High school basketball thrives in a community, in part, because of a solid youth program that helps to develop the players’ skills before graduation from eighth grade.
That’s especially so in the Waukegan area, where various youth boys basketball programs have been effective in preparing players for high school basketball.
As for girls basketball in the Waukegan area, the results have not been as good, but times may be changing.
This year, there will be a Waukegan Jr. Bulldogs youth basketball program for girls in middle school.
And girls currently in school grades 7-9 can learn how to play the game this fall and winter through the Illinois Surge program.
Tryouts for the Illinois Surge will be held on Wednesday night at the Boys & Girls Club located at 724 Genesee St. on the southeast side of Waukegan.
Registration for the program is at 7 p.m., and parents of players must attend the registration meeting. There is no charge for tryouts for girls in grades 7-9, which will follow the meeting for parents and go from 7:15-9 p.m.
The Illinois Surge is headed by Yolanda Frazier.
She is the chief executive officer of the Illinois Surge and the accompanying Waukegan Traveling Stars basketball program. Surge basketball is a not-for-profit endeavor.
Coaching the girls this fall and winter will be Myron Phelps and Andrew Frazier Jr.
For more information, contact Frazier at (630) 263-7774 or Phelps at (847) 693-6031. The Surge website is www.wtsis.com
More Top Picks Best Book Stands For Textbooks
.Adult hockey in Kenosha: The Kenosha Adult Hockey Club is looking for players and teams to join the program this fall and winter.
The league plays out of the Kenosha Ice Arena, which is just south of Route 50 and just east of Route 94 in Kenosha.
There are three divisions: elite, competitive and recreational. Each team will play at least 22 games, including two preseason games, in addition to playoffs. All games are played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings with flexible scheduling.
For more information, visitwww.kenoshahockey.com, email [email protected] or call (262) 914-5339.
Road run in Antioch: The inaugural Sequoit Pride fundraising 5K run/walk will be held on Sunday, Oct. 18, and will benefit programs at Antioch High School.
The run will start on the school grounds and will finish at the 50-yard line on the football field.
Proceeds will be used to create academic, athletic, artistic and extracurricular opportunities for Antioch students.
When registering, a person is to designate which Antioch team, club or activity the registration money will support.
There is race-day registration and the cost is $35. This is a “fun” run and will not be chip-timed. Also, the course length is 3.04 miles rather than 3.1 miles, which is the 5K distance.
For more information, see www.sequoitpride.com.
Road run to Simmons Field: The Kenosha Kingfish will host their second annual Spooky Sprint 5K on Saturday, Oct. 10, to benefit the Aurora Health Care Foundation in Kenosha.
The event will start at 9 a.m. with the Spooky Sprint, a 3.1-mle fun run/walk that starts in downtown Kenosha, and ends at home plate inside Simmons Field on Sheridan Road.
Simmons is the home park for the Kenosha Kingfish summer college baseball team.
This unique 5K will feature a costume contest as costumes are encouraged for runners of all ages. In addition to the 5K, the event will also feature a separate 1K (.62-mile) fun run for kids age 12-under. That run will be held at Simmons and will be free.
Cost for the Spooky Sprint is $25 for adults and $15 for those age 12-under. All participants will receive a T-shirt and a complimentary beverage at the stadium upon completion of the race. To register for the Spooky Sprint 5K, visit KingfishBaseball.com or call (262) 653-0900. No registration is needed for the free 1K for kids.
Twitter: @JeffBonato