Your San Marcos Neighborhood News & Lifestyle Publication
A big congratulations to Dream Crushers! This San Elijo Hills AYSO Boys Division 10 soccer team won the Championship Playoffs in November. We are proud of you all!
Top row left to right: Jason Poole (coach), Aidan Johnson, Alex Izmitlian, Noah Sumner, Brandon Dolby, Jovan Poole, Cindy Dolby (coach)
Bottom row left to right: Brandon Grissen, Julian Viloria, Nico David, Alistair Best, Andy Wang
San Marcos Venom, a Boys 12U team in San Marcos Youth Baseball, has committed to attending the Cooperstown All Star Village Baseball Tournament in New York in the last week of June 2018.
San Marcos Venom is made up of players from San Marcos and Carlsbad. Most of these kids have been playing baseball together since they were 5 and 6 years old. Cooperstown will be truly be an experience of a lifetime for these boys.
At the tournament, the team will play competitive baseball with other teams from all over the United States. They will also get to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and players will be inducted into the Youth Baseball Hall of Fame.
The boys and their team have been actively raising funds to support the trip and have already raised a large majority of the funds needed with the help of CSUSM and other fundraising initiatives, and the last final push will help cover the gap.
They have created a GoFundMe campaign and it’s super easy to give. There is no amount too small. Just pop onto the site and make a contribution. https://www.gofundme.com/SMYB-Venom
The boys are also doing various fundraising activities around the community. On December 9, you can support the cause by having a special breakfast at Applebee’s. The boys will be serving breakfast from 8 to 10AM. Tickets are $10 and include 2 pancakes, 2 scrambled eggs, 2 sausages and crispy red potatoes – as well as water, coffee or orange juice.
For tickets, just call team mom Michelle Smith at (760) 522-7793.
Let’s show our support of these boys and their efforts and help get these kids to Cooperstown!
For more information, visit https://www.gofundme.com/SMYB-Venom.
Think you have to be in a sport your entire life in order to be a serious player? Think again! Brooke DeMaggio is making it clear that determination, practice and focus are what matters most.
Brooke has lived in San Elijo Hills since kindergarten and will start 9th grade at San Marcos High this month. She recently played in the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Tournament in Baltimore. To make this team of the best 20 players in 8th and 9th grade was an honor she worked hard to achieve. Not only was she the youngest on the team, she made the first cut – even though she has only played lacrosse for 1.5 years.
Brooke has always been athletic and willing to try new things. While watching her brother play Friday Night Lights football, she begged her parents to let her try out and became one of the first girls in the league. Brooke played football from 4th to 7th grade – including two years of varsity football at San Elijo Middle School.
Brooke received multiple gold track and field medals in 100M, Long Jump, 4×100 Relay, and holds the Gold for the 100M and 4×100 Relay for San Diego County 2016. Recognizing her speed, a friend suggested Brooke try out for lacrosse. She didn’t know anything about the sport, but decided to give it a try.
The first few weeks were frustrating as she learned the skills she needed to play, but she worked hard to become a strong player. Her coach, Lyle Tomlinson, at 3D with the San Marcos Youth Lacrosse was a huge inspiration. Seeing Brooke’s potential, he encouraged her to come to every A and B team practice and game to work on her skills, which she did. With countless hours of practice and determination, she earned a spot on the A team by the end of her first season.
From there, Brooke tried out for West Coast Starz travel team. It was intimidating at first because most of the team players had been playing for years, but Brooke quickly earned a spot on the highest ranking team and used the opportunity to improve her skills even further. She was a Surfstorm Tournament Champion in 2016 with West Coast Starz 2021 Team and a San Diego All Star in 2017.
Brooke continues to push herself to new challenges, which is what got her a place on the Under Armour All-America Under-Class Command West Team 2017. It was such an honor and she loved the experience. Seeing how differently they approach lacrosse on the East Coast really opened her eyes to how she can continue to evolve in the sport.
Brooke is always looking for ways to learn and improve. Knowing how much progress she has made in just 1.5 years, Brooke can’t wait to see where she takes it next. She hopes to play at SMHS on the varsity lacrosse team and will continue to play both recreationally and with her travel team.
We are sure to hear more from Brooke in the years ahead. Watch for her out on the field. She is a fantastic example of what you can achieve when you put yourself out there and work hard to advance. What an inspiration!
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Kirby Zahl has been playing with AYSO since she was 5 years old. After years of play, at 14, she became a ref and then last year, she became an assistant coach. This was her first year as head coach and all of her hard work and dedication paid off.
Kirby’s brother, Trip, plays on the team and her father, Charles, is the assistant coach. It’s been a fantastic experience for the entire family. Soccer has been a family affair for the Zahls for years. They have spent countless weekends on the field and have served the AYSO organization in a number of ways.
