Beach Cities Sports: Basketball, cycling, soccer, tennis, volleyball and more
Members of the Darfur United Soccer Team with (far right) Coach Mark Hodson of Manhattan Beach. A fundraiser is slated to help the team participate in the Viva World Cup in Iraqi Kurdistan in June. Photo courtesy of i-ACT
Fundraisers: i-ACT, a South Bay-based non-profit grassroots activist organization, presents a fundraising event and exhibit entitled “ONE STRONG KICK” from 6:30-10 p.m. Saturday, May 12 at a private residence in Manhattan Beach. The event benefits the 2012 Darfur United All-Refugee Soccer Team from Darfur, Sudan which is coached by Mark Hodson of EVO Soccer Programs and Director of Coaching at Manhattan Beach Sand and Surf Soccer Club. The goal is to raise funds to send the 15 refugee soccer players and five alternates to compete in the 2012 Viva World Cup in Iraqi Kurdistan June 5-9. Cost is $25 and includes food and drinks, live music, art exhibit, silent auction and a raffle. For more information, contact Katie-Jay Scott Stauring, 310-738-0285 or visit www.darfurunited.com.
Aquatics: A pre-requisite swim test for new applicants to the Junior Guard Program will be held Saturday, May 5 at Mira Costa High School from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Pre-registration closes at noon on May 4th. Offered to boys and girls ages 9-17, the Junior Guard Program is designed to instruct youth in beach and ocean skills. The five week program provides instruction in water safety, swimming, body surfing, surfing, physical conditioning, competition skills, first aid, lifesaving, rescue techniques, CPR and the use of professional Lifesaving equipment. Two sessions are available Mon.-Fri. (8:30-11: a.m. or 1:30-4:30 p.m.) from July 2 through Aug. 3 Projected fee of $476 includes a Junior Lifeguard shirt, swimsuit and membership in USLA. Financial Aid is available. For more information, visit www.watchthewater.org.
Football: The Summer Co-ed Flag Football on the Beach League in Hermosa Beach is moving to Thursday nights starting May 10. Games in the non-contact passing league begin at 6:30 p.m. at Tenth Street and The Strand and are played with two 20 minute halves, alternating guy and girl quarterbacks. Registration offered as a team only (10 player limit) and must be made at the Hermosa Beach Community Center, 710 Pier Ave. or online at www.hermosabch.org prior to the first day of the league. Cost is $265 per team. For more information, contact Chris at cyj@prankmonkey.org or 310-877-3148.
Velocity Sports Performance (VSP) will be holding a Lineman Academy for football players in grades 9-12. Instruction includes work on hip mobility, hand speed, conditioning and leverage. Sessions meet on Saturdays May 26 – June 30 from 11 a.m.-noon at VSP, 2607 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach. Fee is $199. To register, visit www.velocitysp.com/southbay or call 310-297-9001.
Volleyball: The Tommy Chaffins & Lauren Kirk Junior High Co-ed Volleyball camps will be at Parras Middle School in Redondo Beach from 3:30-5 p.m. starting May 2 and 4. The six-week camps are held on Wednesdays or Fridays. For more information, visit http://www.goscvc.com/ or contact Chaffins at tomchaffins@yahoo.com.
USA Volleyball will host Beach High Performance (HP) Tryouts for athletes looking to compete on beach volleyball national teams. Tryouts will be held Sunday on the north side of the Hermosa Beach Pier with athletes born 1996-2000 meeting from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. followed by participants born 1987-1995 from 2-6 p.m. Participants must be USAV members. Registration and a fee of $70 per tryout are required. Selected athletes will comprise the Future Select-U15, Select-U17, Youth-U19, Junior-U21, and Senior A2-U26 beach national teams representing the United States in various national and international competitions including the Beach High Performance Championships on July 18-22 in Hermosa Beach. To register, visit www.usavolleyball.org.
The third annual Dig 4 Jimmy Surf N Turf event will be held Sunday at 8 a.m. at the Manhattan Beach Pier. The unique event combines the best of beach life with participants surfing one scoring wave before competing in a sand volleyball tournament. Proceeds benefit Dig 4 Kids, an after-school program committed to providing youth in low-income communities with increased opportunities for academic and athletic achievement, and the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, which supports the healing of mental and physical illness through surfing and ocean-related activities. Dig 4 Kids founder Eric Fonoimoana and the late Jimmy Miller grew up together surfing and playing volleyball, both playing on one of the greatest Mira Costa High School volleyball teams, and they put their dedication and efforts into the sports they love.
