Team Northwest CT takes home grand prize at competition

KENT » Team Northwest CT took home the grand prize in the inaugural Connecticut Recreation and Parks Association Empower Obstacle Course at the annual CRPA Convention, held on Nov. 25.

Team Northwest, comprised of recreation directors representing five northwestern Connecticut towns, including Matt Andrulis Mette of Sharon, Lesly Ferris of Kent, Colleen Finn of Goshen, Brent Hawkins of Litchfield and Brian Leonard of Morris, completed the 30-yard course in just over 14 minutes.

“Team Northwest really worked hard for this, with phone calls and emails leading up to the hard earned victory,” said Hawkins.

“Effective communication skills and teamwork were the keys to our success,” said Ferris.

Andrulis Mette added, “It was Hawk’s [Hawkins’] relentless will to win.”

The five directors navigated the adventure race course, sponsored by Empower Leadership Sports and Adventure Center, on the floor of the convention center at Mohegan Sun where the two-day CRPA Conference was held.

“Congrats again to Team Northwest CT for taking home the grand prize; they better be ready to defend their title next year,” said Dan Jaskot, general manager of Empower.

Course challenges included passing a hula-hoop from team member to member while holding hands, traversing a balance beam, assembling puzzle pieces, assembling a pyramid of ping pong balls surrounded by a hula hoop pyramid, moving team members across rectangular stepping stones while connected to each other and the stones and passing a golf ball through individual plastic channels into a bucket.

Teams of recreation professionals competed headto-head throughout the afternoon. Team Northwest CT shared a gift basket which contained gift cards and apparel.