Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Women's Basketball Holding Open Tryouts September 10 and 18

PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College women's basketball team will be holding tryouts for the 2013-14 team on Tuesday, September 10 and Wednesday, September 18 at 4:00 PM in the gym of the Wellness & Sports Center (M Building).

The women's basketball team is holding open tryouts September 10 and 18. (Jim Cummins)
If you are interested in trying out, you must have a current physical and fill out the Athletic Physical Packet listed under "Athletic Department". The paperwork can also be picked up in the Athletics office in M building.

Please contact head coach Nichole Jones (njones@harpercollege.edu or 847-925-6757) or assistant coach Jenny Turpel (jturpel@harpercollege.edu or 815-388-5063) for more information.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Freeport Sprint Triathlon

I signed up for the Freeport Sprint Triathlon about a month before the actual event (July 13), but I was worried that I wouldn’t have a bike for the biking portion of the race.

I finally got a bike just over a week before the race, borrowing it from Chris Powers. It was a FELT road bike, and I took it around the block for a spin and knew immediately it was for me.

Last year, I attended the triathlon out in Freeport as a spectator, watching Ellen and her parents participate in it. Ellen was on a team and she ran the 5K portion of the race, while her parents both completed the triathlon on their own. I never really thought it was something I wanted to do as I watched them do it, but my mind changed this year after I began running races in the summer.

This particular sprint triathlon was a 400m (1/4 mile) swim, 17 mile bike ride, and 5K (3.1 mile) run. Two weeks before the race, I went out to Freeport with Ellen and her parents to practice the swimming and biking portion of the race. The swimming portion wasn’t too rough, but I knew it’d be challenging to transfer to the biking portion on race day.

I biked the 17 miles that day of practice on a mountain bike, and it was not a pleasant ride. The course was hilly and you really needed a road bike to be able to attack it.

In the days leading up to the triathlon, I only practiced the triathlon in order once. I just didn’t have the time necessary to rehearse it over and over again, so I was just hoping that I’d be able to withstand the vigor of it.

The week of the triathlon, Ellen came down with an illness early in the week and was in a lot of pain. On Tuesday, I drove out to Rockford because she had a doctor’s appointment and then would be going to the hospital after. We ran two races in four days just before she started feeling bad, so I think part of her illness could be attributed to that. Thankfully, she didn’t have a kidney stone or anything major wrong with her. She was pretty weak for a few days, but it wasn’t going to stop her from doing the triathlon.

Race day was finally here. We got up early and made the 33 mile trek from Ellen’s house to Freeport. The triathlon would start at 8:00 a.m., with your starting time in the pool determined by what you put down as your swim time when you registered for the race.

My parents were on their way to support me, making the 96 mile trek to Freeport. It felt good to know they would be there for me.

My parents were there to support me.
Based on my swim time I put down (8:30), I was going to start at 8:22 a.m. We made final preparations, including getting our bibs on our shirts, setting up our bikes/shoes/socks and getting water bottles set up on our bikes. I was very nervous before the race and talked to an older gentleman in front of me in line who would be in the pool right before me.

Once I finally stepped in the water, I knew there was no turning back. I watched the final seconds tick away, and I was off to the races!

I was never winded and went at a comfortable pace throughout the swimming portion, passing two people in the process. When I touched the wall and finished, my watch showed 8:10, better than what my practice time was.

I climbed out of the pool and made my way to where my bike was situated and encountered my first difficulty. I was in such a rush to get my socks and shoes on, put my shirt on, put my helmet on, put my shoes and socks on and take off. I had trouble getting my shirt on because I was wet and it stuck to me. I had difficulty getting my helmet strapped on just because I was so anxious to get going. My  transition was not pretty, but I finally hopped on my bike and got going.

The biking course is a moderately hilly 17-mile course out in the country. I knew I had an excellent bike to ride and came out pretty fast. In the early stretches of the bike ride, I did well on the flat parts and downhills but failed to attack the uphill parts like I should have. I let them attack me. They were pretty steep, but I still could have pedaled with more vigor instead of letting them slow me down a bit too much.

It was a beautiful morning to be out on the bike and I was cruising between 19 and 20 MPH on average. I never really felt too fatigued throughout it. As I returned to the YMCA, I saw my parents had arrived and were watching. I finished the biking portion in 52:30, but I knew the hardest part would be the run.