Beach Cities Volleyball Club is holding tryouts for high school boys not currently playing club volleyball. Tryouts are from 5-7 p.m. Wed., May 9 at Vistamar High School, 737 Hawaii St., El Segundo and Fri., May 11 at Rolling Hills Prep Gym, 1780A Oak St., Torrance. Tryout fee is $25. Registration forms available at www.beachcitiesvbc.com.
A 4-Man Volleyfest will be held in Hermosa Beach Saturday, May 12 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Featuring top players and legends such as Sinjin Smith and Eric Fonoimoana, the new event includes a Celebrity Pro/Am match. Admission is free. For more information contact Bill Sigler, billsmack1@gmail.com.
California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) will be holding the Icaza Construction tournament on Saturday and Sunday May 12-13 at Rosecrans Ave., Manhattan Beach. The Mens B competition takes place Saturday. On Sunday, the Mens Open 4’s and Master divisions compete along with the Fishbar Womens A tournament. Action begins at 9 a.m. each day. Fee is $42.50 per team. To register, visit www.cbva.com.
Tennis: The 9th Annual Hermosa Beach Tennis Jr. Championship will take place Saturdays and Sunday, May 5-6 and 12-13 at the Hermosa Beach Community Center and Kelley Tennis Courts. Open to players in age divisions 8-18, the tournament costs $35 for singles, $40 for doubles. For more information contact Dave Mahoney, 310-619-7349, Dave@hermosatennis.com.
Basketball: Registration is available for the Proskills Basketball Camp to be held Mon.-Fri. June 25-29 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Aviation Gym, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach. Open to boys and girls ages 7-14, the camp costs $185 before May 15 ($200 after). For more information or to register, visit www.proskillsbasketballcamp.com.
Cycling: The Los Angeles Velodrome Racing Association (LAVRA) has announced its 2012 race season to be held at the Velo Sports Center, 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson. Located at the Home Depot Center, the facility provides a safe and healthy environment to ride and is the only world-class indoor velodrome in North America hosting athletes from all over the world. Youth and adult programs for beginners, intermediates and advanced riders are available. For more information visit www.lavelodrome.org.
The Baxter Time Trial Series of bicycle races has started, and will continue each Sunday through Sept. 30 on a course in Carson, near Torrance. Often called the “race of truth,” a time trial is a race against the clock. There are men’s and women’s categories for several different age groups. Racers are awarded points for placing and winners are announced at the end of the series. The Baxter Series is sponsored by the South Bay Wheelmen, a club for racers, aspiring racers, and those who just love to ride their bike. Participants in the Baxter races must be a club member and have a US Cycling Federation license, but membership and a one-day USCF license can both be obtained at the race. For more information, visit the South Bay Wheelmen website at www.southbaywheelmen.org. Click on the Baxter TT Carson for a map to the race site.
Skateboarding: Skatepark PV, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3 on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, has teamed up with Beachsports and the City of Rolling Hills Estates to host the 2nd Annual SK8 the Hill Event on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the basketball court of Ernie Howlett Park, 25851 Hawthorne Boulevard, Rolling Hills Estates, just north of PV Dr. North. The free event includes ramps, rails and grind boxes to skate on. Food trucks will be there as well as local teams. Free copies of Skateboarder Magazine with local pro Kenny Anderson on the cover will be available. For more information, visit www.skateparkpv.org.
Soccer: Girls ages 6-12 are invited to participate in the Mira Costa Youth Girls Summer Soccer Camp to be held July 9-13 at the Marine Sports Complex, 1751 Marine Ave., Manhattan Beach. The camp is led by Mira Costa Head Coach Patty Perkinson and will include counselors from the Mustang’s girls soccer team. Cost is $195. To sign up, visit www.miracostagirlssoccer.com.
Fitness: AdventurePlex, 1701 Marine Ave., Manhattan Beach invites family members ages 5 and up to improve balance, strength and power on its 35-foot outdoor rock walls, which are open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $8. Also available is a ropes course where groups of seven (ages 8 and up) start each half hour every Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost for the ropes course is $20; advance registration is recommended. Overall cost ranges from $8 to $2, depending on activities. For more information, call 310-546-7708.