Malverne/West Hempstead
HERALD Students thank Northwell staffers
State beaches to reopen on Friday
lions Club names district governor
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Vol. 27 No. 21
MAY 21 - 27, 2020
Netting some hope in W.H. Chief Soccer Club surprises players with drive-by parade By NAkeeM GrANt ngrant@liherald.com
Courtesy TOPSoccer
JeSSiCA, leFt, ANd Lauren Lee helped organize a drive-by parade for the West Hempstead Chiefs Soccer Club’s players on May 9.
With the coronavirus pandemic putting an end to the West Hempstead Chiefs Soccer Club’s spring season, the group found a way to score off the pitch. Volunteers and leaders of the club took part in a driveby parade at their players’ homes on May 9. “It lifted people’s spirits, and I think it shows that as a group, we’re connected and we’re a family of TOPSoccer players,” said Lauren Lee, the West Hempstead director for the
youth soccer program. “A lot of the players have been in our program for a long time, so it was just nice to say, ‘We’re thinking of you.’” More than a dozen cars full of volunteers met in the parking lot of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hempstead that afternoon. The group then drove by 16 players’ homes in West Hempstead, Malverne and Franklin Square, holding signs showing their devotion to the team. All of the players received gift bags that included soccer balls, water bottles Continued on page 4
Malverne, W.H. fitness trainers adapt with virtual sessions By NAkeeM GrANt and MeliSSA koeNiG ngrant@liherald.com; mkoenig@liherald.com
Among the myriad disruptions the coronavirus epidemic has inflicted on everyday life, the statewide closure of gyms has dealt a stinging blow to the fitness-minded. Stuck at home and following social distancing and self-isolation guidelines, fitness facilities in Malverne and West Hempstead have been forced to adapt, and are developing new routines to help their clients stay in shape. T h e r e s a Fo d e r s, g r o u p instructor and personal trainer at Fitness 19 in Malverne, had
started outdoor workouts with residents shortly after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all non-essential businesses in March. When social distancing measures were instituted, however, Foders quickly made a transition to virtual training on Facebook Live. “I have a lot of dedicated members that have followed me for the last 10 years,” Foders said. “It’s definitely been tough, because I’m not computer savvy, but having all these great people in my circle, that motivated me. It’s just nice that I can give back.” Foders, of Lynbrook, sets up shop in her living room, and
hosts training sessions Monday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Her workouts focus on highintensity interval training, which features cardio work as well as exercises focusing on arms and abdominal muscles. Foders’s Facebook group, Terrible Theresa Training, now has more than 300 members, including some in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California. “A lot of my friends, their sisters-in-law and my daughters have been sharing it with other people, and this group just kept growing,” Foders explained. “Now our group shares everything from sweaty selfies with their family to healthy food recipes. It just
blows me away.” Foders added that because some of the other gyms at which she works have closed for good, she will continue virtual training once the lockdown is over. She said she also hoped to do more outdoor training as well. When Mike Lisi and John Feliciano, the co-owners of RAF Strength & Fitness, in West
Hempstead, found out in March that they would have to close their gym, they immediately made the transition to virtual classes. They had ordered 200 resistance bands that they handed out to their members, Lisi said, and now they host virtual workouts lessons every day at 10 a.m. Continued on page 14