Written by Ryan Seeloff | 26 February 2010

Brevard County Parks and Recreation now offers Futsal for youth ages 7 and up, as well as adults, at South Beach Community Center, located at 500 Old Florida Trail, in Melbourne Beach.

Futsal is a five-on-five (including goalie) indoor game similar to soccer that was created in Argentina. It is distinguished by its smaller pitch and smaller ball. The smaller ball is also heavier and low bounce; therefore, it stays on the floor more and encourages the development of skills like passing, dribbling and close control.

Sessions are held Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. for ages 7 and 8; from 5 to 6 p.m. for ages 9 to 11; from 6 to 7 p.m. for ages 12 and up; and from 7 to 8 p.m. for adults. The youth sessions are organized in partnership with the Melbourne Beach Soccer Club and cost $4 per child. The adult sessions are organized and supervised by Brevard County Parks and Recreation staff and cost $2 per person.

For more information please call South Beach Community Center at 321-952-3210.

Written by Ryan Seeloff | 26 February 2010

Surf Fishing Clinic

Brevard County Parks and Recreation is pleased to offer Surf Fishing Clinics at South Beach Community Center, located at 500 Old Florida Trail, in Melbourne Beach. Adults ages 16 and up can learn how to Surf Fish in the Atlantic Ocean on the beautiful Space Coast! Each clinic is a 2-part session; an instructional class held at the community center and a fishing excursion at Coconut Point Park. Clinics will be held on March 5th/March 6th and March 18th/March 20th. Fee is $50 per person for the 2-part session and all equipment is provided. Please pre-register at least one day in advance.

Bob Ross Painting Classes

Bob Ross painting classes are offered at South Beach Community Center, located at 500 Old Florida Trail, in Melbourne Beach. The late Bob Ross was host of the public television series The Joy of Painting, which ran from 1983 to 1995 and still appears in reruns in many broadcast areas. During each half-hour segment, Ross would instruct viewers in the art of oil painting using a quick study oil painting technique that kept colors to a minimum and broke paintings down into simple steps that anyone could follow. Please join Barry Traxler, certified Bob Ross instructor, on March 5, 10, 24 and 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The fee of $40 per class includes all materials. Space is limited so register early.

Ladies’ Tea and Recipe Exchange

Brevard County Parks and Recreation is hosting a Ladies’ Tea and Recipe Exchange at South Beach Community Center, located at 500 Old Florida Trail, in Melbourne Beach on Thursday, March 11th, 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Come chat and share recipes with new friends once a month. This month’s theme is desserts. Please bring at least 15 copies of a recipe and a treat to share. Tea will be provided. There is no fee for this activity.

Walking Club

Brevard County Parks and Recreation is now offering a Young at Heart Walking Club at South Beach Community Center, located at 500 Old Florida Trail, in Melbourne Beach. The club meets Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and is free of charge. Participants will enjoy making new friends and promoting a healthy lifestyle with the new Young at Heart Walking Club, integrated with warm-ups, stretching and more. All programs are supervised by Brevard County Parks and Recreation staff.

Zumba Classes

Brevard County Parks and Recreation is now offering Zumba classes at South Beach Community Center, located at 500 Old Florida Trail in Melbourne Beach. Zumba is an incredible fat-burning and muscle-sculpting fitness program fusing Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow dance moves. Classes are held every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The fee is $5 per class or $25 for eight classes.

Preschool Sports Program

Brevard County Parks and Recreation is now offering a preschool sports program for children ages 3 to 5 at South Beach Community Center, located at 500 Old Florida Trail, in Melbourne Beach. Skills and Drills is a seven-week program that focuses on hand-eye coordination and sports. This program is filled with exciting confidence-boosting activities that will help children build their skills in sports. Classes are held Mondays from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The fee is $3 per class or $20 for the seven sessions. All programs are supervised by Brevard County Parks and Recreation staff.

New Fitness Programs

Brevard County Parks and Recreation is offering new fitness programs at South Beach Community Center, located at 500 Old Florida Trail in Melbourne Beach. Adults can enjoy a variety of fitness programs instructed by Patty Moore, including Fitness Fusion, Tone That Body and The Spartacus Class. Fitness Fusion is personal training in a small group setting including cardio, resistance training, kettlebells, flexibility and strength training.

One class each week will incorporate a bridge run at the Melbourne Causeway. Classes are held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The fee is $10 per class or $120 for 12 classes. Tone That Body is an exercise class that will tone all the major muscles using hand weights, exercise balls and mats. Classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The fee is $5 per class or $25 for eight classes.

The Spartacus Class is a high intensity workout geared toward individuals who want to challenge muscles and send their fitness level soaring. This class is designed from intermediate to advanced for men and women. Circuit training involves dumbbells and kettlebells. Classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. The fee is $5 per class or $25 for 8 classes.

For more information or to pre-register, please call South Beach Community Center at 321-952-3210.

Written by Ryan Seeloff | 26 February 2010

New locally produced items for the Brevard County Farmers Market include organic produce, homemade pickles, sweet potato butter, fresh-baked bread, and sausage. Deep-root grass-fed beef will be available March 11.

The Brevard County Farmers Market is held at the Wickham Park Equestrian Center in Melbourne every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m., co-sponsored by the University of Florida Brevard County Extension Service and Brevard County Parks and Recreation.

The farmers market features a wide variety of locally grown and produced fresh tomatoes, organic citrus, micro-greens, pasta sauce, eggs, meat pies, quiche, wing sauce, fudge, native plants, honey, herbals, dog treats, homemade soap, and more.

The Brevard County UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardeners also sell fully constructed rain barrels at the market for $50, allowing the collection of rainwater for use in landscapes. For more information, call the Cocoa Extension Office at 321-633-1702.

Written by Ryan Seeloff | 26 February 2010

North Area Parks Operations is forming teams from North Area community centers for a youth basketball league to play in North and Central Brevard. Age divisions are ages 7 through 9, 10 through 12 and 13 through 14. The league will begin on Friday, March 5, at 5 p.m., with the first game at Cuyler Community Center in Mims. Transportation will be provided for teams to “away” games.

Registration will begin on February 15 at the following community centers and the $10 per player fee is due by February 26: Cuyler Community Center, 2329 Harry T. Moore Avenue in Mims; Isaac Campbell, Sr., Community Center, 701 South Street, Titusville; Port St. John Community Center, 6650 Corto Road, Port St. John; Walter Butler Community Center, 4201 North Highway 1, Sharpes.

Contact Clifford Lett at (321) 264-5045 for further information on this Brevard County Parks and Recreation sponsored program.