Gettin' their kicks

Soccer great Brandi Chastain and friends dazzled the girls of the Summerlin Youth Soccer Association last weekend during a visit to the master-planned community. The last time Chastain visited Summerlin was in September 1999, just two months after making the winning kick that clinched the World Cup championship for the U.S. Women's National Team.

For this visit, however, Chastain brought along a few friends, such as fellow Olympic gold medalist and 1999 World Cup champion Julie Foudy, as well as fellow professional soccer players Kimberly Pickup and Christina Bell, to share the finer points of the game.

Chastain and Bell play professionally for the San Jose CyberRays, while Foudy and Pickup play for the San Diego Spirit.

The soccer clinic was sponsored by The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin.

"I have enjoyed coming to Summerlin," Chastain said. "It's obvious this is a community that cares about kids with its many sports and recreation programs. (And) whether or not these girls become professional soccer players is not important. Rather, helping girls feel empowered through sports is what it's all about. Being a role model for young girls is a responsibility I don't take lightly."

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid welcomed the 65 clinic participants and their families, and discussed Title IX, which mandates equal opportunity in sports for men and women.

"When my wife was in college, the only athletic opportunity available to her was to be a cheerleader," Reid said. "Thanks to Title IX, women are competing in just about every sport, they are earning athletic scholarships, and they are earning a living as professional athletes. It's great to take part in events like today's clinic, which nurture the talent and potential of our future athletic stars."

More than 1,500 youngsters participate in the Summerlin Youth Soccer Association.

Summerlin aligns the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley, and is comprised of villages.

It has two Tournament Players Club golf courses, a Jack Nicklaus-designed Bear's Best course and five others. There are also nearly 100 neighborhood and village parks, nearly 100 completed miles of trails, 16 schools, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical facilities, cultural facilities, business parks and nearly 100 model homes.

Single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums are priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $700,000. Custom lots from one-quarter acre to three-quarters of an acre are priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $1 million, and predesigned custom homes are priced from $500,000 to more than $1 million. Apartments offer monthly rents starting from the high $700s.

To visit the community's home finding center, take Sahara Avenue west, past Hualapai Way, to Town Center Drive. Or, take Interstate 215 to the Sahara exit. The office is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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