Winter Special Olympics on for this weekend

This weekend, the 2013 Special Olympics Massachusetts Winter Games will be held today and Sunday in Worcester and surrounding areas. The 2013 Winter Games will host approximately 2,000 athletes, and 1,200 coaches and volunteers under the guidance of the professional Special Olympics Massachusetts State Office staff.The Winter Games give athletes a chance during the year to train and compete in the sports they adore, to ultimately showcase their love for winter sports and have the opportunity to experience a full and vibrant lifestyle.Special Olympics Massachusetts Winter Games consists of competition in five sports: alpine skiing, snowboarding, floor hockey, ten-pin bowling, and basketball.Basketball is the largest of the five sports hosted at Winter Games, with more than 100 teams and 1,200 coaches and athletes. Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding will take place at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, and I will be there as a coach with my team, the “Nashoba Shooting Stars”.This is our 11th year competing. They have been training for this weekend for months. We will compete in Slalom, Giant Slalom and Downhill and hope to bring home several medals. If you are in the area, stop by and watch an inspirational group of athletes that believe in their competitive alpine racing abilities and not their disabilities!uThere’s a lot going on this month for women who want to find out what lures guys to the outdoors. Adult women with an interest in learning how to tie a fly for fly fishing or pursue turkeys with a shotgun, camera or binoculars should sign up for workshops scheduled in March.On March 23, the first session of a two-part turkey hunting workshop will be held in Shirley. Designed for the beginning adult hunter, the March 23 seminar will focus on turkey behavior, turkey hunting tips, firearms handling and preparation for the second part of the workshop, a guided turkey hunt in nearby Devens on May 6.Wildlife photographers and birders will gain useful tips for finding turkeys at the March 23 seminar. If you’ve taken hunter education and want to try turkey hunting, this entire workshop is a good next step. The workshop is taught by friendly and knowledgeable volunteers with extensive turkey hunting experience. Turkey Hunt participants are required to take the Seminar segment if they want to participate in the Hunt. Turkey hunt participants must also have a valid gun license, shotgun, valid Massachusetts 2013 hunting license, and turkey permit.Registration for the turkey hunt gives preference to participants new to this hunt program.Participants may choose to take part in one session or both. The deadlines for registering are March 18 for the seminar & hunt and April 26 for the hunt only. Call (508) 389-6300 for additional information and registration materials.uA fly tying workshop for adult women (18-and-over) who are novices at fly-tying will be held March 30 in Belchertown. Early spring is a good time to create fishing flies for the upcoming fishing season.Jim Lafley of the Federation of Fly Fishers will instruct participants on how to get started in fly-tying with assistance by Jim Lagacy, MassWildlife’s Angler Education Coordinator.Attendees will have the opportunity to tie at least two patterns during the class. All materials and equipment will be provided for the class session and the instructor will answer questions about the basic equipment to get you started on your own. Space is limited, so sign up right away.The registration deadline for this workshop is March 21. Call (508) 389-6300 for additional information and registration materials.#On the same subject, not just for woman, the Merrimack River Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited will sponsor an introduction to fly-fishing workshop at the Nashua, N.H., public library on Saturday, March 23. Students will be introduced to the basics of fly-fishing: casting, entomology, equipment, and cold-water conservation.The workshop is part of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s L