12/20-1/16
Plenty of young hoops fans dream of someday making the team, making the big play, and maybe even making the NBA. (God knows the Warriors could use all the future help they can get.) But with the Warriors Basketball Camps, boys and girls ages eight to sixteen can get a leg up on the competition and learn real basketball skills — everything from Rebounding and Positioning to Big Man Moves/Post Footwork — taught by professional local coaches, with appearances by current and former Golden State Warriors players and coaches, including Chris Mullin. There are three camp sessions, all in the East Bay, this month and next, beginning this week at Alameda Point Gymnasium in Alameda. Enrollment is $255 for the General Sessions, a three-day basics course stressing fundamentals and team attitude for young players of all skill levels. The first session in Alameda takes place December 20-23, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and the second is at Harvest Park Middle School in Pleasanton, December 27-30. The more detailed, two-day Skill Development Camp costs $155, and is scheduled for January 15-16 at Pine Valley Middle School in San Ramon. For both levels, the fee covers everything: coaching, player evaluations, prizes, a reversible Warriors jersey, plus two tickets for a Warriors-Phoenix Suns game. Register online at Warriors.com, or phone 510-986-5310. — Kelly Vance
Sat 12/18
Yule Like It
Log on, log off
How far is the Old Log Inn? Go ahead and make jokes, wise guy — in Livermore the Great Yule Log Hunt is an annual fixture this time of year. The idea is to hold a holiday celebration without commerciality, but definitely with as much natural, old-fashioned festoonments as possible. And lo-tech is a definite plus. This Saturday afternoon at 2, celebrants are invited to show up at Livermore’s Veterans Park (5211 Arroyo Rd.), gather natural decorations for a while, then go off on a search for the Yule Log, carefully concealed nearby amid the forest shrubbery. Once it has been found, it’s time for some “holiday cheer” around the campfire (be sure to designate a sober driver, folks). Isn’t tradition wonderful? Rain cancels. For more info, call 925-373-5700. — Kelly Vance
