Sayre Park has been home to Hoop D’Ville through rain, sleet, snow and shine for a quarter-century. This Saturday, the long-running Glenwood Springs tournament will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Open to all seven-person teams, the tournament kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday at Sayre Park and runs until a champion is crowned. The all-inclusive registration fee covers food and drinks for every player, with the winning team taking home a $500 prize.

Four games will run simultaneously throughout the day, helping to fuel Glenwood Springs’ pickup basketball scene.

The tournament, conceptualized by basketball junkie Mike Picore during the turn of the century, has evolved from a way to bond with the local basketball community to a long-running annual event looked forward to by many. 

“It started as a hobby and has turned into an obsession. When I first started this 25 years ago, I was just trying to raise enough money for a night at Tequilas,” Picore laughed. “Now I look up and I see beautiful brand-new courts at Sayre. 25 years ago that was like a pipe dream.”

Picore mentioned how unique the situation was and how even he can’t believe that the tournament is now able to rent a car. 

“It seems kind of silly,” he admitted. “People will come up to me and be like ‘You’ve been running a basketball tournament for 25 years?’ And I’ll answer, ‘I know, right?!’ It seems insane to me too, but at the same time, we were able to get the courts redone, we added an extra court, and the end-result means more kids can get to use it.”

In recent years, Picore has expanded the tournament’s reach with youth-oriented programming to complement the growing adult competition.

The main bracket is open to high school-aged players and older, but younger kids are still welcome. Events such as youth scrimmages and a dedicated girls tournament have been added to the weekend schedule. Roaring Fork High School girls basketball coach Mike Vidokavich helped launch the girls bracket, which will return in 2025.

“There is a youth boys team aged fourth through sixth grade that will get the chance to scrimmage the high school girls team,” Picore explained. “This is the second year we will be running the youth and girls programs. Then the men’s tournament is open, so we can have incoming freshmen playing against guys like me.”

Picore wasn’t joking when he said that he could face off against younger competition, but has never been fearful of the incoming generation. Rather, he thinks that experience usually wins out over the energy-full youth. 

“We won the tournament last year, and I’ve got one of the older teams,” Picore said. “Last year, we faced off against another team full of guys that have been coming for the past 25 years. It was literally the two teams that battled for the first 10 years playing in the championship round. That was pretty cool, and I think we’ve got another good shot this year.”

Any funds not used for prize money go directly into the Hoop D’Ville fund, which supports Glenwood Springs youth sports and recreation. Most notably, the Hoop D’Ville fund helped contribute to the Sayre Park basketball court reconstruction and repainting the Glenwood Springs High School sheds. Picore said future projects include contributing to a new welcome sign at Stubler Memorial Field.

One must have a team of seven to register for the 2025 Hoop D’Ville. For more information about registering for the tournament, call Mike Picore at (970) 309-2911, or visit Sayre Park on Saturday morning.

WESTFIELD — Grand Park, Westfield’s nationally known youth sports campus, is shifting into high gear with a major expansion. A local racing star is helping lead the way.

Ed Carpenter, CEO of Ed Carpenter Racing and an Indianapolis native, announced Tuesday that his INDYCAR team will relocate its headquarters from Georgetown Road in Indianapolis to the heart of Grand Park.

“I’ve spent a lot of time on this campus with my boys,” Carpenter said. “So it’s pretty cool that we’re going to be having our race shop up here.”

The move marks the first step in what city leaders say is a broader development plan that will bring new life to the area surrounding the 400-acre sports complex.

“This is exactly what we were thinking when we created the new district here at Grand Park,” Westfield Mayor Scott Willis said.

“It fits perfectly into what we’re trying to do here: people living, working and playing here around the world of sports.”

Grand Park attracts millions of visitors each year for youth baseball, soccer and other tournaments. The influx of families and teams has already fueled interest in further growth, and city officials say they are just getting started.

“We’re already starting to plan not only for Ed Carpenter Racing, but a mixed-use development that Keystone is going to be building,” Willis said.

“And then also a big-name hotel that’s going to be just to the south of the existing event center.”

Visitors to Grand Park say the facility has left a strong impression.

“We kind of toured it a little bit yesterday. It’s nice, a lot of fields,” said Chelsea, who was visiting from Sacramento, California. “I’m very excited.”

“I mean, everything here has been almost immaculate,” another parent from Pennsylvania added.

