News

Neighbor Sports

Posted September 26, 2007 11:00 pm

Daily Herald Staff Report

Baseball

Hammerheads tryouts: The 14U Arlington Hammerheads, a team that has played in the MSBL for five seasons, will hold individual tryouts for the 2008 baseball season. Players must be born after April 30, 1993. Games start early in April and run through July with some weekend tournaments. Team practice will start in January. Interested players should call Tony Ferrante at (847) 226-4386 for a tryout date.

Players wanted: The Sports Academy Northwest, 355 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove, is seeking players for its 13-year-old travel team. The team will train twice a week beginning Dec. 1 at the indoor, turfed complex. Players and parents are also welcome to attend the "Parent/Player Meeting" at 2 p.m. Oct. 7 at The Sports Academy to meet the professional staff and other travel team participants.

The team is trained by non-parent experienced coaches. Once practices begin, all TSA players can use unscheduled cages or pitching areas. The team plays approximately 55 games during the spring/summer season.

For information go to www.TSANorthwest.com or call Peter M. Caliendo at (847) 946-8838 or e-mail him at peter@tsanorthwest.com.

Basketball

3-on-3 tournament: Prospect High School Athletic Boosters are sponsoring their annual pre-season 3-on-3 basketball tournament Oct. 14 at Prospect High School, 801 W. Kensington Road, Mount Prospect. The tournament is open to boys and girls in fourth through 12th grade. Separate brackets are planned for each age group except for high school juniors and seniors who will be combined. Other grade levels may also be combined depending on registrations. Different competition levels may be added based on registrations. Efforts will be made to coordinate playing times so participants in other fall programs may participate.

The entry fee of $100 per team guarantees each team a minimum of three games. All proceeds benefit Prospect Athletic Boosters. For information or a registration form, contact Lori Frasco, (847) 670-7811) or Bill Reed, (847) 272-6010 or the Web site at prospectknights.com.

Corsairs tryouts: The Junior Corsairs Basketball Program offers an opportunity for sixth to eighth grade boys to compete against various teams from Lake and Cook County. Tryout dates and times for all levels are 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. Nov. 8, noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 11 and 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. Nov. 15. Practices and home games will be held at Carmel High School.

The teams will play approximately 40 games between November and March. Anyone interested, call Jon Baffico at (847) 388-3402 or e-mail jbaffico@carmelhs.org.

Thanksgiving tournament: The Art Jones Basketball Academy Sports, Inc. will hold its 18th Annual Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament at the Mount Prospect Lions Center, 411 S. Maple, Mount Prospect. The fifth- and sixth-grade boys' brackets will run from Nov. 16 to 18, and the seventh- and eighth-grade boys' brackets run from Nov. 23 to 25.

Park districts, YMCAs, traveling basketball clubs, AAU teams, recreational agencies, boys clubs and school teams are welcome. For more information, contact Art Jones at (847) 494-1166.

Soccer

High school tryouts: Real Chicago FC will hold its 2007-08 High School U15 to U18 tryouts from 9 to 11 a.m. Oct. 21 at Maine West High School, 1755 S. Wolf Road, Des Plaines. The fields are located behind the football stadium. Players should arrive a half-hour early to register and bring birth certificate, wallet size photo, completed IYSA waiver, shin guards, ball and water bottle.

All players will go through a normal training session with the coaching staff, which includes technical drills, conditioning exercises and tactical games. Indoor training will begin in November, and the spring season in the NISL will run through June 2008.

Registration forms may be downloaded off the Real Chicago FC Web site at www.realchicagofc.com. For more information call (847) 392-4209.

Swimming

Alligator registration: The Arlington Alligators Swim team is currently 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.

All swimmers receive coaching and training to guide them to their full potential. The coaches are USA Swimming and ASCA certified with years of coaching and competitive swimming experience.

For information, call (847) 749-4900 or visit the Web site, www.arlingtonalligators.org.

Volleyball

Fall camps: Sky High Volleyball will hold "Volleykids," a fall camp for Juniors 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 game-like situations.

Sky High Athletic Center is located 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.

October tryouts: The Sports Academy-Northwest at 355 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove will hold tryouts for the girls 2007-08 volleyball season at the following times.

• 13- and 14-year-olds (middle school) -- 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 20, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 27, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30, and 9 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 3.

• 15-year-olds (freshmen) -- 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 15, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 20, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 24, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 27, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 29 and 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 3.

• 16-year-olds (sophomores) -- 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 20, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 27, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 3.

• 17-year-olds (juniors) -- 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 20, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 27, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, 3 to 6 p.m. Nov. 3.

• 18-year-olds (seniors) -- 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 17, 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 20, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 22, 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 27, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 31, 3 to 6 p.m. Nov. 3.

There will be a parent meeting for all age groups from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14.

The age definitions are:

• 18-year-olds -- Seniors born on or after Sept. 1, 1989 and a high school student during some part of the academic year.

• 17-year-olds -- Juniors born on or after Sept. 1 1990.

• 16-year-olds -- Sophomores born on or after Sept. 1, 1991.

• 15-year-olds -- Freshmen born on or after Sept. 1, 1992.

• 13- and 14- year-olds -- Middle school, seventh-graders born on or after Sept. 1, 1994, and eighth-graders born on or after Sept. 1, 1993.

Both the TSA tryout registration/waiver, and the USAV tryout waiver and release must be completed by a parent or guardian before tryouts. There is a one-time fee of $30 for all tryouts with cash or check payable to TSA.

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.