Ellen and I shortly after she finished the race.
Once I got off the bike, my legs felt like Jell-O as expected. I knew it’d take some time for them to get loose. When they did, they still didn’t feel that great, but I pushed through it. Most of the run was out on a bike path and into a neighborhood, and you returned back the same way you came from. I finished the run in a time of 19:48, which I still don’t know if I truly believe that because I felt way slower than that.

My overall time was 1:22:02 (counting transitions). I drank a ton of water after the race and waited for Ellen to finish up. She did a great job, especially considering she was in the hospital earlier in the week due to dehydration. I’m proud of her and lucky to have her as my girlfriend.

I came in third in my age group thanks to Erik Fielder. Erik won the race and therefore could not place in his age group, which was my age group.

Ellen’s parents also competed in the race and had an interesting day. Mrs. Larson was misled on one turn and it set her off course. Mr. Larson was a few miles from finishing up his bike ride when he saw her. He gave up his race to be with her and finish the race out with her. That was the highlight of the day to see those two finishing out the race together. It really showed true love.

I was really glad my parents were able to come to the triathlon and support me despite the long drive.

After the race, my parents left to go back home, and the rest of us went to eat at Union Dairy in Freeport. It was a great way to cap off a tiring morning.

This was my first triathlon but certainly not my last. I am thankful that God gave me the drive and capability to finish the race. He has blessed me beyond belief, and I am amazed when I think about those blessings.

Women's Soccer Looking For More Players


PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College women's soccer team is looking for more players to join the fall 2013 team.

If you are interested, please contact head coach Dwayne Cruz at 224-381-2832 or dcruz@harpercollege.edu. Please stop by the Athletics Office in M Building if you would like more information.

Women's Soccer: Team PictureThe Hawks are the defending regional champs and placed sixth in the nation in 2012. They are currently ranked ninth in the nation.

Harper Takes Second at DuPage

Harper Volleyball 2013: Second at COD 18th Annual Classic
The Hawks took second in the nine-team tournament.

WHEATON, Ill. – The Harper College volleyball team won its first three matches at the College of DuPage 18thAnnual Classic Friday and Saturday before falling to No. 1 Madison College in the championship match of the tournament to finish second in the nine-team tournament.

"We are very proud of our accomplishments this weekend," said head coach Bob Vilsoet. We are truly a strong team ourselves, but still with a lot of additional potential."

In Friday's opener, the Hawks (4-2) earned a four-set victory over College of Lake County (25-13, 25-11, 23-25, 25-11). Right side hitter Alyse Kolner (Crystal Lake, Ill./Marion Central) had a team-high 14 kills, while middle hitter Madison Rodriguez (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) totaled 13 kills. Valerie Bazemore (Houston, Tex./Keller) was a force in the service game, going 30-for-32 with five aces. Bazemore also totaled a double-double with 42 assists and 11 digs. Kelly Spychala (Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove) led the Hawks with 24 digs in the match.

Harper continued its strong play Friday night with a sweep (25-11, 25-13, 25-16) of St. Louis – Florrisant Valley Community College. Five Hawks totaled at least five kills in the match, while Lindsey Murphy (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Crystal Lake South) and Claire Fluegel (West Dundee, Ill./Elgin Academy) combined to go 30-for-30 serving with three aces.

"I was most happy with Kelly Spychala (Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove)'s service receiving, and both setter's serving – Valerie Bazmore and Lindsay Murphy," Vilsoet said. "Claire Fluegel (West Dundee, Ill./Elgin Academy) came off the bench into her first match this year and was prepared and ready."

On Saturday morning, the Hawks beat Highland Community College in straight sets (25-18, 25-17, 25-22). Rodriguez led the Harper attack with nine kills and no hitting errors, while Veronica Dabrowski (Mount Prospect, Ill./Rolling Meadows) and Bazemore were each 13-for-14 serving with two aces apiece. The setters set a balanced attack, with Bazemore recording 16 assists and Murphy tallying nine.

In the last match of the weekend, No. 1 Madison College defeated Harper in straight sets (17-25, 21-25, 14-25). Spychala led the Hawks with 17 digs in the match.

"Madison played its best match this weekend against us in the finals and looks like a very strong team this year," Vilsoet said.

Harper opens up N4C play with a match on Tuesday against defending national champion Rock Valley College. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Opening Ceremony Slated for August 30

Harper Athletics Opening Ceremony-revised location
PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College athletic department will be hosting an opening ceremony to kick off the 2013-2014 school year on Friday, Aug. 30.

