January 22, 2009

SPORTS

Almaden varsity athletics

Almaden’s high school athletes were busy last week. In the soccer field, the Chargers beat the Mustangs 2-0 a game that saw non-stop action. In the photo at right, Carioush Ebadat (16) and Brent Mine (8) square off at midfield. Far right, Justin Peterson battles for a rebound in the game against Westmont, which the Chargers lost.

San Jose Giants announce 2009 fireworks schedule

The San Jose Giants have announced a slate of five home dates this season that will include a spectacular post-game fireworks show. Fans will have the opportunity to see the sky light up at Municipal Stadium with five fireworks extravaganzas, including opening night and the Fourth of July.

The 2009 post-game fireworks shows are scheduled for opening night Thursday, April 9; Friday, May 1 presented by Blossom Valley PONY Baseball; Friday, May 22 sponsored by San Jose Water Company; and Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5. The first three contests are all slated to begin at 7 p.m., while both games during Independence Day weekend will start at 6:30 p.m.

“Fireworks and opening night it is a double bang for your buck,” said Jim Weyermann, president and CEO of the San Jose Giants. “Come out and meet the new 2009 San Jose Giants on April 9, see them first, up close and personal, you never know who will be playing in the big leagues before the end of the season. Plus, come enjoy all of the new family entertainment additions that have made the San Jose Giants experience one of the best in all of baseball.”

Fans who purchase any San Jose Giants season ticket or mini plan package before Jan. 23 will receive two free tickets per plan to the April 9 Opening Night Fireworks Extravaganza.

The San Jose Giants are offering several ticket packages that guarantee fans the best seats for fireworks nights. Mini plan ticket packages are perfect for fans with a busy schedule or a tight budget. New this season, the Flex Plan option at $75 includes six undated box seat tickets for the price of five. These tickets can be used for any game, including fireworks extravaganzas. With this package, fans must purchase their plan at least 24 hours prior to the preferred game.

In 2008, the Giants’ three highest attendance nights occurred on fireworks evenings, including the 5,219 fans that came out to the ballpark on May 9, the second highest single-game attendance total in team history. San Jose fans also filled Municipal Stadium to capacity during both the July 4 and 5 fireworks celebrations.

With these dates the most popular at the ballpark, it is encouraged to book any ticket package as early as possible to ensure the best seating. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit www.sjgiants.com.

San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a minor league professional baseball team in the Class A Advanced California League. The team has been affiliated with the San Francisco Giants since 1988, which is the longest current working agreement in the league. The San Jose Giants were the 2007 California League champions and have called San Jose home for over 60 years. The San Jose Giants play in historic Municipal Stadium. The team is owned and operated by a group of local investors living in the Bay area. The Giants afford thousands of San Jose residents the opportunity to bring their families to watch a national pastime at a fraction of the cost of a major league game. For tickets, contact the San Jose Giants box office at (408) 297-1435 or visit www.sjgiants.com.

SSJ Xtreme take second at District 2 Tournament

The SSJ Xtreme U13G Class 3 team, comprised of girls from the Almaden Valley and the Blossom Hill areas, earned a second-place finish at the District 2 Cup Silver Bracket Tournament. They went undefeated in pool play and played an inspired match in the finals ultimately losing 2-0 in a game that was closer than the score. The tournament brought their 2008 season to an end in good fashion and is a great springboard for the 2009 season.

Anyone interested in trying out for the Xtreme can contact (408) 202-2058 or nwcooper@yahoo.com.

Leland girls’ soccer team appears strong in league play

By Coach Jody Washington
Special to the Times

The Charger girls' soccer team may have struggled a bit in pre-league competition against teams from St. Francis, Mountain View and Sacred Heart Prep, but they have come into the regular season strong. The girls are coming together both on and off the field as a team and they understand what they need to do to achieve their goals this season. They are willing to work hard.

Junior Cristina Farrington shoots two goals in last week's game against Branham, which the Chargers won 2-0.

