RCS’s wrestling stars of tomorrow

In Sports, Sports - Ravena, The Ravena News Herald

October 13, 2023

By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK — RCS has a long and proud history in its wrestling program.

Many of those high school athletes do not get their first taste of the sport when they get to the big mat — they began learning and practicing years before they first stepped foot onto the high school wrestling team.

The Youth Wrestling Program has gotten off to a great start this year, training the district’s wrestlers of tomorrow.

The program trains boys and girls from kindergarten through eighth grade. This year, program participants learn the sport on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the high school’s wrestling room and take part in 10 or more practices for the season.

The 2023 Youth Wrestling Program is run by RCS Coach Justin Schipano.

After each practice, Schipano selects one youth athlete to receive the Hardest Working Wrestler Award. This week’s recipient was Kellan teRiele.

Photojournalist Gina Pelletier contributed to this report and provided all photos.

GOOD NEWS!: Three RCS athletes taking it to the next level in college

In Sports, Sports - Ravena, The Ravena News Herald

June 14, 2023

By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

Three RCS graduating seniors will take their sport to the college level in the coming academic year. Pictured, left to right, are Sara Hotaling, Aidan Lochner and Hannah VanDerzee. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK — Three of RCS’s top athletes signed letters of commitment to play their sport at the college level.

RCS record-breaker Hannah VanDerzee will play basketball for SUNY New Paltz; football player Aidan Lochner signed on with SUNY Cortland; and Sara Hotaling will play basketball for Utica University.

The Athletics Department hosted a commitment letter signing outside the main high school gym to showcase the three athletes’ accomplishments in taking their sport to the next level.

“These individuals have excelled academically and athletically as student-athletes here at RCS,” Jennifer Murphy, director of athletics, said to open the signing ceremony. “They have also contributed to the culture of the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District as leaders and as citizens.”

Hannah VanDerzee was the first to sign her letter of commitment to play for SUNY New Paltz as a forward. Head Coach Jackie Hotaling spoke of VanDerzee’s commitment to her sport and to her team. Hotaling also coached her back when VanDerzee was getting her start in the sport in third grade.

RCS basketball star Hannah VanDerzee signs her letter of commitment to play for SUNY New Paltz. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

“I’ve had the pleasure of watching her blossom into the young lady that she is and of course the athlete that she is,” Hotaling said. “Not only is she a phenomenal basketball player but a well-rounded athlete as a whole. She has worked tirelessly to be an exceptional player.”

During her high school career VanDerzee was a record breaker, and in her senior year became RCS High School’s all-time leading scorer in girls’ basketball. She was also on multiple all-star teams at the Colonial Council and at the state level.

“That doesn’t come just by picking up a basketball between November and February,” Hotaling said. “That comes from dedicating countless hours in the off-season, in the summer, after practice, before practice, not only on the court but in the weight room.”

Hannah VanDerzee, seated, with her family at the letter of commitment signing outside the high school gym. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

VanDerzee said she is thrilled to get on the court for SUNY New Paltz.

“The program I am going into is very good, they are very competitive and it’s a winning program,” she said. “Being able to go into that as a freshman, I am super excited to be able to continue with them through college.”

Football player Aidan Lochner signed on to play outside linebacker for SUNY Cortland. Head Coach Gary VanDerzee — who, incidentally, is also Hannah VanDerzee’s grandfather — said the achievement was well earned.

Football player Aidan Lochner will play outside linebacker for SUNY Cortland in the fall. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

“Aidan is what I would call a generational athlete, one of those few that comes along and you have the privilege to coach,” VanDerzee said. “He not only performed at a high level; what made him that good was that he brought the others along and made those around him better. He made them want to play, want to succeed, want to live up to his abilities and his expectations. And that was a leading factor in us making it to the state semi-finals the last two years.”

Lochner is looking forward to playing defense for SUNY Cortland.

“I am very excited. Everybody there was very welcoming,” Lochner said. “I just want to get back out on the field.”

Lochner will hit the gridiron in the fall for SUNY Cortland. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

Sara Hotaling will continue her basketball career at Utica University in the fall. Head Coach Jackie Hotaling is also her mother and has coached her for years.

“We are very proud of her as a family and myself as her coach as well, that she is going to be able to continue on in the sport in college,” Jackie Hotaling said. “She spends countless hours playing basketball — in the driveway, in the house, and certainly playing in high-level AAU clubs, in summer ball and watching it on TV, which is something a lot of young people don’t do now.”

