RunRideRace.com has worked with the Department of Parks and Recreation to bring what is more or less (I say that because the course will run slightly afoul of a traditional cyclocross course) a cyclocross series to Forest Hill Park September 8, 15, and 22nd before the Virginia Cyclocross series returns in earnest for the year with stops at other parks in the city (Bryant and Chimborazo respectively). As an offshoot of traditional road racing expect to see competitive riders with a slightly more relaxed demeanor than pro road racers, tackling courses through the park on these Wednesday nights starting at 5:45pm. Cyclocross has been referred to as “An hour in Hell” for both the time races generally last for and the conditions riders must endure.

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Huguenot High only has 1 home football game this season and Huguenot gets the home field advantage 4 times. If anybody would like to cover these upcoming football seasons in depth I would welcome the help.

Full Schedules for Wythe & Huguenot

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Councilman Marty Jewell will hold his 3rd Annual Metropolitan Junior Baseball League Invitational Baseball Tournament this Saturday with Virginia-based teams from Richmond, Hampton and Norfolk.

The games are free to watch; open to the public; and, everyone is invited come out and enjoy the day. Vendors will be on hand with refreshments.

The tournament will include an estimated 12 teams, representing the following age groups: Minors (10 and under), 12 and under, and 13-15. This invitational tournament will include Virginia-based teams from Richmond , Hampton and Norfolk .

The tournament games will be played at two Richmond locations managed by the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities – Hotchkiss Community Center Field, located at 701 E. Brookland Park Boulevard , and the Westover Community Center Field, located at 1301 Jahnke Road.

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I am still crushed from the US exit out of the World Cup but there is a fun family event going on right across the river today. From the Kickers site;

Kick off your Independence Day celebrations at the Richmond Kickers Independence Day Bash.  Festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 3rd at Richmond City Stadium and will feature a Splash Zone, inflatables, delicious food and live music.  The Kickers professional soccer game will highlight the event as the Kickers host the Charleston Battery at 1:00 p.m.  Admission is just $4.00 per ticket before 12:30 p.m. and parking is free.

Beat the heat in the Kickers one-of-a-kind Splash Zone, featuring a 40-foot long slip ‘n slide, dunk tank, water balloons and more.  Take advantage of delicious and affordable concessions.  In addition, fans young in age and young at heart can enjoy soccer competitions on the field, games, Most Patriotic Fan Contest, moonbounces, face-painting, contests and the longest inflatable obstacle course in Central Virginia, presented by Bounce 2 the Moon.  The event will conclude with the Kickers pro soccer match featuring the Charleston Battery at 1:00 p.m.

I saw this on Oregon Hill and knew we have more than our share of mountain biking families on the southbank. From the James River Association announcement;

Virginia Outside is holding a kids mountain bike benefit day at Belle Isle on June 26th from 9:00 am-11:00 am. Come out and enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding the James River while learning the basics of bike safety and riding technique. Experienced and trained staff will be on hand to teach riding basics, trail safety, and the importance of an outdoor experience. The cost is $20. All proceeds will be donated to the James River Association. Ages 6-12. Kids will be grouped based on skill level. All participants must provide their own bike and helmet.

To register, contact Tee Clarkson, tsclarkson at virginiaoutside.com or 804-687-1869.

For more information on Virginia Outside go to www.virginiaoutside.com

As you can see from the map below (click for larger version) there will be a good bit of activity on the Southbank as part of the XTERRA East Championship on Sunday. The start and finish line are on Brown’s Island and the races kickoff at 7:30 a.m.

Just in case you are tired of the World Cup a chance to support the local boys as they make a run at the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The World Cup starts on Friday. I realize that there is no real H&H story here but I know that there are some footie fans in the area so I am using that as an excuse to be self-indulgent. If you don’t like soccer/footie/futból please don’t continue on.

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Only a week until the World Cup starts but our local soccer team has a great event this weekend;

The Richmond Kickers School’s Out Festival will feature live music, inflatable games, delicious food, face-painting and fun for the whole family. Plus, don’t miss the Trackless Train, 24-foot inflatable slide and Adrenaline Rush Extreme – the largest inflatable obstacle course in the Richmond area, presented by Bounce 2 The Moon. In addition, soccer fans of all ages will be invited to participate in the U-TURN Soccer Zone with small-sided games and soccer drills to be held on the field at the stadium throughout the day. The Festival will conclude with the Kickers pro soccer match featuring the Charleston Battery at 7:00 p.m. With unbeatable value, admission is just $10 for the whole family for the festival and Kickers pro soccer match before 6:00 p.m.