Carpenter said the decision to relocate to Grand Park was partly driven by the opportunity to engage with the park’s vast number of out-of-town visitors.

“It’s not just residents who use this facility,” Carpenter said. “People are coming from out of town all the time to experience Grand Park. So to be able to connect with those potential fans is something we’re hugely excited about.”

As Grand Park accelerates into its next phase, Willis said the vision is clear.

“When it’s all said and done, you’re going to come to Grand Park any day of the week, it’s going to be crowded,” Willis said. “And there are going to be people here living, working and playing.”

Looking for free, fun, and active things to do this summer? The YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit’s ‘Y on the Fly’ program brings sports and structured play straight to your neighborhood—no registration, no fees, just good old-fashioned fun for kids ages 5 to 13.

Y on the Fly is a mobile youth sports initiative that breaks down barriers to access by delivering free programming directly into Metro Detroit neighborhoods. The program offers kids the chance to try out different sports, engage in structured free play, and enjoy safe, active outdoor time with friends and supportive staff.

Think of it as a revival of the “Sandlot era,” when kids played outside with neighbors until the streetlights came on. Y on the Fly brings that spirit back to life—with structure, equipment, and encouragement built in.

Summer 2025 Schedule Highlights

All activities are FREE and designed for kids ages 5–13

LittleGuide Detroit Stroller Roll

(all ages welcome)

• Saturday, July 19 – 9:00-11:00am
• 33275 Edward Hines Drive, Westland, MI 48185

Eliza Howell Park Field Days

• Saturday, August 2 – 2:00-5:00pm
• Monday, August 11 – 1:00-2:30 pm
• 23701 Fenkell Ave, Detroit, MI 48223

Eliza Howell Park

• Mondays, August 4-25 – 10:30am-12:00pm
• 23701 Fenkell Ave, Detroit, MI 48223

Sheriff PAL Sports Camp

• Monday-Wednesday, August 4-6 – 9:00am-12:00pm
• 867 S Blvd E, Pontiac, MI 48341

Wilson Park (Ferndale)

• Tuesdays, August 5-26 – 12:30-2:00pm
• 656 Academy St, Ferndale, MI 48220

Farmington Duck Race

• Wednesday, August 6 – 3:00-6:00pm
• 32515 Shiawassee Rd. Farmington, MI 48336

Stoeple Park #1

• Thursdays, August 7-28 – 3:30-5:00pm
• 10363 Outer Dr W, Detroit, MI 48223

Hazel Park Hometown Huddle

• Thursday, August 28 – 5:00-6:30pm
• 23400 Hughes Ave, Hazel Park, MI 48030

Regular Y On The Fly locations:

Detroit – Brightmoor & North End

• Rosedale Park Baptist Church
  14179 Evergreen, Detroit, MI 48223
• Stoepel #1 Park
  Outer Dr. W & Evergreen Rd, Detroit, MI
• Rouge Park
  21415 Plymouth Rd, Detroit, MI 48228
• Beech Elementary
  19990 Beech Daly, Redford Twp, MI 48240
• Hilbert Elementary
  26440 Puritan, Redford Twp, MI 48239
• St. Valentine
  25875 Hope St, Redford Twp, MI 48239

Detroit – North End Y on the Fly Sites

• Bradby Park
  1641 Cardoni St, Detroit, MI 48211
• Central Detroit Christian
  1550 Taylor St, Detroit, MI 48206
• Franklin Wright Settlements
  7375 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48202
• Cass Community Social Services
  11745 Rosa Parks Blvd, Detroit, MI 48206

Ferndale Y on the Fly Sites

• Ferndale Upper Elementary
  24220 Rosewood St, Oak Park, MI 48237
• Jefferson Oaks Park
  22001 Republic Ave, Oak Park, MI 48237
• Ferndale Lower Elementary
  2610 Pinecrest Dr, Ferndale, MI 48220
• Martin Road Park / Detroit Curling Club
  1615 E. Lewiston Ave, Ferndale, MI 48220

Hartland Y on the Fly Sites

• Hartland Child Care Center
  10235 School, Hartland, MI 48353
• Hartland Lakes Elementary
  687 Taylor Rd, Brighton, MI 48114

Hazel Park Y on the Fly Sites

• United Oaks Elementary
  1001 E. Harry Ave, Hazel Park, MI 48030
• Hoover Elementary
  23720 Hoover Ave, Hazel Park, MI 48030
• Webb Elementary
  2100 Woodward Heights, Ferndale, MI 48220
• Madison Elementary
  27107 Hales St, Madison Heights, MI 48071

