Rosemary Myers-Neagli
I had heard a rumor that RR softball player Johnny Bletcher was spearheading a new fundraising venture using golf carts on the softball field. I just had to check it out! A participant explained the experience to me: “I’m sitting blindfolded as the golf cart driver, and my wife is the navigator. I cannot see a ‘damn’ thing, and she is supposed to instruct me around an orange cone obstacle course. Those softball honcho organizers pointed to the navigator which way to go through the course cones and, low and behold, we completed our first golf cart rodeo competition, and it was a blast!”
Since the inception in 2006, golf cart rodeos have been spreading in popularity. But the significance of the RR event is that it represents softballers who volunteer twice a week to facilitate approximately 25 individuals’ complete exercises in a Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) program. This training program provides a uniquely effective form of physical exercise to people who are living with a neurological condition that affects balance, strength, walking, and confidence: Parkinson’s disease (PD). A plethora of scientific research demonstrates that regular training sessions help people with PD to experience less muscle stiffness and pain while improving balance and motion—not to mention self-confidence. It is beneficial for people in all stages of PD, including those newly diagnosed to those who have lived with PD for decades. Currently, there is no known cause and no cure; however, specific genetic variants are believed to play a role.
RSB originated when a former Golden Glove boxer, Vince Perez, developed PD at age 40, and he chose to “fight back” rather than let PD devastate his life. Based on exercises adapted from boxing, RSB emphasizes agility, speed, endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork, and strength. Currently, there are only seven nonprofit training centers in all North Texas, so we are fortunate to be one of the few. At $7 per class, twice each week, the cost for a person with PD can add up. This April, James Riddle celebrated three years as the head coach of the RR program, a program formerly started by our popular RR trainer Wally Sagui. The RSB worldwide governing body is based in Indianapolis, and they have established competency and accredited programs to ensure that all RSB coaches share common knowledge and skill so that they are providing the same optimal exercise programming for people with PD.
Coach Riddle travels to our RR gym from Keller/Haslet where he maintains his own RSB facility. The Dallas Area Parkinson Society estimates that over 8,000 people are living with PD in Dallas County. RR residents are truly blessed to have such a service available to them on their doorstep, so next year when the RR softballers announce an upcoming golf cart rodeo to benefit RSB, get involved and have some fun in the process. Thank you, RR softball, for sharing your time and expertise with individuals who face physically debilitating challenges.
Coach James Riddle’s contact information: 817-675-3412, [email protected]