A BIG BOOST — At its opening day Saturday, the Wellsburg Baseball and Softball Association received a big boost from Pirates Charities with the presentation of a $15,000 donation by Bob Nutting, owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates; and John Leonard, manager of youth baseball and softball for the organization. — Warren Scott
WELLSBURG — This year’s season for the Wellsburg Baseball and Softball Association got off to a rocky start, with the discovery that a significant amount of funds were missing, and for at least some, it looked like its teams might not be able to play.
But the community — with a tremendous boost from Pirates Charities, the charitable arm of the Pittsburgh Pirates — has come together to see that its players will be able to take to the field.
Opening day for the volunteer-run youth sports league proved to be a celebration of the support the group has received in many directions, including a $15,000 donation from Pirates Charities presented by Pirates owner Bob Nutting and John Leonard, director of youth baseball and softball for the organization.
Nathan Marshall, a coach for the league, told the many attending, “Three weeks ago, we had nothing — no money, no hopes of anything.”
“I was amazed by how much this community has come together,” he said.
Marshall said not only did support come from local businesses and groups, it came from an unexpected direction.
“Bob (Nutting) called us and said, ‘You’re our neighbor. What can we do to help?” he recalled, adding a similar call was made also by Leonard.
The Pittsburgh Pirates played a big part in the opening ceremonies, with the Pirates Parrot mascot joining members of the Brooke High School baseball team in leading a parade of Wellsburg baseball and softball players and their coaches and parents along city streets to the Betty Carr Recreation Site, where they play.
Pirates alumnus Michael McKenry greeted the players as they approached the ball field, offering a “high five” to each and encouraging them to run onto it.
And Pirates Charities staff held a free drawing for prizes ranging from pitching machines to whiffle ball sets while handing out Pirates items to all players.
Earlier in the week, Pirates staff also conducted a batting camp for the league’s players.
Of the Pirates’ involvement, Nutting said, “I know how important programs like this are in towns like Wheeling (where he lives) and Wellsburg. Seeing the whole community rally around them reminds us of how important youth sports programs are.”
“This is what we built Pirates Charities for,” he said, noting the charity has helped more than 400 youth baseball fields through the years.
Leonard said, “Being able to help a community like Wellsburg is phenomenal. We were more than pleased to be able to help this league have an outstanding year.”
Chad Rogers, vice president of the Wellsburg Baseball and Softball Association, shared the sentiments of Marshall and Joe Pettini, its president, regarding the community’s support.
“All of the sponsors, the small businesses, kept this going. Without them, this wouldn’t happen. And the Pirates stepping up, that was huge,” he said.
Rogers pointed to a sign on which the support of about 30 local businesses and groups was acknowledged, noting many have sponsored teams in the league through the years.
He said the league currently includes about 55 players, from beginners in tee ball to 9- and 10-year-olds in the mustang division.
Rogers confirmed the number has declined in recent years, but he and the league’s recently elected officers and board hope to reverse that.
In addition to Pettini and Rogers, it includes Michelle Mazzella, secretary; and Taylor Wilson, treasurer.
A dark cloud fell over the league in March when former president Eric M. Smith was charged with embezzlement following accusations he had taken thousands of dollars from its funds.
The case against Smith is pending in Brooke County Magistrate Court.
But while real dark clouds hovered above the ball field on Saturday morning, a hopeful attitude prevailed among many in attendance.
“I’m glad they’re able to keep it going,” said Kevin Lyons of Windsor Heights, whose son plays in the pinto division.
Tracy Johnson, another parent of a player, said of the opening day and the Pirates Charities announcement, “This was amazing. It’s really great. The Pirates are really great.”
Johnson was among volunteers overseeing a drawing for an assortment of gift baskets containing items collected by players from each of the league’s teams.
Rogers said the league’s leaders are considering other fundraisers, including possibly a concert by a local band that has offered its services.
“We’re still throwing around a few ideas, but we’re definitely going to have fundraisers,” he said.
Partnership with World Athletics includes construction of 11 running tracks in 11 countries around the world
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), in partnership with World Athletics and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), has launched ‘Aim Beyond’ – a project that aims to empower youth and underserved communities through the transformative power of sport.
As part of the project, 11 state-of-the-art, eco-friendly and inclusive running tracks will be constructed across 11 countries around the world, in Anguilla, Burundi, Cook Islands, Dominica, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Palestine, Panama, Tajikistan, Tanzania and Ukraine.
