talented players to join sport Summer camps identify potential TENNIS B.C. and its af- filiate organizations are Icoking for more players like the four North--Shore youngsters who recently received a special invitation .to participate in a talent identification camp. Jamil Nathoo, 13, Ryan Machell-Cox, 13, John McPher- son, 12 and Dawne Koldyk, 12, were discovered recently while at- tending a neighborhood summer tennis camp. . “. While the camps are designed to introduce the sport on a grassroots level, instructors are always on the lookout for players who show potential. The four North Shore prospects will participate in a one-day talent camp later this summer with a ‘number of top young players from around the Lower Mainland. The best of that group will then be en- couraged to join a local tennis club and players who do well could be invited to try out for ike provincial junior teams. The prassrcots tennis program is being bolstered this summer by Stephano Walker, 19, a former North Shore junior star now at- ‘tending schoct in the United States. - He.is also teaching at several grassroots camps around the “Lower Mainiand. In September Waiker returns to North Texas State University, where he is ‘studying on a full tennis scholarship. He is ranked among the top three players on the school team. The former number-one-ranked junior tennis player believes there are more players like Nancy Kwok waiting to be discovered. Kwok, 12, from Vancouver, was recently invited to play in the national under-14 tennis champi- onship to be held later this year. Despite a cutback for all B.C. sports associations funded by the Provincial government, Tennis B.C. is becoming more structured and focused. There is now a clear progression chart from five- year-old beginners to provincial and Davis Cup teams. Another important contribution to the rising talent pool in B.C. is the quality of grassroot camps like Tennis Unlimited. Sanctioned by Tennis B.C. and operating in con- junction with most Lower Mainjand recreation departments, the camps offer players aged eight to 16 an introduction to the sport. Players receive 12 hours of cer- tified instruction and a package that includes a Tennis B.C. junior membership, The remaining four-day camps on the North Shore will be from Aug. 17 to 26 at Argyle secondary and Carson Graham secondary schools in Nerth Vancouver and from Aug. 24 to 27 at North Vancouver’s Handsworth second- ary school and West Vancouver's Sentinel secondary school. For more information about North Shore tennis camps call 877-0054. Wednesday, August 12, 1992 - North Sh = eve ieee Se NEWS phata Mika Wakefiotd IN THE swing... There’s still time to sign up for Nortiz Shore tennis camps. The four-day camps will be held Aug. 17 to 20 at Argyle and Carson Graham secondary schools and Aug. 24 to 27 at Hand- | sworth and Sentinel secondary schoofs. Phone 877-0064. Agent underwhelmed with latest offer to Ronning NORTH VANCOUVER lawyer and player agent Ron Perrick says the Canucks ‘‘are in another time zone”’ with their latest offer to sign shifty centre Cliff Ronning. Perrick and the hockey club’s recently appointed director of player personnel George McPhee have been pawing at each other in the early rounds of Ronning’s negotiations and thus far, Perrick is hardiy impressed. “Cliff's current salary is $165,000,” Perrick bristles. ‘‘I don’t have to remind anyone how ridiculously low that number is by today’s NHL standards, especially when we're talking about a guy who finished second in team scor- ing in both the regular season and playoffs. The Canucks’ most re- cent offer was an insult."* Ronning played in all of the Canucks’ 80-game schedule last season and finished second to Trevor Linden with 24 goais and 47 assists. Linden, the only other player on the roster to appear in every game during the reguiar season, had 31 goals and 44 assists. Greg GOAL LINES In 13 playoff garnes, Ronning clicked at a point-a-game pace with eight goals and five assists, second only to Geoff Courtnall’s 14 points with six goals and eight assists. Linden became the Canucks’ first million-dollar man when he signed a new deal in mid-stream last season. Courtnall carries a $625,000-a-year con- tract. “Cliff's options are to go to salary arbitration, play out his op- tion year or refuse to report to training camp,”’ Perrick says. “The Canucks better get serious!’’ McPhee will be getting to know Perrick quite well in the months and years ahead, as Perrick also represents Greg Adams, Jim Sandlak, Troy Gambie, and 1988 third-round draft pick Dane Jackson, a right-winger out of the University of North Dakota. KVOS-TV general manager John Gibson doesn’t want to make a big stink about it until he’ and his Bellingham-based boss Dave Reid have a chance to sit down and talk things out in more depth, but the fact remains there is a very distinct possibility the Seattle Mariners will play six regu- lar-season major league baseball games under the Dome at B.C. Place Stadium next year and KVOSis in line to land the televi- sion rights. The station is owned by the ag- gressive Barry Ackerley, whose list of successful toys includes the NBA Seattle SuperSoaics. “‘Our staff has proven itself in the big-league sports arena by televising the Sonics’ games over the past several years,’’ Gibson says. “If the opportunity to do some Mariners’ games was put to us, of course we'd be interested.”’ Two years ago K VOS negoti- ated the television rights to broadcast a couple of Vancouver Canucks exhibition games from Seattle against the Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings. *