Rec. says come on in for open gym

Moorestown Parks and Recreation Department has Open Gym Monday through Friday.

By: Amy Filippone, Dept. of Parks & Recreation

Moorestown Parks and Recreation Department has Open Gym Monday through Friday for boys and girls in grades 4 through 12 for Moorestown residents. The Rec. Center on Church Street has a beautiful basketball court flooded with natural light and is open and supervised from 2:15 to 5:15 p.m. for some casual play and snacks after school. Students can stop in and play a pick-up basketball game or practice their three-pointers. Additionally, on Mondays and Wednesdays, the gym is open from 5:30 until 7 p.m. for ninth graders through young adults up to age 23. The play can be a bit more competitive.

All that is required is to sign in at the desk when entering, and if you’ve never been before, it’s a simple registration for the Open Gym Program. It’s quick, easy and free. The Moorestown Ministerium, a consortium of congregations and organizations in Moorestown, who run a food pantry in the local community, graciously donate healthy snacks for all kids. Every day of Open Gym there are plenty of granola bars and fruit for afterschool refueling.

There are rules of conduct posted in the gym that the experienced Rec. Staff make sure are followed. Kids are expected to be respectful of the facility and those around them. The staff has watched many of the Open Gym students grow up and develop into young adults. We are fortunate to have an excellent staff from varied backgrounds who really care and engage with the kids keeping the program fun and real. Anyone older than 30 may appear “old” to this crowd but the Rec. staff are quite hip. They have heard and seen quite a bit and are as involved as required. It’s really a chance for kids to unwind and take the reins. The Rec. has plenty of basketballs on hand and there are also board games, crafts and tumbling mats for a change of pace.

Open Gym is a wonderful resource that the Rec. Department provides. It gives kids the opportunity for some device-free time to play basketball or hangout with peers. Maybe do some homework across the street at the library and then walk over, get a snack and practice your free throw. Stay for 30 minutes or two hours, whatever your schedule allows. It provides some independence for kids where they can make decisions for themselves in a supervised and safe environment. Take advantage of some unscripted time to just relax, have fun and maybe make new friends.

Additionally at the Rec. Center, on Saturdays, after TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer), a soccer program for young athletes with special needs, there is Open Gym for the Special Needs community. The soccer balls and goals are left out from 10 to 11 a.m. for free play or some social time with other kids and families. Come out and join in on the fun. Whatever takes your fancy — dancing or just relaxing.