Neighbor Sports

Baseball/softball

Elk Grove Travelers: Elk Grove Travelers will be holding try-outs for 8U and 9U from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Elk Grove High School. Tryouts for 8U will be from 10 a.m. to noon and 9U will be from noon to 2 p.m. Participants are asked to arrive early to sign-in.

Part-time baseball runs from January through July. Practice is one to two times a week and play 15 to 30 games in a season.

Players must be Elk Grove residents and must play in the Travelers' House Baseball program.

For details, visit www.elkgrovetravelers.com or e-mail Steve Brandt at sjbrandt@sbcglobal.net

Throw Faster Clinic:ŒFastball USA, near the York and Grand intersection on Diversey in Elmhurst, will host a one-day clinic from 9 a.m. to noon Monday. Pre-registration is required.

The clinic will teach baseball players how to throw harder and farther while improving overall throwing ability. The class will be led by former college coaches and baseball scouts.

Discounts are available for the first 12 students that register. Sub-groups are created to accommodate youth players and high school players.

Call (630) 532-5107 or log on to www.fastballusa.com for more information.

Hitting clinic: Professionals at The Sports Academy, 355 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove (in Chevy Chase Business Park) will work with athletes on aspects of fine tuning bat mechanic for optimal game-time performance. Sessions will be held Jan. 27 to Feb. 24 from noon to 1 p.m. for 2nd to 4th grade and 4 to 5 p.m. for 5th to 8th grade. The cost is $150.

For a registration form or more information, call TSA at (847) 279-3934 or go to the Web site at info@tsanorthwest.com.

Travel openings: The Northwest Crushers (formerly the Stone Authority Crushers) U13 Boys Travel Baseball Team has openings for the 2008 travel season. Non-Hoffman Estates residents are also welcome to try out. Contact Coach Ed Korus for an indoor tryout.

Players must be no older than 13 on May 1, 2008. The team plays a competitive schedule from April to July in the Mid-Suburban Baseball League, including a total of approximately 50 games, including two out of town weekend tournaments. Home games are at Cannon Crossing in Hoffman Estates. For information, call Coach Ed Korus at (847) 202-1970.

Basketball

Free throw contest:ŒAll 10- to 14-year-old boys and girls are welcome to participate in the local level competition for the 2007 Knights of Columbus, Council 4483 (Arlington Heights) Free Throw Challenge. The competition will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Saint Viator High School, 1213 Oakton Ave., Arlington Heights. Registration is between 1 and 1:30 p.m. Participants are required to furnish proof of age and written parental consent.

For information, call Ken Kudla at (847) 358-2862 or Randy Baker at (847) 255-6503.

AAU tryouts:ŒThe Netburners will hold tryouts for boys and girls on Feb. 29 at Birchwood Recreation Center, 435 W. Illinois Ave., Palatine at the following times.

• 4th and 5th Grade Girls and Boys -- 6 to 7 p.m.

• 6th and 7th Grade Girls and Boys -- 7 to 8 p.m.

• 8th, 9th and 10th Grade Girls -- 8 to 9 p.m.

The registration fee at door is $10 or $5 by e-mail before Feb. 27. Call Lonnie Welch at (847) 338-7099, e-mail Lo nie.netburners@gmail.com or go to the Web site at Ne tburners.com.

Football/ cheerleading

New program:ŒPop Warner Little Scholars, the nation's largest youth football and cheer organization, is expanding into the Des Plaines/Mount Prospect area. Pop Warner offers great travel football, cheer and academic rewards for boys and girls 5 to 15 years old. Chicagoland Pop Warner is a part of Mid-America Pop Warner which serves an 11-state region. The winner of the regional championships in both football and cheer travel to Disney for the Pop Warner Superbowl as seen on ESPN.

The Maine Township Warriors will serve Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Park Ridge and the surrounding area. Teams are being formed now. There are no tryouts and all players are welcome regardless of experience.

Board members are also needed to help with the program. Anyone who would like to be a part of the Pop Warner program, call (847) 534-6238 for details, e-mail cpwfc@comcast.net or go to the Web site at www.popwarner.com.

Miscellaneous

Poms clinic:ŒGirls in kindergarten through eighth grade are welcome to attend the Poms Clinic, dance with the Prospect Poms and perform at halftime during the Jan. 26 basketball game. Registration is at 11 a.m. and the clinic will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 26 in the cafeteria at Prospect High School. Registration is $30 per girl. The clinic includes a T-shirt, drink and snack. All girls will perform a dance routine at halftime of the boys' varsity game which begins at 6 p.m. Girls need to arrive at 5:45 p.m.

Checks made payable to Prospect High School should be sent to the school at 801 W. Kensington Road, Mount Prospect, IL 60056. Anyone who pre-registers will receive a free CD. To R.S.V.P. by Jan. 21 and any questions, call Mrs. Fleaka at (847) 550-9931.

Baggo signup: The Wheeling Park District Adult Baggo League begins at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31 and continues for eight weeks through March 20. The fee for Baggo is $20 per team. This session, the league will move to the Gable Grill at Chevy Chase Country Club on Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling.

All those 18 years and over may sign up for the league as a team of two. The game of baggo involves throwing the bean bag through the seven-inch hole in a wooden board to score three points or on the surface for one point. The first team to 21 wins. Refreshments are available for purchase starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Gable Grill bar.

Register at the Guest Service Desk at the Community Recreation Center, 333 W. Dundee Road, Wheeling, or at www.wheelingparkdistgrict.com.