Highland Park Y on the Fly Sites

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan: Fauver-Martin Club
  24 Ferris St, Highland Park, MI 48203

Mt. Clemens Y on the Fly Sites

• Wilson Park
  S. Wilson Blvd & Church St, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
• Cairns Community Center
  58 Orchard St, Mt Clemens, MI 48043
• Mt. Clemens High School
  155 Cass Ave, Mt Clemens, MI 48043
• Parker Elementary
  22055 Quinn Rd, Clinton Twp, MI 48035
• McGlinnen Elementary
  21415 Sunnyview St, Clinton Twp, MI 48035

Pontiac Y on the Fly Sites

• United Wholesale Mortgage
  585 S Blvd E, Pontiac, MI 48341

Wyandotte Y on the Fly Sites

• CATCH Field
  15777 Northline Rd, Southgate, MI 48195

Photo credit: Source

BEL AIR, Md. – Dream big.

That’s the message from USA national team player Ellie Masera to the athletes competing at the USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals at Cedar Lane Regional Park. And she’s saying it specifically to the team she’s helping to coach – Igloo 2030 Arctic Blast in the 13U age group.

More than 700 girls’ lacrosse players from some of the top club programs in the country are competing in the two-day tournament in the 13U, 14U and 15U age brackets. 

“There are so many memories that I’ve had throughout my years of travel lacrosse with the girls that I still play with today, whether that’s from PAL (Police Athletic League) or this and we were able to form bonds throughout these summer tournaments,” Masera said. “You never know where these things are going to lead, but it’s so much joy being surrounded by this and having the opportunity to coach in this makes me think back on the times and think, ‘Oh my god, that was so fun.’ I feel like as much as I can help them find joy in that, that’s really what I’m here for.”

Sydney Scales, who earned all-tournament honors in helping the U.S. to the Pan-American Women’s Lacrosse Championship last month, was also on site for a Gait Lacrosse-sponsored demo clinic and meet-and-greet with her former Boston College teammate Mckenna Davis.

“When I saw the team warming up on the side grass field, I feel like I was just there,” Scales said. “It’s crazy to think that was like eight years ago. It’s awesome. I miss it.”

The tournament atmosphere certainly brings out the competitive side in everyone, but at these age groups, it’s also about developing as players.

“At this level the most important thing is just making sure that you’re getting better – every tournament, every summer – whatever it is and focusing on that, because when you get caught up in the rankings that can go to your head, and you don’t perform at your best,” Scales said.

Masera challenges her players to think on their own.

“A great part of that is asking them questions,” Masera said. “I may know the answer, but trying to get them to answer the question and figure it out so they develop their IQ instead of just telling them ‘do this, do that, this is where you should be.’ That’s how I try to coach at least.”

Competing is also a great way to learn and put those lessons to the test.

One of the more entertaining finishes on Tuesday came in the 13U bracket with thinklax Maryland Select scoring a late goal to force overtime and then edging Long Island power Yellow Jackets Babst 7-6 on a free position goal by Ryan Principi.

The opportunity to play against a well-respected program like the Yellow Jackets excited the Maryland Select squad and gave them a challenge. As they game went on, they were more comfortable moving the ball to try and beat a zone and they ended up on the winning side on the opening day of the tournament, but there’s a bigger goal in the big picture.

“Building confident, happy girls is why I became a coach,” said Maryland Select coach Sarah Biron, a former Johns Hopkins player. “I want them to walk away with their heads up regardless of that score. It’s easy to have your head up when you have an overtime win, but if it was an overtime loss the message from their coaches should be a positive one.”

Here’s a quick look at some of the highlights from Tuesday:

13U

Maryland Select’s win helped them to a 3-0 record in pool play, making them one of three undefeated teams in the age grouping. The Yellow Jackets O’Sullivan squad also went 3-0 and Concept Lacrosse from Colorado opened the day with an 8-8 tie against All Lax Select, but then came back to pull out one-goal wins over DEWLAX and Igloo to go 2-0-1. Those three advanced to the quarterfinal round along with five 2-1 teams – Alliance National, Igloo Lacrosse, Team 91 Long Island Frenzy, Ultimate Blue and Yellow Jackets Babst.