Ten bucks is a great price to get the whole family into the festival and game, if you don’t have anything going on, check it out.

From the Plaza Bowl Duckpin Bowling Facebook Page; We have a fun Summer Bowling League starting this thurs night May 27th at 7pm-10pm the league runs for 10 weeks, we still need a few more teams of 3 people or just some individuals to fill in some teams. So if you want to join just show up this thurs about 6:30pm.

The first game of the world cup is only 17 days 6 hours away but you can enjoy and participate in some Southbank fútbol action and support a good cause.

Come and join the Bobcats Sports and Youth Development ‘s first semiannual tournament. Get your team of ten or more players and get signed up. Teams pay $80.00 to play. All money goes to the Bobcat Sports and Youth Development , a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Play starts on Saturday at 9am June 12th behind L. Brown Middle School located at Jahnke Rd. and Blakemore Rd. Play for 40 minutes, no time outs, all bragging rights go to the winner. This is a community event to show that soccer is a way to bring about positive relationships in our neighborhoods. There will be partners at this event to share information on healthcare, proper nutrition, and other social services. We presently have about 100 kids that play in our league, not all parents can pay all the fees. This is a way you can help support your community and our youth.

Flyer w/registration.pdf

Phil Riggan and Richmond.com have a slideshow and article on biking in the city and of course part of that journey takes place on the Southbank.

The single-track loop covers about nine miles and there are plenty of challenging sections on both physical and technical levels for mountain bikers. Expert riders can complete the loop in 30-40 minutes, intermediate riders could take an hour or more. Novices should stick to Belle Isle or the gravel trails around Reedy Creek.

There are multiple tight switchbacks, fast descents, and steep climbs throughout the loop. The Buttermilk Heights section of the trail — from 42nd Street to the Boulevard Bridge — has plenty of boulders, obstacles, creeks and ravines to keep your mind focused on the path. There aren’t many places to coast and there are many blind spots that need for a “rider up” shout on approach

The National Duathlon Festival comes to Richmond this weekend and will have an impact on some of the streets in our area.

On Saturday, April 24, from 1 1 a.m. to 2 p.m., Riverside Drive will be closed from the Lee Bridge to West 22nd Street . On Sunday, April 25, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Riverside Drive will be closed from West 42nd Street to the Lee Bridge for the bicycle race portion of the 2010 Richmond Duathlon.

Additionally, the below streets will also be closed during the stated time periods:

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Just got word that the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority no longer has tickets for the baseball game for their 20th Anniversary Kick-off & Earth Day celebration that is taking place Wednesday, April 21st. Apparently there is some confusion and people are getting upset. If you want to see the Flying Squirrels contact the baseball office at 359-FUNN.

The annual 5k run to support the Nicole Megaloudis Foundation is taking place on April 11th around Swan & Shields Lake. The Run is being held in conjunction with the VCU Women’s Soccer Alumni game (Saturday, April 10th, 11:00am @ Sportsbacker Stadium). Download a flyer to spread the word about this great event or register yourself

About Nicole and the foundation;

On February 9th 2004, Nicole (a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University) was killed in an auto accident, on I-64, in Virginia. Nicole was a member of the VCU women’s soccer team and had just begun her college soccer career. Nicole was a talented soccer player but, more importantly, she was an amazing person (with a caring heart) who touched the lives of many. Nicole never wanted to see someone hurting or to be without; and her dream was to help innocent children in Africa & Haiti. Gail Rongen, Nicole’s mother, vowed to fulfill her daughter’s dreams and help children that weren’t as fortunate as her own; and with the loving support of family & friends, the Nicole Megaloudis Foundation was born. Nicole believed that anything was possible – you just have to find a way to ‘Make It Happen!’

City Press Release has the details:
City adding adult sports to recreation programming

Richmond ’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is starting a new adult sports league

“The department has focused primarily on giving children in the city the opportunity to play sports, but the addition of this new league will give adults the opportunity to get out and have some fun playing sports too,” said department Director J.R. Pope.

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The Bobcat Sports League is a soccer league that practices and plays on the soccer field behind Lucille Brown Middle School. Many of its players are very poor children of refugees and are not able to enjoy the same level of family support as some suburban programs. The program is a 501(c)3, and is seeking volunteers to help with all phases of the program. The founder and contact point is Dr. Bill Fleming, at 323-9864 (h) or 366-4144. Some great pictures of the wide range of ages this program supports are here. Currently the application on the site is outdated but I’ll keep an eye on it and post it when they have it up there. I also up to follow up and get out to a practice and game or two. Thanks to David H. for sending this my way.

picture grabbed from the Bobcat Website

David Hathcock submitted the pictures above.  If anyone grabbed some shots they want to up on the blog send them to me and I’ll add them into the slide show. David also had a few thoughts on the race. 

