Beginning next Sunday, February 14, the Richmond District YMCA will offer a weekly soccer clinic for kids age 6-9 years old.

Classes meet on Sundays from 11am – 12:30pm in Golden Gate Park. The 4-week program runs until March 7.

Registration ends next Monday, February 8. Please call the YMCA at 666-9605 or drop by 360 18th Avenue for more information.

Sarah B.

The George Washington High School athletic fields need a little t.l.c. The athletic facilities been in service for 70 years of P.E. classes, soccer games, track and field meets, football games and more. And when your field boasts a bay view like the one at GWHS, it’s only fitting that the field be top-notch too.

This summer, after school lets out, GWHS will begin long-awaited renovations which will include new turf on the football field (also known as the north field) and on the south field, a new track surface. The renovations will not only serve the 2,000 Washington students, but also the 12 high schools and 23 middle schools that use the south field and track for their recreation and sports programs.

The field have turned out some decent talent over the years. Crooner Johnny Mathis was an All-City track star who would have represented the US in the ‘56 Olympics had a record company singing audition not conflicted with the US tryouts. And let’s not forget Ollie Matson, a 1952 Olympic Silver and Bronze medalist in track as well as NFL All-Star and Hall of Fame halfback.

The field and track renovations are only partially funded by a bond measure, so the school is taking the initiative to raise funds to cover the shortfall. Under the slogan of “A First Class Facility for a First Class School,” GWHS is reaching out to alumni, sports fans, staff, family, friends and neighbors of the school for support.

There are a couple of ways you can help. Attend a fundraising dinner on Friday, February 26, at Patio Español, 2850 Alemany Blvd. in San Francisco. Tickets are $100 per person ($34 dinner/$66 tax deductible donation) and it includes a lifetime pass to all GWHS football games (Go Eagles!). Or just make a donation in any amount to help fund the renovations. $250 or more will get your name on a plaque.

“We ask the Washington High community to help support our P.E. program and the long standing tradition of athletic excellence at Washington,” said Ericka M. Lovrin, GWHS Principal. “Helping us to raise funds to be able to complete this project will allow young athletes hundreds of hours of increased use on these newly renovated fields.”

To attend the fundraising dinner or to make a donation, download the form here.

Sarah B.

On Saturday, January 30, Star of the Sea continues their centennial celebrations with a Basketball Invitational featuring some of the oldest Catholic elementary schools in the city.

The all-day event will feature exhibition basketball games, free throw shoot-a-thons, raffles, prizes, food, and limited edition T-shirts available for purchase.

Participating schools include Mission Dolores (founded 1852), Saint Peter (1878), Saint Anthony/Immaculate Conception (1894), Saint Charles (1894), and Saint James (1906).

The Invitational will take place from 9am to 9pm at the Star of the Sea Gym, 345 8th Avenue. Admission for students K-8 is $1, and general admission is $2, with all proceeds going to the Star of the Sea Centennial science lab. For more information call 415-221-3399.

Sarah B.

Local blog San Francisco Now has a nice video feature on a new Outer Richmond District business, Ocean Beach Barra Brothers Jiu-Jitsu.

Started in late 2009, the dojo is run by Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former US open champion Carlos Sapao. The focus is on the Brazilian style of Jiu-Jitsu.

The dojo also offers Brazillian bootcamp class which they describe as “a blend of traditional exercises (jumping jack, push-ups, squats, etc.), Jiu-Jitsu inspired cardio drills, and self defense disciplines”.

If you’re looking for a new workout for 2010, Barra Brothers may be the ticket. All ages are welcome and the first class is free. They’re located at 710 La Playa Street near Balboa and offer classes from morning until evening.

Sarah B.

This Sunday, the Nike Women’s Marathon will weave its way through parts of the outer Richmond and Golden Gate Park (course map. Here are some closures you should be aware of so you don’t get snagged in bad traffic. Thanks to PAR for this information.

If you’d like to watch the runners huff and puff, see the course map to pick a good spot. Looks like Clement & 36th (mile 9), El Camino del Mar and 26th Avenue (mile 8), Point Lobos & Great Highway (mile 10), and many spots in Golden Gate Park will be good viewing points. The race begins at 7am.

Sarah B.

Closures

OCEAN BEACH PARKING LOT from Stairwell #18 through Stairwell # 27* will be closed from 12 Midnight on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 through Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 12 noon. (See attached diagram for set up)

OCEAN BEACH PARKING LOT from Stairwell #15 through Stairwell # 18* will be closed from 12 Midnight on Sunday, October 18, 2009 until 6:00 p.m. (See attached diagram for set up)

*Stairwell 18 is at Great Highway & Fulton; numbers increase as you head south down the Great Highway.

BEACH CHALET SOCCER FIELD PARKING LOT from 3:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2009 for VIP and volunteer parking.

ALL ROADS ON THE WEST END OF GOLDEN GATE PARK from Transverse to the Great Highway will be closed from 3:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2009.

GREAT HIGHWAY: will be closed from Skyline Blvd/Great highway to Fulton Street from 12:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2009.

Westbound parking lane on JFK from 47th Street to the Great Highway for Bus Staging area from 3:00a.m.-4:00p.m. on October 18, 2009.

Northbound parking lane on the Great Highway from Fulton Street to Cabrillo Street for Bus Staging are from 1:00a.m.-4:00p.m. on October 18, 2009.

Roads through Sea Cliff and Clement/Seal Rock Drive will also be affected.

George Washington High School may be our only high school in the Richmond District, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get to relish a good ol’ football rivalry.

This Friday afternoon, Washington will take on its Sunset District rival, Lincoln High School in the 64th Annual Bell Game. The Bell Game is the annual rivalry football game between Washington and Lincoln, created in 1945 to mimic the Stanford-Cal Big Game.

The game will be held at Washington High, which is located up on the hill at Geary and 30th Avenue. Kickoff is at 3pm. Enter the football field from the 30th & Anza gate. Tickets are $3 with a student ID, $5 for everyone else.

If you’re a GWHS or Lincoln High alum, don’t miss the Bell Game After-Party, a mini-reunion for alumni of both schools that started a few years ago. Tickets are $30 at the door, or $25 in advance. The party is held at St. Monica’s School Auditorium, 5950 Geary Blvd. near 24th Avenue.

Go Eagles!

Sarah B.