The Inside Press

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COR Performance: Training Kids for Athletics

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We often hear parents ask: “Could my son’s injury have been prevented with strength and agility training?” or “My daughter is an excellent athlete, clearly a D1 caliber, what do I need to ensure that competitive edge?”

The most pressing questions, however, revolve around the potential benefits of starting your child on training at an early age. And how young is ‘too young’ to start?

Meanwhile, both you and your child may have big dreams of one day of playing college sports, or even professionally, but some kids simply want to play high school sports and create lifelong health and wellness habits.

Until recently, the standard approach to train young athletes would lead only to damage to the spine, stunt growth and/or ultimately result in injuries. Many even believed that strength training for kids results in slowed progression of athletic development.

All of this is true and false depending on how, what, when and why you are training.

Today, thanks to new research and practical knowledge, we better understand the biomechanics and the role it plays in all stages of a child’s life. We know for certain that a safe and age appropriate approach to athletics can be EXTREMELY beneficial to children in the long run.

Children who participate in a regular fitness routine or lifestyle tend to be a step ahead, developmentally speaking, of those that do not–in height, weight management, muscle strength, lung capacity, even body control, as well as self-confidence. Studies have also found a resistance training program can also have a great impact on strength prior to adolescence. With the proper trainer and program, preadolescents can attain the same levels of strength gains that their adolescent counterparts do, regardless of gender.

The Mayo Clinic, an authority in health research, has stated that kids should start age-appropriate strength and athletic development training as early as 7 or 8 years of age. At these early ages, you can expect a longer positive effect on a child than just playing sports.

If we invest the time to properly teach, train and develop our children now, we are maximizing their chances of long-term physical, mental and developmental success. As puberty, competition and challenge come into play, your child’s mind and body will be prepared. Call 914-273-3413 now to get your little athlete training!

COR Performance (CP) is a 16,000-square-foot facility located in Armonk, NY, featuring an indoor turf, fully equipped gym and onsite sports medical personnel. At CP, we focus on the four pillars of strength training: Strength, Mobility, Power, and Agility. We know what it takes to be reach optimum performance: Hard Work, Positive Attitude, and a Burning Desire to be the Best. CP trains; young athletes, amateurs, as well as professional athletes.

Fidelity Investments® Opens New Chappaqua Investor Center

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As pictured, staff at Fidelity Investments’ Chappaqua Crossing Investor Center celebrate the opening of their newly-opened facility, located at 480 Bedford Road.

The 5,250 square feet office is a state-of-the-art facility providing area investors with access to investment guidance, as well as Fidelity’s broad array of products and services. Fidelity now has more than 197 investor centers around the country, with 19 investor centers located in the New York City area.

“Fidelity Investments is excited to be opening this Investor Center at Chappaqua Crossing, which is a full-service investor center with a unique design, driven by the needs of our clients and based on customer feedback and pilots designed to better understand what would work,” said Andrew Davison, Branch Manager of the Chappaqua office. “Our objective in designing this space was to create an inviting and engaging environment, one that provides the best possible experience for our clients.”

Fidelity Investor Centers provide clients with education, innovative technology and one-on-one guidance to help them develop strategies for a variety of financial objectives. At Fidelity’s local offices, clients can work with a Fidelity Investment professional to:

  • Evaluate retirement readiness and get help preparing a retirement income plan
  • Conduct a comprehensive portfolio review
  • Take advantage of Fidelity’s Portfolio Advisory Services1 which provides ongoing portfolio management
  • Review useful information on estate planning, charitable giving, life insurance and college planning2
  • Participate in a wide offering of free educational seminars and workshops

Pictured are the staff at the Investor Center, including Andrew Davison, Branch Manager of the Chappaqua office (shown, center). Andrew Davison brings more than 12 years of financial services experience to his position overseeing the renovated investor center.  Mr. Davison holds the Series 7, 9, and 10 registrations and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM designation.  At the investor center, he works with a team of 13 associates dedicated to helping investors with their investment needs.

To learn more about the new Investor Center and how it can help with your financial planning decisions, contact: Andrew Davison, Branch Manager at 914-215-6225 ext.54666.

1. Fidelity Portfolio Advisory Service® is a service of Strategic Advisers, Inc., a registered investment adviser and a Fidelity Investments company. This service provides discretionary money management for a fee.
2. Fidelity does not provide estate planning, legal or tax advice. Laws of a particular state and your particular situation may affect the information. Consult with your attorney or tax adviser regarding your specific legal or tax situation.

Why Westchester Dancers Have Thrived at Logrea Dance Academy for More Than Three Decades

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Talented faculty member Vivian Freking instructs students

A child’s first foray into the world of dance is a big milestone. Choosing the right studio is an important decision, depending on what type of training they wish to receive. Logrea Dance Academy in Ossining teaches not only dance skills, but also skills that will help children as they navigate their way through life.

