If you have a young Illini fan in your household who is looking for a unique experience, the University of Illinois has two situations that would fit that description.
The Illini soccer and volleyball teams are looking for ball kids for their upcoming season. In each case, ball kids must be in fourth through eighth grade and show up at least 45 minutes before the start of the event and stay until the end.
For volleyball, ball kids must retrieve and return balls in a
timely manner and sweep the court between stoppages. Volleyball knowledge is preferred. To sign up, go here or fill out the form and email it to Zach Jinks at illiniballkids@gmail.com.
For soccer, ball kids will be responsible for retrieving and returning balls in a timely manner. To register as a ball kid, go here or fill out the form and email it to illiniballkids@gmail.com.
For those in eighth grade and under, you can register for a chance to become a Kid Captain at a game. Kid Captains will meet the soccer team during warmups, be announced with the team during introductions, throw out a t-shirt when their name is announced, stand with the team during the national anthem, and receive an Illini Prize Pack. Each Kid Captain will receive a personalized gift from the team. To register for a chance to be a Kid Captain, go here.
The Illini soccer team is also hosting a post-game youth clinic following the Illinois vs. DePaul game on Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. The clinic is free and open to all participants eighth grade and under. To register for the youth clinic, go here.