The event will be held in the gymnasium in the Wellness & Sports Center (Building M) and is open to all students. It will start at 11:30 AM (food will be served) and will feature introductions by Dr. Ashley Knight, Dean of Student Affairs and Doug Spiwak, Director of Athletics. The keynote speaker is former Harper baseball player Scott Balcer.

Balcer played baseball for two years (2007, 2008) at Harper before moving on to pitch at Div. I Chicago State University for two years. After his college career, he played for a free agent team in Florida, and following that, he was contacted by a former college teammate who told him about a professional team in Slovakia in need of pitching. Balcer played for the Trnava Angels in Slovakia and has an incredible story to share at the opening ceremony. 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Hawks Top Ancilla, Fall to Moraine Valley

Volleyball: Valerie Bazemore 2012
Bazemore had 52 assists in the two matches. (Jim Cummins)
SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. – The Harper College volleyball team opened its season with a straight sets victory over Ancilla College before falling to seventh-ranked Moraine Valley Community College in four sets at the South Suburban Invitational.

"We are way better than I thought we'd be at this point," said head coach Bob Vilsoet. "Experience showed tonight. We played very well."

In the opener, the Hawks only needed three games (25-20, 25-20, 25-10) to beat Ancilla. 

Sophomore Rebekah Hischke (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee Crown) led the Hawks with 12 kills while Veronica Dabrowski (Mount Prospect, Ill./Rolling Meadows) added eight kills. Hischke and Alyse Kolner (Crystal Lake, Ill./Marion Central) were a combined 27-for-28 serving. Sophomore libero Kelly Spychala (Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove) led the Hawks with 12 digs while Valerie Bazemore (Houston, Tex./Keller) recorded 27 assists.

"We played surprisingly well. We started with the same lineup and kept winning, so we didn't make any changes," Vilsoet said. "Both Veronica and Rebekah played great on the outside, we passed serves very well and Val set a beautiful match."

In the nightcap, NJCAA Div. II powerhouse Moraine Valley handed the Hawks their first defeat of the young season (20-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-18). Hischke recorded the Hawks' first double-double of the season with 11 kills and 14 digs. Madison Rodriguez (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) was a perfect 11-for-11 serving and led the Hawks with three blocks. Spychala nearly doubled her output from the first match, leading the Hawks with 23 digs.  Bazemore jump-started the Hawks' offense again, recording 25 assists.

"Moraine Valley is an exceptional team," Vilsoet said. "They have a bunch of returning players from last year, plus some very scary new players with a lot of potential."

The Hawks play at the College of DuPage 18th Annual Classic at the Central Athletic Center in Wheaton beginning Friday at 3:30 PM against the College of Lake County. They take on St. Louis Community College at 7:30 PM Friday night and will continue tournament play on Saturday.

Volleyball Team Ready for 2013 Season


Womens Volleyball: Alyse Kolner 2012
The Hawks are ranked No. 6 in the NJCAA Div. III preseason poll. (Jim Cummins)
PALATINE, Ill. – After a successful 36-win season in 2012 in which the Hawks earned a share of the N4C crown, the Harper College volleyball team comes into the season ranked No. 6 in the NJCAA Div. III preseason poll and begins its quest for another league title in a strong conference.

Hawks head coach Bob Vilsoet's team returns six players from last year's squad despite the absence of First Team All-American Erinn Hellweg (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda), who will be redshirting this season.

"Every one of them is stronger than they were last year," Vilsoet said. "We have versatile hitters that can hit all of the positions."

Vilsoet also has eight new players who will have a chance to make an impact for the Hawks.

Schedule

Vilsoet believes the N4C is the strongest conference in the country, headed up by Madison College, who comes into the season as the top-ranked team in the nation. The Hawks host the WolfPack on Sept. 19 before traveling to Madison Oct. 17.

"They are a very strong team and have captains and All-Conference players returning," Vilsoet said. "They're the real deal and deserve to be No. 1."

Last year's defending NJCAA Division III national champion Rock Valley is among others receiving votes.  Kyle Shondell is now in charge of the program, taking over the program from Abby Jenkins, who led the Golden Eagles to three consecutive national tournaments. The Hawks open their home schedule against the Eagles on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Joliet will also be in the mix with a strong returning group of players under the direction of Kisha Cameron, who was an assistant at Harper for two years.

