News

Neighbor Sports

Posted October 03, 2007 11:00 pm

Daily Herald Staff Reports

Baseball, softball

Players wanted: The Sports Academy Northwest, 355 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove, is seeking a few good 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. Sunday 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 utilize 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.

One-day clinic: Fastball USA will host a one-day softball clinic Nov. 17 for coaches and players at 137 Diversey, Elmhurst. The UIC Flames coaching staff, Tom Grey, Sarah O'Malley and Allison Aguilar, along with UIC Flames players will be on hand. The division I softball program will hold a coaches clinic from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and a players clinic from noon to 3 p.m. The clinic will cover the fundamentals of softball in several skill areas including infield and outfield defensive, plus offensive skills of hitting, bunting and slapping.

Basketball

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 counties. 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 be highly competitive and play about 40 games between November and March. Anyone interested can call Jon Baffico at (847) 388-3402 or e-mail jbaffico@carmelhs.org.

Holiday tourney: 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. 16-18, and the seventh- and eighth-grade boys brackets run from Nov. 23-25.

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.

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.

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 over 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

F.O.C.U.S. tryouts: F.O.C.U.S. Sports, Inc. will hold volleyball club tryouts for boys and girls levels at the Elk Grove Park District, 1000 Wellington Ave., Elk Grove (in the Main Gym, courts 1-3) at the following times:

• 12U, 13U, 14U Teams -- Oct. 14, 1 to 1:30 p.m., registration; 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., tryouts; 5:30 to 6 p.m., qualifying players meeting:

Makeup dates are:

• 12U-14U (Boys and Girls) and 15U-17U/18U (Girls only) -- Nov. 4, 1 to 1:30 p.m., registration; 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., tryouts; 5:30 to 6 p.m.; qualifying players meeting.

For players who qualify for a team, there will be a parent, players and coaches meeting. Also, an initial down payment of $125 will be required.

Anyone with questions, contact Director of Volleyball Dominic C. DiSilvio, call (847) 956-0612, or e-mail dcdfocussports@comcast.net. or visit the Web site at www.focussports.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 parent/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.

Wrestling

Registration: Bartlett Junior Hawks Wrestling Club will hold registration for the 2007-08 season from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Bartlett Public Library, 800 S. Bartlett Road, Bartlett. Registration is open to ages kindergarten to eighth grade in Bartlett and surrounding areas. New registrants should bring a copy of their birth certificate. Anyone with questions, call Dan at (630) 291-5516.