Things To Do In Green Valley

Attracting more than 170,000 art enthusiasts to its events in 2011, the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival showcases original work from hundreds of artisans showcasing everything from handcrafted pottery, sculpture, and metalwork to jewelry, fashion, décor, and photography. Audiences can witness art being made live during educational demonstrations as artisans sculpt clay, whittle wood, forge metals, and imbue baskets with the power of speech. Hungry crafters can also sniff out specialty food items to sample or purchase while dancing across the sprawling venue to live music.

In the world of athletic training, Robert Taylor, Jr.’s resume speaks for itself. In addition to stints as the strength and conditioning coach for two NCAA Division I programs, his expertise also landed him gigs with professional baseball, football, and basketball franchises. Now, along with the other experienced coaches at SMARTER Team Training, Robert shepherds high school athletes toward their full potential at training camps and clinics. Whether they’re honing game-specific skills for field hockey, soccer, or lacrosse, or increasing overall athleticism during the school’s signature Speed, Agility, and Conditioning Camp, students always find a challenging itinerary designed to bring skills to a more advanced level. There's even a college prep training program, which gets high school players ready for the increased intensity and remorseless, cold-eyed referees found at the college level.

During 60-minute private lessons, one of Tennis in Urbana’s certified pros helps racket wielders acquire and develop proficiency in every aspect of the game, including ball striking, serving, and winking at umpires. The pros will drive up to 30 minutes from the Tennis in Urbana facility to meet students at a court of their choice. Six-week clinics challenge a minimum of four individuals with intensive workouts that focus on a particular skill set or aspect of the game. Junior clinics are divvied up by age group: Tiny Tots clinics teach youngsters aged 4–7, Big Shots clinics focus on kids ages 7–10, and Academy clinics prepare 13- to 17-year-olds for competition with intense stroke drills, rigorous conditioning exercises, and trophy-kissing practice. Adult clinics offer men and women choices between clinics designed for their skill levels and clinics designed for cardiovascular exercise.

George Bernard Shaw's Misalliance is a fast-paced comedy that tells the tale of a quiet estate in the English countryside besieged by unexpected visitors, unfortunate conflict, and an airplane crash. A whirlwind of bourgeois and proletariat characters breezes through underwear merchant John Tarleton's family home—including an ambassador, a Polish aviatrix, and a socialist clerk—leaving an alarming mess of upended social norms and broken crockery in their wake. The talented cast features both Olney veterans and novices, all more than up to their theatrical tasks. Take a night off from high-definition squirrel newscasts and catch an unforgettable night of live-acted hilarity that elicits and answers the eternal question, "Anyone for tennis?"

The sun has just broken over the lush trees guarding Falls Road’s sloping hills, and Mike Kenny has already revolutionized his student’s short game. It’s PGA professionals like Mike who dedicate their time and energy to teaching novice golfers how to drive and experienced golfers how to better chew wood like a beaver. They instruct their students at one of Montgomery County Golf’s nine courses, offering classes for beginners, plus specialty clinics for adults and camps for juniors. Each teacher at every course champions his or her individual method of instruction. Mick, for example, uses a step-by-step process to thoroughly improve putting, chipping, pitching, and eliminating wasted strokes.

At PB Dye Golf Club, golfers wallop, pitch, and putt through more than 7,000 yards of lush, forested greenery on a challenging course that was ranked as one of the best in the state in Golf Digest magazine. Push a dimpled projectile across some of Maryland's only Penn G-2 bent grass greens, which lie at the end of rolling fairways and are defended by bunkers as closely as a mother bear protects her vinyl collection. A flowing waterfall and pair of ponds flank the course's 9th and 18th holes and add aquatic scenery while threatening to capsize novice club-swingers' confidence. With five different tee distances on each hole, the course yields a par-72 rating for men, par-73 rating for women, and par-18 rating for habitual liars.