More Youth Sports

• Sports News for Kids: Velocity Sports Performance hosting combine Saturday
• Sports News for Kids: Local gymnast Stemen coming on strong
• Youth football: Naples Bears, Gators ousted from playoffs

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Naples resident T.W. Grose IV captured the world champion showmanship title Thursday at the Ford American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Championship Show in Oklahoma City.

Grose and his American Quarter Horse Leaguer Legend had a score of 345. Leaguer Legend is a 14-year-old sorrel gelding.

In the showmanship competition, 197 entries competed for world champion honors. Showmanship was the largest class at the 2008 Ford Youth World Show.

Grose and Leaguer Legend received the 2007 Year-End High Point Award in showmanship and performance halter geldings. The duo also earned the 2007 Youth All-Around Award. This is the second year Grose has been the All-Around winner. He earned the coveted award in 2006, too

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Naples equestrian Jennifer Bate and her horse purebred horse Mytoi Bask W +/ traveled to Albuquerque, N.M., last week to compete in the 16th Annual Arabian and Half-Arabian Youth Nationals. More than 1,100 horses and their riders from all over the U.S. and Canada competed for national championships July 26 through Aug. 2.

After advancing to the finals in five events, Bate, a recent Barron Collier graduate, scratched out of four finals due to illness. On the final day of competition, however, she returned to the ring at Tingly Coliseum to bring home the national championship in the Ladies Arabian Side Saddle 17-and-under division for a second time.

After receiving a standing ovation on their victory pass, Bate and Mytoi greeted fans and well wishers adorned with a National Champion rose blanket.

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Local post offices are cooperating with the national Pitch-In For Baseball organization, whose mission is to help kids all over the world share the American pastime of baseball by providing used equipment. Between now and Aug. 30, area post offices are soliciting gently used baseball gloves.

Lee County post offices are cooperating with Little League Baseball in distributing these donated gloves to Little League players who need them. The special collection program will conclude with the last Saturday night home game of the Miracle baseball team on Aug. 30. The gloves can also be brought to the game, which will feature a fireworks display.

The gloves will be distributed locally as well as to the non-profit organization Pitch-In For Baseball. Local groups who would like to receive gloves are asked to contact Debra Mitchell at 573-9638.

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PlyoCity, a nationwide plyometric training company, is offering its High School In-Season Training Program for all high school players. As this is the first PlyoCity session offered in Southwest Florida, it will be offered at a discounted price.

There will be one free introductory session Aug. 30 followed by eight additional sessions for $50. The free session is at 11 a.m., at the Estero Recreation Center. The following training sessions will then by from 11 to noon every Saturday until Oct. 25.

E-mail jridgeo@plyocity.com if you are interested in attending the Aug. 30 session.

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The Little South fall volleyball league, a 13-and-under league sponsored by USA South Volleyball, is set to start its first season in Southwest Florida. The program was established for players without a fall school program or who just want more training.

The Little South fall league is split into two divisions based on skill level. The Black team is for advanced players in grades six through eight. The team will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. every Monday night Sept. 8 through Oct. 27. The Purple squad is for third- through eighth-graders with little to no experience and meets 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays from Sept. 10 through Oct. 29.

Each weekly session includes one hour of training and one hour of games. Both teams meet at the Estero Parks and Recreation Center, and the cost for each is $200 for the season. There are 28 spots available on each team.

For more information or to register, visit www.usasouthvolleyball.com.

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HIT Baseball is conducting a skills clinic for kids of all ages this weekend at Fleischmann Park. The clinic will including throwing, fielding, hitting, pitching and speed and agility. The objective of the two-hour sessions is to provide high intensity training that allows kids to become better baseball players.

The clinic for ages 5 through 8 is from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. Ages 9 through 12 will go from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, and ages 13 and older will train from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. The cost is $30 per session. To register or for more information, call Darvin Jackson at 825-1645.

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Southwest Florida Hawks 13-and-under traveling baseball program is looking to add players to its fall rosters. Players must not turn 14 prior to May 1, 2009. The Hawks compete in AAU, USSSA, IBC, Triple Crown and other national tournaments. Tryouts are set for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Seacrest School. For more information call Mark Marsala at 390-0907 or Rick Scafidi at 777-0079.

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The Golden Gate Hammerheads, a 13-and-under travel baseball team, will conduct for the fall season soon. For more information, call Darren at 354-1685 or Rene at 280-6151.

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The Naples Tsunami, an established traveling baseball team, has openings for the fall season. Players must be 13 and younger as of April 30, 2009. Interested players and parents should contact Coach Tim at 269-0910.

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The Naples Roller Hockey League have fall registrations coming up at Veteran's Community Park off Immokalee Road in North Naples. Sign-ups will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 30 and Sept. 6. An additional registration will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 3.