Athlete Sara Hotaling, seated, with her family at the commitment letter signing, including her mother and coach, Jackie Hotaling, far right. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

Hotaling was sidelined for a time with knee injuries, but that only served to give her a different perspective on the game, her coach and mom said.

“She learned what it was like to sit on the bench, to see the game unfolding, and one day I think she will make a phenomenal coach when her playing days are over,” the head coach said. “Sara is one of those players who is a true leader — she isn’t flashy, she doesn’t score the most points, but she is that steadying force on your club that you know you can give her the ball and she will get done what needs to get done.”

Sara also played soccer in high school but will only continue her basketball career in college. She is excited to get started.

“This is definitely living the dream,” she said. “I’ve had a few setbacks with my knees, but I’m super excited to go to the next level and live out the dream.”

RCS basketball player Sara Hotaling signs her letter of commitment to play at the college level for Utica University. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

Positively Speaking: Use it or lose it

In Health & Wellness, Health & Wellness - Ravena, The Ravena News Herald

September 28, 2023

By Toby Moore

For Capital Region Independent Media

Toby Moore

The maxim “Use it or lose it” is heard so often it’s practically a background track to our lives. But wait! Before you glaze over, have you ever considered the gravity behind this statement?

It’s not just a snappy saying — it’s a golden nugget of wisdom with far-reaching implications.

The workings of the brain are spellbinding. Picture your brain as a thriving tree in a lush forest. Each new piece of knowledge you gain is like planting a seed that eventually sprouts into branches and leaves. This isn’t poetic license; it’s backed by the science of neuroplasticity — the brain’s incredible ability to form new neural connections throughout life.

Each time you learn or practice a skill, you reshape your brain and strengthen neural pathways, fortifying those branches and leaves on your cerebral tree. In this way, your brain doesn’t just store information, it evolves, hardwiring itself to flourish when you practice or learn something over time.

I began competitive swimming as a child, which was far from natural, but I was determined, and every lap I swam was like adding another leaf to a growing branch in my “swimming tree” in the brain. Each practice session was a mental workout, a “branching out” in my neural forest, solidifying the pathways that would improve my abilities.

I was learning to cut through the water more efficiently and grasping intricate techniques that required keen mental focus. While athletics is primarily seen as a physical endeavor, the cerebral component is enormous.

If you find the “learning tree” concept captivating, you’ll be equally intrigued by the neuroscience of “pruning.”

When you neglect other learned abilities or information, those corresponding branches in your brain don’t get the same nourishment.

Just as a gardener would trim away the dead or overgrown branches to let a tree flourish, your brain also conducts selective maintenance.

Pruning is when the brain cuts out extra connections between neurons. This helps the brain work more efficiently by eliminating pathways it doesn’t need.

This is one reason why we forget things that we haven’t thought about in a long time.

Every so often, I feel the urge to get in swimming shape again, but let me tell you, those first few laps? A downright battle!

So, while my brain still holds the blueprints of a capable swimmer, the lack of recent practice means those finely tuned circuits are no longer firing on all cylinders.

Have you ever had that frustrating “tip of the tongue” moment when you can’t recall a word or name?

What about long division after years of not thinking about math? It’s like trying to crack the Da Vinci code without a cipher. For me, those branches have been pruned.

If you don’t regularly engage your mind and reinforce what you’ve learned, your mental acuity in those specific subjects may decline.

Brain pruning extends beyond mere skills and talents; it touches the very core of our dreams and ambitions. Your deepest aspirations require constant nourishment and attention. Whether penning poetry, mastering the guitar, or revolutionizing digital design, each dream has its dedicated neural pathway that thrives on focus and diligence.

Another way to think of it is that our brains are like librarians, constantly deciding which books — skills, memories, abilities — deserve prime shelf space and which should be stored in the attic.

When you choose not to follow your dreams, you’re pruning a part of yourself that once flourished. Keep those neural pathways strong and connected and watch them grow into full-fledged realities.

The lesson here is to actively nurture the pathways in your brain that matter most to you, whether that’s your dreams, goals or cherished friendships. If you neglect them, your brain might prune these connections away, making it seem as if they never existed.

The “use it or lose it” principle is life’s ultimate maintenance guide. It’s a nudge to action. Your skills, your relationships, your dreams — think of them as a cherished garden. Left unattended, even the prettiest rose bushes turn to weeds.

So? What are you waiting for? Exercise that gray matter! You’ve got nothing to lose but everything you don’t use.

Toby Moore is a columnist, the star of Emmy-nominated “A Separate Peace,” and the CEO of Cubestream Inc.