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Thanks to Jon Deutsch for sharing these great photos.

Tomorrow is race day. Interesting article on BizSense.com about the business behind the marathon is here. Below are some links that answer any marathon related question you may have this morning. I have posted the information that best applies to our area.

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The Suntrust Marathon website has all the pertinent information such as street closings. I’ll do another post Thursday or Friday with the bands playing at the Party Zones in our area but for now take a tour of the course courtesy of Runner’s World. If you would like to see a non-video of the course here you go. If you can go out and give these runners some love, they deserve and appreciate the crowds cheering them on.

On Sunday RTD had a article that took a quick look at the unique position Richmond is in when it comes to urban trails. The article was spurred by the October issue of Trail Runner magazine which listed Richmond in its “Dirty 7,” an annual list of top trail towns nationwide.

The southside rails to trails project is the next logical step in growing what is already a great resource to our community.

Michael Burton, a former professional trail builder in South Carolina who now works with Burrell for the city, praised what we have (“I’ve never seen [a trail system] that’s closer to downtown like this is and gets the kind of use that this does.”) but said he sees projects like the South Side greenway as the future of Richmond’s trail development.

“Eventually you’re going to run out of room to keep expanding the single track you have right along the river,” he said. “So to me really the next logical step would be to try to enhance the connectiveness of this trail with other parks. If those could be connected with greenways, that would be awesome.”

The last game of the year is for all the marbles. Just across the river at U of R Stadium the Richmond Kickers will be taking on the Charlotte Eagles for the USL-2 championship. Kickoff is at 8 and tickets cost $15, get out there and support your local team. If you can’t make it to the stadium the game will be televised on FSC at 11 p.m. tonight. I am going on record as predicting a 3-1 win for the Kickers, Delicate with the game winner shortly after the second half kicks off.

Championship games often turn in too cautious low scoring affairs but I don’t this will be the case for this game since “Five Eagles finished among the league’s top 20 point producers. Leading the parade: midfielders Amaury Nunes (9 goals, 2 assists) and Jorge Herrera (6, 6). . . . The Kickers are led by a pair of high-scoring forwards — Matthew Delicate (14 goals, tops in USL-2) and Bulow (9 goals). [via] The regular season records of the two teams: Richmond (12-3-6), Charlotte (10-5-7).

Today’s article in the RTD focuses on the lack of success of George Wythe High School‘s football on the field. An amazing record of 1 win and 48 losses. The article then points out the familiar issues facing our school system.

Ever-dropping enrollment in the Richmond school system — it’s about half what it was 40 years ago — has meant ever-dropping funding across the board, including for sports programs.

At Wythe, that means fewer options, with the school typically fielding teams in just one-third of the 27 sports the Virginia High School League sanctions.

Across the city, with few exceptions — John Marshall basketball usually comes to mind — high school teams tend to play in antiquated facilities, draw small crowds, and fare poorly in regional and state competitions.

There are some signs of hope but sports are being left behind.

Its after-school arts programs, while hardly robust, are gaining increasing support from community groups. Students can learn music from orchestra members, produce literary journals with published authors, and learn to paint from some of the city’s best artists.

But the sports programs continue to lag, with few local supporters and little money to upgrade equipment and facilities.

In the summer of 2008 the father-son team of Jack and Philip Haar created a fundraising ride across America to raise awareness of the need for more research and better funding in the fight against cancer. The ride was done in memory of their good friend Jim Popp who died of cancer in the summer of 2007. Jim was a superb athlete, trusted physician and loved father and husband.

On Sunday August 23 you can participate in the Finale Rally Ride which is a single day ride to Yorktown. If you sign up for the ride you also get to have a deluxe spaghetti dinner provided by O’Toole’s and movie viewing of  “Breaking Away”. The donation cost to participate in the Ride for VCU, MCV & UR Students is $20 and $30 for others. You can register to ride at RideforJim.org or download the pdf RideForJim YORKTOWN RIDE

If you would like to support the Ride for Jim but don’t want to get up up at 7:30 to ride a bike to Yorktown buy a ticket and go to the Block Party Saturday, August 22nd, 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM 5000 Block of Caledonia Road (between Westover Hills Boulevard & Prince Arthur Road).

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