Olympics inspire new entrants into Summer Games sports

BY NOUR HABIB World Scene Writer
Sunday, July 22, 2012
7/24/12 at 5:40 PM

The Olympics are back. So find yourself a comfortable seat and settle in to watch your favorite competitions.

But maybe you want to do more than watch. Perhaps you think it would be fun to join a soccer league. Or decide you want to take up swimming. Or possibly give tae kwon do a shot.

Well, you can. For those whose thoughts stick with certain sports long after the games are over, there are numerous places in Tulsa to practice some of these Olympic-type sports.

Swimming

Sarah Kinnison, director of marketing and communications at Miller Swim School, said the school generally sees an uptick of interest in swimming after the Olympics. And it's no surprise, with American swimming star Michael Phelps attracting so much attention during the last two games.

So if you've decided that swimming is the sport for you, or for your kids, check out the school's various programs.

The school, 6415 S. Mingo Road, offers programs for people of all ages, from the Diaper Dolphins classes, for kids as young as 6 months, to adult classes.

Other offerings at Miller Swim School include a new triathlon training program, prenatal water fitness classes, open lap-swimming time, a stroke development class for athletes who want to improve their technique, and two teams open to anyone who has reached a certain level of swimming proficiency.

Kinnison said the school also offers a flexible schedule, with classes offered during the mornings and evenings Monday through Saturday.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/millerswimschool or call 918-254-1988.

Also check out your local YMCA or community pool.

Tennis

Melissa McCorkle, director of tennis operations at LaFortune Park Tennis Center, said the park sees increased interest in tennis after major tournaments, and she assumes the same would be true after the Olympics.

"People get excited by watching it on TV," she said. For those who want to translate the excitement to actual play, the center, 5302 S. Hudson, offers numerous programs on its 21 courts.

Among the offerings are one-on-one lessons, group lessons for kids and adults, and special lessons on smaller courts for young children through the QuickStart Tennis program. The center also offers recreational and competitive adult leagues and tournament play.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/lafortunetennis or call 918-496-6230.

Other options for tennis lessons include Philcrest Hills Tennis Club, 10900 S. Delaware, 918-299-2643; and the Tulsa Tennis Club, 2801 S. Columbia Place, 918-749-3345.

Tae kwon do

People often forget that tae kwon do is an Olympic sport, said Vicki Cox, an instructor at Tulsa Martial Arts, 3017 S. Sheridan Road.

It may not be as popular as some other sports, but Cox said she still sees increased interest after the Olympics.

Cox, who began training in tae kwon do when she was 35, has now been teaching the sport for 17 years.

Tae kwon do, which originated in Korea, is similar to Japanese karate, Cox said. The sport features a stand-up fighting method, different from the other Olympic martial arts sport, judo, which uses a ground-fighting method.

The sport mostly focuses on kicking, Cox said, and is a good sport for kids because it teaches discipline and self-control.

"You basically learn to fight so that you don't have to fight," Cox said.

The center offers classes for kids and adults, and Cox said families are encouraged to take classes together.

Cox also encourages people to watch the tae kwon do competitions at this year's Olympics because there will be excellent athletes competing for the U.S.

For more information about Tulsa Martial Arts, visit tulsaworld.com/martialarts or call 918-622-9853.

Other places that teach tae kwon do include: Golden Dragon Taekwondo, located at 6556 E. 91st St. and 13720 E. 86th St. North, Suite 160 in Owasso, 918-734-4430; and Tulsa Taekwondo Academy located within the Thornton Family YMCA, 5002 S. Fulton, 918-280-9622.

Soccer

You'll probably hear it referred to as football during most of the Olympics, but soccer is one of the more popular Olympic sports.

If watching it gets you itching to play, try SoccerCity Tulsa, 5817 S. 118th East Ave., for some indoor soccer fun.

SoccerCity offers Lil' Kickers classes for kids ages 18 months to 9 years, leagues for all ages and levels of play, and opportunities for field rental.

General manager Kerry Shubert says people need to remember that indoor soccer differs from outdoor soccer in a few aspects. Only six players per team are on the field at one time, rather than 11, and the game has a faster pace because there is no "out of bounds" zone, so the ball is always in play.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/soccercity or call 918-249-0044.

