Lake County Gazette

Libertyville Park is the perfect name for a place that offers everyone the freedom to choose from a number of ongoing activities.

The park, in the village of the same name, offers sports activities throughout the year for pretty much any age. 

Youth programs start as young as two-years-old, giving parents and children the opportunity to learn a sport and enhance athletic abilities. Programs like Jelly Bean Mommy/Daddy & Me Sports Shorts, provide sensory play and facilitate a love for sporting through storytelling. 

There are also the Jelly Bean Soccer Prep and soccer and basketball clinics. 

Older children, those from kindergarten through sixth grade can participate in the Sports and More camp. There they are challenged to work as a team and overcome obstacles that push them physically. All of which is capped off by taking on the challenge of Climbing Mountain, a 28-foot tall rock climbing wall. 

Libertyville also offers various sport camps throughout the year. Some of which partner with professional teams, like the Chicago Storm (for soccer) and the Chicago Bulls (for basketball). There is even a football camp that takes place at the end of the summer with the Chicago Bears. 

Adults also have the opportunity to stay active. 

The Park will also hold a winter basketball camp for grades 3-8 with registration starting Aug. 9. Boys are girls are encouraged to sign up. A second-grade camp for boys and girls, the Double Dribblers Basketball camp, which holds registration on the same day.

For those who love the water, Libertyville offers a number of aquatic programs and even has competitive swimming through its Dolphin swim team. 

Want to try golf? They offer lessons, too. 

A large number of sporting leagues are available for adults, ranging from traditional sports like baseball, softball and basketball to childhood sports like kickball. 

For Kickball teams must register before May, when the season starts. A seven-game regular season then commences with a single-elimination postseason tournament afterward. All games are played at Butler Lake Park. 

Softball is another popular option at Libertyville. The park offers a fall (starting Aug. 13) and a spring league which starts in April. Cost is $620 for resident teams, $680 for nonresidents. 

Currently leading this year’s league is the One Kick Wonders, who are 5-1. 

A 5-on-5 flag football league is set for a nine-game regular season starting on Aug. 15. It will feature a single-elimination tournaments as well, cost is $610 per resident team, $660 for nonresidents. 

Looking to get out of the heat in the summer, or the cold of winter? Libertyville has an extensive indoor soccer facility, and runs leagues year-round. 

The park hosts 18 and up co-ed teams as well as men’s and women’s 18 and older squads. Currently, a women’s 30 and over league is running with a second summer session beginning July 24 and running through October 9. It will feature a 10-game season made up of nine teams. But be ready to pay a hefty price as the cost for a local team is $1,130 and $1,195 for non resident teams.