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Local Junior Golfers Selected to Play at Pebble Beach

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. –Six junior golfers from The First Tee of Greater Sacramento have been selected to play in the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach presented by Nature Valley, an official Champions Tour event that will be held September 4-6 during Labor Day weekend and televised nationally on GOLF CHANNEL.

Briana Mao, Alex Gibbs, Austin Smotherman, Ashley Noda, Taryn Yee, and Will Scarlett make up a field of seventy junior golfers from 49 Chapters of The First Tee worldwide. The junior golfers qualified during The First Tee Participant Selection Process, which is held annually for junior golfers ages 14-18 that are enrolled in The First Tee program. The selection process evaluates participants’ playing ability and comprehension of the life skills and core lessons learned through involvement with The First Tee.

Briana Mao (16), of Folsom, attends St. Francis Catholic High School and has been playing golf for seven years with a 3 handicap. She has been a member of The First Tee for eight years and is a model participant. Briana volunteers with Disabled Sports USA, which runs programs for stoke victims, and also mentors to younger participants of her Chapter.

Alex Gibbs (15), of Granite Bay, attends Granite Bay High School and has been playing golf for ten years with a handicap 3.5. He has been a member of his Chapter since 2001 and volunteers weekly. He enjoys surfing, playing guitar, mentoring, biking, and woodwork.

Austin Smotherman (15), of Loomis, attends Del Oro High School and has been playing golf for seven years with a handicap of 1.7. He is very active at his Chapter and has been a member since the Chapter for eight years. Austin has volunteered as a sign bearer at the Walmart Fist Tee Open and at other local events in the Sacramento area.

Ashley Noda (15), of Roseville, attends St. Francis High School and has been playing golf for eleven years with a handicap of 1. She has been a member of the Chapter since 2002 and has been a big part of the fundraising efforts for the Chapter.

Taryn Yee (17), of Sacramento, attends C.K. McClatchy High School and has been playing golf for seven years with a handicap of 4.8. She has been a member of her Chapter since 2002 and is a part of the Junior Committee. Taryn also thrives on teaching and mentoring the younger members of The First Tee.

Will Scarlett (16), of Woodland, attends Woodland High School and has been playing golf for nine years with a handicap of 4.4. He has been a member of the Chapter since 2001 and is a member of the Junior Tour. He recently became a mentor to the Intermediate Junior Class which takes up most of his Saturdays. He is looked at as a leader among his peers.

The boy’s selection event took place July 14-18 in Rodgers, Ark. at Shadow Valley Country Club where 84 boys competed for 48 invitations. The girl’s selection event took place a week prior, July 7-11 in Rye, NH where 39 girls competed for 22 playing spots.

As one of the most unique and popular events on the tour, the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach annually attracts an all-star lineup of Champions Tour players including World Golf Hall of Fame members Hale Irwin, Larry Nelson and Gary Player, among others.

The selection process evaluates participants’ playing ability and comprehension of the life skills and core lessons learned through involvement with The First Tee.

To round out the final field of 78 juniors that will compete in the tournament, the host organization, The Monterey Peninsula Foundation, will award eight exemptions.

To learn more about the sixth annual Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, visit www.thefirsttee.org or www.thefirstteeopen.com.

About The First Tee
The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Augustine, FL at World Golf Village, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 2.9 million participants in 49 states, over 2,800 elementary schools and five international locations – Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore. Former President George H. W. Bush serves as honorary chairman. The First Tee Founding Partners are The Masters Tournament, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA.

About the Champions Tour
The Champions Tour is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. The Champions Tour now has 25 official Charles Schwab Cup events offering $48.9 million in prize money in 2009 and its highest average purse ever of $1.96 million. The Champions Tour's primary purpose is to provide significant competitive and earnings opportunities for players age 50 and older; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, Champions Tour events also generate significant sums of money for charity. In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, Champions Tour events generate significant sums of money for charity. The commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Mike Stevens is president of the Champions Tour. TOUR headquarters is in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Our web site address is PGATOUR.com.

Sacramento Capitals Announce New Team Roster For 2009 Season.

