About 150 children got the opportunity of a lifetime when they took the floor with San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill at the George Hill Skills Clinic Saturday at the Recreation, Kinesiology, and Education (REK) Center on the UTB/TSC campus.

The clinic drew 80 youngsters between the ages of 7 to 12 Saturday morning an additional 70 teenagers in the afternoon session.

“It was awesome and this was an unforgettable experience for me,” said Nereida Ybarra, a senior at Hanna High School. “This is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life and I’ll tell my kids about one day.”

Hill worked out with the children throughout the clinic, and participated in a scrimmage game with the older children in the afternoon. His passion and excitement working with children was very evident, as if he was a big kid himself.

“This is something I really enjoy doing with the kids. I’m having fun. Coming back to Brownsville is something I want to do for many, many years. I have a second-to-fourth grade kids I sponsor in Indianapolis. I’m trying to make this something I do every year and right now, it’s looking very good.”

Hill has played the guard position for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA for the last two years. He was drafted by the Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Hill sponsors an AAU team in Indianapolis that competes in Under-9 age group. He is providing the opportunity for young athletes in Indianapolis to play basketball at a highly competitive level.

Only 23 years old, Hill was assisted by his coaching staff and area coaches to put together the clinic. He was hands-on throughout the day with all students attending. In between the two sessions, he played table tennis with members of the REK Center staff.

“It was a great experience to have someone of NBA talent come to visit the University and our facility,” said Art Olague, Facility and Safety Coordinator. “It would definitely be great to have partnerships like this again for our community. We hope to announce more of these soon.”

George Hill, a member of the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA, will visit the REK Center at UTB/TSC Saturday, July 31 to host the George Hill Skills Clinic for area youth, and be available for a free autograph session that afternoon.

Hill will be hosting the clinic for boys and girls ages 7 to 12 from 8 a.m. to noon, followed by a clinic for boys and girls ages 13 to 18 from 1-5 p.m.

In between the two sessions from noon to 1 p.m., Hill will meet and greet campers for autographs and pictures. Parents of clinic attendees will be allowed to come indoors for the lunchtime session to take photographs of their children with Hill.

Following the afternoon session, Hill will be on hand for a Community Meet and Greet at 5 p.m. at the REK Center and sign autographs for free and pose for pictures. The doors at the REK Center will open at 4 p.m. for the community event. Hill merchandise will also be available for sale.

The event is co-sponsored by UTB/TSC and the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department.

Cost for the clinic is $100. To register for the clinic, visit Hill’s website at www.ghill3.com.

“We are hoping to get sponsors for the community so that our kids whose parents can’t afford the clinic can attend,”  Brownsville PARD Director Chris Patterson said. “It’s not every day when we can get a pro basketball player come and put on a clinic for our children.”

Interested sponsors may call Patterson at (956) 455-7729.

“We’re ecstatic to be hosting this event on our campus,” UTB/TSC Director of Athletics Todd Lowery said. “We want the community to come out to see our beautiful REK Center and support this clinic. Hopefully we can get more clinics on our campus like this.”

The clinic is limited to 100 children per session. Proceeds will go to the George Hill Rising Stars Youth Basketball Program.

“We’re hoping to branch out and start a George Hill Youth Basketball League in Brownsville,” said LeMoure Stephens, a member of Hill’s management staff. “We want to keep this relationship strong in Brownsville.”

