Latest news with #UWHealthSportsFactory
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rockford pickleball club unites community for socializing and staying active
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A rainy spring day did not stop a group of Rockford residents from coming together to socialize and play a game they love. 'You make great friends that you would never meet anywhere else,' said Tom Rondone. Those who gathered at the UW Health Sports Factory are part of a growing club that organizes and plays Pickleball throughout the year. 'So there's somebody who has all of our emails, you know, we give it to him, and then he says, 'We're going to play this day,' said Allen Steely. 'They also then on birthdays, people bring cookies and things. So it is a social club as well.' April is National Pickleball Month, and it has been the fastest-growing sport in America for 4 years running. Steely said the sport's popularity is due to its benefits for those who are retired. 'Right after I retired at age 66, then I started to play,' said Steely. 'You make new friends, and there's many different places to play in town… It's also great exercise for older people to keep your heart [and] your lungs in shape.' A fellow member feels the same way when it comes to playing the sport. 'You adapt to a certain group of friends, and you become very close,' said Dean Russell. The health benefits of playing keep Russell on the court. 'I've been diabetic for 38 years. It's to keep moving so I don't get complications from diabetes,' Russel explained. 'It's just expanding, and I will never meet people that good [of] friends from out of town.' According to USA Pickleball, 4,000 new courts were added nationwide in 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rockin' Rockford volleyball tournament brings in over $800,000 in two days
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The 8th annual Rockin' Rockford AAU volleyball tournament proved to be more than just a sporting event, it also served as an economic boost for the city. The tournament saw over 300 competing teams from all over the Midwest, with the farthest coming from Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota. Event owner Justin Basovsky has watched the tournament grow over the past eight years. 'We started this eight years ago with about 65 teams, and they're up to 336 teams this year,' Basovsky said. 'That's with the support of the locals and outreach programs supporting this event.' With the overwhelming number of teams, this year's tournament was played at two different sports complexes in the area: The UW Health Sports Factory in downtown Rockford and Mercy Health Sportscore Two in Loves Park. Rockford Stars volleyball coach Matt Lynde said the growth of volleyball in Rockford has drastically increased. 'It's huge,' Lynde said. 'Rockford volleyball has been growing for a number of years, and this is probably the biggest single year of growth for Stars. We are all the way up to 19 years as a club.' Lynde said the weekend's competition brings out the best in his players. 'That's really the only way to continue to advance on this sport,' Lynde said. 'We don't want to be the outlier of the program, where we are trying to catch up to the Chicago teams. We want to be just as good as them and we want all those teams to know there's great competition in Rockford and it's worth a trip out to play in one of our tournaments.' Basovsky said the tournament is a great economic boost for the city as well. 'I think the community appreciates it because [of] the economic impact it brings,' Basovsky said. 'It supports not just the local community, but the small businesses in the area as well.' Rockford Park District estimated the economic impact from the event to be around $812,565. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
