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Neighbor
Notes: Baseball, football and Casino
Corral gets a new name
Published Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Little League swings back into action this
month and a new football program makes its debut, while a
favorite community fundraiser gets a new name and retains its
special old west flavor.
Getting ready for another baseball season
Photo courtesy of Randy
Jenco |
Former
Major League All-Star Fernando Vina explained the basics
of fielding at the first Cosumnes River Little League player
clinic of the year, held Saturday. The next clinic
is March 3, and team tryouts begin this month.
By Randy Jenco
Under sunny skies and warm weather, almost 150 boys and girls
enjoyed the first Cosumnes River Little League player clinic
of the year on Saturday. Elk Grove High School softball coach
Jeff Alexander, Pleasant Grove High School baseball coach Rob
Rinaldi and Pleasant Grove softball coach Tara Keegan were
on hand at Stonehouse Park to oversee the instruction. High
school players from both schools instructed the youngsters
in the basics of hitting, throwing, catching and fielding.
One of the highlights of the day was former major league All-Star
and Gold Glove winner Fernando Vina coaching the fielding of
ground balls in the morning session.
The next Cosumnes River Little League player clinic is scheduled
for March 3 at Stonehouse Park.
Baseball and softball tryouts for the 2007 Cosumnes River
Little League season are scheduled to take place this month
at Stonehouse Park. The schedule follows.
Saturday, Feb. 10
7-9
year-olds -- 9
a.m.
10-12 year-olds -- 1 p.m.
Saturday,
Feb. 24
7-9 year-olds -- 1 p.m.
10-12 year-olds -- 9 a.m.
In order to ensure safety and
a competitively balanced league, all 7-12-year-old players
(boys and girls) must participate in one of the two scheduled
tryouts.
In addition, players wishing to be
eligible for the baseball major, softball major and baseball
minor divisions must participate
in the appropriate tryout session:
Softball Majors -- February
13 at 5 p.m.
Baseball Majors -- February
15 at 5 p.m.
Baseball Minors -- February
20 at 5 p.m.
Rain make-up days will be scheduled as needed and posted on
the CRLL website http://www.crllbaseball.com.
New football program makes kids the priority
The goal of the program is
to provide young people with an experience that will
leave them excited about athletics.
By Liz S. Abess
Organizers of the new Pleasant Grove
Junior Football and Cheer (PGJFC) program are competitive
by nature, yet the program they are designing is focused
not just on winning, but also on the big picture.
The
goal of the no-weight-limit program for 6-14-year-olds is
to provide young people with a wonderful experience that
will enhance their lives and leave them excited about athletics. This
serves both the kids and their families now, and the high
school coaches who might see these kids on the field several
years down the road.
While there are existing youth football
and cheer organizations in Elk Grove, the program is the
first in the Sacramento Youth Football association league. The
league is different from other programs in that it has
no weight limit (it has a single weigh-in at the beginning
of the year to identify the level of play) program. Instead
of beginning in July, the league’s season
begins in August. The program is slightly less demanding than
existing programs, and the season is not as long.
The Pleasant Grove program was created to
foster a rewarding experience for the football players, cheer
squad, coaches and families while fostering a love for the
game and establishing traditions to enhance both the elementary
and middle school years and prepare the youth for an exceptional
high school experience. Most
importantly, however, the program is designed to cultivate
players and cheerleaders in the district boundaries of attendance
for Pleasant Grove High School.
According to Paul Frank, program board president,
they are working closely with the high school
varsity head coach Joe Cattolico, Athletic Director Jeff
Caton, and Cheer Coordinator Sarah Crite to create an effective
junior football and cheer program that will best serve all
parties involved.
“Pleasant
Grove High School staff will have a role in ensuring the junior
program is in line with what they want to see when the kids
reach high school,” said Frank. “It will
feature a mentoring program between high school and junior
coaches and players using the same philosophies. When
you have a truly integrated junior program with mentoring built
into it, it really enhances the high school experience for
everyone.”
Jen Terrill with the program is working with
Crite to create a fun and exciting cheer program in a more
relaxed atmosphere where competition is not mandated by the
league. It is encouraged
and the kids are free to participate, but extensive travel
and time commitments are not part of the program.
There are two opportunities to learn
more about the new Pleasant Grove Junior Football and Cheer
program. There will be
an informational meeting on Feb. 15 or March 8, from 6:30-8
p.m. at the K.L. Albiani Middle School multi-purpose room and
a chance to meet Pleasant Grove Varsity Head Coach Joe
Cattolico, Athletic Director Jeff Caton, Cheer Coordinator
Sarah Crite, and the program board of directors to hear
about the program, ask questions, and have an opportunity
to register to play.
In an era where intense competition
is prevalent in sports and parents are regularly scolded
for being overzealous, the program will make the kids – not the prize – the
priority. “Our goal is to make this a positive experience. We
encourage kids to be multi-sport athletes and to enjoy being
kids,” said Frank. “We want them to have
a good season and be excited about next year, not thankful
the season is over.”
More details are available on the PGJFC Hotline at (916) 551-1000
or on the website at www.pgfootball.org. Sign-ups
continue through March 31.
Liz Abess is a member of the Pleasant
Grove Junior Football and Cheer board of directors.
Casino Corral is now OKC Corral
OKC Corral event sponsors displaying the new name and logo
replacing Casino Corral are, from left, event chair Susan Sozzi
of the Kiwanis Club, Phil Gibbons of the Optimist Club and
Bonnie Shewchuk of the Cosumnes River Elementary PTA.
Story and photo
courtesy of OKC Corral
Casino Corral, one of the community’s largest annual
youth fundraisers, has a new name and a new look. Since
last year, the event no longer features Monte Carlo-style gaming
and has been renamed OKC Corral.
“It’s a great solution
for our ‘casino-less’ event,
one that still pays homage to the western theme and venue, but also reflects
the primary sponsor names behind the fundraiser,” according to three-time
event chair Susan Sozzi of the Kiwanis Club.
The letters OKC represent the sponsoring
organizations -- Optimists,
Kiwanis and Cosumnes River Elementary PTA. “Our
organizations have worked together as a team on this event
for eight years…The new logo celebrates the fresh spirit
of cooperation with which we’re approaching this year’s
event,” said Sozzi.
The OKC Corral will feature
an encore performance by local favorite StoneHouse band as
well as other live western entertainment and games, a gourmet
prime rib dinner, specialty cocktail bars, a mechanical bull, a
fundraising “jail,” vintage
portraits, raffles, and silent and live auctions offering
hundreds of prizes.
OKC Corral will be held on Saturday,
April 28, at the Murieta Equine Complex from 5 to 11 p.m. As
in years past, there will be many opportunities for sponsorship
and volunteers are always needed. For more information, contact
Susan Sozzi at 354-2227.
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