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The Illinois Chill Gold fastpitch softball program will once again be conducting an open house and skills evaluation for girls who are ages 12 or 13 as of September 1, 2026. To participate in this event, you must be born on 9/1/2011 or later.
We will hold TWO open houses on two different Sundays – February 8 and February 15. The program will run from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on both dates. Participants will be able to choose one date or the other, they will not be able to register for both dates. Both open houses will be held at Puma Academy, 4211 Green Bay Rd., Kenosha, WI 53144. Participation is free of charge. The purposes of the Chill open house are (1) to provide participants with meaningful feedback on their softball skills, including metrics on key measurements such as arm strength, footspeed, etc.; (2) provide information and exposure to the Illinois Chill program, and (3) identify potential athletes for next year’s 14U team that begins play in Fall 2026 (2026-2027 season). Well over 60% percent of the players presently in the Chill program were first identified at this event. We share the information metrics we gather with all participants and also try to relate it to our player selection process as well as the college recruiting process. Therefore the event is hopefully worthwhile to the participant and her family regardless of her intentions about being a part of the Chill program.
In the past we have had 90 to 100 players participate in this event which is why we are doing this on two dates instead of just one. By dividing the event into two sessions we are better able to spend time measuring and evaluating each athlete. It also allows an athlete to participate who might have a conflict on one date or the other. Our plan is to have roughly 40 to 50 athletes each weekend, but we will cap it at 50 on a given weekend if registrations exceed our expectations.
Below is the tentative list of activities for both February 8 and February 15:
1. Chill team mini-practice (50-60 minutes 9:00 – 10:00 am) – Interested players and parents may observe members of the three current Chill teams as they participate in a “mini-version” of a typical group practice. This will allow you to get a sense of what it is like to be part of the Chill organization while watching current Chill players being directed by the Chill coaches.
2. Open Evaluation (10:00 am – 1:00 pm) – Participation in the open evaluation is generally limited to members of the 2030 and 2031 graduating classes (current 7th and 8th graders with birth dates of 9/1/2011 or later). We will consider looking at an exceptional 2032 (6th grader), but it would need to be a player that is mature for her age and very developed in her skills. Chill personnel will put the participants through a series of softball offensive and defensive drills and take overhand velocity, pitching velocity and foot speed measurements.
If you would like to participate in the open evaluation please email Gerry Quinn at gtq33@yahoo.com I will email you the necessary registration forms. Pre-registration is required to assure we are well organized and efficient on evaluation day. THERE IS NO COST TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT. It is highly unlikely we will be able to accept walk-ups.
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