Lima area sports calendar

First Posted: 1/10/2015

Each Sunday, The Lima News publishes a calendar of events of local interest. Events should be submitted by Wednesday of each week to The Lima News sports department, 3515 Elida Road, Lima, OH 45802-0690. Call 800-686-9924 or 567-242-0451 any day after 4 p.m. Events also can be faxed to 419-229-2926 or e-mailed to [email protected].

Archery

Columbus Grove Archery Club Recurve shoots continue at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in January, February and March. Compound shoots continue at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays in January, February, March. 3-D Compound shoots will be held at at 11 a.m. Jan. 11 and 25, Feb. 8 & 22 and March 8. Open to the public. Contact Ivan at 419-659- 5605 for information. Memberships available.

Baseball

Ohio Northern

ONU will be holding baseball camps for those in grades five through 12 from 4: p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, Jan. 25 and Feb. 8. Pitching instruction will take place for the first hour and 15 minutes and hitting instruction for the last hour and 15 minutes. Cost is $20 per session or $30 for both. Those wanting more information should contact Assistant Coach Samuel Slavik at [email protected].

Delphos

The sixth annual Nathan Miller Memorial Baseball Tournament will be May 29-31 at the Delphos Stadium Park. The tournament field will consist of 16 to 20 teams for boys ages 11-12 years old (age cutoff is April 1). The tournament will be pool play with a three-game guarantee. Players must be from the same school district. Cost is $150. Deadline to enter is May 8. For more information contact Sam Miller at 567-825-8631 or Brent Binkley at 419-235-7919.

Bath

Lima’s “Wildcat” 15U baseball classic tournament will be held at Bath High School June 5-7. Cost will be $395 per team with a three game guarantee. Individual and team awards will be given out to first and second place squads. For more information and to reserve a spot contact Jeremie Magrum at 419-233-3232 or by email at [email protected].

Bath

The Bath High School baseball program is having its annual “Best of Northwest” youth baseball tournament June 5-7. There will be 12U, 10U and 8U coach pitch division. Cost for each division is $200 with a three game guarantee. Awards will be given to the first and second place teams in each division. For more information and to reserve a spot contact Jeremie Magrum at 419-233-3232 or by email at [email protected].

Apex Sports Zone

LIMA — Apex Sports Zone is offering baseball classes for pitching, hitting, and fielding for all ages. Contact 567-712-7175 or or go to www.ApexSportsZone.com to get signed up.

Baseball/softball

BFR Sports and Fitness

Batting and fielding will be the emphasis of the clinics offered in February at BFR. Baseball and softball players, U12 and older, can get ready for the outdoor season from the 90 minute training sessions.

Baseball players will meet Feb. 19, March 5 and March 19.

Softball players will meet Feb. 26, March 12 and March 26.

Registration is available by the week for $15 or $40 for three sessions.

Each session will have a maximum of 12 participants. Evan Skilliter, BFR Sport Coordinator, will lead the sessions with assistance from area coaches. Registration is available online (bfronline.com) or by telephone (419-358-4150).

For more information about sport performance training, personal training and memberships, contact BFR by calling 419-358-4150 or visiting the facility located at 215 Snider Road in Bluffton. The building hours are 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays. No appointment is required for a building tour or information. A consultation about personal training options is available without cost.

Basketball

Shawnee

The Shawnee Optimist Club’s Pass, Dribble, Shoot Contest for boys and girls ages 8-13 will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Shawnee High School Gym. Free registration will be at 1 p.m. and there will be 30 minutes of practice time. All participants will receive a free T-shirt. For more information contact event chairwoman Janet Aller at [email protected].

Bath girls tourney

The 12th annual Bath Girls Fifth & Sixth Grade Basketball Tournament is March 14 & 15. Entry fee is $125 per team with Saturday pool play and single elimination tournament Sunday. Only 24 teams per grade will be taken. Call Mike Frey at 419-234-2400 or send an email to [email protected] to register.