Founded in 1986 by Beth Fritz-Logrea and Jean Logrea, the academy provides training in ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance. The two came about opening the studio in a serendipitous way. While home in NYC on vacation from dancing with the Graz Opera House in Austria, they noticed the name of Jean’s former ballet teacher on a building marquee. Stopping in to see her, she told the pair that a company and school in Westchester was in danger of closing unless it could find new directors. After much discussion, Beth and Jean decided to stay, become Artistic Directors of the Westchester Ballet Company (WBC) and open their own dance school – Logrea Dance Academy, which is the school of the WBC.

Classes Tailored to Each Student’s Strengths

Logrea offers classes to students as young as 3, with its Pre-Ballet program. Students 8 years and older are offered a brief evaluation to ensure proper class placement – with or without prior dance training. Private instruction is also available for new students so that they may be brought up to the level of their age group. As was the case for the daughter of Tara Bernzweig who said, “We had private lessons from Jean Logrea over the summer. He was kind enough to do this so she could catch up to girls closer to her age group. My daughter is now signed up for three classes this fall. Jean was amazingly patient and sees potential in her.”

Having danced her whole life, Fritz-Logrea always strives to instill the love of dance in her students. “In dance, you have to express emotion through the body without words. You have to interpret and tell the story through the music and choreography alone. Our students carry this kind of creativity and imagination into their own lives, no matter what the forum,” she states.

Training with Talented Faculty

The academy has a superb faculty of 19 including the Logrea’s son Nick. In the spring, Logrea Dance Academy presents a series of performances at SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center. In addition, WBC performances of the Nutcracker take place at the Westchester County Center each year (December 14 and 15, 2019). These in particular are a wonderful way to bring dance to children. “The audience is filled with many students who have never been exposed to the arts, or seen a live show before. You could hear a pin drop in the audience filled with well over 1,500 students – they are so enthralled. Especially in this age of technology and social media, it’s important to expose our children to the arts. Not just as participants, but as supporters and audience members. The impact of both is enormous,” says Fritz-Logrea.

Studies have shown that dance lessons have a positive impact on many facets of a child’s life including their confidence, discipline, creativity and development. As Fritz-Logrea says, “They acquire so many skills that greatly impact their academic school success — and make them into more well-rounded adults. As we tell our parents, whether your child wants a career in dance, or just wants to dance for the joy of it, he or she will learn life-skills at Logrea that will last a lifetime.” 

When speaking with Fritz-Logrea, you really feel that she and Jean share a passion of teaching dance to children and watching them succeed in dance and in life. As she reflects on the decision to open the academy on that day in 1986 she says, “That one moment totally changed our lives in extraordinary ways – and, hopefully, the lives of our many students, who have walked through our doors for the last 33 years.”

Fiddleheads Cooking Studio is Cultivating Culinary Curiosity One Picky Eater at a Time

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Conveniently tucked at the crossroads of Armonk, Chappaqua and Mt. Kisco is Fiddleheads Cooking Studio, a space that has been quietly converting children into Top Chef Jr. hopefuls for close to five years. Pulling off Armonk Road up the gravel path to the red barn where classes are held, one is instantly transported to a rustic, farm-to-table environment. The renovated bright kitchen within is typically laden with seasonal, fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs from the gardens, garnering excitement amongst participants to delve into the planned menu.   

Playing with Food

Fiddleheads classes are guided by owner Renana Shvil’s unique five senses philosophy that melds kitchen science and storytelling within cooking education. With a mission of “growing the next generation of food explorers,” classes are offered for children as young as 2.5 years old, extending to adulthood. As Renana says, children of all ages can be joyful participants in the kitchen. She explains, “Talking about making healthier choices should be a constant, engaging process. From getting acquainted with the bare ingredients to enjoying the finished product, each activity represents a learning opportunity. Children gain a new appreciation for food once they begin to learn about its source. This studio was conceived to offer a fun, educational place that promotes food exploration, while expanding the taste buds.”


Fiddleheads’ hands-on experiences begin with basic food education, learning more complicated methods that build confidence and independence in the kitchen as they progress. Students work together, measuring and mixing to create a dish as they learn to use kitchen tools safely. There is no down time and as dishes cook, Renana engages participants in an interactive conversation about how food grows, who grows it, and how it got to the kitchen. This is accomplished either through story time, an art project or gardening activity. The class culminates with the group sharing their meal as well as their feelings and thoughts about the final product’s flavor and texture.

A Community Affair

Building a community that finds a love of fresh, healthy foods is at the crux of Fiddleheads’ mission. That’s why the cooking studio recently partnered with Whole Foods to offer a series of free programs that inspired children to get excited about seasonal ingredients. As parents checked off items on their shopping list, Fiddleheads taught children to make pizzas using  homemade roasted tomato sauce that were further personalized with an assortment of veggies. That popular class was followed up with programming with recipes for a deconstructed apple crumble cake complemented by homemade whipped cream, a crowd-pleasing pumpkin bread and a squash and kale soup that made children forget that they “don’t like kale.” 