Fan favorite Mark Knowles returns to Caps and partner Sam Warburg. New ladies roster features WTT veteran Rennae Stubbs and Olga Puchkova.

Mark Knowles:
Veteran player signed a three year contract to play for the Caps, returning for his eighth year. Knowles has three Grand Slam doubles titles, two-time WTT League MVP honors and over 50 doubles championships.

Sam Warburg:
Sacramento native. Finished 2008 ranked 142 in the world in singles. Stanford Graduate, four-time All American and former NCAA Doubles Champ. Another crowd favorite, Warburg will reunite with former WTT partner Knowles.

Renee Stubbs:
37 year-old Australian is a veteran of WTT, previously playing for the Kansas City Explorers. Formerly ranked number one in women’s doubles, Grand Slam doubles winner and 59 Sony Ericsson tour doubles titles. Like Mark Knowles, a perennial top ten doubles player.

Olga Puchkova:
21 year-old Russian turned pro in 2002. She played for the Caps last year substituting at the beginning of the season. She will handle singles duties and team up with Rennae Stubbs in women’s doubles. She has five career ITF Women’s Circuit singles titles and a career high ranking of 32 in the world.

The 2009 Advanta WTT Pro League regular season runs July 2-22 in 10 U.S. markets, with the top two teams from both the Western and Eastern Conference advancing to the Conference Finals on July 24. The Conference Champions will compete in the Advanta WTT Finals on Sunday, July 26 (location TBD).

Players selected during the Advanta WTT Roster Draft will join Maria Sharapova and previously announced marquee players including Venus Williams and Andre Agassi (Philadelphia Freedoms); Serena Williams (Washington Kastles); Kim Clijsters and Anna Kournikova (St. Louis Aces); Martina Navratilova (Boston Lobsters); John McEnroe (New York Sportimes), Michael Chang (Sacramento Capitals) and Mike and Bob Bryan (Kansas City Explorers) to complete the lineup for the 2009 WTT season.

“Today’s draft represents the diversity and depth of the generations of top tennis talent who play World TeamTennis,” said WTT CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss. “Today was one of the strongest roster drafts in WTT history and it just adds to an already amazing lineup of marquee players.”

Earlier this year, the USTA became a minority owner of World TeamTennis and the organizations are teaming up to promote the growth and development of youth team tennis in the U.S. “One of the main goals of the USTA’s partnership with World TeamTennis, is to create innovative new ways to showcase our sport,” said Lucy S. Garvin, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “By creating this WTT team that features some of the country’s top junior prospects, the young players will gain valuable experience while showcasing our next generation of up-and-coming talent to new audiences.”

2009 Advanta WTT Pro League full rosters (including marquee and roster players)

BOSTON LOBSTERS: James Auckland, Stephanie Foretz, Jan-Michael Gambill, Raquel Kops-Jones, Martina Navratilova. Coach: Bud Schult

KANSAS CITY EXPLORERS: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Kveta Peschke, Mike Russell, Milagros Sequera, Dusan Vemic. Coach: Brent Haygarth

NEW YORK BUZZ: Alex Domijan, Evan King, Christina McHale, Sloane Stephens. Coach: Roger Smith

NEW YORK SPORTIMES: Christina Fusano, Ashley Harkleroad, Robert Kendrick, John McEnroe, Jesse Witten. Coach: Chuck Adams

NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS: Ramon Delgado, Julie Ditty, Kaes Van’t Hof, Marie-Eve Pelletier, Maria Sharapova. Coach: Trevor Kronemann

PHILADELPHIA FREEDOMS: Andre Agassi, Nathan Healey, Madison Keys, Travis Parrott, Lisa Raymond, Venus Williams. Coach: Craig Kardon

SACRAMENTO CAPITALS: Michael Chang, Mark Knowles, Olga Puchkova, Rennae Stubbs, Sam Warburg. Coach: Wayne Bry

SPRINGFIELD LASERS: Martin Damm, Liezel Huber, Vania King, Raven Klaasen, Chani Scheepers,. Coach: John-Laffnie de Jager

ST. LOUIS ACES: Kim Clijsters, Liga Dekmeijere, Olga Govortsova, Mislav Hizak, Anna Kournikova, Tripp Phillips, Sam Querrey. Coach: Roger Follmer

WASHINGTON KASTLES: Angela Haynes, Scott Oudsema, Leander Paes, Coco Vandeweghe, Serena Williams. Coach: Murphy Jensen

About WTT:
For more information on WTT including team rosters, visit www.WTT.com.