If you're looking for outdoor adult soccer leagues, try the Northeast Oklahoma Adult Soccer Association. The association's fields are located at the Torcia Oliver Soccerplex, 10715 S. Delaware. For information, email info@neoasa.org or call 918-622-8948.

Gymnastics

Who can forget gymnastics? The sport is one of the most popular at the Olympics, and Scott Sparkman, head coach and owner of Ultimate Gymnastics, said there is always a considerable rise in interest after each Olympics.

In fact, he said they've already experienced about a 20 percent increase in calls asking about the center's programs, just from interest generated during the trials.

Ultimate Gymnastics, 4233 S. Yukon Ave., offers numerous programs, ranging from recreational gymnastics to USA Gymnastics programs, the national governing body for the sport from which the U.S. gymnastics Olympic team is chosen. The center also offers classes to all ages, from adult tumbling classes to the Tumbling Tots program for kids ages 18 months to 6 years.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/ultimategymnastics or call 918-698-3192.

Other area gymnastics studios include Tulsa World of Gymnastics, 7020 E. 38th St., 918-664-8683; and Jenks Gymnastics, 3019 E. 101st St., 918-299-4415 ext. 5384.

Archery

For those whose eye is caught by the archery competitions, the Tulsa Archery Association may be the place to go.

The association offers a yearly family membership for $40. That fee gives members 24-hour access to the club, located at 3203 W. 88th St. North in Sperry.

The club encompasses 40 wooded acres and includes a heated indoor range, several outdoor fields and 3-D ranges, and an outdoor practice range with targets from 10 yards to 60 yards.

Board member Dane Brockman said the association offers all kinds of archery, from what he calls the traditional archery of medieval times, to archery with the compound bows used for modern hunting, to archery on field ranges like those of the Olympics.

The association will also offer an archery introduction class during the Sept. 22 shoot at the club, he said.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/tulsaarchery

For those who want to take things slow and just take a look at some equipment first, visit Archery Outpost at 4420 S. Mingo Road.

General manager Glen McGuire said the store also offers lessons by appointment from January to June using its indoor range.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/archeryoutpost or call 918-938-6476.

Fencing

Jeff Starkweather has been with the Tulsa Fencing Club for more than seven years and says the club definitely saw an increase of members after the last Olympics.

This year, the club will offer a four-week introductory course right after the Olympics for anyone interested.

The club meets every Tuesday at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 3500 S. Peoria Ave. Classes are held from 7 to 8 p.m., and an open fencing session is held from 8 to 10 p.m.

Membership dues are $50 per year for the classes and $60 for the United States Fencing Association fee.

Classes are offered to adults and kids ages 9 and older.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/tulsafencingclub

Table tennis

And finally, how about some table tennis? Don't confuse it with ping pong, said Kelly Boyce, who's been a part of the Tulsa Table Tennis Club since 1973.

"Ping pong is something that people do at their basements at home," Boyce said. "It's a recreational activity."

Table tennis, on the other hand, is a sport.

"There are rules that govern every single thing that you do, from serving to what you can wear," he said.

The club meets three days a week: at Dawson Community Center, 2035 N. Kingston Place, on Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.; and at the Bixby Community Center, 211 N. Cabaniss, Tuesdays at 6 p.m.

The club is an informal program and doesn't offer lessons. New members learn by playing, and other players are happy to teach them the rules.

Those interested can play for about a month before being asked to join the club, whose membership is $40 per year.

For more information, visit tulsaworld.com/tulsatabletennis

Original Print Headline: Catch the spirit

Nour Habib 918-581-8369
nour.habib@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Whatever your favorite Olympic sport, there's a business in town to help you learn more about it. Ethan Sen, 8, (in red vest) spars with Tyler Arterburn, 8, during tae kwon do practice at Tulsa Martial Arts. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

Young soccer players Jacob Soerries (left), Victor Younger, Hudson Uhl, Ethan Baldridge and Dexter Barnes dribble across the field during practice for an age-4-and-younger team at SoccerCity Tulsa. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World

Hudson Uhl, 4; Victor Younger, 3; and Ethan Baldridge, 4, dribble across the field during a recent soccer practice at SoccerCity Tulsa. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World