White Sox Training Academy Brings Professional Instruction to Glen Ellyn
Posted by Laura Nelson on January 18, 2010
Glen Ellyn’s dazzling new Ackerman Sports Center is the fifth suburban location for the White Sox Training Academy. Academy founder Tim Rappe has partnered with the White Sox since 1994 to bring top tier instruction to baseball and softball players throughout Chicagoland.
Mark Sheehan, left, Glen Ellyn Academy Director, with Shannon Roney, Head Fastpitch Softball Instructor and Tim Rappe, Academy founder
“We’re excited about bringing high level instruction to the new sports center in Glen Ellyn. Clearly, the White Sox organization is committed to youth baseball,” says Rappe. The Chicago White Sox is the only major league team to support an academy in the USA. The five academy outlets, combined with summer camp programs, serve about 10,000 athletes a year.
“Our goal is to help kids become the best baseball or softball player that they can be,” says Rappe. “Our emphasis on professional instruction and consistency is unmatched.” Camps, classes and lessons are designed for boys and girls age five and up. They sometimes work side-by-side with professional athletes who are also practicing or rehabbing at academy sites. Initially, baseball and fastpitch softball instruction will be the focus at the new site. Bulls basketball instruction may be added later.
“White Sox Academies give young athletes the same equipment, training and opportunities to improve that the professionals have in these facilities,” says Rappe. “The equipment and training expertise is all here.”
The Ackerman site is not as large as the Sox main facility in Lisle. Rappe feels that the intimacy of the smaller space, however, does have advantages. The space is fully turfed. It’s the quality instruction and consistency, says Rappe, that expands the interest in baseball and softball, building the sports. Rappe is a lifelong baseball afficionado–his credo is “We love this game and the kids who play it.”
Mark Sheehan, a Minnesota native, is the new Academy Director. Sheehan has an extensive background in in training young athletes and is a member of the prestigious National Pitching Association. Shannon Roney will serve as Head Fastpitch Softball Instructor. Roney, a Glenbard South and collegiate star pitcher, helped her 2004 high school team achieve a 33-3 record with a 0.23 ERA while batting .465.
Dan Kroger, Facilities Manager with the Glen Ellyn Park District, welcomes the White Sox affiliation. “We were planning to include batting cages in the new center, but we’re really excited about the professional atmosphere the White Sox are generating. As soon as the word got out, we started getting calls about it.”
Besides the baseball/softball instruction, the new facility showcases the latest in fitness center equipment. There are also two climbing towers and an indoor turf field. Memberships to the fitness center are available now–with the grand opening set for Saturday, January 23.
The Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center is at 800 St. Charles Rd. in Glen Ellyn. For additional information, check www.BullsSoxAcademy.com or call (630) 324-8242.
Tags:Kids' Activities, Sports
Your child will learn gymnastics skills in a fun, safe state-of-the-art gymnastics club. Boys and girls from 18 months to high school age will train on the latest equipment with the help from experienced coaches.
