Pro instruction offered

Local tennis professional Steve Walters again offers area tennis lessons at outdoor locations this summer. Walters, certifed Pro 1 by the United States Professional Tennis Association since 1986, has coached at some of the world's top tennis resorts and academies in Florida, Caifornia, Texas and Canada. Also he traveled on the men's professional tour, including the 1988 U.S. Open, as a traveling coach for world-ranked pros and nationally-ranked juniors.

As a player, Walters has been ranked No. 1 in the Pacific Northwest in men's doubles (2002) and also in mixed doubles (1985).

Walters can be reached for junior or adult lessons at (206) 244-5852 or at swalterstennis@yahoo.com.

Hoop camp returns

Applications are now being evaluated for The Ten Star All Star Summer Basketball Camp. The camp is by invitation only. Boys and girls ages 10 - 19 are eligible to apply. Past participants include: Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse, Grant Hill and Antawn Jamison. Players from 50 states and 17 foreign countries attended the 2004 camp. College basketball scholarships are possible for players selected to the All-American Team. Camp locations include: Hickory, NC, Prescott, AZ, Belmont, CA, Thousand Oaks, CA, Sterling, CO, Bridgeport, CT, Babson Park, FL, Atlanta, GA, Carlinville, IL, Macomb, IL, Greencastle, IN, Atchison, KS, Baltimore, MD, Ypsilanti, MI, Schenectady, NY, Bluffton, OH, Doylestown, PA, Lebanon, TN, Commerce, TX, Blacksburg, VA, Lyndonville, VT, and Beloit, WI. For a free brochure, call (704) 377-6387 any time.

Swimmers sought

Swim Seattle is looking for new members to join their swim team. Swim Seattle provides many levels of competitive swimming and training for all skills and interests, ranging from beginning swimmers to advanced high school athletes. The club is for ages 6-18.

Swim Seattle is affiliated with USA Swimming and Pacific Northwest Swimming. The coaches are highly qualified, bringing years of personal experiences with them to the program. They are professional with an emphasis on technique and skill development. Swim Seattle trains in the Burien, Tukwila, South Seattle and Seattle University areas, offering different groups at each pool.

To receive more information about joining the program, please call either head coach Charlie Root or head age group coach Erin Dunn at (206) 575-0808 and leave a message.

Stingers seek players

The Triple Play Stingers U14 select baseball club is still recruiting players for the 2005 season. Contact Mike Smith at (206) 730-2792 or email truckczar@msn.com to set up a tryout.

Goucher teaches

Former professional baseball player Steve Goucher is offering one-on-one instruction in pitching, hitting and fielding in the Burien area.

Goucher's professional experience includes being an Atlanta Braves scout and playing for the Taichung Blackhawks in Taiwan and the Bend Bucks in Oregon. He previously played for San Diego State University.

His coaching experience includes serving as director of the Mike Blowers Baseball Camp, serving as the Green River Community College pitching coach, as a Tacoma Community College assistant coach and as a pitching instructor at Dave Henderson's Ballyard.

For information, call (206) 230-9011 or visit www.nwbi.org.

Softball scheduled

The Tukwila Parks and Recreation Department is accepting teams for its men's and co-ed softball leagues.

Leagues begin in May and double-headers are played during the week.

For fees and signup information, contact djohnson@tukwila.wa.us or call the Tukwila Community Center at (206) 768-2822.

Classes upcoming

Tukwila's Community Center is offering a variety of classes including Jazzercise, Kickboxing and Pilates. Youth classes in ballet, karate and gymnastics are also available.

Visit www.ci.tukwila.wa.us and click on the recreation brochure to see what is offered.

For more information, contact Tammy Bayliss or Dave Johnson at (206) 768-2822.

Softball umpires needed

Seattle Metro Softball Umpires Association (SMSUA) and the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of King County are recruiting people to become fastpitch and/or slowpitch umpires. Games are played days, evenings and weekends - and umpires pick the schedule and locations that work for them. Umpires are paid $22 per game. Free rules classes, umpire mechanics clinics and on-field umpire training are provided. Umpires are needed for youth, junior and senior high school, college and men's and women's games as well as championships.

Call (206) 817-2207 for more information.

Monthly breakfast held

District 7 Little League is hosting a fundraising breakfast every third Sunday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. It is being held at the Burien Eagles Club located at 920 SW 150th Ave.

Drop-in action slated

The North SeaTac Park Community Center is currently offering drop-in pickleball on Tuesdays and drop-in badminton on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7-9:45 p.m. The fee is $2.50 for adults and $1.50 for seniors. Participants must be at least 18 years old to attend. Locker rooms and showers are on site. For more information, contact SeaTac Parks & Recreation at (206) 973-4680.