Hill has played two years for the Spurs. He played collegiately for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He was chosen 26th overall by the Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Spurs’ Guard George Hill to Host Skills Clinic for Youth at REK CenterThu, Jul 22, 2010 at 12:30 PM – [Scorpions]

George Hill, a member of the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA, will visit the REK Center at UTB/TSC Saturday, July 31 to host the George Hill Skills Clinic for area youth, and be available for a free autograph session that afternoon. Hill will be hosting the clinic for boys and girls ages 7 to 12 from 8 a.m. to noon, followed by a clinic for boys and girls ages 13 to 18 from 1-5 p.m. In between the two sessions from noon to 1 p.m., Hill will meet and greet campers for autographs and pictures. Parents of clinic attendees will be allowed to come indoors for the lunchtime session to take photographs of their children with Hill. Following the afternoon session, Hill will be on hand for a Community Meet and Greet at 5 p.m. at the REK Center and sign autographs for free and pose for pictures. The doors at the REK Center will open at 4 p.m. for the community event. Hill merchandise will also be available for sale. The event is co-sponsored by UTB/TSC and the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department. Cost for the clinic is $100. To register for the clinic, visit Hill’s website at www.ghill3.com. ”We are hoping to get sponsors for the community so that our kids whose parents can’t afford the clinic can attend,”  Brownsville PARD Director Chris Patterson said. “It’s not every day when we can get a pro basketball player come and put on a clinic for our children.” Interested sponsors may call Patterson at (956) 455-7729. ”We’re ecstatic to be hosting this event on our campus,” UTB/TSC Director of Athletics Todd Lowery said. “We want the community to come out to see our beautiful REK Center and support this clinic. Hopefully we can get more clinics on our campus like this.” The clinic is limited to 100 children per session. Proceeds will go to the George Hill Rising Stars Youth Basketball Program. ”We’re hoping to branch out and start a George Hill Youth Basketball League in Brownsville,” said LeMoure Stephens, a member of Hill’s management staff. “We want to keep this relationship strong in Brownsville.” Hill has played two years for the Spurs. He played collegiately for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He was chosen 26th overall by the Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Twenty-four children between the ages of 4 and 15 successfully completed the first of two Scorpion Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer Camps Thursday at the Brownsville Sports Park.

Eighteen girls and six boys attended the four-day camp, which included 12 hours of instruction for children to improve their soccer skills.

“The kids worked really hard, despite the hot and humid conditions they were full of energy throughout the week,” Scorpion head men’s soccer coach Dan Balaguero said. “I look forward to watching these kids develop their soccer games, and hope to have the opportunity to work with them again in the future.”

“It was really easy to get excited about this camp and our Scorpion Summer Soccer camp is the one I’m always looking forward the most,” Scorpion head women’s soccer coach Nik Barjaktarevic said. “The energy of our campers was amazing throughout the camp and it was great to work with such a talented group.”

The camp winning team predicted Brazil to win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

A second camp will be held July 26-29.

Henry Garcia, selected as the 2008 Baseball Most Valuable Player in the Rio Grande Valley, will sign a Red River Athletic Conference Letter of Intent to join the Scorpion baseball team at a signing ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 3, at the Manuel Garza B. Gymnasium.

Garcia will transfer to UTB/TSC from Northeast Texas Community College, where he has spent the last two seasons.

We hope that you can attend this ceremony for the signing of our newest Scorpion.

The recent success of the Rio Grande Valley Bravos FC is attributed to current or former members of the UTB/TSC men’s soccer team.

After starting the season 0-2, the Bravos are 2-2-1 after home victories May 28 and 29.

Scorpion seniors-to-be forward Juan Nava and goalkeeper Juan Gamboa, along with former Scorpion Mario Zamora, have played pivotal roles in recent games.

In a 1-1 tie to the Houston Leones on the road, Zamora scored the Bravos’ only goal of the game. Zamora played for the Scorpions during the 2008 season.

The Bravos played their first two home games May 28-29 at the Brownsville Sports Park and came up with their first two wins of the season.

The Bravos defeated the Dallas-Fort Worth Tornados, 1-0, with Nava scoring the only goal of the game. The next night, the Bravos downed the El Paso Patriots, 2-0, with Nava and Zamora scoring the goals. Gamboa played all 90 minutes in both victories and stopped one penalty kick in each game.

Juan de Dios Garcia, assistant women’s soccer coach at UTB/TSC, took over as head coach after the 0-2-1 start.

