News

Neighbor Sports

Posted October 02, 2007 11:00 pm

Daily Herald Staff Reports

Baseball, softball

Players wanted: The Sports Academy Northwest, 355 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove, seeks 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 more 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

3-on-3 tourney: Prospect High School Athletic Boosters will sponsor its annual preseason 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. There will be separate brackets for each age group, except for high school juniors and seniors who will be combined. Different competition levels may also be added based on registrations.

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

Teams forming: Next Level Basketball Academy, located in the Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates area, is now forming fall and winter basketball teams for boys in fifth to 10th grade. The fall season has begun and the winter season starts the second week in November. For details, call (847) 508-2721 or e-mail nlba1@yahoo.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 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 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 one-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 begins November, and the spring season in the NISL runs 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

Feeder teams tryouts: CASH Aquatics, swimming, diving and water polo feeder teams for High School District 211 is holding tryouts for the fall/winter swim team at 7 p.m. Monday nights at Conant High School (enter through door 5), 700 E. Cougar Trail, Hoffman Estates. Swimmers should bring a suit, towel and goggles.

The training groups include 8 and under girls and boys, 9 and 10 girls and boys, 11 and 12 girls and boys, an Advanced group of 13 and up, plus selected 12 and Under. The high school program for both boys and girls is available outside of their high school season.

There is a minimum swimming requirement based on age. All who tryout must reside within the High School District 211 boundaries. Athletes ages 5 to 18 are welcome.

The teams participate in dual meet competition in the Northern Illinois Winter Swim Conference, United States Swimming meets and the AAU National Junior Olympic Games.

CASH Diving tryouts are at the same time and place. Participants must register with the AAU prior to getting onto the diving boards. This program is open to both girls and boys who are at least in fifth grade. There is a minimum swimming requirement to join the diving team. High school girls and boys can participate outside their high school season.

CASH Water Polo, open to both girls and boys who are at least in fifth grade, will hold tryouts later. There are swimming requirements to join this team. High school girls and boys can participate through their high school swimming and diving season but outside their water polo season.

For information e-mail at CASHAquatics@comcast.net or visit the Web site at CASHAquatics.com.

Volleyball

Free camp: The Sky High coach staff will conducting a free camp for girls in sixth, seventh and eighth grades from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Sky High Athletic Center, 220 Exchange Drive, Suite F, Crystal Lake. To register call Debbie Labaz at (815) 356-0006 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Fall camps: Sky High Volleyball will hold "Volleykids," a fall camp for Juniors in fourth to eighth grade Sundays from Sunday 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.

Side Out tryouts: Side Out Volleyball Association, an area Junior Olympic Volleyball Program, will hold tryouts for boys and girls at DuPage Training Academy, 115 Alexandra Way, Carol Stream, on the following days. Boys and girls 10 to 14 and under tryouts will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday and Girls 15, 16, 17, 18 and under from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 21 and 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 26. A waiver must be signed by parent or guardian before the tryout.

For more information or a flier on this Elite Junior Olympic Club, call (630) 736-8391 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; leave a message after 5 p.m. Anyone who wants to try out but unable to make the tryouts, please call.

F.O.C.U.S. tryouts: F.O.C.U.S. Sports, Inc. will hold volleyball club tryouts for boys and girls at the Elk Grove Park District, 1000 Wellington Ave., Elk Grove at:

• 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. Call Dan at (630) 291-5516.