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Sports News for Kids: Gendron, Bate win equestrian titles in Tampa
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Allie Gendron, 9, of North Naples and Barron Collier senior Jennifer Bate both captured Champion titles at the Arabian Horse Association of Florida Annual Spring Fling Horse Show held April 19 and 20 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.
Bate and her purebred Arabian Mytoi Bask W+/ rode to Champion honors in the Arabian Show Hack Open Championship and were also named Reserve Champion in the Arabian Ladies Sidesaddle Open.
Gendron bested the competition in the A/HA/AA Walk-Trot Equitation 10-and-under Championship taking home the blue ribbon on her Half-Arabian mount Ladighazi +/. They also went on to be named Reserved Champion in the A/HA/AA Walk-Trot Pleasure Championship.
Next month both riders will travel to Georgia to compete in the English performance divisions at the AHA Region 12 Championships.
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The Naples Sharks Wrestling Club won team championships at its past two tournaments, winning the Shark Attack II Tournament on Saturday at Gulf Coast and winning at Barron Collier on April 19.
All Sharks wrestlers who competed at the Shark Attack II place in their divisions. The team won eight gold medals in three styles -- folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman. Vince Parker at 145 pounds won two golds and a silver. Also winning golds were Bryan Connelly, Craig Connelly, Jalen Evans, Andrew Arias, Michael Guitatd and Mitchell Haan.
In all, the Sharks won 36 medals awarded to the top three finishers in each weight class.
The Naples Sharks Wrestling Club is an AAU- and USA- sanctioned club that practices at Gulf Coast High School from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. For more information contact Coach Shane Hillis at 784-7305 or Chris Parker at 572-0001.
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Tommy Blackford has been selected to Team USA South for Roller Hockey. Blackford, 14, made the team after an invitation-only tryout in Washington D.C. earlier this month. Players must have won awards in a national tournament to be invited.
Blackford has been playing roller hockey in Southwest Florida for the past seven years. He heads to Philadelphia in June to compete with Team USA South against other youth teams from around the world.
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Fusion Cheer and Dance will be having cheer and dance clinics today through Thursday at its facilities located at 3550 Westview Drive, Suite 101 in Naples.
The clinics for beginners are on Monday and Wednesday. Sessions are an hour long, with ages 4 through 6 starting at 5:30 p.m., 7 through 9 at 6:30 and 10 and older starting at 7:30. Intermediate and advanced classes are Tuesday and Thursday. Ages 8 through 11 start at 5:30, while ages 12 and older go from 6:30 to 8.
There will be a hip-hop dance clinic Thursday. Ages 4 through 8 will start at 5:30, followed by 9 and older at 6:30.
Tryouts for the Fusion cheer and dance squads will conclude the week Saturday. Cheerleading tryouts start at 9 a.m. (ages 4 through 6), 11 a.m. (7 through 9), noon (10 through 12) and 1 p.m. (13 and older). Dance tryouts for all ages begin at 10 a.m.
Please arrrive 15 minutes before your scheduled clinic and tryout time. Each participant must bring a copy of a birth certificate or passport. Ages are as of May 31, 2008. Fusion will be fielding both competitive and non-competitive teams. Waiver forms and other information available at www.fusioncheeranddance.com. Call 643-2437 for more information.
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Velocity Sports Performance is hosting the Nike SPARQ Training My Better Championship at their Naples facility Saturday. Athletes ages 13 to 18 will compete in five sports challenges and graded using a SPARQ rating that measures overall athleticism.
The event is open to all athletes, boy or girl. To participate, kids must register online at www.sparqtraining.com. Any local athlete also can contact Naples' Velocity Sports Performance, 11965 North Collier Blvd., to request a free training session. Call Velocity at 649-FAST (3278) for more information.
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Manatee Middle School is hosting the inaugural Manatee 3-on-3 Middle School Basketball Tournament. The games begin at 10 a.m. May 17 on the school’s campus at 1920 Manatee Road. Any School District of Collier County middle school student is eligible to compete in the tournament.
Students can pick up registration packets from their school’s athletic director. Registration is $40 for a four-person team. There will be one boys division and one girls division (co-ed teams are not permitted) with each team consisting of a maximum of four players.
Every participant will be guaranteed two games and will receive a t-shirt. Trophies will be awarded to the top team in each division. The goal of the tournament is to celebrate the game of basketball, display good sportsmanship and a positive attitude.
All registration forms and permission slips are to be turned in to Manatee Middle School Athletic Director Nick Orlowski no later than May 6. For more information, please contact Nick Orlowski at Orlowsni@collier.k12.fl.us.
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The Don Stewart Basketball Camp will offer four sessions for youngsters this summer starting in June and running through July.
The first session is June 2 through 6 at Naples Christian Academy, 3161 Santa Barbara Blvd. The classes run daily from 9 a.m. to noon. The second session is from 9 to noon June 9 through 13 at First Baptist Academy, 3000 Orange Blossom Rd.
