide epidemic. This is why there were not many people in attendance. The show was not about making money but served to launch one of the 1st shows to get the community to come together and enjoy one another and to have something to do.

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I wish there were more promoters like her... but unfortunately there aren’t. Thaddine I know you were stressed but continue doing what you do. That’s what make you special.

Thank you so much for this unique and great opportunity you gave me. Much appreciation!!!

Metro Area Junior Roller Derby Regional youth take up the sport of competitive roller derby

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Above: The Frightmares’ ‘Lil Shock’ ever vigilant and prepared for the upcoming battle on the hardwood.

Photo Credit: Clark Thompson Facing Page: Gotham’s ‘Skull Crusher’ (white jersey, blue helmet) shows no fear of her larger opponent, ‘Lil Shock’ (green jersey, green helmet) Photo Credit: Clark Thompson

ith the baseball World Series now behind us and the NFL Super Bowl still three months away, many Metro area eyes are turned north to the site of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s International Roller Derby Championship, scheduled for November 15-17 in Montreal, Canada.

Of all the sports covered in MetroSports Magazine, few can claim as rich a NY-based history as roller derby. Although originally conceived in Chicago’s Johnny Ricketts restaurant in 1935 by Leo Seltzer, the sport as we know it today has deep NY Metro area connections. The first nationally televised roller derby event was broadcast from NYC’s famous Polo Grounds in 1946 and later from the 69th Street Armory beginning in 1948.

The world famous Madison Square Garden, then located on 8th Avenue at 50th Street, was the site of the first Roller Derby World Series in 1949. Today, the National Roller Derby Hall of Fame is located in Brooklyn, New York City’s largest borough.

Already scheduled for an appearance in the quarterfinal round of November’s International Championship is the team representing the New York Metro area’s Gotham Girls Roller Derby League. The Gotham Girls are currently ranked third in the world behind Australia’s Victoria Roller Derby League and Portland, Oregon’s Rose City Rollers.

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Closer to home, New York City’s own Gotham roller derby team took on opponents from the Hudson Valley Frightmares and the Jersey Juniors in the Hudson Valley Frightmares Junior League Tournament held on October 26th at the Hyde Park Roller Magic skating facility in Dutchess County. These competitors, age 9-17, compete with the same intensity as their older counterparts and, in the tradition of the sport of roller derby, take on “skate names” such as “Star Wreck”, “Ruthless Bader Ginsberg”, and “Hale Storm”.

As with the International Table Tennis Federation’s Parkinson’s World Championship, the Frightmares Junior League Tournament was the inaugural event in what will hopefully become a tradition.

The Jersey Junior Roller Derby League, based in Jackson, New Jersey, fielded a team 14 skaters and took home two wins, going undefeated in their bouts with final scores of 184 against Gotham’s 103 and overcoming the host Frightmares 141 to 133. In the first bout of the tournament the Frightmares opened with a 160 to 89 victory over New York City’s Gotham.

While the adult roller derby leagues play a hard and fast contact sport, the rules of the Junior Roller Derby Association, under which these leagues play, are more protective of the athletes’ health and safety. According the Hudson Valley Horrors Jeshurun Ramalotte Nickerson, “The kids played at Level 2 on Saturday; this means that although they were allowed to hit but they were not allowed to accelerate into hits.

Above: Gotham’s ‘Fire Wheels’(center) gets ready to put the hip to Jersey’s ‘Hale Storm’ (left) Photo Credit: Clark Thompson

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Above: .

Level 2 play gives the kids to chance to focus on building their skills as blockers and learn the dynamics of the sport before moving on to full contact. Level 1 allows only positional blocking, no hitting, and Level 3 is full contact roller derby.” She went on to tell us that, “All the teams and all the kids played incredibly strong games, and the teams were really evenly matched. One of the best parts of working with the Frightmares is watching kids join the team as individuals and quickly form friendships and learn how to work together as a team. We’ve watched them find their confidence and their strength through this 28 | September-October 2019

sport, and we see it flow over to their lives off the track as well.”

Ramalot also noted that “this successful event would not have occurred without the support of Hyde Park Roller Magic for being a home to us, and Ron and Kathy Lane for being big supporters of the team! We’re also grateful to our sponsors - Topricin, Clark Thompson, Prime Printing, Ray Woody Designs, Juniors Lounge, Thiel Neuromuscular Therapy, Sweets Funeral Home, TraxCoffee Roasters, and Barton Orchards. Our sponsors are vital to making the work we do, like hosting the Junior Derby Tournament, possible.”

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