By Nancy Brumback, Contributing Writer
Marlborough – To help children participating in athletic programs develop core strength and improve flexibility and balance, the Wayside Racquet & Swim Club has added junior strength training programs.
The Marlborough club is also offering a wide variety of summer camp programs and tennis and swimming lessons, as well as summer memberships.
“We started the kids” strength training program to let these young athletes develop the core strength and increase flexibility to help prevent injuries,” said Darren McLaughlin, general manager. “Too often, the kids, especially boys, just want to bulk up the “mirror muscles” when it is easy to pull or tear a muscle if they don's have core strength and flexibility.”
The Athletic Performance Academy for student athletes in middle and high school is available during the school year and the summer. It is a six-week program with an option of one or two sessions a week.
Wayside also offers individual strength training for boys and girls ages 10 to 15, whether they participate in organized athletics or not. The program includes a one-hour initial assessment followed by three one-hour training sessions. The personalized training is $150 for one child or $100 each for two, so kids can pair up with a friend.
After they complete this training and are certified, the kids receive a wristband that permits them to use the club's fitness center. Children 10 to 13 can use the fitness center with parental supervision; children 14 to 15 can exercise in the center on their own.
“The training teaches the kids how to use the equipment correctly and how to do core strength training and train more than one muscle group at a time,” McLaughlin said.
Wayside offers summer memberships for families or on an a la carte basis for adults and children. These memberships include not only the outdoor pool, but use of all of the club's facilities, including the indoor lap pool, tennis courts, racquetball courts, fitness center and exercise classes, as well as the sauna, steam room and whirlpool. The heated outdoor pool includes a diving area, and there's a separate children's wading pool and playground. A family summer membership with up to three children is $985 through Labor Day.
A wide range of summer activities for children take place at Wayside. The summer kids” programs are open to non-members, but club members receive preference.
Lessons are available in several sports??”swimming, diving, tennis and racquetball, as well as lifeguard training, junior lifeguarding, and water safety instruction. The club also sponsors a swim team.
Ten week-long summer programs are available, and children can participate from one to five days during the week.
Half-day camp programs include swimming and tennis lessons with other activities. Full-day programs, available for children 5 to 11, feature tennis and swimming in the morning, and other sports, arts and crafts, and sometimes field trips in the afternoon, with a supervised lunch. Early drop-off and late pick-up options are available.
In addition to these summer activities, Wayside continues to offer its full range of programs for adults, including special senior activities and classes.
The club recently redesigned its membership structure, lowering membership dues and adjusting fees for some activities. The basic membership includes all the club's facilities??”sauna, steam room, whirlpool, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the fitness center, and group exercise classes. It also provides access to the tennis and racquetball courts, which have additional court fees.
“Members are no longer paying for services they do not use,” McLaughlin noted. “We encourage people to come and tour the facility and see what we have to offer.”
To find out more about membership, programs and classes, check the club's website, www.wayside.net, or call the membership office at 508-481-1797. The club is located at 80 Broadmeadow St. in Marlborough.
Editor's Note: The preceding is not an endorsement and is presented for informational purposes only.