The cost is $100 for one week or $175 for both. All participants receive a t-shirt. A camp store with drinks and snacks will be available.
The camp also will be offered June 30 through July 3 and July 7 through 11 at the North Naples Community Park. If you are attended these camps, make checks payable to Collier Parks and Rec. There will be no camp on July 4.
Stewart, the Lely High School boys' coach, is a 10-time Southwest Florida Coach of the Year. He will be joined by Stacey Stewart, a high school coach in Georgia, and Scott Stewart, a Lely grad who started at the University of Florida.
Space is limited, so those interested should register soon. For more information, call Coach Stewart at 417-3662.
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The Coach Mark Ivey Cougar Football Camp will be held on June 2 through 5 at Barron Collier High School. The camp is for all athletes in grades 4 through 9. Camp will begin each day at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. The cost is $100 per camper and lunch will be provided. Please call 348-9277 or 404-4947 for more information.
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The Naples Flame sixth grade Division 1 and 2 teams are in the middle of successful basketball seasons competing in the USSSA.
The Division 2 team is ranked fourth in the state. Players are Conner Riley, Jack Burland, Garrett Maze, Mark Hastings, Pedro Legrand, Tommy Gilhooly, Michael Kincaid, Matt Dunn, Alec DaSiveira, Oliver Zaiser, John Cheffy, Ian Williams and Brody Schoenfeld.
The Division 1 team defeated the Ft. Myers Tigers 44-39 last week in the Crunch Time Classic held in Naples. The Flame are 19-3, winning 17 of their last 18 games. The teams has won four championships and one runner-up in five tournaments. The Flame are ranked first in Florida.
The Division 1 team members are Ryan Celano, Max Kent, Logan Schell, Drew Gendron, Jeffery Merton, Ryan Moore, Garrett Gould and Jonathan Baker.
The Naples Flame are coached by Seacrest Country Day High School coaches Bob Madden and Ryan Jobe.
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Germain Arena will hold registration May 4 through May 10 for the following programs: youth 3-on-3 ice hockey, women's and men's ice hockey, learn to skate, learn to play hockey, competitive figure skating and mini mite ice hockey.
A 2-for-1 early bird discount will be offered when two new customers register together or when one current customer and one new customer register together. For more information go to www.skateeverblades.com.
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The Seahawk Baseball Instructional School will be June 9 through 13 at Community School of Naples. The camp is for ages 7 to 15 from 8:30 a.m. to noon daily.
The cost is $150 per camper. The school includes a final-day pizza party at 11:30 a.m. for all campers. Register by June 2 for a guaranteed spot and T-shirt. Late registration will be accepted if space allows.
The camp will stress fundamentals, discipline and teamwork, as well as mental intangibles. Players should wear a light-colored T-shirt, baseball pants, and a baseball hat, and should bring baseball cleats, running shoes and a baseball glove. A bat and catcher's gear may also be brought.
For more information, contact Seahawks coach Jon Ayres at 398-1769 or Steven Brown at 250-3609.
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The top youth soccer company in the U.S., Challenger Sports, will hold one of their nationwide British Soccer training camps for the Greater Naples YMCA.
A member of Challenger's British coaching staff will be brought in to work exclusively on these programs. The program will run Aug. 4 through 8 and is available for kids ages 6 to 16. Register online at www.challengersports.com or contact Ben Freeman, YMCA Senior Program Director, at 597-3148.
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Winning Ways of Southwest Florida has set the dates for its upcoming summer camps. The camp will be run by Winning Ways president Tom Kane and former Valparaiso University player Zoran Viskovic. The cost is $60 for the two-day session, which includes a brown bag lunch.
There also will be summer sessions of the shooting and ball-handling camp starting June 5. The four-week sessions are for boys and girls ages 10 and older. Each class will be at Gulfview from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursdays. The cost is $69 for the four weeks, which includes a t-shirt.
Winning Ways also will offer a post player camp and a guard and perimeter play camp starting June 5. Both four-week sessions run from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursdays at Gulfview. Each camp costs $69 for the four classes.
An advanced shooting class will run for four weeks starting June 5. It also will be Thursdays at Gulfview with classes going from 8 to 9 p.m. The cost is $69. There also will be a three-day shooting camp June 2 to 4 at Gulfview. Each class goes from 4 to 7 p.m.
Winning Ways' Nothing But Nets camp will run in two week-long sessions this summer at the Estero Recreation Center. Session I is from June 9 through 13, while Session II is Aug. 11 through 15. The camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. It is for boys and girls ages 6 to 16.
The boys and girls Elite camps have been moved to St. John Neumann High School because of construction at Cape Coral High School. The girls camp is June 16 through 20, while the boys Elite camp runs from June 23 through 27.
