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Lansing Common FC’s season kicks off with youth clinic, series of scrimmages

Staff Reports  |  Lansing State Journal Lansing Common FC’s fifth season begins Saturday with its annual community kickoff event — with a new twist: Three 45-minute scrimmages involving other clubs. The event starts at 3 p.m. Saturday at Eastern Stadium in Lansing with a free youth soccer clinic. The scrimmages begin at 4 p.m. with […]

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Lansing Common FC’s fifth season begins Saturday with its annual community kickoff event — with a new twist: Three 45-minute scrimmages involving other clubs.

The event starts at 3 p.m. Saturday at Eastern Stadium in Lansing with a free youth soccer clinic. The scrimmages begin at 4 p.m. with Lansing Common vs. Troy United, followed by Troy vs. the Detroit Badgers at 5 p.m., and then at 6 p.m., Lansing vs. Detroit.

Tickets for the scrimmages are $5 online or $7 at the gate, with 10% of ticket and merchandise sales going to the Early Bird Fund, which awards grants to local nonprofits.

Lansing Common’s season starts Saturday, May 10, with a home friendly against Ypsilanti Athletic at 6 p.m. at Eastern Stadium.

RELATED: Couch: Lansing Common FC turns out to be the ideal club – and response – for soccer in Lansing



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Durango High School unveils new weight room

Student-athletes will have much more room to workout and thrive Durango High School student-athletes work out in the high school’s new weight room. (Courtesy Joe Burns) It is the year of weight room upgrades in Durango. After Fort Lewis College unveiled its new $6 million sports performance center in May, Durango High School has a […]

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Student-athletes will have much more room to workout and thrive

Durango High School student-athletes work out in the high school’s new weight room. (Courtesy Joe Burns)

It is the year of weight room upgrades in Durango.

After Fort Lewis College unveiled its new $6 million sports performance center in May, Durango High School has a new weight room for its student-athletes and student body. The new space should help student-athletes perform better on the field and the student body as a whole build strength and good health habits.

Donors, teachers and members of the Durango Demons Booster Club met at Durango High School on June 12 to talk about the new weight room and thank all those who made the project possible.

“Our mission is to subsidize the cost for DHS athletics,” Durango Demons Booster Club Treasurer Brian Beal said. “It’s for our student-athletes to be able to compete against those on the Front Range who might have deeper pockets or more access to more financial resources. We’ve got to figure out how to bridge that gap … we were thinking about what we could do to go a bit big, and what, what might we be able to accomplish that would really make a difference … That’s when we landed on the weight room and it was called our moonshot project.”

The new Durango High School weight room is 3,608 square feet, about three times the size of the old weight room. (Courtesy Joe Burns)

The new weight room is 3,608 square feet and is about three times as big as the old weight room, according to Durango High School Athletic Director Ryan Knorr. It has eight squat racks, eight pulley stations with additional storage, a 40-yard strip of turf going down the middle of the space for speed training, weight sleds to help with strength and speed training on the turf, box jumps and dumbbells.

Two of the biggest improvements the new weight room will give student-athletes are with safety and space. In the previous weight room, it wasn’t the safest setup because the space was so condensed and therefore, student-athletes were on top of each other trying to use the weights and machines.

The old Durango High School weight room was often very congested for student-athletes. (Courtesy Ryan Knorr)

The new weight room can hold 55-60 student-athletes at a time, although coaches plan to limit the capacity to around 32 students so that there’s a good coach-to-student ratio. The new space allows the coaches to see everyone in action a lot better because of the designated sections and stations.

At first, the plan was to have the racks in the middle of the space with the turf on the outside. But the design team for the Durango weight room project saw a lot of new high school weight room builds that had the turf in the middle. This design maximizes the space, allowing student-athletes to sprint 40 yards in the winter as well as run batting cages for baseball in the winter.

Designing the space was a group effort with Knorr, Darren Tarshis, Tim Fitzpatrick and the Demons coaches all involved in the design process. They collaborated to use the resources available to best utilize the space to fit as many students’ needs as possible.

Knorr and the booster club started envisioning plans for a new weight room in November 2023. He gave the booster club a tour of the old wrestling room (the new weight room space) and then moved some of the old equipment into the new space during the spring break of 2024 to see what equipment looked like in that space. Knorr wanted to see how much equipment could fit in the space.

Student-athletes were allowed to lift with the old equipment in the new space as Knorr was talking with equipment companies on quotes for the space.

