A study by Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) and Waseda University warned that without a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, many areas of the country will become unsuitable for youth sports in the late afternoon – when school club activities like baseball, athletics and football typically take place.

The findings, published in the Environmental Health journal on March 10, highlight what researchers say is a looming crisis for children’s health, as Japan’s intense summer heat merges with a deeply ingrained sporting culture, creating conditions that could pose serious risks.

The issue is of particular concern to Takahiro Oyama, a researcher at the NIES Centre for Climate Change Adaptation and lead author of the report.

“When I was at school I did track and field sports through the summer and I experienced heat illness several times,” he told This Week in Asia. “At that time, around 20 years ago, our teachers did not realise that it was such a problem, although that has changed now and people are more aware.”

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir will hold a special youth football camp on Saturday, May 10, at the Canisius High School Robert J. Stransky Memorial Complex.

Registration is $199 and includes professional instruction from Shakir and staff, giveaways for a one-on-one rep with Shakir, and camp autographed merchandise, a limited edition Shakir camp shirt, kindergarten through fifth grade football fundamentals, or sixth through eleventh grade football-specific drills by position. 

The MVP Package ($349, limited to 50) also includes a private meet-and-greet and photo with Shakir, five action shots during the camp, an autographed photo of Shakir, and priority registration.

Kids ages six to 16 can register and the camp is limited to 200. Those interested can register at gamedayyouthcamps.com. 

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – The Wallen Sports complex is celebrating its 68th anniversary with a new entrance created in honor of the park’s founder Sal Madrid.

Wallen sees thousands of young baseball and softball players come to play on their diamonds each year. The first young athlete back in 1958 was Madrid’s son, Michael, who through the help of his company contributed funds to make the new entrance a reality.

“We can’t hardly contain ourselves,” Michael said. “This is a big day. What I really appreciate is the fact that the management here, when I presented this to them and Tim, they were 100% behind it. I can’t say enough good things about the group that is now running this facility.”

“I’m about giving respect to the old tradition, and Mike is that tradition because this park was built for him and his dad was that dream,” Wallen Complex’s president Tim Mosbrucker said.

The park opens for the spring season on Saturday, May 3.

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As John Fogerty famously said in his song “Centerfield”, we’re born again and there’s new grass on the field. Many baseball and softball players have heard that song at some point. The song was played for boys and girls upon their arrival at Bulldog Park to set the tone for the City of Crown Point’s Ball Diamond Sports Festival. 

The celebration took place on Saturday, May 3, opening with a parade that featured the players throughout downtown Crown Point. The players then made their way to Bulldog Park, where they had an opportunity to play games and try out exciting activities.

Paul Waisnora, athletics director of the PACE (Parks, Athletics, Communications and Entertainment) Department for the City of Crown Point, admires how the residents of this community can come together to celebrate the kids getting back into the swing of things on the field.

“This is our third annual Ball Diamonds Sports Festival,” Waisnora said. “We have vendors show up, along with our opening day parade for our girl’s softball and our Cal Ripken Baseball League. The parade has been going on for a while, but we just started doing the festival in recent years.”

Crown Point Mayor Peter D. Land has been a lifelong resident in the Crown Point community. He has looked forward to this celebration for years, ever since he was walking the same route for the parade.

“This is a big day for us,” Land said. “This has been a long standing tradition, dating back to when we called it the Little League parade. A league like this takes a lot of people working together all year round, and we have a dedicated group of great people.”

Between tossing bags, corn dogs, and an opportunity for kids to practice their pitching, this family friendly event had something that everybody could enjoy.

“You’ve got food vendors, you’ve got pretzels, the Great Lakes Sports Hub, and face painting for the girls,” Adam Graper, chief admin of PACE Department, said. “You’ve got a little bit of everything, even for the families with people who play multiple sports.”

As this celebration has continued to grow every year, the City of Crown Point worked together to ensure that this year it would be the best edition of the event. Graper recognizes how important sports are in this community, and it was imperative for them to make this day special.

“This is truly a great community,” Graper said. “No matter what we do, they’re always behind us on everything. There’s nothing stronger than youth sports in the Region, especially in Crown Point. To have an atmosphere where you can go out, walk with the kids, and be a part of the community, it makes this city a great place to be.”

While the Cal Ripken Baseball League has already kicked off its season, the girl’s softball teams will get started on Monday, May 5. Tom Hadt, president of the Cal Ripken Baseball League, has seen several baseball players come through this program and become a better player as a result.

“Something that I’m very proud of is that of the 23 rostered Crown Point High School varsity baseball players on the current team, 19 of them play in the Cal Ripken Baseball League,” Hadt said. “Four of those kids are going to be Division One baseball players. Some of them are going to Indiana University, one is going to Tennessee University, and one is going to get drafted.”