The league is for players age 5 through high school. More information can be found at www.naplesrollerhockey.org.

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The Naples Gators Youth Flag Football, Cheer and Dance League is taking registrations for the fall flag football season. Registrations are from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Fleischmann Park Football Field.

There are two age-groups for Gators flag football: 5 to 7 years old and 8 to 10. All games and practices are at Fleischmann. Practices start the last week of August, and games start the second week of September. For more information on the Naples Gators Youth Football, Cheer and Dance League go to www.naplesgators.com.

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The Optimist Club of Naples starts its 11th season of middle school volleyball in September. The Optimist Volleyball League is a program offered to students enrolled in Collier County middle schools. Participants will play on teams from their respective schools.

Registrations will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Barron Collier gym. The cost is $80 per player. Tryouts are from 9 a.m., to 2 p.m. Sept. 21 at Barron Collier. No experience is necessary, and everyone who registers will be placed on a team based on skill.

In addition to practices, volleyball clinics will be conducted at Barron Collier each Wednesday for the players and the coaches. Games will be played Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at the high school beginning Sept. 28. The season ends Nov. 9.

For more information, visit the Optimist Volleyball Web site at www.leaguelineup.com/naplesvolleyball or call Anne Fredett at 280-6064.

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Winning Ways of Southwest Florida is holding its end of summer basketball camp today through Friday at two locations in Lee Country.

The full-day camps will go from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Veterans Recreation Center and the Estero Recreation Center. The Nothing But Net camps are for boys and girls ages 6 to 15 and focus on improving basketball skills while having fun. The cost is $85, and each participant receives a t-shirt.

To register, go to www.leeparks.org. For more information, call Winning Ways at 357-3020 or e-mail president Tom Kane at tom@winwaysinc.com. All summer camp information is available at www.winwayshoops.com.

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Stinger baseball team is looking for players ages 14 and 15 for tournament play in the late summer and the upcoming fall season. The cost is free. Those interested can call Martin Mena at 919-0598 or e-mail him at martinjmena@pcplusnaples.com.

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The 13-and-under Mustangs will have tryouts for a fall baseball travel team. Try outs start at 10 a.m. Aug. 23 at Fleischmann Park. Contact Chico Blanco at 253-3194 for more information.

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Naples Progressive Gym, located on Pine Ridge Road, has several upcoming programs. Sign up now for the new session, which will run Aug. 25 through Oct. 17. There also will be a day camp Aug. 18th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. before school starts on Aug 19. Call the gym at 598-3700 for details.

There is a Family Open Gym from 6 to 7 p.m. every Friday for kids in kindergarten and younger. A school-aged Open Gym also is on Friday nights from 7 to 8:30 for kids in first through eighth grades. NPG also has Adult Open Gym and Tumbling Classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8 to 9 p.m.

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Fusion Cheer and Dance, a Naples dance academy, is hosting a free cheerleading clinic Aug. 28. The clinic for ages 6 through 11 is from 6 to 7 p.m., while ages 12 and older will go from 7 to 8 p.m. A clinic for kids ages 5 and younger is from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Aug. 30.

Call Fusion for more information at 643-2437, or visit www.fusioncheeranddance.com.

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The Optimist Club of Naples will hold registration for its fall soccer program Saturday and Sunday at the Coastland Mall in Naples. Registration times are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Children in kindergarten through eighth grade are eligible. Proof of age is required for first year players. The cost is $90 per player for the season with discounts available for multiple players from the same family. Practices will start the week of Sept. 22 with the first games Sept. 27. The season runs until Dec. 13.

Coaches and sponsors are needed for the program. For more information the Optimist Club's website at www.optimistsoccer.org.

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The Bonita Storm 11-and-younger girls soccer team, a Region C Division 1 finalist last year, is looking to add players for the upcoming season. Please contact Rob Moses at 734-9902 if you are interested. Practices and home games will be held in Naples.

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A new youth sports program, i9Sports, is starting flag football leagues in East Lee and Hendry counties for the fall. The programs are for boys and girls ages 4 to 14.

Being easily accessible and convenient for parents is a priority of i9Sports, according to founder Frank V. Fiume. The league offers a Web site where parents and players can easily register, look up standings and statistics, access team news and view game photos 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information on i9Sports or to register for fall flag football, visit www.i9sports.com or contact Brian Sites at 872-2247 or bsites@i9sports.com.

i9Sports began in 2002 and has had more than 100,000 participants in flag football, basketball, soccer and cheerleading across the country. The leagues have no tryouts, drafts or fundraisers. Instead, i9Sports encourages equal playing time for each child. All instructors undergo a thorough background check and certification process.

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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 Sunday.