By Matt High, CHS

The spring sports season is here, up and running. The City of Sunny Isles Beach, Cultural and Human Services; Athletics Division has a wide variety of sports activities that are being offered to our residents. With spring around the corner, we are in for some great performances this season. We are teaching all the participants the fundamentals in each sport and also about teamwork and good sportsmanship.

The city sponsors two travel league soccer teams: a under-10 team, coached by Jessica LeNoir and an under-12 team coached by Sergio Vuguin. Both teams compete in the Greater Hollywood Soccer League. This is the third season that we have participated in this league. The teams practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00-7:00 pm at Senator Gwen Margolis Park. We also have a cheerleading squad composed of participants that range from ages 5 to11, and practice Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:15-6:30 pm at Town Center Park. They will be cheering at the basketball games and at the Sunny Serenade on April 16th. They are coached by Priscilla Walker and Shawana Williams.

The basketball teams will be starting their games on March 3rd and will continue through May 1st. The teams play in the North Miami/Sunny Isles Beach League. The games will be held at Heritage Park in Sunny Isles Beach, Keystone Park in North Miami and Ben Franklin Park in North Miami. The city sponsors two teams in the under-7; the Tarheels coached by Carlisa Thomas and the Wolfpack coached by Partrick Avrilien. The under-10 teams are: the Hurricanes coached by Grant Grimsley and the Gators coached by Carlisa Thomas. The under-13 teams are: the Sixers coached by Latravis Bernard and Harrell Henton and the Warriors coached by Don Alcime. The assistant coaches in the programs are Kermit Johnson, Harris Freedman, Claudio Castro, Terry Walker, and Al Rhoden.

On Saturday, March 1st, we held the first annual Sunny Isles Beach Tip-Off Classic at Heritage Park. It marked the first game of the year. The basketball players had a fabulous time honing their skills before they head off to compete with the teams from the City of North Miami.

With all that excitement, let’s not forget about the Pee-Wee team that was initiated this season. It consists of ages 3 and 4 year olds. They are taught the fundamentals of basketball along having a lot of fun. It has been very successful this year. This program is held at Heritage Park in Sunny Isles Beach on Fridays from 5:00-6:00 pm. If you have a chance, come out and watch our own future NBA stars.

We have several activities available for adults as well. The city sponsored a walking club that was held every Monday and Friday from 8:00-9:00 am at Town Center Park. We also hosted a bocce league. The participants have been playing for a spot in the championship round. The league started on February 5th (every Tuesday 4:00-6:00 pm) at Town Center Park with the championship game on March 11th. Check out the next issue of the Sunny Isles Beach Sun to find out who came out on top!

Something new that the Athletics Division has instituted is a sports hotline. The number to the SIB Sports Hotline is 305.792.1944. It is a better way for us to communicate with the parents, guardians, and participants. It is updated daily with the most current sports information regarding any changes to practice or game schedules. The line is for informational purposes only.

Beach Volleyball is right around the corner. It will start in May with registration starting in April. Please continue to read the Sunny Isles Beach Sun Newspaper for updates in the sports programs. For more information on any of the sports activities, please call the Cultural and Human Services Department at 305.792.1706. Happy Spring to all!!!!!