The project reflects Qatar’s deep belief in the power of sport to promote sustainable development, peace and social cohesion. It also underscores the country’s determination to transform sporting legacy into a tangible tool for positive change in the lives of youth and communities.
The tracks to be built are distinguished by their inclusivity, accommodating the needs of athletes with disabilities, and by their sustainability, using eco-friendly materials. The new tracks will also serve as community hubs that promote the values of sporting excellence and strengthen young athletes’ sense of belonging to their communities.
“In many communities around the world, athletic talent is abundant, but facilities are not – and that’s where Aim Beyond makes its mark,” said World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon, who attended the signing ceremony for the project in Doha on Monday (8). “Partnerships drive our mission to make athletics accessible and inspiring for all, and the collaboration between World Athletics, QOC and QFFD is exactly the kind of strategic, human-centred teamwork our sport needs.
“Together, we are strengthening infrastructure for our Member Federations, opening doors that many young athletes have never been able to walk through, and ensuring the legacy of the Doha 2019 World Athletics Championships continues to reach well beyond Qatar.
“My sincere thank you to His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, whose vision and commitment to athletics are helping to shape the future of our sport. Our sport owes you an enormous debt of gratitude.”
The announcement of the project came pursuant to the agreement signed by the QOC Secretary General H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain and the QFFD Director General Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, held from 6-8 December under the theme ‘Diplomacy, Dialogue and Diversity’.
H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain said: “Aim Beyond is an ambitious project to create a world where every aspiring athlete has access to facilities to aim beyond their limits. Just as Doha 2019 allowed Qatar to aim beyond its limits in pursuit of its ultimate dream, so too will this project create opportunities for young athletes to reach their full potential.
“We are proud that through this ambitious project, the legacy of the Doha 2019 World Athletics Championships will continue to shape the future of athletics – transcending borders and serving as a symbol of commitment, hope and opportunity.”
Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti said: “At Qatar Fund for Development, we firmly believe that sport is a transformative catalyst for human development and social progress and our partnership today with the Qatar Olympic Committee project reflects this commitment.
“By establishing inclusive and sustainable athletics tracks in underserved communities, we are creating pathways for young people to develop their talents, strengthen their capabilities, and realise their full potential. This initiative is not merely about constructing facilities, it is about laying the foundations for brighter, more prosperous futures.”
The signing ceremony during the Doha Forum – a premier global platform for dialogue and diplomacy – highlights how sport can drive sustainable development, peace and human development. The forum brings together global leaders, policymakers and innovators to discuss critical challenges and shape action-driven solutions.
{KXLG – Watertown, SD} The Elks Hoop Shoot is a nationwide free throw contest sponsored annually by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. It’s one of the largest and longest-running youth sports programs in the country, giving kids ages 8 to 13 the chance to compete in a fun, skill-based event that emphasizes hard work, sportsmanship, and perseverance.
More than 1 million youth across the U.S. participate each year, starting at the local lodge level. Winners advance through local, state, regional, and national competitions, with the national finals held each spring at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena. Six national champions are crowned, and their names are engraved in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The program is designed to develop hard work and confidence. The Elks highlight that success in the Hoop Shoot often comes down to practice and consistency which are qualities they hope kids carry beyond the basketball court.
Watertown Elks Lodge #838 welcomed 61 young athletes for this year’s local event, with first-place finishers earning a spot at the state competition and a chance to continue their run toward the national stage.
Winners of the Watertown Elks Hoop Shoot were: Odin Ebsen 8/9 boys from Summit, Kellen Haugen 10/11 boy from Watertown, Nate Roe, 12/13 boy from Florence, Brynlee Amdahl 12/13 girl Summit, Ashlyn Schmidt 10/11 girl Florence, Mya Gaikowski 8/9 girl Waubay.
The state competition will be held on February 7th in Pierre at St. Joseph’s School Gym.
Cal Petersen held onto a simple childhood dream: He wanted to play for the Waterloo Black Hawks.
He grew up in eastern Iowa, and he gravitated toward hockey – a sport often trumped by more popular sports in the state, like baseball, basketball, football and wrestling – because of his family’s history.
And while most young players dreamed of making it to the National Hockey League, Petersen set his sights on the local USHL – the top junior hockey league in the United States – team.
