Having Fun While Staying Cool This Summer

Gardner neighbors Karen Winkler, 67, and Kim Young, 65, have been friends for 30 years. Like many neighbors, they watch out for each other. Part of that commitment is having fun together while staying safe.

The two walk together at least three times a week and participate in the 50-Plus walking soccer program offered by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.

“It is so much fun,” Young said. “You’re supposed to walk the entire time, but sometimes, we get a little excited and can’t help but start to run a little.”

It’s not FIFA World Cup 2026 Kansas City, but they said play can get pretty competitive. “It’s a fun competitive,” Winkler said.

Gardner neighbors Karen Winkler, 67, and Kim Young, 65, have been friends for 30 years. Like many neighbors, they watch out for each other. Part of that commitment is having fun together while staying safe.
The two walk together at least three times a week and participate in the 50-Plus walking soccer program offered by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. — Pic credit: Karen Winkler / Kim Young

As an added bonus, walking soccer is also a safe way to have fun as the temperatures climb outside. The group meets at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays at the air-conditioned New Century Fieldhouse in Gardner. Despite the air conditioning, the two can work up a good sweat. So, to stay safe, they regularly take breaks to drink water, and they call for a substitute when they need to rest a bit.

Six months ago, the two neighbors began attending weekly, and now they try not to miss a week. “I have a grandson that was going on field trip and wanted me to go. He asked, ‘Grandma, do you have old-people soccer then?’ Because he knew I wouldn’t go if I had to miss a week,” Young said.

To keep their stamina high and get their steps in, the two meet in the mornings at that same fieldhouse to walk around the soccer pitch. For Young, the padding of the artificial turf is easier on her back than a concrete sidewalk.

Six months ago, the two neighbors began attending weekly, and now they try not to miss a week. To keep their stamina high and get their steps in, the two meet in the mornings at that same fieldhouse to walk around the soccer pitch. For Young, the padding of the artificial turf is easier on her back than a concrete sidewalk. — Pic credit: Karen Winkler / Kim Young

For Winkler, the draw is the location.

“It doesn’t matter what the weather is, you can come in here and walk, and you don’t have to worry about whether it’s too hot or too cold. There are bathroom facilities, there’s a water fountain to refill your water bottle. The staff here is delightful to be around, and it’s a safe place,” she explained. “It’s kind of like home, you know? We feel comfortable here.”

Physical safety – to be free of violence or injury – isn’t a big concern because “Gardner is still a relatively safe community,” Winkler said.

“But I do sometimes walk the Greenway or Celebration Park by myself, and usually there are other people about. But I never wear my AirPods. I don’t do anything to block out the noise around me.”

For example, she explained, “You never know when a kid on a scooter will zoom past yelling ‘On your left!’ So, it’s important when you’re outside that you hear what’s around you.”

Planning and precautions keep the neighbors having fun while staying safe. “As you age, you have to learn your boundaries but focus on the fact that you can still have fun,” Winkler said. “You just have to maybe think about it a little more.”

Source: https://www.jocogov.org/best-times/july-august-2026/having-fun-while-staying-cool-summer

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