Durango High School settled on Push Pedal Pull, a company Knorr worked with when he was the Athletic Director at Cherry Creek High School.

Brian Tinker was the man from Push Pedal Pull with whom Durango High School worked with on the project. Tinker is a former coach who knows the ins and outs of high school athletics and is an expert on weight training, equipment and building functional weight rooms, according to Knorr.

“He played a part too in what’s going to make this the best room in the Western Slope,” Knorr said about Tinker. “I was so happy that he was willing to drop some of the prices and say, ‘We knock on your door, open this up and show other coaches, show other athletic directors, give them a tour.’ So it is the showroom for Push Pedal Pull and for Mr. Tinker and some of the things they envisioned.”

A big part of the design of the weight room came from Tarshis and physical education teachers Bethany Gleason and Griffith Gans.

Tarshis researched the best high school physical education and strength and conditioning teachers in the state. This led Gleason and Gans to visit Discovery Canyon, Vista Ridge and Lewis-Palmer High Schools in November 2024 to check out those schools’ weight lifting programs and weight rooms.

“One of my biggest takeaways coming back here was the level of knowledge and expertise that those coaches had and seeing how it translated to the organization of space and efficiency of their programming,” Gleason said. “The kids were bought in to that program … These kids know exactly what they’re doing and they’re working hard. There are definitely different styles throughout all of the schools, but the big common theme was that they all had very efficiently run programs and spaces with kids who were bought into that.”

The renovation of the old wrestling room into the new weight room really started the week of March 15 with a fresh coat of paint. Then by March 19, the room had to be completely empty for installers.

Once the installers showed up, everything was put in place in about a week. New floors were put in and the new turf was put in the middle. Next, the squat racks were built.

The new Durango High School weight room, previously the wrestling room, was completely cleared before instillation of the new floors began. (Courtesy Ryan Knorr)

The new weight room features a mix of new and used equipment. The racks, benches, storage, pulley system, box jumps and sleds are all brand new. The weights, the dumbbells and bars are from the old weight room.

After spring break, students were allowed in the new weight room on March 24 and 25.

“It’s really cool to see even the shift in athletic movements from the short time that we’ve been able to get in this weight room already,” Gleason said. “We’ve been able to utilize this space in such a cool way that’s building that neural activation, so the kids know how to move like athletes. It’s really cool within a semester to see that already, from having this space and being able to actually practice those movements that will translate to the field and court.”

Gleason added that it’s been incredible to see the amount of buy-in and discipline from the kids. She compared it to the kids having a shiny new car. They’ll care for it because they value the space and how it’s a showroom for the Western Slope.

Despite the student-athletes using the new weight room, there are still a few new additions to be expected. Durango High School’s graphic design class is designing on some decals for around the room. Knorr said they have plans to name the stations as well as add pitchforks as yard markers on the turf. The high school also hopes to have some more dumbbells.

Student-athletes will be the primary users of the new weight room. However, students can use the weight room through weightlifting classes. Gleason said the school has had these classes for a while, but the new weight room will allow the curriculum and programming to improve.

The new weight room cost about $136,000, according to Beal. The booster club raised about $66,000 from 85 different donors, many of whom were corporate sponsors. A huge partner for the project was the Daniels Fund, a nonprofit based in Denver. Knorr and Beal communicated with the Daniels Fund and relayed the plan for the weight room. The Daniels Fund liked what it heard and put forth a $50,000 matching grant for the project, meaning it would match up to $50,000 of the money Durango High School raised.

Local companies CommonSpirit Health, Bronson Family McDonald’s and Goff Engineering contributed greatly to the project, along with many others.

The booster club also raised $61,000 from the Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day

“I really appreciate you investing in the vision of what we had and making time to help us express our gratitude for that and for our kids … The overwhelming return I have seen in our community and the investment into our community is mind-boggling.” Knorr said to the donors. “The fact that we have a booster club with representatives from every single sport and activity that we offer here at Durango is just insane. It’s … something I’ve quickly gotten used to and feel very fortunate about.”

bkelly@durangoherald.com





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Orcutt National advances to championship bracket | Youth Sports

Thursday night, the Orcutt National 12-year-old All-Stars team racked up 10 runs for the third time in the squad’s three games in the District 65 Little League 12’s Tournament. Thus, Orcutt National advanced to the championship bracket with room to spare. Rylan Kelly hit a two-run home run to right field as Orcutt National snapped […]

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Thursday night, the Orcutt National 12-year-old All-Stars team racked up 10 runs for the third time in the squad’s three games in the District 65 Little League 12’s Tournament.