Rocket's Swim Team Soars to 10th Straight League Title

The Rollingwood Rockets, a Fair Oaks based swim team finished atop the Sacramento Swim League, and celebrated a decade of championship swimming. The two-day Championship Meet was held at Sierra College on July 19th and 20th, and was attended by over 800 swimmers from 8 different swim teams. Rocket swimmers posted 1721 points, outscoring their nearest competitors, the Sacramento Stingrays, by almost 500 points!

Interesting enough, the Rockets had only 1 individual high point winner, 14-year-old Alex Peterson. A “high point” trophy is presented to the boy and girl swimmer in each age group that scores the most points in the Championship meet. Other teams such as the Stingrays, the Del Norte Dolphins, and the Arden Manor Piranhas each had 3 swimmers earning the prestigious award. “It just goes to show, you can’t win a championship meet with superstars alone” commented Head Coach Kim Berrios. “Our 163-member team is the 3rd largest in the league, but we have by far the most depth, with strong swimmers in every age group. Some teams cater to their ‘big fish’, but we try to focus on all our swimmers, especially the ones that are struggling. Our goal is to have every Rocket swimming beautifully, and we reach this goal by emphasizing technique, and giving continued feedback to each swimmer throughout the season.”

Swimmers from the eight teams competed in “preliminary heats” in the morning, and then the top 10 finishers swam again in the afternoon “finals”. As a testament to the team’s depth, the Rockets had finalists in 84 of the 86 events. In the 13-14 girls’ 50 yard freestyle finals, Rocket swimmers occupied six of the ten lanes, and finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th. Five different 13-14 girls then went on to final in the 100 yard freestyle event. The 15-18 girls also racked-up mega-points having 5 of the 10 swimmers in the 50 free final, and 6 swimmers in the 50 yard butterfly. Not to be outdone by the girls, the 11-12 boys finished 1st through 4th in their 50 freestyle event.

Ten league records were set during the Championship meet, two by Rollingwood Rocket Alex Peterson. He broke the 13-14 boys 50 yard freestyle (23.21 seconds) which had been held by the previous record holder for 32 years! He also broke the 50 butterfly record (25.95), and earlier in the season he broke the 100 yard freestyle record (52.20). The 13-14 girls freestyle relay team of Ashlee Ellsworth, Jenny Miller, Charlotte Bailey, and Summer Elliot smashed the team record in a time of 1:48.99, and just missed the league record by less than two tenths of a second. 12-year-old Jordan Zawaydeh finished first in the 50 yard butterfly, breaking the team record in a scorching time of 28.70 seconds. Other Rocket swimmers finishing first in an individual event were first-year swimmer Garrett McDanniel (7/8B 25 free, 16.16), Brianne Welch (7/8G 25 free, 16.47), Sam Krug (9/10B 50 free, 30.74), Amy Ellsworth (11/12G 100 free, 1:04.60), Emily Nugent (15-18G 100 free, 59.20), and Cindy LoPresti (15-18G 100 breaststroke, 1:12.53). Although the number of first places in the individual events may seem low for the League Champions, The Rockets won 9 of the 21 relays. “The big points are scored in the relays”, commented Coach Kim, “and when you have “A” and “B” relays composed of 8 very fast swimmers, you can dominate a championship meet”.

