Neighbor Sports
Basketball
Teams forming: Next Level Basketball Academy, in the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates area, is now forming fall and winter basketball teams for boys in fifth to 10th grade. The fall season begins this month, and the winter season starts the second week in November. Anyone interested, call (847) 508-2721 or e-mail nlba1@yahoo.com.
Shooting
Orientation night: The Arlington International Airgun Club junior division, the "AIAC Juniors," will conduct an orientation night to introduce juniors and parents to the sport of Olympic-style airgun shooting. The orientation, open to all juniors (ages 12 to 19) and parents, will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Christian Liberty Academy, 502 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights.
The presentation will cover opportunities on the Junior Olympic, NCAA/collegiate, and Olympic levels. AIAC Juniors have won medals in local, state, regional and national shooting competitions, and are currently the Illinois state champions in the junior air rifle and junior air pistol categories. Team members also have been invited to train and compete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The AIAC Juniors program focuses on developing marksmanship skills with an emphasis on teaching proper gun safety. Information about registration and range safety class will be announced at orientation. For information, contact Jay Vergenz at info@aiac-airguns.org or visit the Web site at www.aiac-airguns.org.
Soccer
K of C contest: Local 4483 Holy Rosary Council, Knights of Columbus, will sponsor the 2007 Soccer Challenge for all 10- to 14-year-old boys and girls at 2 p.m. Sunday at Melas Park Athletic Complex, 1500 W. Central, Mount Prospect. The winners of the annual event will progress through local, district and state competitions based on scores from the state-level competitions. Everyone will compete in their respective age divisions, and all contestants on the local level are recognized for their participation. Participants must furnish proof of age and written parental consent. Entry forms are available and can be filled out at Melas Park prior to competition. For information, call John Urban at (847) 577-8240.
Swimming
Alligator registration: The Arlington Alligators Swim team is taking mail-in registration for the teams that practice and swim at St. Viator High School, 1213 E. Oakton St., Arlington Heights. The Alligators are a member of USA Swimming, with athletes from all over the Northwest suburbs. The team is open to swimmers ages 5 and up, who can efficiently swim 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke.
Through a progressive program, all swimmers whether novice or advanced receive coaching and training necessary to guide them to their full potential. The coaches are USA Swimming and ASCA certified with years of coaching and competitive swimming experience. The Alligators have a history of competitive success under the direction of head coach Mary Ruffin. During the 2005-06 season, more than one-third of the swimmers qualified for local, state and national championship meets.
For information, call (847) 749-4900 or visit the Web site, www.arlingtonalligators.org.
Volleyball
September tryouts: The Sports Academy-Northwest at 355 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove will hold tryouts for the boys 2007-08 volleyball season at the following times.
• 15- and 16-year-olds (freshmen and sophomores) -- 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
There will be a parent meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
• 17- and 18-year-olds (juniors and seniors) -- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
There will be a parent meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
The age definitions are:
• 18 and under (18U) -- Seniors born on or after Sept. 1, 1989, or players who were born on or after Sept. 1, 1988, and a high school student during some part of the academic year.
• 17 and under (17U) -- Juniors born on or after Sept. 1, 1990.
• 16 and under (16U) -- Sophomores born on or after Sept. 1, 1991.
• 15 and under (15U) -- Freshmen born on or after Sept. 1, 1992.
• 14 and under (14U) -- Eighth-graders born on or after Sept. 1, 1993.
• 13 and under (13U) -- Seventh-graders born on or after Sept. 1, 1994.
• 12 and under (12U) -- Sixth-graders born on or after Sept. 1, 1995.
Both the TSA tryout registration/waiver and the USAV tryout waiver and release must be completed by parent/guardian before tryouts.
For more information about TSA Club volleyball tryouts and the 2008 TSA Team USA travel program, call (847) 279-3934 or go to the Web site at www.tsanorthwest.com.
Fall camps: Sky High Volleyball will hold "Volleykids," a fall camp for kids in fourth to eighth grade Sunday evenings from Oct. 7 to Dec. 16 at the following locations.
• Grades six to eight: 7 to 8:30 p.m., Libertyville, and 6 to 7:30 p.m., Prairie Stone
• Grades four to eight: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Crystal Lake.
The cost is $120 per athlete for the 10-week sessions, which includes 15 hours of instruction. Athletes are split into separate groups based on ability and receive a complimentary T-shirt. Sky High provides all the coaches. Each week athletes receive one hour of on-court instruction and 30 minutes of gamelike situations.
Sky High Athletic Center is at 220 Exchange Drive, Suite F, Crystal Lake; Libertyville Sports Complex, 1950 N. Route 45, Libertyville; and Prairie Stone Sports & Wellness Center, 5050 Sedge Blvd., Hoffman Estates.
To register, call Sky High at (815) 356-0006 or register online on the Web site at www.skyhighvolleyball.org.