The Hawks open tournament play this weekend at the College of DuPage 18th Annual Classic. They play another strong tournament schedule in 2013, including the Rochester Technical College Invite (Sept. 6-7), Illinois Valley Tournament (Sept. 14), Harper College Invitational (Sept. 20-21), Harper College Invite (Oct. 5), Lincoln Land Invitational (Oct. 11-12) and Kishwaukee Invitational (Oct. 18-19).

While Vilsoet said the Hawks are taking it day-by-day to get better, his team will stay have the same goals of winning games and tournaments, playing tough against the excellent teams, winning  conference and regionals and doing its best at the national tournament.

"The goal has always been to win the last point of the year," Vilsoet said.

Setter

In 2012, Kelly Sommers (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) lived up to the tradition of great setters at Harper College, as she  was named First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region,  Region IV All-Tournament Team and won the prestigious award of NJCAA Div. III Player of the Week last September.

This year, the setting duties will be shared by sophomore Valerie Bazemore (Houston, Tex./Keller) and freshman Lindsey Murphy (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Crystal Lake South). While Bazemore only played in 30 games last year, she had 216 assists (7.7 per game), good for second on the team.

Middle Hitter

Sophomore Madison Rodriguez (Palatine, Ill./Palatine), who is a natural left side hitter, will play middle for the Hawks. Rodriguez worked hard in the spring and summer and has become a versatile all-around player.

Outside Hitter

The Hawks are very deep and talented on the outside, starting with sophomores Veronica Dabrowski (Mount Prospect, Ill./Rolling Meadows) and Rebekah Hischke(Algonquin, Ill./Dundee Crown). Dabrowski, a First Team All-Conference selection last year, was second on the team with 353 kills in 2012 and is looking much better this year. Hischke can hit both sides well and has caught the eye of her coach early on.

"She (Hischke) jumps high and hits hard," Vilsoet said. "She worked hard and blossomed into a great player."

Sophomore right side Alyse Kolner (Crystal Lake, Ill./Marion Central) will also be a factor for the Hawks. Vilsoet described her as having the "perfect temperament" to play the sport, and Kolner will be an asset to the Hawks because she can play all the positions effectively. A welcome addition for Harper is second year player Alex Messner (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd), who played for DePauw University in 2011 and is a strong hitter and strong defensively.

Freshman Melina Villaber (Chicago, Ill./Taft) and Morgan Peterson (Roselle, Ill./Conant ) will also be in the mix on the outside for the Hawks. Villaber was named All-City while at Taft H.S.

Back Row
As a freshman, Kelly Spychala (Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove) gained valuable experience and totaled 338 digs in 101 games. Those numbers are both sure to increase as Spychala will see most of the court time at libero for the Hawks.

"She's very quick and is a strong passer and great leader," Vilsoet said.

Newcomers Claire Fluegel (West Dundee, Ill./Elgin Academy)Katherine Milla (Honduras/CEAD Christian School) and Anna Lanier (Dominican Republic/Home School) all bring positive qualities to the Hawks.

Coaching Staff

While it helps to have a 300-win coach on the sidelines in Vilsoet, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, the Hawks have added even more volleyball IQ in 2013 in assistant coaches Matt Madia and Edgar Lara.

Madia is a local pro beach sand player and Vilsoet describes him as a "volleyball Encyclopedia". Lara runs the Dynamic Impact Volleyball Club out of Roselle.

Assistant coach Jeanie Behrens, who played for Vilsoet in 2002, has been on staff since 2005.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Harper Softball to Hold Walk-On Tryouts September 3 and 5

PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper Hawks softball team will be holding "Walk-On Tryouts" for the 2014 softball season on Tuesday, September 3 and Thursday, September 5 from 3:30-5:30 PM at the Hawk softball field.

Please bring proper equipment and before you try out, you must have a current physical and fill out the Athletic Physical Packet listed under "Athletic Department". The paperwork can also be picked up in the Athletics office in M building.


Please contact head coach Cray Allen (callen@harpercollege.edu or 847-925-6484) for more information. 

Friday, August 16, 2013

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Cobb Conquers Obstacles, Finds His Calling


ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT-Jarvis Cobb
Even though two major injuries hampered his Harper basketball career, Cobb has gone on to do big things.
PALATINE, Ill. – Former Harper College basketball player Jarvis Cobb knows what it's like to have to overcome difficulties. In his time at Harper, he suffered two devastating injuries on the court.

However, Cobb did not let those injuries define him. After a long journey to get his degree from Harper, Cobb finally began pursuing his passion for acting and is now represented as an actor/model by Royal Model & Talent Management in Schaumburg.