14U

Yellow Jackets Friedman, the 13U champ at this tournament from a year ago was one of three undefeated teams in the age bracket. They were joined in the unbeaten ranks by Mass Elite Red and Team 91 Long Island Roar. Also advancing to the quarterfinals were 3d Garden State, Mass Elite White, Team 91 Long Island Thunder, thinklax Maryland Select and Yellow Jackets Manning.

15U

Mass Elite beat the Yellow Jackets in the 14U championship game a year ago and those two programs account for five of the semifinalists. Mass Elite Red went 3-0 and was the No. 1 seed out of the Blue Pool and Yellow Jackets Bert/Maget also went 3-0 to earn the top seed out the Red Pool. Joining those two teams in the quarterfinals are DEWLAX, Mass Elite White, thinklax Maryland Select, Toronto Rock Stars, Yellow Jackets Carranante and Yellow Jackets Napolitano

The 2025 USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals are sponsored by Capelli Sport, Gait Lacrosse, Hotel Planner, GoLiveSports and MedStar Health.

USA national team players Sydney Scales and Mckenna Davis with players from the Alliance National program during a Gait Lacrosse demo clinic and meet-and-greet.

This post is part one of a series.

When I was growing up in sports in the ’80s and early ’90s, the only thing referred to as “abuse” was direct physical harm by the coach. Any non-contact, physically harmful coaching behaviors were par for the course. These included requirements to train on injuries, the denial of medical care, punishments by way of excessive conditioning, the restriction of food, water, and rest, requirements that athletes “do what it takes” to lose weight (without any nutritional guidance), and requirements to perform dangerous skills without appropriate safety measures.

So, you can imagine that when it came to what we would now call emotional abuse, there was no appropriate language or conceptual framework to capture it, though it was the most common form of harmful treatment we encountered. Being yelled at, insulted, humiliated, intimidated, threatened, and generally terrorized was treated as “just another day” in the gym. It was what you had to deal with if you wanted to participate.

Thirty years later, it is still the most common form of abuse that athletes encounter. The U.S. Center for SafeSport’s 2024 Athlete Culture & Climate Survey shows that 78% of athletes experienced behaviors related to emotional harm and neglect during their sports involvement. Because emotional abuse continues to go unrecognized and tolerated, I’ve felt compelled to describe its patterns in hopes that athletes struggling with it will know that they are not alone, that there is a name for it, that it is not ok, and it is not their fault. My hope is also to help coaches and parents realize that emotional abuse is not just a form of “tough coaching”; it does intense short- and long-term damage to the athlete, and there is no justification for it.

To be clear, not all coaches of my era subscribed to abusive coaching methods (and I am grateful to have had some coaches who reminded me of what a human being deserves). But enough of them did that you could not escape it if you were in competitive (rather than recreational) sports for any length of time. The statistics suggest that the same is the case today.

Unspoken Principles of Authoritarian Coaching

The pervasive coaching regime, which I’d now call “authoritarian,” embodied a few key unspoken principles: The coach is always right and entitled to have you do with your body anything they see fit, even if it is dangerous, scary, painful, or injurious. Ruling by fear is the most effective way for a coach to control athletes and raise their performance level. The athlete must obey orders or be punished (usually in ways that cause more fear, danger, and injury). Punishment is the most effective form of “discipline” or “motivation.” Complaint of any kind is a sign of weakness, disloyalty, or insubordination, as is any show of pain or fear. These deserve further punishment. And, finally, you should be ready and willing to sacrifice everything to become a champion – your body, your relationships, your sanity, your childhood, and your happiness. If not, you’re not committed enough.

If the coach’s actions or belief system ever seemed unwise, unsafe, or unjust, you’d better “suck it up.” There was no recourse for feedback, discussion, or change. If you couldn’t deal with it, you weren’t tough enough to handle the pressures of the sport.

Coping With a Problem That Had No Name

As young athletes who wanted the chance to participate in the sports we had fallen in love with in lower-stress environments, we tried our best to cope with it.

In my sport of gymnastics, the onset of the coach’s negative “treatment” (for which we had no appropriate name) coincided with facing significant fears surrounding the skills we were learning. Fear is a common but challenging issue that comes with the territory of regularly flipping and twisting backwards, knowing there’s an ever-present danger of falling on your head. The more fear an athlete experienced, the more frustrated the coaches seemed to get, adding threats to already unbearably stressful situations.

Many coaches of my era subscribed to the “don’t think, just do” philosophy of coaching, which my friends and I privately called the “chuck it and pray” method. Such a method was devoid of actual teaching in which the coach might break down the skill into safe and manageable stages or drills. It lent itself to feelings of chaos and made for daily absorption in fight/flight/freeze responses.