We are so proud of Kirby and want to publicly thank her for all of the time she has volunteered to AYSO and the leadership she has demonstrated to her team and our entire community.
On November 2, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series – something that hadn’t been done since 1908 and it was so fun to watch the community of Chicago and fans everywhere celebrate. Even right here in San Elijo, neighbors gathered to memorialize the historic moment.
Kinda Arzon, who grew up in Chicago near Wrigley field, shared how back home when a local team would win a game, everyone would go outside and celebrate. So, when the Cubs finally won that last game, Kinda and her family felt the urge to go outside and celebrate the way they did back home. She logged onto Facebook and told all of the neighborhood fans who were already cheering and celebrating together in their Facebook feed to gather at the fountain in the town square to celebrate in person. Soon, Cubs fans from throughout San Elijo Hills gathered around the fountain, waving the W flag, cheering and celebrating.
“For a moment, it felt like home – like being back in Chicago,” Kinda shared.
A few days later, Cubs fans gathered again at the fountain for a group photo and continued the celebration. Shane’s provided pizza and Albertsons provided a celebratory giant cookie.
“It’s really exciting to see the entire City come together – especially when so many things are so divisive in our country, to be able to come together for something that is so special for the entire City and really for the entire country,” shared Jessica Monahan.
“I was born and raised in Chicago so I lived there my whole life until moving to San Diego four years ago. For me, it’s about generations of family…my grandfather, my great grandfather, my great uncle…who lived in Chicago since the early 1900s. To see this win in my lifetime is amazing,” Anthony Siciliano explained.
It’s amazing how an event like this can bring people together – across the miles and also across generations. Watching the kids play together in the background while these families shared stories and memories about the Cubs and Chicago was a beautiful sight to see. While most of these families hadn’t even met before, new friendships were formed and several families hope to create a Midwest/Chicago group to meet up for sports and other events in the future.
Next time you have the chance to participate in a community event, get out there and do it! You just never know what new tradition will form or what new friendship you will make. There really is magic in your hometown. So make memories for your family by sharing special traditions that can stand the test of time.
A big congratulations to Demo Squad 10U Gold for taking 3rd place at Nationals in Oregon! This All-Star team from San Marcos Girls Softball did so well at the State Tournament that they qualified to participate in the National Tournament in Medford, Oregon in early August.
Most of the girls on the team are between 9-10 years old and a couple of the girls live in San Elijo Hills. They played phenomenally throughout the tournament – even getting to beat the team that beat them at State (PYL).
If you haven’t been following San Marcos Girls Softball lately, you should check them out. They have really raised their game, getting more competitive and becoming more recognized. In fact, this team made history by being the only San Marcos team to make it to 3rd place at Nationals. And, we have a feeling they won’t be the last!
Great job ladies! And, a big thank you to Coach Pico and all of the assistant coaches and volunteers who supported the team.
Summer is a great time to explore new interests and if you or your child is looking for a sport that builds confidence and teaches practical skills in self defense, then stop by Gracie Jiu Jitsu in San Marcos. This full service Martial Arts Academy is located directly across the street from Restaurant Row in San Marcos.
If you are not already familiar with Jiu Jitsu, this martial art relies on leverage and positioning to subdue your opponent – even if he is much larger than you. Jiu Jitsu is extremely effective and is a skill anyone can learn. In fact, it was originally developed to help those who are more small and frail. The skills taught have a very practical application. It is not uncommon for martial arts students to master different levels in their art form, but never truly learn how to apply these skills in a more realistic self defense type of environment. Jiu Jitsu is a very practical and realistic martial art form. At Gracie Jiu, students learn a type of self defense that prepares them with the confidence and skills needed to defend themselves in a confrontation, but also to carry themselves in a way that prevents such confrontation in the first place.
The environment at Gracie Jiu Jitsu is very community-focused. It’s like a family. Kids learn about respect, focus and discipline – skills that they take to the classroom and home with their families. In fact, one of the things that co-owner, Charles Gardner enjoys most about teaching is watching the transformation that occurs in students (both children and adults) as they learn these new skills. In a very short amount of time, students gain tremendous confidence. They carry themselves differently and they speak more openly. Ultimately, these are the skills that allow a person to be more fully themselves.
Adult classes are offered daily and kids classes are offered during the week. Their studio has changing rooms, a bathroom and all of the equipment needed for you to excel. More importantly, they have instructors who are passionate about teaching and helping others step into their full selves.
Imagine going back to school with a new level of confidence. That’s what summer has to offer at Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Stop by today or look them up at www.graciesanmarcos.com or (760) 822-3606. They also have a sister location in Carlsbad.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu is located at 997. W. San Marcos Blvd. # 108, San Marcos.