The biggest highlight so far this season was our 3-1 season-opener against Leigh. Both games last season against Leigh stung us in the last minute of each match for 1-0 wins.

The second highlight would be our come-from-behind tie against Pioneer. Leland was up 2-0 at the half. With one minute left in the game the score was 3-2 Pioneer. In a last-ditch effort, senior Serena Powery made a run down the left side of the field, crossed the ball right in front of the goal mouth, and sophomore Joycelyn Martinez nailed a header for the tie. Five seconds later, the game-ending whistle blew.

Standout players this year include senior Andrea Buckley (defender) juniors Cristina Farrington (forward) and Megan Panek (goalkeeper), sophomore Joycelyn Martinez (forward/midfielder). With Buck and Panek doing a great job of leading on holding down our defensive game and Farrington and Martinez combining for 23 goals so far this season in the attack, we've got great balance between attack and defense.

From the beginning, I knew this group possessed something special. Their number-one goal this season is to make a run for both the league and CCS championship. With the skill, attitude and team dynamic this group possess, I truly believe that if they keep their focus, they've got a great chance at both. But we still need to improve at set pieces; corner kicks, direct/indirect kicks. We've only scored on one corner this season so far.

This year's team is much more focused on teamwork versus individual play. They realize they need each other to be successful. We may not be the most skilled players individually but as a team, we have developed a very competitive group of players that complement each other. No attitude, no negativity, only collaborative effort that equals team success.

With the group of players we have this year, we are well on our way to achieving all our goals. Up next for the lady Chargers is Pioneer on Friday and Evergreen next Wednesday.

Almaden Valley Athletic Club to hold Community Day

The Almaden Valley Ath-letic Club will open its doors on Saturday Jan. 24 to the community for a day of fun, family-friendly activities that are designed to promote a well-rounded, safe and healthy lifestyle.

AVAC’s Community Day will feature educational seminars, specialty classes and mini health assessments including blood pressure, body fat testing and flexibility screening. In honor of National Blood Donor Month, AVAC will team with the Stanford Blood Mobile to enable blood donations from able community members. In addition, the San Jose Police Department will discuss child safety and offer free child fingerprinting.

Throughout the day AVAC will raffle off prizes such as an annual fitness membership, annual tennis membership and one-month, three-month and six-month memberships along with a 12-week Fit4Life program pass, AVAC Boot Camp program pass, swim school lessons and tennis lessons for children and adults. Community Day participants may enter to win one of the many prizes during the event activities.

“Almaden Valley Athletic Club is committed to educating community members about maintaining a healthy lifestyle while encouraging them to give back to the community in a unique way,” said Sue Davis, general manager of AVAC.

The club has put together the following schedule.

1:30-5:30 p.m. – Stanford Blood Mobile: blood donation collection, please schedule appointments at http://membersforlife.org/stanford/mobilesch/cities.

2-4 p.m. – San Jose Police Department: child safety discussions and free fingerprinting
2 p.m. – Water Fitness
2 p.m. – Circuit training/TRX demonstrations
2 p.m. – Sculpt
2:30 p.m. – Mini-Boot Camp
2:45 p.m. – ZUMBA
3 p.m. – Pilates Mat Class
3 p.m. – Speed Ladder demonstration
3:30 p.m. – Nutrition and Lifestyle seminar
3:30 p.m. – Family Hip Hop
4 p.m. – BOSU demonstration
4:15 p.m. – Adult Yoga
All day – Health assessments for blood pressure, body fat and flexibility
All day – Bounce house for children
All day – Pilates Reformer Demos
All day – Spongeball Junior Tennis

“The new year is a great time to assess one’s health and fitness,” said Joe Shank, co-founder and owner of AVAC. “We hope AVAC’s Community Day will encourage residents to take advantage of the club’s free screenings, seminars and unique classes to ensure a productive and fit 2009.”