I was regularly consumed by all three of these responses, starting at age 11, for which I earned plenty of fancy names: headcase, stubborn mule, and eventually “uncoachable.” The feelings of fear and chaos became so bad that I was losing control and confidence over old skills I had successfully done hundreds of times. I felt lost in the air. I became paralyzed just thinking about it. And yes, I did fall on my head a few times.

I’d find myself standing at the end of the mat, frozen, being yelled at to “just do it” (do a back flip with a full twist), or else be kicked out of the gym, sent back a level, or made to run laps till I couldn’t breathe. Or, I’d be left alone on a high beam (as tall as me) while the rest of the team went on to another event, told that I could not get down until I did my ever-dreaded back handspring series. Shaking and terrified, I’d ultimately jump down and then be ordered to do 300 pushups. The day would be capped off with some rhetorical questions about what was wrong with my brain and why I was being so stubborn, and some lecturing about how I was a waste of time, a disappointment, letting everybody down… and my parents would be mad at me for squandering their money if they found out. The point, in retrospect, was to make me feel worthless, ashamed, trapped… and silent (so that I would not tell my parents). The more “broken” I was, the easier I would be to control.

As you might have predicted, these repeated dramas did not cure me of my fear or teach me how to find my way through the skills. They made things worse — for my performance, for my mental health, and for the person I was becoming. It taught me that the most important adult in my life, the one whom I spent the most time with, the one I depended on for safety, guidance, and encouragement, was someone I could not trust. It taught me that I could not show my vulnerabilities without getting in trouble, that there was no one I could go to for help, and that I needed to protect myself from anyone who claimed authority.

I watched some of my teammates suffer through similar terrors and (what I perceived to be) mean-spirited and unfair treatment. We were being forced, under various threats, to do things with our bodies that we weren’t ready to do. Then we were being punished for our confusion and fear, and having our relationship with our parents manipulated. Meanwhile, injuries increased, which we were expected to train on as long as we could walk. Any attempt to tell the coach about a concern was met with suspicion that we were lying, lazy, or “being a baby.”

Life in sports became one of fear, dread, panic, pain, muffled tears in the locker room, blank stares in car rides home, stomach aches, and nightmares.

On the day the coach gathered us up to tell us we were the worst team he’d ever coached, some of the girls could not maintain their stoic façade any longer and broke down. By the time I was age 13, the majority of the kids I’d grown up with in the sport had quit. The coach moved on to another club to presumably repeat the cycle. And as a pre-emptive protective measure, I started to wear the “uncoachable” label as a badge of honor in the hopes that future coaches would leave me alone.

Stay tuned for part two.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo is taking steps towards the creation of a new youth sports complex, set to be located on an undeveloped patch of land off West Main and U.S. 131, near two Holiday Inn Express locations.

The complex will cover an estimated 150,000 square feet and aims to provide new opportunities for local youth.

Corey Person, a leader with United Pursuit Basketball, expressed his excitement for the project.

WATCH:

Development of Kalamazoo Youth Sports Complex gaining momentum

“I’m super excited. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for the youth, a lot of the youth, and give our community and our area a lot of new opportunities that we haven’t had in recent years. To be able to help a lot of the youth achieve the goals that they’re trying to do,” Person said.

Person is set to become a board member overseeing the project.

Brian Persky, Director of Business Development with Discover Kalamazoo, noted that the next step involves presenting recommended board members to the Kalamazoo County Commission on Tuesday.

“We are recommending the appointment of 9 of the 11 authority members that’ll serve on this authority,” Persky said.

He emphasized the authority board’s role in managing the project. “The authority board oversees the project as a whole. They are responsible stewards of those dollars, and how it gets spent,” Persky said.

In April, local hotel owners allocated a 4% assessment to help fund the sports complex. The goal is to boost business in Kalamazoo.

Person highlighted the community’s need for more sports space.

“I just hope to be able to give a lot of insight as to what’s going on currently in the community and just what the needs are, and just try to best serve those issues that we’re having with lack of space as best as we can,” Person said.

Persky also provided an update on the project timeline.

“There hasn’t been a shovel in the ground yet, but we’re still on track— we’ve hit all of our deadlines to this point. We remain very optimistic that we’re going to continue to hit those deadlines. Our goal is to have it open by 2027.”

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