Beyond Whole Foods, Renana and her team can also be found hosting mini cooking sessions around town at after-school programs, birthday parties, public libraries and local farmers’ markets. Visit fiddleheadscookingstudio.com for the up-to-date calendar.

Giving Thanks

There is no greater holiday to get the entire family involved in meal preparation than Thanksgiving. With the holiday approaching, Renana is full of ideas on how everyone can contribute. She says, “Thanksgiving is the one holiday in this country that’s celebrated by people of all faiths, beliefs and backgrounds. It’s therefore so appropriate that the cooking also involves everyone. Historically, the celebration of harvest involves the entire family, who would each take an active role in the process, preserving fruits and vegetables and preparing for the winter. Along that vein, I love involving the kids as much as possible as we set the table, decorate and cook for the holiday.”

Renana’s favorite dessert to make with the kids is a galette, a rustic pie that could be either sweet or savory. Not only is this a tasty dish, but it’s simple to make and doesn’t require perfection to be beautiful.

Fiddlehead’s Sweet and Savory Galettes

  • Crust (makes enough for 2 galettes):
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Large inch of salt
  • 16 tablespoons butter, chilled unsalted, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 3-4 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar

Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until

mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; drizzle with vinegar and

3 tablespoons ice water. Mix with a fork, just until a shaggy dough comes together. Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Divide the dough into 2 even parts, using a knife and transfer into 2 separate pieces of plastic warp. Gather the plastic wrap from the top, and pat each piece into a disk. Throughout the process try to handle the dough as little as possible. Chill at least 1 hour.

Note: You can make the dough a few days in advance and freeze until the day of use. If freezing, defrost 4 hours before use.

Savory Butternut Squash Filling:

  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into ¼ -inch cubes
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 5-10 cloves, garlic whole and unpeeled
  • 3-4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large shallot or yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 2 ½ teaspoons dried sage, divided
  • 1/2 cup fresh ricotta
  • ¼ cup creamy goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

Put diced squash in a large bowl and add the olive oil, chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon thyme. Toss to coat evenly. Spread out on one of the prepared baking sheets, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake together with the garlic cloves for 25-30 minutes. Let cool.

Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add a thin coating of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly caramelized, stirring and adjusting the heat if needed. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried sage. Continue cooking until fragrant, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Once the squash has finished roasting, allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pick the garlic cloves and place them in a separate dish, then gently toss squash with the shallot mixture. Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, peel and put in the reserved bowl. Mash with a fork and stir in the ricotta.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into an approximate 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Spread the garlic-cheese mixture over the top, leaving a 2-inch border.

Spread the roasted butternut squash evenly onto the dough, keeping the 2-inch border. Top evenly with goat cheese, the remaining sage and thyme.

Fold the excess dough on top of the ingredients in a circle, until you have a tightly formed tart.

Chill for 15 minutes, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the goat cheese is browning and the dough is firm. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

Notes: Steps 1-5 can be done up to 2 days ahead.

Sweet Apple Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 – 4 small apples
  • ¼ cup brown sugar or 2 tablespoons of molasses
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup heavy cream or 1 beaten egg + 1 tablespoon milk
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Halve each of the apples and use a spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the cores. Using a pairing-knife, thinly slice the apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into an approximate 12-inch circle, or until about 1/8-inch-thick. Arrange the apple slices in one layer over the top as desired, leaving an approximate 2-inch border. Sprinkle the apples with the brown sugar or molasses as well as the cinnamon and drizzle the brown butter over the top.

Working around the circle, carefully fold the edges of the dough over the outermost apples to create a border. Brush the exposed border of dough with the heavy cream or beaten egg with milk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake until the apples are soft and the crust is golden, about 40 – 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Balance Training

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It may not receive much attention in the world of sports medicine and fitness, but balance should be a primary consideration when designing an exercise program. While balance is extremely important for senior citizens, all age groups can benefit from balance training.

Here’s a test: stand on one foot and see how long you can balance. Now try it with your eyes closed. It becomes a much harder test. This is because balance is comprised of three systems: vestibular, proprioceptive and visual. Most people are overly reliant on their visual system. This is partly why the majority of falls occur in low light environments. When visual input decreases, it becomes much harder to balance.

Here’s the good news – you can improve your balance. Start by simply standing on one leg. Then try it on foam or an unstable surface. At all times, have something nearby to hold onto for stability. For example, you might try standing next to a table or at the foot of your bed. Finally, try it with your eyes closed. As difficult as it is without visual input, your ability to balance can improve. It takes consistent effort; consider starting your practice a five minutes once a day.

For an advanced routine, try balancing on a foam pad while playing catch or bouncing a ball off a wall back to yourself.

Matthew Marucci PT, MSPT, OCS, CSCS is the owner of New Castle Physical Therapy and is certified as an Advanced Hip Clinician with The Hospital for Special Surgery.
New Castle Physical Therapy is located at 16 Schuman Road in Millwood. For more information, please visit newcastlept.net or call 914-488-5440