The AVAC Community Day is free and open to the public. The AVAC play-to-learn child care center will also be open at no charge for parents that wish to take advantage of the free classes. AVAC is located at 5400 Camden Ave. Online registration is recommended. For more information and to register, visit www.avac.us/communityday or call (408) 445-4915.

About AVAC
The Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC), is the Bay area’s premier, award-winning family facility that offers total health, fitness and wellness programs for all ages. AVAC’s resort-style facility features luxurious amenities, Pilates, swimming, tennis and social activities as well as a 1,500-square-foot child care facility with play-to-learn activities. The 6,000-square-foot fitness center offers the latest workout equipment with Cardio Theatre as well as MicroFit assessment. Certified personal trainers offer one-on-one training and certified fitness instructors teach a variety of group classes. AVAC houses its own 1,200-square-foot STOTT PILATES™ studio. AVAC offers a retractable roof teaching pool for year-round swimming lessons and a 25-yard outdoor swimming pool. Winner of the coveted USTA Club of the Year award, AVAC hosts numerous tennis programs on its 11 lighted tennis courts. AVAC is home to the largest Bay Area Senior Wellness program fostering senior fitness with workshops, seminars, group exercise classes and social events. For more information, visit http://www.avac.us.

High School Sports Schedule Jan. 23 – 29

Leland

Friday—Boys’ basketball vs. Overfelt at Overfelt; JV at 6; Varsity at 8 p.m.
Friday—Girls’ soccer vs. Pioneer at Pioneer at 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday—Girls’ basketball vs. Gunderson at Gunderson; JV at 5:30 and Varsity at 7 p.m.
Tuesday—Boys’ soccer vs. James Lick at Leland: at 3:15

Wednesday—Boys’ basketball vs. Pioneer at Leland; JV at 5:30 and Varsity at 7
Wednesday—Girls’ soccer vs. Evergreen at Leland at 3:15

Thursday—Girls’ basketball vs. Willow Glen at Willow Glen; JV at 5:30 and Varsity at 7
Thursday—Boys’ soccer vs. Sobrato at Sobrato at 3:15
Thursday—Wrestling vs. Andrew Hill at Leland at 6:30

Pioneer

Friday—Boys’ basketball vs. Piedmont Hills at Pioneer; JV at 5:30 and Varsity at 7 p.m.
Friday—Girls’ soccer vs. Leland at Pioneer at 3:15

Tuesday—Girls’ basketball vs. Lincoln at Lincoln: JV at 5:30, Varsity at 7
Tuesday—Boys’ soccer vs. Live Oak at Pioneer at 3:15

Wednesday—Boys’ basketball vs. Leland at Leland; JV at 5:30, Varsity at 7 p.m.
Wednesday—Girls’ soccer vs. Sobrato at Morgan Hill at 3:15
Wednesday—Wrestling vs. San Jose at San Jose at 6:30

Thursday—Girls’ basketball vs. James Lick at Pioneer; JV at 5:30, Varsity at 7 p.m.
Thursday—Boys’ soccer vs. James Lick at James Lick at 3:15

For more information about Leland and Pioneer sporting events, go to:

Pioneer Athletics: www.phsathletics.com
Leland Athletics: www.lelandathletics.com
Blossom Valley Athletic League: www.bval.org

Sports Briefs

SSJ Xtreme Girls’ U13 Soccer Tryouts
Established in 2003, we are a Class 3 competitive soccer team comprised of girls from the Almaden Valley and the Blossom Hill / Santa Teresa areas. If you are an experienced player born after July 31, 1995, you are welcome to join.

When: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009 10 a.m. – noon

Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Where: Herman Intermediate School, 5955 Blossom Ave. San Jose.

Players should plan on attending both sessions. For more information, contact Nigel Cooper at 408-202-2058 or Email: nwcooper@yahoo.com.

