PLAYER OF THE WEEK

The 2008 season could well be one of the strongest in girls high school tennis in the East Valley, especially with three returning state individual champions in 5A and 4A.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

A Scottsdale Horizon duo has been making trouble for 5A tennis players for the past year, and are set to do again as the state tennis tournaments draw closer.

High school coaching can be a thankless job with long hours, low pay and a thousand little tasks having nothing to do with actual coaching.

For the third in time in school history, the Arizona State women's tennis team placed four student-athletes on the Pac-10 All-Academic teams, tying the amount of honorees following the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Athlete of the Week

Kiwanis Recreation Center in Tempe is participating in a new program sponsored by the United States Tennis Association designed to encourage young players to participate in the sport.

May 24, 2005

The breaks just keep coming for Red Mountain tennis — bad breaks.

They practice with tennis balls still covered in fuzz. That’s how new the first year tennis program is at Maricopa High School, where the four gray concrete courts were finished days before the boys and girls teams’ inaugural season started.

BADMINTON

When it comes to badminton powers, the faces tend to change more quickly than the jerseys. This year’s state badminton scene will feature many of the usual dynasties, minus many of last year’s top athletes.

Tennis titles are common at Fountain Hills. Since 2000, a Falcons player has won five 3A Conference girls singles titles and three girls doubles championships. Despite that success, what’s uncommon for Fountain Hills is a team championship.

Most badminton players are quick to tell you the many ways in which badminton is not like other sports.

Advantage: Harris.

The Mesa and Chandler/Gilbert Family YMCAs are seeking volunteer coaches for the following youth sports — volleyball, soccer, baseball, Arizona Cardinals NFL flag football and Junior Suns/Junior Mercury basketball.

Editor's note: This is an open letter to John Huppenthal, Arizona's superintendent of public instruction.

The East Valley will be well represented tonight with scholar athletes at the annual Everyday Heroes celebration presented by the Arizona Interscholastic Association and Cox Communications.

School’s out for summer, but the Desert Vista High School campus will be hopping starting early next week.

Thursday morning will mark a first in Mesa Skyline High athletics.

Soccer enthusiasts have a Real chance to play for a Major League Soccer team.

Tempe Junior Crew, one of Arizona’s premier junior rowing programs, will be offering a free introductory rowing class, from 9 a.m. to noon on Jan. 27 at the Tempe Town Lake boathouse.

The Scottsdale Fever, a fast-pitch softball organization with teams competing at the 10-and-under, 12-and-under and 14-and-under levels, has quite a few success stories to its credit this season.