Gym, weight room available to adults
Staff writer
Peabody-Burns Recreation Commission makes the PBHS Brown Gymnasium and weight room available to adults from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays through March 5.
Adults in the school district can participate in pickup basketball games or work on the weights during that time.
This past Sunday there were enough men on the basketball court to field two teams and the players were enjoying the casual camaraderie of playground basketball.
Chuck Good is the oldest player on the floor at 58.
“At my last physical, my doctor told me I was in pretty good shape and to keep doing what I am doing,” he said. “I told him about this and he was OK with it.”
Storm Pickens, 21, is the youngest in the group and just a few years out of high school where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball.
The other players vary in age and ability, but the games are low intensity—despite some occasional acrobatic attempts to look like the pros—and there is more laughter on the court than serious physical work.
The play is casual, there is no referee, and keeping track of the score often seems to be an afterthought.
“This is just for fun,” P-B math instructor Brian Lightner said. “I played in high school and enjoyed it. It’s a good way to stay in shape and it relieves stress.”
The men said the group will grow as soon as the current crop of high school students reach the end of the organized winter sports schedule.
“We had about 20 guys out by the end of the year last year,” Good said. “The younger ones keep us on our toes.”
P-B Rec Commission Chairman Russ Busenitz said the weight room really has not drawn much interest so far this year.
“It is open during the same time on Sunday afternoons,” he said. “There is no charge to participate in either activity.”
Any adult patron of USD 398 who is in good health and wants to get some exercise, is invited to participate in the rec commission activities.