What makes the Rockets different from other high-powered teams in the area? If you were to visit Rollingwood Racquet Club you would see. Nestled in the corner of Main Ave. and Winding Oak Dr., the club is not even visible from the roadway. Some of the club members lived in the neighborhood for years, and didn’t know the club existed. The club just underwent a huge renovation to the fitness areas, the surroundings are beautiful, but the champions swim in a small 4-lane pool. Club membership is a requirement, but most of the families do not mind. They know they are getting expert coaching, and the opportunity to participate in a high quality program. There is no fancy aquatic center or any other frills, but according to Coach Kim, “the kids are so motivated and they have so much pride in themselves and in their team. We do not emphasize ‘winning’. We try to instill excellent work ethic, and we focus on personal bests and continual improvement. The winning just seems to be a natural outcome of dedicated swimmers, dedicated coaches, and super-supportive parents. The kids are all team players, and that’s what it takes to be the 10-time Sacramento Swim League Champions!” Rollingwood Racquet Club offers a Fall Swim Clinic, winter lessons in their indoor pool, a Spring Swim Club, and a summer Water Polo Clinic, all of which are open to non-members. Please call Coach Kim if you would like some information on these programs (988-1727, ex. 106). You could also visit the club’s website at http://rollingwoodclub.com/ to download information/registration forms, or email Kim at kberrios@rollingwoodclub.com.

Infielder Pennington Named to MLB All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium

West Sacramento, Calif. – Sacramento infielder Cliff Pennington will represent the River Cats and the Oakland A’s in the 10th Annual Major League Baseball Futures Game, to be played July 13th at Yankee Stadium in New York, NY. The game, which is part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend and is played two days prior to the Major League All-Star Game, pits many of the top American born prospects in the game against young stars from around the world. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 (first pitch is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. PDT).

Pennington will be one of three A’s prospects to play in the game, joining Stockton pitcher Henry Rodriguez and Midland pitcher Trevor Cahill (who will pitch for the World and U.S. teams, respectively

Primarily a shortstop, Pennington has played both short and second base for the River Cats this season. A 1st round selection by the A’s in the 2005 Amateur Draft, he joined the Cats after being promoted from Double-A Midland on May 30. The native of Corpus Christi, Texas played his collegiate ball at Texas A&M University. Pennington’s stats with the River Cats this season

Cliff Pennington
AVG. | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB

River Cats Pitching Coach Rodriguez Named to PCL All-Star Game
Rick Rodriguez will represent Sacramento in July 16th Triple-A Mid-Summer Classic in Louisville

West Sacramento, Calif. – The offices of Triple-A Baseball announced today that River Cats Pitching Coach Rick Rodriguez has been named Pitching Coach for the Pacific Coast League team in the 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game, to be played Wednesday, July 16 at Fifth Third Field in Louisville, KY. This marks the first Triple-A All-Star Game appearance for Rodriguez, who has been pitching coach for the River Cats for eight of the team’s nine seasons.

Rodriguez, who lives locally in Folsom, has been a part of two of the River Cats’ three PCL Championships (2004 and 2007) and has guided the Cats to the top three in the league in pitching staff ERA four different times and three of the past four years. Rick’s playing career included parts of four seasons at the Major League level. The right-hander pitched for Oakland (1986-87), Cleveland (1988) and San Francisco (1990).

The rest of this year’s PCL All-Star team, which will include at least one player from every PCL team including the River Cats, will be announced on June 30t

The 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 16 (first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. PDT) will be televised nationally on ESPN2 at 5:00 p.m. PDT and aired locally on the River Cats Flagship Radio Station, K-Hits 92.1 FM at 7:00 p.m. PDT (tape delay; online broadcast begins at 5:00 p.m. PDT).

Rollingwood Racquet Club unveils totally renovated Fitness Center

Open Air. Amazing Space. Refined Environments. Rollingwood Racquet Club’s new Fitness Center opens May 15, bringing a dramatic change to the Club’s facilities for fitness in Fair Oaks and Orangevale, both in the Greater Sacramento area. Rollingwood has shaped up to be one of the areas premier fitness venues, carefully designed to enhance the membership experience