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Youth sports thrive, as young athletes embrace baseball

GRAY, Tenn. (WCYB) — On a warm summer night in East Tennessee, the sound of future ballplayers fills the air as the Bristol Little League’s 9-10-year-old All-Star team takes to the field. For these young athletes, baseball is more than just a game; it’s a passion. “It feels amazing I just love the sport. It’s […]

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On a warm summer night in East Tennessee, the sound of future ballplayers fills the air as the Bristol Little League’s 9-10-year-old All-Star team takes to the field. For these young athletes, baseball is more than just a game; it’s a passion.

“It feels amazing I just love the sport. It’s really fun for me. It’s what I enjoy to do,” said Liam Belcher, a member of the Bristol Little League team.

Despite the summer heat and school being out, kids from across the area gather to spend their evenings playing baseball. Aiden Musser, another player on the team, shared his enthusiasm for the sport, saying, “I chose baseball because I feel like baseball is the funnest sport there is. I think it’s just fun to be out there with the team whenever you win because you get to celebrate with the team.”

Barry Meyers, who manages the Bristol 9-10-year-old All-Star team, began coaching a few years ago when his youngest son joined the team. “I started coaching accidentally a few years back. My youngest son was on the team and the head coach left. And so I started coaching and have been doing it ever since,” said Meyers. “During Covid we didn’t have a whole lot to do as far as typical exercise. So we started playing tennis, some baseball, and the boys just fell in love with baseball. Actually all of us did.”

For Meyers and the team, the All-Star season is an extension of an already long stretch on the diamond, but it remains a rewarding experience. “It’s a lot of fun coaching 8, 9, 10-year-olds,” Meyers said. “You got the normal challenges. They’re 10, so the attention span and their hand-eye coordination is still developing. But to see a kid make a play or watch them succeed. Or to watch them fail and persevere anyway oh gosh. It’s worth all the difficulties, all the sweat, all the aggravation, all the late nights. It’s worth every bit of it.”

Despite concerns about the decline of youth sports in recent years, there is hope in the Tri-Cities that it can still thrive. “Youth sports is one of those things where I believe will always have a very important place all this stuff that can distract a kid. But there is something special about a team. Playing with others, developing teamwork skills. All the things you get with team sports and don’t get anywhere else, is just one of the reasons why baseball is thriving,” said Meyers.



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Scotty Scott Awards Handed Out at the Shrine Bowl

One of the highlights of the Shrine Bowl football game is the presentation of the Scotty Scott Outstanding Citizens Awards at halftime of the big game. This is the 2nd class of players to be selected, and the awards honor the legacy of Sheridan’s Homer Scott, who passed away in 2023. Scott was a passionate […]

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One of the highlights of the Shrine Bowl football game is the presentation of the Scotty Scott Outstanding Citizens Awards at halftime of the big game. This is the 2nd class of players to be selected, and the awards honor the legacy of Sheridan’s Homer Scott, who passed away in 2023. Scott was a passionate supporter of Wyoming High School Athletics and youth sports in general, as well as community service.

Each recipient was selected from nominations from their respective coaches based on exceptional service, volunteerism, and character. Each player received a $500 scholarship and an additional $500 to donate to a local charity.

The five honorees are as follows: Bridger Cozzens from Little Snake River in 1A 6-Man, William Knowlton of Southeast from 9-Man, Ash Doke of Big Horn in 2A, Ryan Cox from Riverton in 3A, and Masen Wekele of Rock Springs in 4A. Here are the individual player comments on what they do to help their community.

Bridger Cozzens-Little Snake River

My parents have always raised me to believe in myself and do good for others around me. They have taught me to be a leader, and that in turn has created opportunities to give back to my community. I will always be forever grateful for the support group I have had growing up in Little Snake River. I feel that the service and volunteer hours put in will never be able to repay what I have been given. I believe that it is an honor to give back to my town. My goal has always been to not just set an expectation of what a leader should be, but to be that expectation. In my various roles as a student in LSRV, I have tried to set an example for the next generation. I have been involved in every club my school offers. I have served as FFA president, NHS vice president, and a student council member. I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in my community. I have volunteered many hours in my community, such as repairing a roof for an elderly couple, serving food to hundreds of people, setting up funerals, or shoveling snow before church. Although I have dedicated myself to give back to my community in big ways I truly believe there is more to being a leader. I believe that the little things we do every day leave the biggest impact. My father says “Character is not what you do when someone is watching, Character is what you do when no one is watching”. I have tried to become a person that embodies this idea. It means a quick visit to someone, inviting others, opening a door, or even a smile. I don’t believe in bragging about myself or convincing others that I am a good person. I do this because it truly brings me joy. I believe that charity is the pure love of Christ and will always lead to a positive impact. Sometimes it can be hard and it will get difficult, but looking back I would not trade it for anything. It has made me into the person I am today.  Donation will go to Little Snake River Football Program