Cheer facility opens

NW Elite All-Stars has opened up a new 6,000 square foot training in Kent. The NW Elite Training Facility focuses on training and preparing cheerleaders by offering all-star teams for grades K-12 to compete locally and nationally. NW Elite also offers training for college and professional cheerleading, high school and junior high cheerleading, recreational cheerleading, tumbling classes, partner stunting, high school squad choreography and tumbling, private coaching clinics and more. The new facility has two cheerleading floors plus equipment to train beginning to advanced cheerleaders. There are full-size mirrors, a weight room, a student center, a front office with a store, a team room and more.

NW Elite is home of the nationally ranked 2003 Large Coed Team. Over 90 percent of NW Elite's seniors from 2003 have received scholarships for college cheerleading or cheer professionally. NW Elite has alumni cheerleaders on the University of Washington, Washington State University, Oregon State University, University of Oregon, Portland State University, University of Las Vegas and University of Alabama cheer squads. NW Elite has had cheerleaders travel as far as from Marysville to participate in the program.

This season NW Elite is returning to the competition floor stronger than ever. With a new facility it is now able to offer more classes and teams to more people. It is currently starting another coed team, junior pep team and youth team. NW Elite has worked with the Boys & Girls clubs and has held free clinics for young cheerleaders as well. NW Elite sponsored over $10,000 last year for cheerleaders who were financially struggling, but had the desire to make a difference in their lives through cheer.

NW Elite is also working with cheerleading squads from Washington and Oregon like Cascade Christian High School, Prairie High School, Southridge High School and more. NW Elite is making an effort this year to create a bridge between all-star cheerleading and high school cheer squads so that everyone can benefit. With a growing level of cheerleading in Washington, NW Elite wants to provide today's youth with experiences that last a lifetime.

The NW Elite Training Center is located at 22043 So. 68th, Kent, Wa. 98032. For more information, call (253) 872-4676 or see the website at www.NWELITE.com.

Masters times offered

The Federal Way Masters swimming team for ages 19 and over is now offering three workout session times at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center located at 650 SW Campus Drive in Federal Way.

Monday through Friday a 5:30-6:45 a.m. and a 7-8 p.m. session are offered, with a 6:50-7:50 a.m. session taking place Tuesdays and Thursdays. A 10:15-11:15 a.m. session is offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Saturdays an 8-9 a.m. session is held at the Kenneth Jones Pool (Federal Way High School).

Members are required to join U.S. Masters Swimming at $30 per year, and the annual team registration fee is $25. Monthly coaching fees are $35 per month for up to twice weekly workouts or $45 per month for unlimited workouts. A 10 percent discount is offered for a prepayment of three months. Also available is a drop-in fee of $5 per workout.

For more information, contact www.fwmasters.com or call coaches Malcolm and Wendy Neely at (253) 838-8408.

Attempt on to save Rainiers

A non-profit organization has been set up in an effort to purchase the Tacoma Rainiers Class AAA baseball team from current owner George Foster for $9.5 million. The Cheney Foundation already donated $2 million and hopes are to raise the remaining $7.5 million through more tax-deductible donations. The goal is to get 40 gifts of $100,000 and 15,000 of $100, although other amounts are accepted.

Make checks, corporate matches and stock transfers payable to The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation c/o Tacoma Baseball Foundation, 4505 Pacific Hwy. E., Suite A, Tacoma, WA. 98424-2638.

As a non-profit organization, all Rainiers profits would be returned to the community to help fund youth sports.

For more information, call Colby Parks at (253) 922-8724.

Hoop school ongoing

Klahanee Community Center in Federal Way is hosting 1 Tough School of Basketball year-round. The school is for boys and girls grades 4-12 and offers two-hour workouts based on ball handling, passing, shooting and details formulated from Division I and II collegiate programs. It will also include guest speakers from the high school, college and professional level, and the coaching staff includes varsity high school head coaches and former Division I and II college standouts at different positions.

The registration fee is $35, with an $80 fee for one month, $150 for two months and $265 for three months.

The Klahanee Community Center is located at 33901-9th Ave. So. in Federal Way.

For more information, call (206) 852-1077 or Email to toughschool2002@yahoo.com.

Club teaches youngsters

The Bogey Bear Golf Club welcomes youngsters ages 6-17 to learn the game of golf for free. The club meets at Jefferson Park golf course every Saturday from 10-11:30 a.m. from April through September.

Free clubs, free range balls and even free lessons for parents whose child is in the Bogey Bear program are also offered. There is an advanced junior golf program available, too.

Contact the Bogey Bear Junior Golf Foundation at (206) 722-0600.

-E-mail scores, sports announcements and story ideas to sports@robinsonnews.com or fax (206) 444-4877.