Also playing for the Bravos are Ricky Rodriguez, who will be a senior for the Scorpions this fall, and Enrique Rivera, who played his final season for the Scorpions in 2009.

Pablo Degollado and Edgar “Puppet” Gracia, who played for the Scorpions in 2007, are also members  of the Bravos.

The Bravos’ next game is Saturday, June 5 against the Houston Leones at the Brownsville Sports Park.

Area youth interested in improving their volleyball skills are invited to one of three Scorpion Youth Volleyball Camps or a team camp in July at the Manuel Garza B. Gymnasium.

Camp dates are July 9-11 for youth ages 8-12; July 16-18 for youth ages 13-15, and July 23-25 for youth ages 16-18. A team camp will be held July 30-August 1.

Cost to attend the camps is $75 for the July 9-11 camp; $100 for the July 13-15 and 16-18 camps; and $200 for the team camp.

UTB/TSC women’s volleyball head coach Todd Lowery and assistant coach Roberta Santos will direct the camps. Lowery has taken all of his teams to the NAIA National Championship Tournament for seven years. The 2009 Scorpions finished with a 34-3 record, winning the Red River Athletic Conference championship, qualifying for nationals and placing fifth in the nation. He has a career record of 245 wins and 25 losses. His teams have an average GPA of 3.2 — among the best in the nation.

For a registration form and more information about the camp, click here.

The first of two Scorpion Boys’ and Girls’ Summer Soccer Camps will be held  June 7-10 at the Brownsville Sports Park.

Both camps will give participants the opportunity to spend time with college soccer coaches who are among the most respected in the nation.

The program will provide recreational players comprehensive instruction with plenty of fun, exercise and a chance to learn from respected coaches. The camps will help participants gain new skills and make new friends.

Age groups for all camps are mini 4-7 years old, junior 8-13 years old and elite 14-17 years old.

A second camp will be conducted July 26-29. Camp fees are $100. The fee for attending both camps is $160.

The boys’ camp will be conducted by UTB/TSC head coaches Dan Balaguero (men’s) and Nik Barjaktarevic (women’s).

For a registration form and more information, click here.

Tue, May 25, 2010 at 11:30 AM – [Baseball]

Keep that fire burning.

That is the new slogan for the UTB/TSC baseball team after a successful 2010 season that ended with an appearance in the 2010 Baseball National Championship Opening Round Group 4 Tournament.

The Scorpions finished the year 31-24 but had numerous reasons to be proud of that mark and the season accomplishments.

At the Opening Round Tournament in Lubbock, the Scorpions lost to Mount Marty College (S.D.), 10-2, defeated Avila College (Mo.), 15-5, and were eliminated by Mount Marty, 10-5. Despite going 1-2 in Lubbock, the Scorpions had plenty to proud of.

At the team gathering immediately following the elimination game, Aughney introduced the phrase for the team to keep them focused on the 2011 season and a return to the NAIA National Baseball Championships.

“Let that fire burn. Let that burn all summer and all fall.”

The fire started to burn about midway through the season, when the Scorpions went on a nine-game winning streak during a Spring Break home stretch.

 ”From where we started to where we ended up, I couldn’t be prouder of these guys, with all the records that we set this year and all the positive things we accomplished,” Aughney said. “I told them to be proud of what they’ve done for themselves, their teammates, their family and their university. We got a lot of guys coming back to keep that fire burning.”

The trip to nationals was the first for the baseball team in the NAIA era.

“We’ve got to start somewhere. We did some good things this year and I think we turned some heads.”

The Scorpion offense turned a lot of heads.

Leadoff hitter Jorge Camorlinga was a nemesis for opponents. The centerfielder finished the season with a .429 batting average and a 12-game hitting streak that will carry over to next year. During the streak, he was 31-for-57 for a hefty .544 batting average. He hit safely in 21 of his last 22 games, and hit all six of his home runs in the team’s final 17 games.