Despite the success that many players have had after playing in the Cal Ripken Baseball League, Hadt is adamant on making sure this experience primarily aims to create fun memories for the kids to cherish for a lifetime.

“I can’t stress enough that, at this level, it’s about letting them have fun,” Hadt said. “There are no MLB scouts or college sponsors here. We’re making great memories here, and that’s the most important thing for us.”

John Stroia, activities director of the PACE Department, has seen similar growth to the girl’s softball programs in the Region. He credits the volunteers who have helped play a part in making the level of participation higher than ever before.

“Our volunteers do a phenomenal job,” Stroia said. “We have 54 teams in our league with over 150 people helping out, volunteering and coaching this year. We are very thankful for that solid foundation in making our program a success. This year, we have an all-time high of 61 sponsors. What’s most exciting for me is when the City of Crown Point took over the girls softball program, there were 240 girls playing in the year before. Including our recreation division, our travel division, and our women’s softball division, we have 76 teams and over 850 girls playing softball.”

Many people consider baseball to be America’s pastime. This event is the ultimate party for boys and girls in Northwest Indiana to soak in the moment. From stolen bases to double plays, the Crown Point community is on the edge of their seats, as this season is sure to be a grand slam.

“The look on the kids’ faces when they do the parade is so overwhelming,” Waisnora said. “They always look forward to celebrating the start of the season. Spring is here, the summer is coming, and we’re ready to play ball.”

The City of Crown Point is appreciative of the vendors that have supported this event. Booths for various organization filled Bulldog Park at the festival including Meraki Hospitality Group, Great Lakes Sports Hub, Buffalo Wild Wings, Skin Colour Pro, Kevin’s Pretzel Factory, Chippopotamus Golf, Crown Creamery, Damo’s Dogs, Play It Again Sports, The Ruvoli Group, Lake County CornDogs Baseball, and a Crown Point merchandise shop.

For more information on the City of Crown Point, you can visit crownpoint.in.gov.

Aptos’ Nick Bjorn shot 10-over-par 80 at Pasatiempo Golf Course to place second at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Championship on Tuesday afternoon. 

Bjorn was runner-up to San Lorenzo Valley senior James Dahlen (77), who stormed his way back to victory after falling behind in the front nine holes. Harbor’s Kaden Dunten (81) took third, followed by Aptos’ Colby Culbertson (83) in fourth, and SLV senior Luke Fontell (84) and Soquel’s Peter Robeloth (84) tied for fifth.

The Mariners placed second as a team with an 8-3 record in SCCAL regular season play behind back-to-back champion SLV, which finished with a perfect 10-0 record in league action.

Aptos and SLV along with Dunten and Robeloth automatically qualified for the Central Coast Section Regional Tournament at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on May 6 at 7:30am.  

High school baseball

At St. Francis 4, Soledad 1: Senior pitcher Nash Horton recorded seven strikeouts in six innings pitched in the Sharks’ win against the Aztecs in Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division play Thursday afternoon. 

Javier DaRosa-Fonseca had two hits and two RBIs for St. Francis, which improved to 7-7 in league play this season. 

Teammate Nicholas Fantl had one hit and one RBI, while Noah Magaña had one double and scored twice for the Sharks (11-11, 7-7), who will play at Hollister (14-8, 9-6) on May 6 at 4pm.

San Lorenzo Valley 6, at Watsonville 3: Junior Mathew Silva had one hit and one RBI in the Wildcatz’s loss to the Cougars in non-league play Thursday afternoon. 

Teammate senior Kaden Ortiz had one double, one RBI and scored one run, while senior Rudy Valdez had two hits, including one triple and scored twice for Watsonville.

SLV senior pitcher Phil Nattrass allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks while collecting eight strikeouts in six innings pitched. Teammate senior Bennett Woolfolk had one hit and two RBIs, while senior Dominic Aguilar had one double and one RBI. 

Watsonville (9-11, 8-0) will host Pajaro Valley in the annual Military Appreciation game on Saturday at 12:30pm. SLV (3-16, 0-10) will host North Monterey County (11-9, 5-4) in non-league action on Saturday at 11am.  

High school softball

At Scotts Valley 5, Aptos 3: Senior pitcher Sofie Seese allowed three runs—one earned—on five hits while tallying three strikeouts in the Falcons’ win over the Mariners in SCCAL action Thursday afternoon.

Jazzy Doubek, a junior, had two hits and a pair of RBIs for Scotts Valley, which improved to 7-1 in the league standings. Teammate senior Taylor Wilson had a solo home run and two walks, while Chloe Kent, Gracie Delgado, Nick Powell each collected one base hit. 