An Elgin High School '04 grad, Cobb played football and basketball all four years in high school. He decided to go away to school and study mechanical engineering at Southern Illinois University, where he struggled with time management and balancing studying and a social life.

Cobb enrolled at Harper for the 2005-06 school year and decided to come out for the basketball team. He played a crucial role on a Hawks team that enjoyed great success, as he was the team's fourth-leading scorer (11.4 points per game) and also a team captain.

In addition to his success on the court, Cobb was challenged academically at Harper.

"I was challenged to think at a higher level, and the teachers were very open to giving extra help and explaining things to where you could have the best chance to learn the material," he said.

While he was developing his skills on the basketball court, head coach Ed Molitor Jr. was imparting life lessons to him and his teammates. Molitor brought in newspaper clips of people who were less fortunate through the loss of a limb or someone who had an illness or terminal disease to remind the players they were lucky to be able to play a game like basketball.

"I had a great opportunity placed before me to play basketball," Cobb said. "In life, give it your all. There is always someone out there that could only wish for the health and opportunity we had."

The Hawks were preparing for the conference championship when Cobb suffered a gruesome injury the night before the big game. The damage was startling: he had torn his ACL, MCL, meniscus and calf muscle.

Even though he could not be on the court, Cobb was encouraged as he watched his teammates win the conference title and take third in the nation that year.
After a long road of recovery to getting back on the court, he was ready for the 2006-07 basketball season. In just the fourth game of the young season, he suffered another injury.

This time, Cobb tried to play through it, but when he was examined by a doctor, it was clear something wasn't right. He had torn his ACL once again, ending his Harper basketball career.

Despite the crushing blow, he knew his time on the court at Harper College was not wasted.

"I definitely build lifelong friendships there along with lifelong memories. Those are two truly quality things in life," Cobb said.

Cobb left Harper in 2007 without a degree and began studying automotive technology at Lincoln Tech Institute in Melrose Park. He was unable to finish due to financial difficulty affording school, but he returned to Harper in 2008 and obtained his Associate of Arts degree.

After graduating from Harper, Cobb worked for two years in the IT department.  From 2008 to 2012, he also worked as a freelance IT Professional, valet parker, handyman, barista at Starbucks and at a hospital cafeteria.

Cobb also began showing an interest in acting and took private lessons with a lady named Annette Galloway, who is a coach, playwright, screenplay writer and actress. He was interested in acting as a kid, but he said growing up in his neighborhood you didn't see much success, so he never thought being an actor was actually possible.

"While I was at Harper, I took the career development course," he said. "You do studies on careers that fit your personality and traits, and acting kept showing up. I was more interested but still wasn't convinced I could."

Under Galloway's tutelage, Cobb acted in his first independent film in the fall of 2011, but the directors never finished editing it.

His big break finally came a short time later.

The husband of a coworker of Cobb's mother worked with a client of the company Royal Model & Talent Management, a non-union modeling agency based in Schaumburg serving the business and creative community throughout the Midwest.

Cobb followed up with the company and was accepted to be one of the talent represented by Royal Model & Talent Management starting in November 2011. The company states "we provide exceptional talent at the lowest rates to represent your brand and deliver your message".

The company began sending him to auditions for television shows as well as print work for companies such as Walgreens, Meijer and Comcast. Also, he was sent to auditions for commercials for companies such as Six Flags and Q Ray Wellness Bracelets.

Cobb says his most memorable commercial up to this point was for Q Ray because "it was my first one-liner commercial, so it's always going to stand out".

In addition to his work with Royal, Cobb was hired this April as a full-time IT Professional in the desktop support division of the company Coilcraft, a world leader in the design and manufacture of magnetic components for a wide range of applications.

Even though he let go of his childhood dream of acting, he never fully gave it up.

"Through church, not necessarily a religion but growing my relationship with God, my confidence skyrocketed and I haven't looked back since," he said. "Acting is what I want to do, so that's exactly what I'm doing."

In his free time, Cobb is a basketball league coordinator and a dance fitness instructor at Life Time Fitness in Schaumburg. He plans to continue his work for Royal and pursue any acting opportunities that may come up.

Reflecting on his early college career at Harper that began eight years ago, Cobb said Harper got him started in the right direction.

"Harper is definitely the place to play," he said. "During this time that you are getting better at your sport, you are learning life lessons and meeting awesome people you will be lifelong friends with. Trust me, after college those are the things that really matter."

