Did you ever ask yourself what there was to do around here on weekends, or even during the week? I used to ask myself that question all the time, and usually there was nothing going on, that I knew of, and all my friends had gone home. Hmmm…what to do? Well, this section of the Weekender hopefully will provide you with some ideas of different things to do and places to go.

Our first trip is to the Sycamore Family Sports Center, located at 725 E. State St. in Sycamore. Owned and operated by father and son, Joe Manczko Sr. and Joe Jr., it has enough activities and cheap prices to provide you with a whole evening’s worth of fun.

It first opened in 1993 with only a driving range and batting cages, but in 1994 an 18-hole mini-golf course was added. In 2000, go-karts transformed the center into the mecca of enjoyment it is today.

The expanding doesn’t stop there, either. The sports center currently is working on the construction of an automatic soccer-ball-kicking machine, which should open in 2003.

Bo Smith, a Sycamore High School senior, says he likes the sports center because “everyone is friendly, there’s a lot to do and it’s not expensive.”

The driving range offers four baskets of golf balls, which vary in price and size – $4, $6, $11 and $16. They do provide clubs (free of charge) if you don’t have any. Also, they offer you the choice of teeing off grass tees or artificial grass pads.

“It’s the only place I can practice,” said Matt Prellwitz, a sophomore at Kishwaukee College.

If the driving range isn’t your scene, then check out the 18 hole mini-golf course. The prices are $3 for children 10-years-old and under and $4 for kids 11-years-old and up. An incentive is if you get a hole in one on the 18th hole, you get a free round of mini-golf.

“I like the 13th hole,” Manczko Jr. said. “It’s the hardest.”

Krista and Hillary Nelson were there with dad Kevin Nelson for a birthday party on Monday night.

“We like the mini-golf a lot,” Krista said. “Actually, we like everything here.”

Krista and Hillary take advantage of the center’s batting cages during the softball season.

In the batting cages, you get to hit 12 balls for $1, and there are different kinds of pitches you can hit: softball, fast pitch softball and baseball.

If none of the above sound good to you, fear not because there is one more attraction — the go-karts. You can race around the track for only $5.

So, go to the Sycamore Family Sports Center and check it out for yourself.

“It’s just a stone stroke from the campus,” Manczko Sr. said.