William Knowlton-Southeast

 have benefitted my community through service and volunteerism several ways, but I think the three most notable examples are from my participation in Scouting, National Honor Society (NHS), and FFA. As a scout I have participated in several community service projects, such as setting out wreaths for Memorial Day and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. I have also participated in multiple other scouts’ Eagle Scout projects, including mapping the Guernsey cemetery and building a new hiking trail at Guernsey State Park. For my own Eagle Scout project, I grew a garden for charity that covered roughly 1.5 acres and produced just under 500 pounds of fresh produce for the local food bank over the course of a summer. As an NHS officer I have helped plan and participate in several other community service activities, including playing board games at the local nursing home, picking potatoes for charity at the local research farm, and volunteering as line judges and other assorted jobs at school sporting events. As an FFA officer I have helped plan and participate in multiple larger scale service projects, including making tie blankets for Court Appointed Special Advocates in Cheyenne and packing Operation Christmas Child gift boxes to be sent to children all over the world. Our FFA chapter has also held several more local community service events, such as cleaning up dead trees around the school and donating the firewood and building goat pens for the local fairgrounds. I feel that through these projects and organizations I have had a significant, positive impact on my school and community. Donation to Scouting American Unit 26

Ash Doke-Big Horn

The most important things to me are family, faith, friends and football. I loved playing football, but it didn’t always love me back. I have a neuropathy that decreases my mobility and balance.  As a result, I never got much playing time. Instead, I walked the sidelines and made sure I was the first to celebrate others’ big moments. I celebrate others because I don’t live in self-pity.  If I don’t have it, I might as well cheer on those that do. I’d come to practice knowing I’d get knocked down, and was willingly the target to make someone else better. I also demonstrated service through leadership. I never missed a day of summer weights; this is solely my accomplishment.  It was important to me to put accountability into action for my team and my coaches. I also have a learning disability.  To me, it’s a strength rather than a weakness.  It has shaped me into the individual I am.  My teacher told me, “I have been a leader and a mentor for so many other students. I stand up for and support minority students. I am a model for advocating in respectful ways and for bringing teams together and encouraging others.” Outside of school I serve in Church as the first assistant in the Priest’s Quorum. I help choose activities and service opportunities for the young men in my Ward. I’m good at this because I can talk to anyone. I go to our assisted living to administer the Sacrament.  When I do, I make sure I take the time to visit, because the people I serve feel lonely. I willingly give them my time.  You can’t always choose what life gives you, but I choose to uplift others, be respectful and have a positive attitude no matter what. Donation to Big Horn HS Football Program

Ryan Cox-Riverton

I have served my community in numerous ways, but each act of volunteerism and servitude I practiced through staying consistent. I have learned consistency through sports. In order to succeed in the sport I play, I have to stay consistent in all things- and especially consistent in the little things. I have to do dribbling drills to build hand-eye coordination. I have to push the sled in order to build endurance. I have to play 21-outs with a punishment to revise errors. I have to work on my footwork to be smooth and quick. I have to lift weights to get stronger. No matter how boring, tiring, repetitive, and pointless a drill or practice can seem, without them I would see little to no progress. The only way to become successful in sports is to become accountable and consistent through work. I have taken this knowledge and applied it to my everyday life. Recently, the city of Riverton has received multiple complaints about overgrown weeds. Instead of complaining about someone else not cleaning them up, I took my lawn mower, trimmer and brothers and cleaned the areas up. My mom posted pictures of me and my brothers working on the weeds and we received a lot of recognition. I have performed other similar acts of servitude in my community such as: reffing and coaching our junior football program, assisting the ill/disabled community members around town move their belongings from one home to another, volunteering for Special Olympic events, providing transportation for teammates, etc. These acts are insignificant in my life, but are significant to others because they show an impact over time. I have not done huge acts of servitude in my community, but I stayed consistent in the little acts and I feel they have the same impact. Donation to Community Entry Services Riverton

