Local sports briefs

Sebring All-Sport Passes now available
SEBRING Sebring High School is selling All Sport Passes for the 2009-10 school year. The pass is valid for all home sporting events, excluding FHSAA sponsored playoffs and tournaments.
The cost of the pass is $75 per adult and $50 per student. They are on sale in the front office, check payable to Sebring High School.

Junior tennis after-school program
SEBRING A nine-week junior tennis after-school program for kids ages 4-18 will run through Dec. 18 at the Thakkar Tennis Center at Sebring Country Club. The program will be run by Horace Watkins, a USPTA certified pro with more than 25 years experience teaching junior tennis.
Call Watkins at 863-414-2164 or the Country Club at 863-386-4282.

SFCC baseball camp
AVON PARK South Florida Community College will host its annual baseball camp for only high school baseball players on Dec. 19.
Cost for the camp is $60 per camper, and the first 40 registered campers will be accepted.
SFCC baseball coach Rick Hitt will serve as camp director, and camp instructors include Panthers assistant coaches Andy Polk and Chad Wright.
For more information, go to www.southflorida.edu or contact Hitt at hittr@southflorida.edu or 863-453-6661.

Golf lessons
SEBRING Sun 'N Lake Country Club is holding junior clinics every Friday from 3:30-5 p.m.
Professionals Andy Kesling and Marty O'Hora will teach all the fundamentals of the game, including the grip, stance, full swing, chipping, putting, rules, etiquette, etc. No need to sign up; just show up. Cost per clinic is $15.
For more information, contact Kesling at 863-385-4830.

Horseshoe club
SEBRING The Highlands County Horseshoe Club league play at the Lee Palmer Complex in Sebring is open to all men and women that like to pitch horseshoes. Contract Irve Swihart at 863-452-6899 for more information.

Junior clinics
SEBRING Sebring girls coach Debby McNall and Kim Darrow will host junior golf clinics beginning Thursdays at 4 p.m. at the Sebring Municipal Golf Course.
The cost is $10 per junior (ages 5 and up), and those participating will receive instruction in all aspects of the game. Contact McNall at 863-257-1108 or 863-386-9492 for more information.

AP golf tournament
AVON PARK The Avon Park Project Graduation golf tournament will be held on Saturday, Jan. 2 at River Greens Golf Course, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start.
The tournament format is a four-person scramble and the cost is $60, which includes greens fees, food and prizes. There is a $100 hole sponsor cost, and $350 corporate sponsor fee (hole sign, four golfers, food and eight mulligans). There also will be raffle prizes, longest drive contests and closest-to-the-pin contests.
For more information, contact 863-453-5210.

SFCC baseball holiday youth camp
AVON PARK The SFCC baseball holiday youth camp will be held from Dec. 21-23 at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for all youngsters ages 6-13. The cost is $75 per child, and the youth camp includes baseball instruction, baseball fundamentals, technique champions, and games and awards. Camp instructors are head baseball coach Rick Hitt and staff as well as Panthers baseball players.

American Legion tourney
SEBRING The American Legion Post 74 will host an 18-hole scramble on Saturday, Dec. 19 at Sebring Municipal Golf Course. The tournament costs $55 per person, which includes golf, range balls, one mulligan, door prizes and closest to the pin for men and women. There will be three flights - A, B and C - and hole sponsors are available for $50 per hole. The tournament begins at 8:30 a.m.
For more information, contact Paul Morris at 863-446-2064, or Kim at 863-314-5919.

Doty Memorial tournament
SEBRING The 18th annual Brad Doty Memorial Children's Christmas Golf Classic will be held on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Sebring Golf Club. The four-person scramble will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start, and the entry fee is $60, which includes lunch, on- and off-course beverages, prizes, cart, greens fees and range balls.
Interested golfers can mail their entries to Sebring Golf Club, 3118 Golfview Road, Sebring, Florida 33875.

Santa Paws 5k run
SEBRING The Santa Paws Holiday 5K run and 1-mile Pet Walk and Parade will be held on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Highlands Hammock State Park. The 5K will begin at 8 a.m.; the 1-mile walk starts at 8:30 a.m. The cost for the 5K is $20 on race day, while the 1-mile pet walk and parade costs $15 for individuals and $25 for family (up to 6) on race day. Awards will be given for overall, masters and age-group winners in the 5K, with pet contests with prizes and photos with Santa Paws. All proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of Highlands County.

Lake Placid senior softball
LAKE PLACID The Lake Placid men's senior softball league is inviting new players to join the league for the 2010 season. Interested players should come to the Lake June ball fields on Mondays and Wednesday at 9 a.m. to participate in informal practice sessions. Team rosters will be established at the end of December and league play will begin the first week in January and run through March.

Highlands County Parks and Rec
SEBRING The Highlands County Parks and Recreation Department announce that registration for winter leagues will start Dec. 7 and run through Thursday, Dec. 31. games played at the Highlands County Sports Complex, beginning Monday, Jan. 4, 2010, include men's slow pitch, women's, church, recreation and co-ed leagues. Leagues are open to all adults and youth ages 16 and older.
Also, there will be an umpire's meeting Dec. 29 at 7 p.m., and a meeting for coaches only on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. at the sports complex. Contact Dan Jamison at 863-381-8269 or leave a message at the Highlands County Sports Complex at 863-402-6755 for more information.