By Kevin Dickson
Special to the Voice
To earn the Athletics Merit Badge, the scouts of Troop 802 needed to meet with a professional trainer at a gym to complete two requirements. Volunteer Troop Leader Kevin Dickson, a member of the Savin Rock Athletics Gym, asked his head coach, Ryan Kononchik, if he could help, and Coach Ryan, an Eagle Scout from Cheshire welcomed the opportunity.
One of the requirements that Coach Ryan discussed with the scouts was the importance of a healthy diet. As many of the scouts (and students of all ages) have the responsibilities of multiple classes in schools, sports, activities, and growing in general, it is very important to have a well-balanced diet to provide the energy needed for the day. He strongly recommended to the scouts who skip breakfast to change their routine so that they can be at peak performance. Coach Ryan reflected on his experience transitioning from a 150-pound lacrosse player to a top athlete in the world competing at the World CrossFit Challenge and discussed how important eating healthy, energy foods, and protein was to him.
For another requirement, Coach Ryan discussed the importance of regular checkups with doctors. As the scouts of Troop 802 are growing and maturing, it is important to have annual physical checkups to keep prime performance. It is equally important to visit the dentist. Coach Ryan reflected on how a member of his family had not visited the doctor for many years. When that member visited the dentist for the first time in a long time, they had seven cavities!!! Health is very important, and doctor’s visits help you to monitor and improve your health.
Coach Ryan, an Eagle Scout himself, discussed with the scouts the impact earning Eagle Scout had on his life. Coach Ryan was a member of a dedicated troop in Cheshire, where five out of the six scouts his age earned Eagle Scout. Every time Coach Ryan applied for a job and attended the interview, employers always complimented him on earning the rank of Eagle Scout and asked how it influenced him in applying for the job. Coach Ryan discussed his journey from graduating from Eastern State College to be a physical education teacher, to teaching different subjects for fifteen years before realizing that his passion was to help others through personal training. Shortly after this, Coach Ryan opened Savin Rock Athletics in West Haven and has been a coach here ever since.
After the discussion, scouts took the opportunity to try different levels of pull-ups, box jumps, and other activities that happen at the gym. Seeing them try new things and push for new levels was awesome for Coach Ryan, as he has now gone full circle to helping out the local scouts, as he was once assisted to start his journey to Eagle Scout. Coach Ryan is going to start planning more weekend opportunities for local groups, such as the Boy Scouts. Make sure you check in on the Savin Rock Athletics web page for future announcements.
This opportunity was as much an accomplishment for Coach Ryan as it was for the scouts accomplishing Athletics Merit Badge. Coach Ryan understood the importance of community involvement when he was starting scouts; now he wants to make a difference for the community of West Haven.