Upon entering the club, a brand new reception area has the feeling of a luxury 5-star hotel with warm earth tone colors, a tiled floor and attractive lighting featuring slim lines and curves. Make the turn just by the doors to the swim center, and you will access one of the most prominent features of the improved facility, a vast, open fitness area that has doubled its original size. Not only is the new exercise environment more open and colorful, it has plenty of periphery areas for functional training and stretching. Warm colors throughout and natural light spilling in from the window high above still remind you that you are at Rollingwood. Fresh space deserves new equipment and Rollingwood is adding the best

New offerings of beautifully designed equipment include a complete circuit of TechnoGym, the Italian company famous for its innovative and intuitive fitness development machinery. Conditioning equipment by FreeMotion and hi-tech ellipticals, bikes, treadmills and steppers, all loaded with private televisions embedded into the dashboards to offer you endless exercise variety and entertainment.

Among other state of the art features, beside the group exercise room, a view through the glass wall into a spacious spin cycle room with 20 bikes at the ready. On the second floor, the New Rollingwood Pilates Studio Environment — larger than the one before, but with the same cozy ambiance and serene feel suited to this mind-body exercise area — is filled with natural light and a magnificent sweeping view of the beautiful hills and woodlands the Rollingwood Racquet Club property is renowned for. Down the hall, sophisticated cardio exercise machines line the new, sparkling chrome railing looking down into the open fitness space below.

Owner, Ruth Ku says “I am very proud of our wonderful team of fitness professionals who are dedicated to helping hundreds and thousands of people become healthier, happier and make connections with other people at the club. We are all blessed to have the privilege of being in this endeavor that can be so rewarding.”

The million dollar renovations at Rollingwood Racquet Club are certainly a fitting way of celebrating the Club’s 30th anniversary year and make a tour of this outstanding, new fitness center well worthwhile.Come try us out for free during our open house week from May 19-26. Click here to see our calendar of events for the week.

Hot Walkin' Nights Summer Series 2008

The Sacramento Walking Sticks will be hosting walks for fun, fitness and friendship every Wednesday night from June 4 till August 27, 2008. These walks are part of the Hot Walkin’ Nights Summer Series and will give people a mini vacation throughout their summer. Each week they will travel to various parts of the Sacramento region and explore the trails, streets, parks and recreation trails that Sacramento is famous for. Each walk will have a registration time of 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and have a 5K (3.1 miles) and 10K (6.2 miles) route to choose from. Best of all, these walks are all FREE and should participants want to join in the incentive program, they would pay $3.00 for volkswalk credit. Most routes will be suitable for strollers and dogs on leash with cleanup are welcome to join in.

June 6/04 6/11 6/18 6/25 July 7/02 7/09 7/16 7/23 7/30 August 8/06 8/13 8/20 8/27

Granite Bay American River Gold River Curtis Park CSUS Davis Fair Oaks Land Park Pocket Elk Grove Old Sacramento Ashton Park Arden Park

Hillsborough Park, 1001 Hillsborough Dr, Roseville 95746 Big Lots, 8700 La Riviera Dr, Sacramento 95826 Bel-Air Shopping Center, Gold River Town Center 2155 Golden Centre Ln, Gold River 95670 Central Valley Coffee, 3198 Riverside Blvd, Sacramento 95818 East Portal Park, 1120 Rodeo Wy, Sacramento 95819 Fleet Feet Sports, 615 Second St, Davis 95616 Village Park, 4238 Main St, Fair Oaks 95628 La Bou, 4400 Del Rio Rd, Sacramento 95822 UPS Store, 7485 Rush River Dr, Sacramento 95831 Starbucks, 5060 Laguna Blvd, Elk Grove 95758 Joe’s Crab Shack, 1210 Front St, Sacramento 95814 4251 Ashton Dr, Sacramento 95864 1501 Castec Dr, Sacramento 95864

Volkssports (sport of the people) began in Germany in the 1970’s and US military families couldn’t wait to bring the sport to the US. There are over 300 clubs in the US and Sacramento boasts the largest club in California—the Sacramento Walking Sticks. These walks are all non-competitive and people find out quickly that when they’re walking with a group; they walk further and faster because they’re engaged in conversation while looking at sights they’ve never seen before.