Bath boys tourney

The 12th annual Bath Boys Fifth & Sixth Grade Basketball Tournament is March 21 & 22. Entry fee is $125 per team with Saturday pool play and single elimination tournament Sunday. Only 24 teams per grade will be taken. Call Mike Frey at 419-234-2400 or send an email to [email protected] to register.

Upper Scioto Valley

A youth league for boys and girls in grades four through six. The girls play Saturdays and boys Sunday. Entry fee is $50 and for more information call Shawn Grener at 567-674-4008 for the girls league and 419-204-8906 for the boys counterpart.

Van Wert

The Van Wert YMCA will be holding basketball tournaments for boys in the third through sixth grades. The tourney for those in fifth and sixth grades will be Feb. 21-22 and the one for those in grades three through four will be Feb. 28 and March 1. All team members must be from the same school. Entry fee is $100 per team with each participating squad guaranteed to play at least three games.

For entry and other information contact YMCA Program Director Mitch Price at 419-238-0443 or [email protected]..

Rockford

The Parkway athletic boosters will sponsor basketball shootouts for teams in grades 2-6. These shootouts are for boys and girls teams. All teams need to be from the same school district. The dates for the shootouts are Jan. 17, Feb. 1, and Feb. 14. Cost is $30 per game. Contact Doug Hughes for more information at [email protected]

Tiffin

The fifth annual Best of the Best Spring Shootout will be held March 7 and 8 at Tiffin University’s Heminger Center in Tiffin. There will be 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U divisions. There is a three-game guarantee and the cost is $225 per team. Shootout proceeds will benefit the Tiffin youth basketball program. Go to bestofthebestbasketball.com or call 419-443-5440 to register or for more information.

Best Basketball will be playing host to tryouts for fourth- and fifth-grade teams which will play in eight to nine tournaments from March 7 through the end of May. Tryouts will be held from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 11, 18 and 25 at Heidelberg University in Tiffin. Go to bestofthebestbasketball.com for more information under the travel teams tab.

Fitness

Sports Conditioning:

SPARK Sports Performance Training is 30 minutes of high intensity speed, agility and explosion for youth in grades 6-12. BFR Sports & Fitness is offering four sessions per week, 5:15 p.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday/Wednesday and 8:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday/Thursday. First session is free. Contact BFR Sports & Fitness at 419-358-4150 for more information.

Apex Sports Zone

Individual and team classes for overall fitness and improvement in athletic performance are being offered. Team discounts will be given for summer classes. Call 567-712-7175 or go to ApexSportsZone.com to get signed up.

Horseshoes

Lima

The Allen County Horseshoe Pitchers Association has openings for the winter leagues at the indoor courts on C Street. Stop at the club from 8:30 a.m. until noon or call Duane Klink at 419-641-3982.

Football

The St. Marys Roughriders will conduct four fundamentals football camps for incoming kindergartners through ninth grade students. These camps will be held at the TURF football complex. The cost will be $30 for each participant. There will be a $20 charge for the eighth and ninth grade camp. Athletes will receive a treat each day as well as a camp shirt. The Elementary Camp for grades K-3 will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 22-24, the Midget Camp for grades four through six will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 22-24, the Junior High Camp for seventh- and eighth-graders will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. July 13-15 and the freshmen camp for ninth-graders will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. July 13-15. Sign up ahead of time or on the first day of camp. For more information and to obtain a signup form contact Coach Doug Frye at [email protected].

Martial Arts Tournament

There will be a Martial Arts Tournament again this year at Ottawa-Glandorf High School on Sunday Jan. 18 to benefit the Putnam County Red Cross. The cost is $25 for each participant with team events at an extra cost of $30 per team. The tournament is open to all styles of Martial Artists with registration from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. If you have any questions call Mike Maag at 419-296-9931.

Running

Bluffton

Registration for the second annual Be A Beaver Triathlon on May 30 has begun.