Masen Werkele-Rock Springs

 I am part of multiple organizations that provide dedicated service to the community. I am an Eagle Scout and during my time in the Scouts I learned a lot about doing cheerful service. I learned the importance and impact a quality person has on a community. I have put hundreds of hours over the years into cleaning, building, and improving the community. Some examples of this service are cleaning highways, volunteering at the food bank and soup kitchen, helping others with their Eagle Scout projects, and my personal Eagle Scout project.  My Eagle Scout project was building bridges at Western Wyoming Community College for a bike/hiking trail that the whole community could use at their discretion. I am also part of the Health Occupational Career Academy (HOCA). One of my favorite opportunities for service that HOCA offers is Cowboys Against Cancer. This is an event that raises money for families that are in need of a little help while a family member is fighting cancer and also provides funds for our local hospital that is meant to build and support their resources. Another opportunity that HOCA offers is student mentoring.  This is an amazing opportunity to connect with the upcoming generation in which our class will go out to elementary schools and create bonds with some troubled kids.  My last example was over the summer one of our football team moms needed help clearing a walkway of an elderly woman’s sidewalk. The city had been complaining about the overgrowth and was in need of some help. The elderly woman got in contact with our team mom, and with little notice we cleared the sidewalk. She offered us money for the work which we declined proudly. I would gladly take advantage of these opportunities again. Donation to Cowboys Against Cancer.

We have a handful of photos from the Scotty Scott Awards presentation and you can find them in our gallery below.

WyoPreps logo

Scotty Scott Awards-Shrine Bowl 2025

Scotty Scott Awards-Shrine Bowl 2025

Gallery Credit: Frank Gambino

Wyoming Shrine Bowl

Photo Courtesy: Frank Gambino





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As He Finds His Stride in His Second Career, Jeff Francoeur Still Savors His Time as ‘The Natural’

The first time Jeff Francoeur saw his Sports Illustrated cover was on the afternoon of Aug. 22, 2005, when Atlanta media-relations head Brad Hainje slapped three dozen copies of the magazine on the table where Francoeur was playing cards with Chipper Jones.  The next time Francoeur saw it was a couple hours later, when he […]

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The first time Jeff Francoeur saw his Sports Illustrated cover was on the afternoon of Aug. 22, 2005, when Atlanta media-relations head Brad Hainje slapped three dozen copies of the magazine on the table where Francoeur was playing cards with Chipper Jones. 

The next time Francoeur saw it was a couple hours later, when he went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs and returned to the clubhouse to find his teammates had hung the cover in the shower. “THE NATURAL,” the cover read. “Atlanta Rookie Jeff Francoeur Is off to an Impossibly Hot Start. Can Anyone Be This Good?”

“They just wore me out,” he says, still beaming two decades later. “It was one of the greatest honors of my life, especially being 21 years old. … It was kind of like, ‘Man, I’ve made it.’”

He was three years out of Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga., he didn’t know how to tie a tie and he was setting the major leagues on fire. He hit .370 with 10 home runs in his first 34 games for his hometown team. Every night at Turner Field he’d hear his childhood friends and high-school football opponents ragging him. He couldn’t imagine how life could get better. 

He’d grown up on SI, devouring the magazine every week. (“Except the Swimsuit Issue,” he says. “My mom would take that away from me, but my brother would always sneak it back to me at some point.”) So when writer Michael Farber showed up to write a story about him, complete with cover possibility, Francoeur was giddy. He was also wary of his teammates’ reaction, so he requested that they do the photo shoot first thing in the morning, before any of the other players arrived. 

But once the story made the cover, there was no hiding from the hype. In the story, Farber explains to Francoeur that in Bernard Malamud’s novel The Natural, unlike in the movie version, Roy Hobbs strikes out. “That’s why books suck!” Francoeur bellows.

Francoeur's SI cover asked: Can anyone be this good?

Francoeur’s SI cover asked: Can anyone be this good? | Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

“No, the reason books—or at least baseball novels—often disappoint is that authors conjure preposterous characters and absurd situations to heighten the drama,” Farber writes. “Say some hack writer invents a handsome, strapping young baseball player (aren’t they all handsome?), nicknames him Frenchy (trite), puts number 7 on his back (a la the Mick, lucky number, cheap symbolism) and summons him from the minors to bolster his talented but sagging hometown team (so 1920s). The kid proceeds to hit about 100 points higher in the majors than he had in Double A (a fanciful conceit), smacking homers and gunning down runners, all the while singing along to the soundtrack in his head (you’ve gotta be kidding!) and lifting the local nine into first place. Not even Hollywood would buy it.