The Sacramento Walking Sticks have a monthly meeting that everyone is welcome to attend. They are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month, 7:00 p.m., at the SMUD Customer Service Center, Timberline III meeting room, 6301 St, Sacramento 95819. Our next meeting will be on June 12th. For those people who like to walk, they can meet at 5:00 p.m. at the front of the SMUD Customer Service Center Building for a 3-mile walk in the surrounding neighborhood. Dinner will follow.

River Cats, K-Hits 92.1 FM Announce Broadcast Partnership

River Cats, K-Hits 92.1 FM Announce Broadcast Partnership Station to air all 144 River Cats Regular Season games, Triple-A All-Star Game and Cats Postseason gamesWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats and K-Hits 92.1 FM have announced a partnership today that makes K-Hits the team’s Official Radio Station. All 144 regular season River Cats games, the 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game (July 17 in Louisville, KY) and all River Cats postseason games will be broadcast on K-Hits. Streaming game broadcasts will also be available online at www.rivercats.com. The “Voice” of the River Cats, Johnny Doskow, will return for his 8th season handling all play-by-play duties on the team’s broadcast.

“We are extremely happy to announce our partnership with K-Hits,” said Darrin Gross, River Cats vice president, corporate partnerships and broadcasting. “The opportunity to work with [parent company] Results Radio and the K-Hits team is an excellent one and we look forward to great baseball broadcasts all summer long.”

“We think classic hits and baseball fit hand in glove and are excited about marketing opportunities to present 92.1 K-Hits to thousands of River Cats fans,” said Jack Fritz, President and CEO of Results Radio LLC.

Individual tickets for the River Cats’ 2008 regular season home opener and all games this season at Raley Field are currently available at the Raley Field Ticket Office or online at Rivercats.com. Premier seating at every River Cats game throughout the 2008 season can be secured through purchase of River Cats Full Season Tickets, Mini Plans or Group Packages. 2008 River Cats Season Tickets or Mini Plans can be purchased at the Raley Field Ticket Office or by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS. For more information about the 2008 River Cats season, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.

About K-Hits 92.1 FM
Northern California based Results Radio of Sacramento, LLC recently agreed to acquire K-Hits (KCCL-FM) from First Broadcasting Inc of Dallas TX. K-Hits programs classic hit oldies from the 60’s and 70’s and features local broadcast legends Joey Mitchell and “Big” Jim Hall. Results Radio is based in Santa Rosa CA and, in addition to the recent agreement for KCCL-FM, owns and operates radio stations in Redding, Chico and Yuba City-Marysville.

About the River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats are the top minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics and play their home games at Raley Field in West Sacramento. Since the team’s inception 2000, the River Cats have led all of Minor League Baseball (nearly 200 teams) in attendance every year and have won three Pacific Coast League Championships (2003, 2004 and 2007). The Sacramento River Cats are an active member of the Sacramento and West Sacramento communities and are involved in countless philanthropic programs.

New Offerings for Fans Highlight River Cats ’08 Season

Additions to Raley Field, New Offerings for Fans Highlight River Cats ’08 SeasonWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As the Sacramento River Cats approach Opening Day, 2008 (the team’s home opener is set for April 11th at Raley Field), the team announced today a myriad of new programs, events and improvements for fans to look for in 2008 at Raley Field. The list is highlighted by the addition of a new color Matrix Board and several new ticket packages for fans and customers of all kinds.

New Ticket Packages
All-Inclusive Mini-Plan Packages – The team has responded to feedback from their fans with the creation of All-Inclusive Mini Plan packages. The packages, which come in increments of 18 and 36 games, include game tickets, parking and ballpark food, all for one low price. Fans can call (916) 371-HITS or visit Rivercats.com for more information.

The You Pick It Family Ticket Plan
Another new ticket package for the River Cats this year is the 30-Game, You Pick It Family Ticket Plan. The concept allows fans to create their perfect ticket package by picking all the premier event dates that they want to attend and includes tickets to the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town. Fans can call (916) 371-HITS or visit Rivercats.com for more information.

For information on other highlights, visit www.rivercats.com.