Almaden FC Boys’ U16, U17, U18 Class 1 & 3 Soccer holds tryouts
The Almaden FC – Boys’ U16, U17 and U18 Class 1 & 3 - are looking for highly competitive soccer players with birthdates between Aug. 1, 1993 and July 31, 1991. We are a year round, competitive team based in Almaden Valley and coached by Alex Saunders (Leland HS JV Coach).  Winners of four regional tournaments in 2008 and looking to increase our record this coming season, we believe in development play to give our players a chance to compete in high school and college. We are holding tryouts at the following date and time:

Saturday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Pioneer High School’s natural grass fields.

Tryouts will continue through the end of February at times to be determined.

For more information, please contact our team manager, Alex Saunders 650-644-6507 or by email at alexandersaunders@hotmail.com.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer “Great Start Party” in San Francisco on Jan. 24
Help save lives!  At the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer “Great Start Party,” individuals and teams will register to walk or volunteer for the 2009 events.  Local residents will meet other participants, find out about training walks, learn about the impact of past funds raised and more.  For returning participants, the “Great Start Party” is an opportunity to register for the upcoming walk, share memories and renew friendships. Locations is Westfirld San Francisco Centre (under the Dome) 845 Market Street from 1 – 3 p.m. The San Francisco Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is scheduled for July 11-12, 2009. For more information on Avon Foundation and Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, please visit www.avonwalk.org or call 888-541-WALK. To RSVP for the “Great Start Party”, email info.sanfrancisco@avonwalk.org or call 415-834-0404

Almaden Valley Strikers
This Boys’ Under-14 Class 3 soccer team in the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League is holding tryouts for players born between August 1, 1995 and July 31, 1996.  Tryouts will be held at TJ Martin Park on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-5:30 thru the month of January. Email avyslstrikers95@yahoo.com for more details.

Almaden Stealth Boys’ U13 Class 3 Comp. Soccer holds tryouts
The Almaden Stealth - Boys U13 Class 3 - are looking for highly competitive soccer players with birthdates between Aug. 1, 1996 and July 31, 1997. We are a year round, competitive team based in Almaden Valley and coached by Ben Graham with MLS Camps.  We are holding tryouts at the following date and time:
Saturday, Jan. 10, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at Leland High School, West turf field
For more information, please contact our team manager, Robert Cerone, at 408-268-9547 or by email at ncerone@sbcglobal.net. 

Almaden Celtics soccer team tryouts:  Boys U13 Division 3 “Comp”
The Almaden Celtics, a U13 Boys “comp” soccer team in AVYSL (www.almadensoccer.org), is holding tryouts for the 2009 season. Players born on or after 8/1/1996 are eligible to play. The tryouts will be at the Leland High School West Turf Field on Jan. 25 from 1-2:30 p.m. and Jan. 31 from 10:30 a.m. to noon (rain or shine). Please arrive 15 minutes prior to Session Time with water, shin guards, and rubber cleats.  A parent/guardian needs to remain at the tryout. Our team has a paid trainer/head coach (Adam Coulter) and two parent assistant coaches (Lincoln Bejan and Dominic Rancadore) that enjoy working with the boys on soccer and bring a lot of enthusiasm to the game.  We will offer the opportunity to play spring and fall soccer, including tournaments.  Feel free to e-mail Frank Torres (team manager) at frank.home@sbcglobal.net if you have any questions.

AVYSL hosts tryouts for the U9 thru U12 age groups
Participants are encouraged to attend all tryout days to increase their opportunities to make the teams. Tryouts will be held at the Tillman Stadium at Leland High School, and the “West” field next to the softball diamond. Evaluations will be run by an independent team and will give every child the opportunity to succeed.

U9 age group eligibility birth dates: 8/1/00 thru 7/31/01
U10 - 8/1/99 thru 7/1/00
U11 – 8/1/98 thru 7/31/99
U12 – 8/1/97 thru 7/31/98

The tryout schedule is below – please arrive early to sign in. To save time in the registration process, download and bring the 1601 form (CYSA link provided). For more information, visit www.almadensoccer.org or contact Neil Diaz, coach@almadensoccer.org.

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