“Yet since July 7, when Francoeur was called up from Double A Mississippi and became the 10th rookie on the Braves’ roster at the time, that bit of fiction has become fact—right down to the singing.”

Indeed, Francoeur slept in his childhood bed the night before he debuted. His mother, Karen, made him pancakes. Eventually the veterans started fining him and catcher Brian McCann, another local kid, $20 for every night they lived at home; they realized they were going to pay more in fines than they would have in rent on an apartment, and they moved in together.

Francoeur was living his dream. Until the league started adjusting to him, and he couldn’t always adjust back. After that first, impossible season, he hit .266. Fans labeled him a disappointment. He had breezed through high school and the minors, and he found himself completely unequipped to manage failure in the majors. And doing it in front of everyone he’d ever known exhausted him. Those high school acquaintances’ jokes began to feel more like taunts. His parents would go out to breakfast and answer questions about what was wrong with him. 

Francoeur was only three years removed from high school when he made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2005.

Francoeur was only three years removed from high school when he made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2005. | John Grieshop/MLB via Getty Images

At first he was devastated to be sent from Atlanta to the New York Mets at the 2009 trade deadline—especially when he had to return to Atlanta six days later to play his old club. But as the Mets’ team plane took off after that series, the funniest thing happened: A sense of calm washed over him. He went 3-for-4 in the next game. “I was completely freed up after that,” he says. He still calls those two seasons in New York his favorite of a 12-year career that included that stellar start, the ’10 American League pennant with the Texas Rangers and a ’16 return to Atlanta before he retired.

When he speaks with young players now, he says, he tries to emphasize that in the end, a strong sense of self will carry you farther than a sweet swing or a filthy fastball. “You have to know you’re going to hit this adversity, and how you are going to deal with it,” he says. “And I think for a lot of these people, that’s the difference between them continuing to go up and becoming a superstar or just kind of flattening out.”

In some cases, he says, he has noticed that the hype starts in childhood. At his four kids’ youth sports games, he hears parents expecting the young athletes to do things they are simply not capable of at that age. 

He coaches his seven-year-old daughter Ellie’s softball team, and for much of the season, he batted her seventh. “I’m like, ‘When she starts hitting better, I’ll move her up,’” he says. “That’s life, and that’s the expectation. And I think parents give these kids false expectations, or expect you to do something you can’t do.”

So he tries to tap the brakes on anointing young phenoms as the future, especially as a television analyst for Atlanta and on TBS. 

After retiring from MLB in 2017, Francoeur has held multiple roles in broadcasting for various networks.

After retiring from MLB in 2017, Francoeur has held multiple roles in broadcasting for various networks. | Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images

“That’s the difference: Can you maintain it?” he says. “I think we see so many guys come up and they have flashes, and you think, Oh, my God, these are can’t-miss guys. But I think the key is: Can they make the adjustments? Can they keep up with the game? Can they do all these things they need to do to put themselves in that position? And unfortunately, us—because I’m, I guess, part of the media now—we put these expectations on these guys that, to me, sometimes they can’t reach.” 

Instead he goes out of his way to discuss players such as Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper, who have proven they can star at the highest level. Francoeur knows how hard it is to get there, and he knows how hard it is to stay there. And he does reserve a soft spot for the ones who make a loud entrance. Can anyone be this good? Probably not—but it’s fun to watch them try. 



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Trump administration removing 988 hotline service tailored to LGBTQ+ youth in July

The 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will stop providing tailored support options to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults on July 17, according to a statement on a federal agency’s website. The decision preempts the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal to cut funding for 988’s LGBTQ+ youth and young adult services, and is raising alarm […]

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The 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will stop providing tailored support options to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults on July 17, according to a statement on a federal agency’s website.

The decision preempts the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal to cut funding for 988’s LGBTQ+ youth and young adult services, and is raising alarm bells among LGBTQ+ advocates.

Federal data shows the LGBTQ+ youth program has served nearly 1.3 million callers since it started in September 2022. The services were accessible under the “Press 3” option on the phone or by replying “PRIDE” via text.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.



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