MURRAY—Murray State Athletics boasted another successful Giving Tuesday earlier this week with $289,800 raised to support the department’s strategic priorities and initiatives while the department continuously invests in a world-class experience of the Racers’ more than 400 student-athletes.
The philanthropic day was the second-biggest Giving Tuesday total in Racer Athletics history behind last December’s total of $409,787.
“Racer Nation continues to invest in our shared vision for excellence by stepping up and supporting our student-athletes on Giving Tuesday,” Director of Athletics Nico Yantko said. “We are extremely appreciative of each of our loyal supporters for believing in our plan to boost our sport programs in a big way.”
The Racer Club plays a crucial role in helping support student-athlete scholarships, general operating budget, and facility enhancements. Investors play a critical role in funding the student-athlete experience and the competitive success of Murray State Athletics programs and student-athletes.
For more information on how to join the Racer Club, call (270) 809-3517.
PHILADELPHIA — The ball found him in the left arc, with the game hanging in the balance at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Tie score. 75 seconds left.
Throughout the contest, the Lakers’ offense had sputtered, misfired, stalled.
Then, LeBron James caught, rose, and released. The arc of the shot–– pure. The swish––silent. The crowd, moments earlier a raging sea of noise, was suddenly, stunningly, subdued.
It was the exclamation point on a 29-point, tour-de-force reminder, a 112-108 Lakers victory carved from resilience and authored by an old master who decided, when it mattered most, to take the pen back.
James can do what he wants. He sees the collection of youth on the court; nonetheless, it flourishes under his gaze. But when they need big brother to step in and tend to the business, they can’t; that’s why he is there.
On Sunday, business was messy. Business was necessary.
Luka Dončić, returning from a transatlantic journey for the birth of his daughter, labored to a 31-point, 15-rebound, 11-assist triple-double—his 49th 30-point triple-double, moving him past Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokić for second all-time.
But his shots often rimmed out, his rhythm––absent.
Austin Reaves fought through an off-night where the lid sat snug on the basket.
Enter the connector. The conductor. The closer.
“I really thought his play throughout the game gave us such a lift,” head coach JJ Redick said. “LeBron was like our connector tonight.”
James wasn’t just a scorer; he was a solver. He set bone-rattling screens. He leveraged his gravity. He played a cerebral, grinding game, picking his spots with the precision of a surgeon until the moment demanded a sledgehammer.
That moment arrived with the score knotted at 105 after a Joel Embiid jumper. The Lakers’ previous four possessions: a Reaves miss, a Dončić miss, a Dončić turnover, another Reaves miss. The offense was adrift. The play call was simple, timeless: get the ball to LeBron.
He delivered the three. On the next trip, a 20-foot dagger. Ballgame.
“That was vintage ‘Bron,” Dončić said. “He just decided the game.”
Dončić finished 11-of-14 from the line, his free throws icing the win, but the night belonged to the elder statesman.
“I was tired,” Luka said. “Mentally, I wasn’t there much. I’m just glad we got a win.”
The win was a testament to layered strength. It was Deandre Ayton’s defensive versatility, switching onto Tyrese Maxey, who scored 28 points to lead Philadelphia, and bothering Embiid, who poured in 16 points on 4-of-21 shooting.
It was the team bending but not breaking after a 10-point first-half deficit. It was, as Redick noted, the luxury of having multiple suns in a solar system.
“Some nights… we played through LeBron a lot in the second half tonight. Down the stretch, we played through him,” Redick said.
For James, the win was a personal reaffirmation after injuries and a streak-snapping quiet night in Toronto. He needed the win to show that he still had the magic he’s carried for 23 seasons inside him.
He has it. He has the calm. He has the clutch gene. He now has 1,015 regular-season wins, surpassing Robert Parish for sole possession of second place on the all-time list. A number that speaks of longevity, excellence, and nights like this—nights where he observes, he calculates, and then, decisively, he strikes.
The Lakers will board their flight back to Los Angeles 2-1 on a taxing East Coast trip, and 17-6 on the season.
They will carry many things as they head home: their luggage, Dončić’s historic triple-double and another notch in the win column.
But they also carry the feeling, the secure knowledge that in the grinding heart of a close game, they have an ageless weapon.
A player who can, with a single shot, silence an arena and show the annals of NBA lore that legends don’t fade—they wait for their moment to roar.