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Opening Ceremony Slated for August 30

Opening Ceremony 2013 Scott Balcer
PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College athletic department will be hosting an opening ceremony to kick off the 2013-2014 school year on Aug. 30.

The event, which will be held in building E106 and is open to all students, will start at 11:30 AM (food will be served) and will feature introductions by Dr. Ashley Knight, Dean of Student Affairs and Doug Spiwak, Director of Athletics. The keynote speaker is former Harper baseball player Scott Balcer.

Balcer played baseball for two years (2007, 2008) at Harper before moving on to pitch at Div. I Chicago State University for two years. After his college career, he played for a free agent team in Florida, and following that, he was contacted by a former college teammate who told him about a professional team in Slovakia in need of pitching. Balcer played for the Trnava Angels in Slovakia and has an incredible story to share at the opening ceremony.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Harper Volleyball Plays Harper Alumni in Exhibition Match

Women's Volleyball: Kelly Spychala 2013 alumni game
Sophomore libero Kelly Spychala scoops up a serve against the Harper College alum. (Jim Cummins)
PALATINE, Ill. – With only three practices under its belt, the Harper volleyball team faced a tough test in an exhibition match against a star-studded Harper alumni team last week. The current team dropped all six games to the alumni (17-25, 21-25, 23-25, 22-25, 22-25, 22-25), but head coach Bob Vilsoet still walked away very encouraged by his 2013 team's performance.

"There's no shame in losing close games to a team of Harper ex-players, including two All-Americans, two All-Region Players, eight All-Conference players, one varsity head coach, and an Academic All-American volleyball player," Vilsoet said. "This was the best alumni team we've ever had play the current team."

The Hawks come into the 2013 campaign ranked No. 6 in the preseason poll. Last season, the Hawks were among teams receiving votes in the preseason but finished the season with a 36-15 record and were ranked No. 5 in the nation. Vilsoet acknowledged his team has things to work on, but he saw "flashes of brilliance" and good passing from a group still getting acclimated to playing with each other.

"I guess I'm glad the alumni team won," he said. "It stands to reason that players I coached for two years and in some cases more should be better than the current team that I've only coached for three practices so far." 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Baseball to Host High School Prospect Camp in September

Baseball 2013: Theo Yfantis
The camp is set for Sept. 22 at Harper College. (Jim Cummins)
PDF File

PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College baseball team will host a High School Prospect Camp on Sept. 22. Players entering tenth through twelfth grade are eligible to register.

The camp will consist of position specific instruction, a "pro-style" workout, game play and information sessions about hitting/fielding and recruiting. This camp is designed for high school players who want to find out what it takes to play at the college level. Each camper will receive a comprehensive evaluation following the camp.

Camp registration starts at 9:15 AM. The camp begins at 10:05 AM and will conclude at 3:00 PM. The cost is $75.00 per player. For more information and to register, download the PDF file. 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

InZone Q&A with Kevin Hahn

Chicago Cubs camp InZone story
The Chicago Cubs baseball camp was just one of nearly 200 camps offered to kids ages 8-14. (Cliff Brown)
PALATINE, Ill. – We sat down with Harper College InZone Summer Enrichment and Sports Camp Program Coordinator Kevin Hahn to talk about InZone. InZone offers nearly 200 courses throughout the summer for kids ages 8-14. Hahn is in his seventh year with the InZone program.

Q: What makes InZone so much different than other summer camps?

Hahn: I would stress the quality of instruction and the individual, specific activities that the kids are getting. If they're signed up for a chemistry class, they're getting two weeks of just learning about chemistry. If they're signed up for a basketball camp, they're learning about just basketball and getting professional instruction.

Q: What do you do to promote InZone throughout the year?

Hahn: We promote through our website, local libraries, and local school districts. We have a lot of school districts that feed to us, so we have a lot of outreach we can do. I hit quite a few vendor fairs, anything that's youth-based where kids and parents are looking for summer activities. Word of mouth also helps. Quality, good experiences from the year before can really help sell the program to new people.

Q: How did the Harper coaches' camps get started about three years back?

Hahn: We came up with a plan of getting some of our Harper coaches here to get involved with the camps, and we've had great success with them. Harper head and assistant coaches are running and leading those camps, so the kids actually see and work with professionals. They see who's here at Harper and see the quality of instructors. It gives them something to strive for, that opportunity to come here as adults.

For more information, visit www.harpercollege.edu/inzone