The half-day shooting camp for boys and girls is June 30 through July 2 at Fort Myers High School. The half-day position camp runs at the same time and place. There also is a Nothing But Nets Camp, which you can register for at www.leeparks.org.
There is a 10 percent discount when you sign up for multiple camps. For more information or to register online visit www.winwayshoops.com. You can also call Tom Kane at 357-3020, or e-mail him at tom@winwaysinc.com.
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USA South Volleyball will hold two summer programs at the Estero Recreation Center. Session A, which is for setters and liberos, will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Session B for hitters will be July 8 through 31 at the same times.
The coaching staff includes Jaye Flood, Chandra LeFever, Carrie Lundy, Jeremy Ridego and Landon Thomas. The cost is $475 for 11 sessions. To register call 253-6900 or visit www.usasouthvolleyball.com.
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The Naples Hurricanes Pop Warner football and cheerleading teams have opened registration for the upcoming 2008 spring and fall seasons. The Hurricanes are set to start their third season. There are six football teams and six cheer squads ranging in age from 5 to 14.
The spring season starts this week and runs from 6 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday through May 22.
To sign up, bring a copy of a state birth certificate and an original physical form to one of the registrations. Spring football registration is $50, and a $100 deposit is required to reserve a roster spot for the fall season. The deposit will be applied toward the $250 fall fee. Photos will be taken at registration, so participants must be present.
For more information, visit the Hurricanes online at www.naplescanes.com, or call John Gulotta (Football) at 530-0342, Lisa Anderson (cheer) at 455-4691 or Cheryl Brucato (cheer) at 248-0200.
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The Naples Titans Youth Football and Cheerleading League's spring camp for 2008 has started and will be Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 8. The sessions run from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at East Naples Middle School.
Football is open to players ages 6 through 13, and cheerleaders ages 5-14, and a copy of a birth certificate and a 2008 physical is required to sign up.
The Titans also will have sign-ups for flag football and cheerleading, which begin May 20. Fall tackle football and cheerleading begins July 7. For more information, or to become a coach, go online to www.naplestitans.com or call Jack Poole at 774-1865.
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The Naples Gators Youth Football, Cheer, Dance & Flag League have started their spring conditioning camp and are currently holding registrations for the fall tackle, cheer and flag football fall seasons every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Fleischmann Park Football Field through May 15. Ages for tackle, cheer & dance are 6 to 13 and flag football is for ages 5 to 10.
The Naples Gators have no boundaries which means that anyone from the Naples area can join. The Naples Gators practice and play all their home games at Fleischmann Park. For more information and to join the Naples Gators Youth Football, Cheer, Dance & Flag League go to www.naplesgators.com or contact Steve Quinn at 537-5443. Rosters spots are on a first-come, first-served basis and are filling up.
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The Naples Football League is a full-contact, non-traveling program for players in third through eighth grades. Registration has started for the September through November season. A fee of $145 and a birth certificate is required to enroll. Visit the league Web site at www.naplesnfl.org for more information or call 348-8744.
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Registration for the 2008 Southwest Florida United Soccer Academy is under way.
The Senior Academy is for boys and girls ages 13 through 18. The training session runs now through July 31. The Junior Academy for ages 8 through 12 runs from May 5 through July 31.
Registration forms and detailed schedules are available online, but parents are asked to come out to North Collier Regional Park to meet academy staff prior to training or contact Dwight Morgan, Academy Director at swflunited@comcast.net with questions. For more information visit the Southwest Florida United's Web site at www.swflunited.org.
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The 2008 Continental Amateur Baseball Association 18-and-under aluminum bat World Series is July 27 through August 3 at the Cene Park Baseball Complex in Struthers, Ohio. Teams can register for the World Series at www.cababaseball.com or www.youngstownclassb.com. If teams need more information contact Ken Quinn at 330-755-5676.
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The inaugural Lauren's First-and-Goal Football Camp to raise money for pediatric brain tumor research is June 8 at the University of South Florida.
The camp is named in honor of 11-year-old Lauren Loose, who has been fighting brain tumors since she was 2. All proceeds benefit Lauren's First and Goal foundation which is a charitable organization created to raise funds for pediatric brain tumor research and support pediatric cancer services. The minimum donation is $25 per athlete and the camp is open to students entering grades eight through 12 in the fall.
The athletes at the camp are coached by and gain exposure to many college coaches in one location. Players are divided into small groups by position and age for offensive and defensive instruction. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the camper-to-coach ratio is approximately 8 to 1. College coaches all receive information on every rising senior at the camp.
To download a copy of the application or for more information, visit the organization online at laurensfirstandgoal.org. Those interested also can contact John Loose at 484-221-1795.
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To have a youth activity listed in the calendar, mail it to Naples Daily News, Kids Calendar, 1075 Central Ave., Naples, FL, 34102. You can fax info to 239-263-4816 or e-mail sports@naplesnews.com. E-mail preferred by 4:30 p.m. on Sundays.
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