Letter from the President - We're Open!
Hello Stars Nation! There is a lot of information to share so please take the time to read this letter all the way through.
Super exciting news ... the NEW CLUBHOUSE IS OPEN!! Thank you for your patience as we built a new facility that is big enough to accommodate our growing needs and be a great home for the Stars for years to come!
Please look for information to come in the next week on how to sign up for open cage time (do not just walk in for this - you MUST RESERVE online). All youth families as part of their fees also get 3 one on one lessons with a Stars coach, plus a clinic with Coach Ace. Look for sign ups for these to come out in the next week or so as well.
Lessons/clinics included in youth program fees should be complete by December 31. Once teams start winter practice at the facility in January, it will be very busy so cage/lesson time will be limited. Reserve your cage time in the fall if you are interested.
I wanted to say a personal welcome to all of our new families! Thanks to you, we have grown from 18 teams last year to 23 teams this year and have players from over 25 different Lake County communities playing for us. It is certainly looking to be our best year ever!
Also, a big welcome to all the new head coaches: Coach Ventrelle, Coach Rockweiler, Coach Lacey, Coach Trujillo, Coach Farina, Coach Smith and Coach Rossi-super glad to have you as part of STARS NATION!
All families will be getting new uniforms for 2022. For youth, players will get 2 hats, 2 practice shirts, 2 jerseys, a helmet and a backpack (helmets and backpacks are meant to last for 2 seasons with the Stars). For high school, players will get 2 hats, 2 practice shirts, 2 jerseys, a helmet and a backpack (helmets and backpacks are meant to last for all HS seasons with the Stars). Players will need to supply their own all white pants (full length or knickers), navy belt and socks. Uniform fitting day for sizing will happen in early November.
Check out our new Facebook group: Stars Equipment Buy/Sell/Trade & Discussion. If you're looking for equipment, or have equipment that needs a new home, check it out!
Some housekeeping items for our awesome facility:
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Keep it clean: if you bring in food, throw out garbage; if you use equipment, put it away; if you wear wet shoes, leave them at the door; please everyone do your part on this!
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We need to follow all masking rules for the state of Illinois and all coaches and players in the warehouse coming in for practice need to be masked regardless of vaccine status.
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Parents, please come in and check out the facility, but then please leave the warehouse area and wait in the lobby or drop off your player. There is simply no room for parents to be in the warehouse without interfering with the training going on there.
We have some needs still and if anyone has any of these items to donate, please let us know:
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Brown couch
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Sports artwork framed
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Small, sturdy kitchen table
Please notice our new vending machines in the kitchen and feel free to grab a treat on your way in or out. All proceeds from these sales will help fund our Kids in Need Fund to help scholarship players in need of some assistance. Speaking of funding, if anyone works for a company who does donation matching, please remember, we are a 501c3 and would love to partner with interested companies. Please reach out to Cynthia Zarkowsky at info@lakecountystars.org if you are able to help with any of the above items/donations.
Don't forget to check out all the great individual and training packages that are offered by our own Kip Steingart and Bill Miller. They offered great support for players looking to improve their physical game for ages 12 and up. Reach out to Kip at: 847-542-5213 for more info, and look for emails about this from Bill or Kip.
On a personal note, thank you to all of the amazing staff and coaches who helped us find and create this new home for all of us. We have more Stars players than ever before and this would not be possible without the true team efforts from all involved. I am truly in awe of how far we have come as a program and can not wait to see all these teams in action.
As always, GO STARS!
