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Former pro baseball players to host free clinic for youth

 
This year’s baseball clinic for kids ages 7 to 14 will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on April 10 at Tom Varn Park in Brooksville.
This year’s baseball clinic for kids ages 7 to 14 will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on April 10 at Tom Varn Park in Brooksville.
Published March 2, 2016

For the 10th consecutive year, the Brooksville Parks and Recreation Department, along with sponsor Cemex and the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, will team up to host a free baseball clinic for kids at Tom Varn Park.

The clinic offers local children the opportunity to learn from former professional ball players. It is open to all kids ages 7 to 14 and will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. April 10.

Alumni who have participated in previous years have included former Detroit Tigers, Montreal Expos and Chicago White Sox player Ron LeFlore, former Kansas City Royals all-star Richie Scheinblum as well as local MLB alumni such as Mike Walker (Cleveland Indians), Eddie Looper (St. Louis Cardinals) and John Frascatore (Toronto Blue Jays).

Although the clinic is free, pre-registration is recommended. For information, call the Brooksville Parks and Recreation Department at (352) 540-3835.

DISC GOLF EVENT: Throw Down the Mountain IV, a disc golf tournament that will include about 400 players, is scheduled for two weekends in March on property at 9020 Cooper Terrace, east of Brooksville.

Amateur divisions will compete March 12-13, while advanced and pro divisions will be featured March 18-20.

The entry fee is $79 for all amateur divisions, with all of the fees to be paid out through Sun King Disc Sports. For amateurs, players' packs will be available that will include coupons to local restaurants and event stickers.

There will also be open men's and open women's divisions for a fee of $119 per player. All other pro divisions include a $99 entry fee. A minimum of $4,000 will be added to the professional division purse.

All entry fees include $20 for greens fees and the $3 to $4 Professional Disc Golf Association fee.

For information, visit throwdownthemountain.com.

CAUSE FORE PAWS GOLF TOURNAMENT: The Humane Society of the Nature Coast has announced that Rick Matthews Buick/GMC will be the hole-in-one presenting sponsor for the seventh annual Cause Fore Paws Golf Tournament on April 1.

The tournament will take place at Brooksville Country Club, with check-in at 7:30 a.m. A shotgun start is set for 8:30 a.m. Pets available for adoption will greet golfers on the course that day.

Breakfast by Chick-fil-A and lunch by Texas Roadhouse are included with the $80 fee. The cost also includes 18 holes of golf in a four-person scramble format. The registration deadline is March 21. For more sponsorship opportunities or other information, visit humanerescue.org or call Jeff Webb at (352) 442-1394.

SPRING LAKE 5K RUN: The Arc Nature Coast will host the 10th annual Spring Lake 5K Run and 2-Mile Fun Walk at 8 a.m. May 28. The run will begin at 5283 Neff Lake Road, east of Brooksville, and registration begins at 7 a.m. The cost is $25 for the 5K and $20 for the Fun Walk, and includes a T-shirt and a scenic run through hills and an equestrian stable.

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Proceeds will go to the Arc Nature Coast, which serves people with disabilities and their families. T-shirts are guaranteed to all who enter before May 20.

Register online by visiting active.com and searching for Spring Lake 5K. For more information, call (352) 544-2322, ext. 109, send an email to nstubbs@tancinc.org or visit www.tancinc.org.

HOGAN LAW FIRM HOSPICE FISHING TOURNAMENT: The seventh Hogan Law Firm Charity Fishing Tournament to benefit HPH Hospice is looking for corporate sponsors.

The last tournament, in 2014, had more than 50 anglers and raised more than $21,000. Since its inception, the tournament has raised more than $125,000 for HPH Hospice.

The event casts off on April 23 from Bayport. There will be a dinner and an awards ceremony afterward. Registration is available online at HLF-FishingTournament.com.

For information, contact Lisa Morgan at lisa@hoganlawfirm.com or (352) 799-8423.

YOUTH MINISTRY GOLF TOURNAMENT: The second annual Fore! The Kids Youth Missions Golf Tournament will be April 30 at Brooksville Country Club.

The four-person scramble will have a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.

Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places, as well as for the longest drive, closest to the pin and a raffle. There will be a barbecued chicken buffet lunch. The entry fee is $60 per person, which includes golf and lunch.

Proceeds will support the summer mission trips for the Youth Ministry of First United Methodist Church of Spring Hill. Sponsorship opportunities are available through hole sponsorships or raffle donations.

For information, contact Scott Funkhouser at (813) 966-5835 or sfunk64@aol.com.

MLB PITCH, HIT & RUN: The Brooksville Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a preliminary qualifier for the Aquafina Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run competition on May 1 in Brooksville.

The skills contest, at noon at Tom Varn Park, is free for all children ages 7 to 14. There will be four age divisions: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14.

Winners will move on to the next of four levels of competition, with sectional winners competing at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and national winners competing at the 2016 MLB All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego.

Individual pitching, hitting and running and all-around champions will advance to the next level of competition. Entrants must bring a copy of their birth certificate to the event.

For information, call Desiree Fratianni at (352) 540-3835.

HERNANDO SPORTSMAN'S CLUB: The Hernando Sportsman's Club offers firearms safety classes. The next class dates are April 13, May 4 and May 21. There will also be a special "ladies only" class June 18.

All classes will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hernando Sportsman's Club on 16121 Commercial Way, north of Weeki Wachee.

This is an introductory class for new shooters. It will include instruction, live-fire training on the range and a lunch break. All materials and equipment will be provided, including the use of a .22-caliber firearm, ammunition, earplugs and eye protection.

The fee is $60. Completion of the class provides the required documentation to apply for a Florida concealed carry permit. Preregistration is required.

Registration for the classes can be completed by calling (352) 597-9931.

The club also will sponsor the annual Independence Day Machine Gun Shoot on July 4.

The shoot will be on the club's 200-yard machine gun range. Shooters may bring their own machine guns, pistols and rifles. Besides old cars and trucks, there are usually old fire extinguishers, washing machines, water heaters and various other targets for shooting practice. Admission fee is $20 per shooter. No tracers or incendiary ammo allowed. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Spectator admission is $2, with kids under 15 free with adult. Bring eye and ear protection, including spectators, especially for children.

Food and soft drinks will be available for purchase in the clubhouse. For information about the Machine Gun Shoots, call Randie Rickert at (352) 799-3605.

Contact Derek J. LaRiviere at derekjlariviere@gmail.com or (352) 584-6337.