Defending World Team Tennis Sacramento Capitals release 2008 schedule;
Caps also selected to host Championship Weekend July 24-27

Sacramento, CA. (March 3, 2008) – Six-time and current World Team Tennis Champions, The Sacramento Capitals, open July 4th weekend with back-to-back home matches.

In addition, veteran player Lindsay Davenport, drafted by The Newport Beach Breakers as the top pick in the WTT Marquee Player Draft will return to Sacramento on Saturday, July 12, to take on her former team, the Caps. Other visiting marquee stars will be announced at a later date to coincide with the April 1 player draft.

Sacramento also relinquished the marquee rights for popular player Anna Kournikova, who will now suit up for the St. Louis Aces. Sacramento will also give up a second round draft pick and in exchange, receive first round rights for the St. Louis draft selection.

Sacramento won an unprecedented sixth King trophy with an exciting win in last year’s final match over Schenectady’s New York Buzz. The Caps will defend for their seventh World TeamTennis title beginning July 24 at Allstate Stadium.

Season tickets for 2008, including Championship Weekend tickets, are on sale now at 916-638-4001 ext.111. To see the 2008 Schedule visit the Sacramento Capitals Web site.

Courtney Strombeck Selected to adidas Elite Soccer Program 2008
96 Top Female U.S. Youth Players Invited to Elite Training Camp

Portland, OR (Grassroots Newswire) February 25, 2008 – Courtney Strombeck, of Orangevale (95662), is one of only 96 female youth soccer players in the nation selected to attend the adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) 2008 to be held February 21-24 on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona, California.

U.S. Women’s National Team Captain Kristine Lilly will kick off the second annual girls Elite Soccer Program (ESP) with a speech to motivate and inspire 96 of the nation’s top female athletes. adidas ESP is the premier youth development program focused on providing soccer’s next generation of stars with a platform to showcase their skills.

adidas ESP is a sanctioned U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program that identifies the country’s best high school-aged players and provides them with a top-level, on-field training program along with a diverse off-field educational curriculum.  An estimated 60 coaches from colleges, universities and professional teams are expected to scout the players attending adidas ESP.

“adidas ESP is an excellent opportunity for coaches and professional scouts to identify the best young soccer talents in the country,” says Chris McGuire, Sports Marketing Manager for adidas Soccer.  “adidas is committed to supporting all levels of soccer, and our goal with adidas ESP is to prepare each athlete to reach their academic and athletic goals.”

adidas ESP is staffed by an experienced and well-rounded group of coaches from the collegiate and professional levels.  Former U.S. Women’s National Team and current U20 National Team head coach, Tony DiCicco, will serve as Technical Director for the girls’ program.  The coaching staff includes former Women’s National Team members Keri Sanchez, Cindy Parlow, Danielle Fotopoulos and Thori Bryan.

adidas ESP 2008 is managed by Vision Sports Marketing gsion@comcast.net a sports marketing consultancy with a focus on soccer-related brands, events, sales and business opportunities.

For more information, please visit www.adidas-esp.com.

GIRL POWER-The Folsom FLASH

The Folsom FLASH, a team of talented softball players 16 and under (16U), is stepping up to the next level of play and you can help them reach their goals.

These young women will be participating in the “Colorado Sparkler Tournament” held in Hyland Hills, Colorado June 30 – July 6, 2008.  We are very excited for our team of 13 players because they will be seen by coaches and recruiters from various colleges throughout the United States.  Three of our team members will also participate in All-Star games coached by college coaches.  Those girls will also have the opportunity to play in a final All-Star game which will be televised on Friday, the 4th of July.

What an opportunity for these girls who are committed to the sport of fastpitch softball and want to play when they go on to college. You may know some of the team members.  They are:  Shelby Bishop, Baylee Bishop, Sami-Jo Everett, Rachel Hopping, Samantha Hopping, Heather Jensen, Jackie McCarty, Ashley Mrozinski, Britni  Nickell, Macey Palermo, Dawn Weber, Katie Hargreaves, and Taryn Frampton and they live in Antelope, Roseville, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Rocklin, and Lincoln. 