 Peter Maldonado, the second batter in the order, and Matt Warner, who hit in the No. 3 position, each hit .364. Warner had a team-record 18-game hitting streak that was snapped in Lubbock. Designated hitter Matt Ginn belted 12 home runs and first baseman Brian Bustos knocked eight out of the park.

 Numerous offensive records were broken.

The pitching numbers were not as astonishing, but the staff came through in the postseason, especially at the RRAC Tournament. Chris Raley, Kevin Chapman, and Daniel “Trey” Garcia were solid in starting roles there. Even closer Jesus Mendoza, who set a team record with six saves, gave a strong performance on the mound at the RRAC Tournament.

The Scorpions could turn more heads in 2011. Only five seniors are leaving – pitchers Daniel “Trey” Garcia and Jesus Mendoza, first baseman Brian Bustos, shortstop Walter Blume, and reserve outfielder Robby Mang. They will return 19 of the 24 players who made the trip to Lubbock, plus two key players who sat out the 2010 season because of injury.

Julian Moya, the RRAC Pitcher of the Year in 2009 from Brownsville Porter, sat out the year with injuries. He pitched the first four innings of the season and earned the win in the season opener against Wayland Baptist University, but never returned. Joel Fernandez, a promising shortstop and pitcher from Las Vegas, Nevada who played at Colorado Northwest Community College, never played in 2010 because of injury.

UTB/TSC will have 14 seniors on the 2011 team. Only two position players who logged significant playing time in 2010 – catcher Gus Henggeler and right-fielder Peter Maldonado – were sophomores.

The pitching staff will be very experienced with seniors. Aside from Moya and Fernandez, who can also pitch, the Scorpions will have seniors Danny Gidora, Kevin Chapman, Chris Raley, Matt Leffler and Luis Sanchez.

 In the infield, Ignacio Celedon, Mike Garcia and Nick Loftis will be seniors with experience, and Martin Cantu provides depth at third base.

 Outfielders Jorge Camorlinga and Matt Warner, who provided a lot of offensive firepower, will return as seniors in 2011.

 Behind the plate, Gilbert Puente, who was First Team All-RRAC as a freshman, and Jeff Allen will be back as seniors.

 ”It’s been a fun year,” senior Daniel Garcia said. “We’ve got a good group coming up and they’re going to be really good next year.”

Mendoza told his teammates about their success, and how close they came to the Avista-NAIA World Series. “We brought UTB a long away. I hope these guys realize that. The World Series is not that far away. It’s really not that far away.

 ”We’re part of the team that set the foundation,” Bustos said. “We put UTB on the map. We’re a school to be reckoned with. We’ve got a lot of guys returning, and only five of us are leaving.”

  The expectations will be higher in 2011 for the Scorpions. But as one of the players shouted during the team’s final huddle break in Lubbock, “we’ve got tradition going now fellas.”

Elizabeth Garza, member of the Lopez High School girls’ golf team, has signed a Red River Athletic Conference Letter of Intent to join the Scorpion women’s golf team.

Garza was a member of the Lopez team that won the District 32-5A championship in 2008. She was third place in the District 32-5A medalist race in 2008 and 2009. She qualified for the 2010 Cypresswoods Championship in Houston by placing second in the South Texas PGA point system.

“She is an excellent student and pretty good player,” Scorpion head golf coach Bob Lucio said. “Coach (Anthony) Lopez and I want to work with her to get her more length off the tee, and to work on her course management. She comes from a well-known golfing family. Our golf program is better for having Elizabeth play for us this coming year,”

Garza finished first in four high school tournaments. She has been a participant of the First Tee program at Fort Brown Golf Course for several years.

“One of my biggest passions is playing golf and I have always wanted to improve my game,” Garza said. “I believe that playing for the Scorpion team will help me do so. Playing on the Scorpion golf team will also challenge me to do better and have fun while doing so.”

Garza is a Scorpion Scholar.