Participants may register online at 3disciplines.com. Cost is $60 for individuals and $100 for relay teams, but those who register during the month of December will receive a $10 discount when using the code 14HOLIDAY.

On-site registration will be available May 29 at the Bluffton Community Swimming Pool, with prices $10 higher, and from 6 a.m. 8 a.m. on the day of the triathlon, with prices $20 higher. Individuals may also register on site for any one of the three triathlon disciplines at a cost of $25.

Beginning at 9 a.m. May 30 at the pool, the triathlon will include a 400-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike course on nearby country roads and a 5K run through village streets and the Bluffton University Nature Preserve.

Participants who register by May 22 will receive an event shirt. Finishers’ mementos will be presented, along with awards to the top three finishers in each age group. There will be professional chip timing, with results available online afterward.

Triathlon organizers are also seeking volunteers to work at the event. To volunteer, contact Karen Brandt, head coach of the university’s cross country and track and field teams, at [email protected]

Proceeds will help the cross country and track and field teams cover their costs to attend out-of-state invitational meets.

Soccer

Findlay

The Oiler Soccer Footskills Clinics have returned to help boys and girls ages 6 to 14 get ready for the spring..

The clinics will be held on the following Tuesdays: Jan. 13, 20, 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24 and March 3. Registration forms are available at http://findlay.prestosports.com/sports/msoc/2014-15/files/Footskills15.pdf. For more information contact Coach Andy Smyth 419-434-4801 or [email protected].

Apex Sports Zone

Clinic

Soccer FUNdamentals is a weekly clinic for youth soccer players to improve their overall game. The coaches are college coaches and combine fun and soccer. Classes have begun. Register by calling 567-712-7175 or go to www.ApexSportsZone.com

Softball

Findlay

The University of Findlay softball team will play host to a skills clinic for girls in grades three through 12 on Saturday, Feb. 7, inside the Malcolm Center of the Koehler Athletic Complex. A detailed registration form can be downloaded by clicking on the camps link at http://athletics.findlay.edu.

Additionally, pitching and hitting lessons will be offered for girls in grades three through 12 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays beginning Jan. 4 and running until Feb. 15. Those interested are asked to contact Coach Ammons at [email protected] or by calling 419-434-6544 to receive more details.

Bath

Softball umpiring instruction will begin at 6 p.m. Jan 26 at Bath High School in the classroom by the north parking lot. Registration must be done through OHSAA.org. The fee for the course is $125 for registration with OHSAA and materials. The class will be in the classroom and gym. It is being taught by Rolly Weber with more than 40 years of experience in umpiring in high school and college. Those needing help registering or wanting more information can call Weber at 419-339-3211 or 419-303-0548.

Akron

The University of Akron will be holding a skills camp Feb. 1. Advanced Pitching (ages 12 and up) and Beginning Pitching (ages 8 – 11) will be from 9 a.m.until 10:30 a.m., Power Hitting, Bunting, Slapping and Base Running will be from 10:50 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. and Fielding Skills will be from 12:50 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. All sessions will be held in the Akron’s Stile Athletic Field House. For directions and parking information, visit www.gozips.com. Cost if registered before Jan.19 will be $50 (one session), $90 (two sessions) and $125 (three sessions. If registered after Jan. 19 the cost will be $60 (one session), $100 (two sessions) and $135 (three sessions). For more information call the Zips Softball Office at 330-972-8168 or email Assistant Softball Coach Megan Brown at [email protected].

Apex Sports Zone Classes

Apex Sports Zone is offering softball classes for pitching, hitting, and fielding for all ages. Contact 567-712-7175 or or go to ApexSportsZone.com to get signed up.

Track

The University of Findlay is available for open high school track practice from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays beginning Jan. 8 through Feb. 26 at the Koehler Fitness & Recreation Complex. Cost is $2 per student athlete, and they must have adult supervision. Contact Assistant Athletic Director Greg Gilvert at 419-434-6788 to confirm availability.