Sophomore pitcher Mya Najera-White allowed five runs—two earned—on six hits and six walks while producing one strikeout in the loss for Aptos. Teammate senior Lilly McGee had one double and a pair of RBIs, while senior Kailani Aguayo had two hits, one RBI and scored one run for the Mariners, who dropped to 8-3 in league play this season. 

Aptos (12-6, 8-3) plays at San Lorenzo Valley (9-7, 7-3) on April 6 at 4:30pm. Scotts Valley (14-5-1, 7-1) plays at Harbor (2-12, 1-10) on the same date and time.   

King City 18, at Monte Vista Christian 13: Senior third baseman Kayla Fullalove-Silveira had two home runs, four RBIs and scored four runs in the Mustangs’ loss to King City in PCAL Mission Division play Thursday afternoon.

Sophomore Ava Alvarado also had a pair of home runs to go along with two walks, six RBIs and three runs scored for MVC, while teammate sophomore Gianna Johnson had a pair of hits, including one double, one RBI and one run scored.

Senior Sophia Cortes had one hit, two walks, one RBI and scored one run for MVC (9-12, 3-9), which will host Santa Cruz (7-11, 5-5) in non-league action on April 5 at 4pm.

At San Lorenzo Valley 5, Soquel 4: Junior Sophia Sarmiento had two hits, including one double and two RBIs in the Cougars’ win against the Knights in SCCAL play Thursday afternoon.

Teammates Angie Fulkerson, Cheyenne Owen, Maddy Murphy and Bailey Filice each had one hit and scored one run for SLV, which improved to 7-3 in league play this season. 

The Cougars (9-7, 7-3) will host Aptos (12-6, 8-3) on April 6 at 4:30pm.

After his DTM comeback at Oschersleben, ex-Formula 1 driver Timo Glock is not only at odds with his McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, which is currently being investigated in Woking for a fundamental vehicle problem, but also with the fairness of some of his rivals.

In Sunday’s race, “it felt like everyone out there thought they had to drive totally kamikaze”, Glock grumbled to ProSieben after his retirement.
 
He said he had to “think carefully about what you can say on television” to avoid incurring a large fine. “I don’t know who did it, but I had eight punches in the car at some point.”
 
“We actually wanted to continue until the second pitstop to get the guys into a bit of a routine and only then stop the car, but it didn’t make any sense,” said Glock, explaining why he parked the Dörr-McLaren early.

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According to the team’s technical director Robin Dorr, the front splitter was “so badly damaged” that it wanted to prevent “anything worse from happening”.
 
“Schuring drove halfway through my car in the last corner”
 
When asked by Autosport which events had upset him so much on Sunday, the 43-year-old Glock referred in particular to the early stages of the race. “I don’t know what everyone was up to,” he said. “But that was a level of driving where I have one or two question marks.”
 
Glock’s retirement was also caused by the collision with Landgraf Mercedes rookie Tom Kalender, who had to drive through the penalty lap zone three times (equivalent to a 15-second time penalty). Was it the incident with the youngest DTM driver of all time that upset Glock so much?
 
“I don’t know,” replied Glock. “All I know is that Schuring drove halfway through my car at the last corner – and Scherer somewhere at the Hotel corner back there,” he said, alluding to rookies Morris Schuring in the Manthey Porsche and Fabio Scherer in the HRT Ford.

“And then at the end there was the… if it was the Mercedes, it was the Mercedes!” In the heat of the moment, he wasn’t sure whether it was Kalender.

Timo Glock, Dörr Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo

Alexander Trienitz

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 “There’s a lot of bumping and jabbing going on”
 
It was mainly younger drivers who caused Glock trouble at Oschersleben. He also noticed that the second Ford Mustang driver, Arjun Maini, “jagged left and right and back and forth twice at the back during the start phase – and pulled into the corner, where I thought: “Okay, the car’s going to break in the end, that’s all you’re going to get out of it!”
 
Glock claimed a decline in track behaviour that goes back to 2021, when the DTM switched from Class 1 prototypes to more robust GT3 cars, saying standards have “gone a long way in this direction” since then.
 
With the Class 1 cars, which built up more downforce via their aerodynamics, “it wasn’t as extreme,” he said. “Everyone knew that it wouldn’t do them any good because they would knock aero parts off and then nothing would work. But what’s happening right now is a bit of a slugfest. In my eyes, it’s just gone a bit too far.”
 
Glock to speak with race control
 
Glock is now calling for consequences. “In the end, the stewards and [race director] Sven Stoppe have to intervene accordingly, which I think [they did] in the race. Of course [the action] looks spectacular, but in the end we’re all going to wreck our cars,” he said.
 
He had not yet spoken to Stoppe about the issue, but was planning to do so and “looking forward” to the next drivers’ meeting at the Lausitzring.

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