The Folsom FLASH is a non-profit organization which currently has teams in the 10U, 14U, and 16U age divisions.  They participate in tournament play within the Amateur Athletic Association (ASA) also known as the Junior Olympic program.   This year the 16U team will attend tournaments held throughout California, Nevada, Oregon, and Colorado.  Costs are high and the players’ family, friends, and volunteers help raise money to pay for tournament fees, uniforms, equipment, first aid supplies, water,  plane fares, hotel rooms, meals, and gas when driving to tournaments and hauling the trailer that contains the girls’ softball equipment.

The team works to raise money throughout the year.  They are having a Spaghetti Feed at the Orangevale Grange on May 2, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. and you, the public, are invited.   Tickets are $10 each.  Please contact our manager Michele at Flashfastpitch@yahoo.com.  Wine and beer will be sold and of course we will have a wonderful raffle, etc.  Come and meet the players!

The Folsom FLASH is also seeking sponsors at the Bronze ($250), Silver ($500), Gold ($1,000) and Platinum ($2,500) levels.  At the Bronze and Silver levels, the team offers the opportunity for you to have your company name displayed on a banner at each tournament, practice and exhibition game (approximately 125 games) throughout California, Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado and your web site displayed on the Folsom FLASH 16U web site. At the Gold and Platinum levels, each sponsor’s name will be displayed on the banners of all age divisions (10U,14U,and 16U)  and displayed at approximately 375 games, your logo placed on our equipment trailer (16U) and seen throughout California, Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado.  Your company web site will be linked to the Folsom FLASH web site with your logo displayed on the 16U page.  What a great way to advertise your company. 

You do not have to have a business to help with fundraising.  Any and all donations are welcomed.  Please help the girls achieve their goals and send donations to:  Folsom FLASH, C/O Michele Nickell, 7438 Bree Ann Court, Citrus Heights, CA  95610.  Indicate the non-profit federal ID # 68-0459343 on your checks.  For further information about sponsorships or questions about the team, please contact Michele at mnickell@surewest.net.

The philosophy of the FLASH is to be committed to your sport, supportive of your team mates, AND NEVER DEVELOP A TASTE FOR LOSING BUT ALWAYS LOSE WITH CLASS.  What a great attitude!

Cal Expo Board Votes to Terminate Lease Agreement with Sacramento Harness Association
Cal Expo Staff Prepares to Assume Day-to Day Harness Operations as Early as March 2, 2008

SACRAMENTO, CA (February 25, 2008) –The California Exposition & State Fair Board of Directors voted Friday to approve a request by Sacramento Harness Association  (SHA) to terminate its lease agreement at Cal Expo. In addition, Cal Expo announced that it has taken proactive steps to secure a harness racing license from the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) that would allow Cal Expo to take over the harness racing meet until August 2008.

In January, the CHRB granted SHA a conditional operating license valid through March 30, 2008 with the contingency that SHA would have to provide the following:

• Unaudited financial statements
• A $400,000 letter of credit to cover potential liabilities
• A business plan for future operations
• Any other documentation demonstrating that SHA is operating at a profit

SHA has notified the CHRB and Cal Expo that it will not be able to meet the requirements above, and hence, the CHRB has indicated that it is likely to take action to terminate SHA’s license.  Cal Expo has submitted its license application with the knowledge of SHA’s failure to comply and at the request of the Richard Shapiro, Chairman of the CHRB.

If SHA’s license is revoked as planned and the CHRB approves Cal Expo’s application to operate the harness meet, Cal Expo will oversee the entire live harness racing program including staffing, maintenance, and operations, effective March 2, 2008.  The first live harness racing meet under the new Cal Expo license would be Thursday, March 6. Cal Expo’s tentative race schedule is Thursday through Saturday each week until August 2, 2008.

After the summer harness racing meet, the California State Fair will host a live thoroughbred, quarter horse and mixed breed race meet at Cal Expo from August 20 – September 1.

For more information, please contact Erica Manuel at 916-825-0646, Emanuel@calexpo.com or visit the Cal Expo website at www.calexpo.com.

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