ABS Park continues to expand opportunities for young athletes
The ABS Park in Evergreen is humming with energy on a sunny spring day. In almost 80-degree weather, parents and spectators watch a high school baseball game on the park’s main field, cheering with every pitch and hit. A younger group of boys gather on the adjacent field for an after-school Sluggers practice. A […]
The ABS Park in Evergreen is humming with energy on a sunny spring day.
In almost 80-degree weather, parents and spectators watch a high school baseball game on the park’s main field, cheering with every pitch and hit. A younger group of boys gather on the adjacent field for an after-school Sluggers practice. A one-on-one hitting practice is underway in the park’s indoor training facility.
It is exactly the type of activity that those who started ABS Field want to see.
“Everybody is seeing the positive influence this is having,” said Chris Gillette, youth sports director for ABS Park and the creator of Sluggers Baseball. “And we would definitely like to see that expand.”
ABS Park is a sports complex home to a baseball field, Little League field, conditioning field and a state-of-the-art indoor training facility.
Located off East Reserve Drive in Evergreen, the space was created to instill a passion for sports in children, specifically baseball. The organization’s stated aim is to ensure that “no one under 18 years of age is denied the opportunity to participate in sports because of a financial barrier.”
It began two decades ago when Ralph and Karen Wisher, Evergreen residents, donated more than 20 acres of land on Spring Creek to encourage children to engage in youth sports through a nonprofit organization.
The Wisher family business, Able Body Shop, was a major backer of the effort, eventually lending its name to ABS Park.
In 2021, ABS Park LLC partnered with Gillette’s Sluggers Baseball initiative. Sluggers Baseball is a more advanced baseball academy for kids in the area. The league is intended to complement all the existing youth baseball leagues in the valley, such as Kalispell’s PeeWee Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball leagues, according to Gillette.
Gillette himself is a former college baseball player who wanted to offer a more advanced program for kids in the valley to better prepare them for a future in the game.
“Baseball is peaking,” Gillette said. “The interest in the sport is peaking. And all of these organizations are contributing to that, from PeeWee to Babe Ruth to school programs.”
While the park is home to Sluggers baseball teams, the facility also hosts events throughout the year, including various tryouts, baseball camps, developmental fall ball, winter indoor workouts and travel ball.
The sports complex is also a testament to the power of community. The Evergreen Rotary Club funded the playground and restrooms, Flathead Electric Co-op installed fencing and backstops while local Evergreen businesses and the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce, among others, helped with community support and contributions.
The latest addition, a 600-square-foot indoor training facility, opened just over a year ago. For Gillette, there are always options of what to do next.
“People have expressed interest in, you know, maybe adding a lacrosse or rugby field or indoor gym,” Gillette said. He mentioned that while there are no projects currently underway, there has been chatter about maybe constructing a softball field to cater to traveling softball teams.
“We’d like to build ABS Park up so it can be more of a complex,” he continued. “A place kids love to come.”
Frank Garner, president of ABS Park LLC, said that the park was envisioned to provide a low barrier space for sports for kids to use at a recent Evergreen Chamber of Commerce meeting.
“It’s just one of the greatest things,” Garner said. “As a kid who grew up in Evergreen, it’s just awesome to see.”
Future projects include the addition of picnic tables under a newly completed gazebo and a walking path around the park’s 20 acres.
Gillette said to keep an eye out for summer camps and programs hosted by Sluggers and ABS Park. To stay up to date, visit abspark.org.
The sports complex is located at 326 East Reserve Drive in Kalispell.
Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@dailyinterlake.com.
Columbia Falls’ Jory Hill (14) drives in a run against Bigfork at ABS Park in Evergreen on Tuesday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider
A batter practices hitting off a tee inside the Jordahl & Sliter Indoor Performance Center at ABS Park in Evergreen on Tuesday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider
ABS Park in Evergreen, Montana. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake)
Frank Garner and Chris Gillette are board members for ABS Park. The black and red building is the park’s new indoor training facility. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake)
Why youth sports insurance is facing a critical reckoning
Mental health has become another area of focus. Sports organizations are investing in coach education, launching awareness campaigns, and adopting digital monitoring tools to stay ahead of potential issues. “We partner with MaxU, which offers daily three- to five-question assessments. It helps administrators, coaches, and parents spot early warning signs,” Burks said. Link 0
Mental health has become another area of focus. Sports organizations are investing in coach education, launching awareness campaigns, and adopting digital monitoring tools to stay ahead of potential issues. “We partner with MaxU, which offers daily three- to five-question assessments. It helps administrators, coaches, and parents spot early warning signs,” Burks said.
UVA Orthopedic chair warns of rising overuse injuries in youth sports
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) Dr. Bobby Chhabra, Chair of UVA Orthopedics, raised concerns over the increasing number of Achilles tendon injuries in the NBA and tied the trend to long-term overuse starting in youth sports. “Thirty years in the NBA I mean, just looking at the data, they averaged about one Achilles tendon rupture a […]
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) Dr. Bobby Chhabra, Chair of UVA Orthopedics, raised concerns over the increasing number of Achilles tendon injuries in the NBA and tied the trend to long-term overuse starting in youth sports. “Thirty years in the NBA I mean, just looking at the data, they averaged about one Achilles tendon rupture a year and now we have 3 in like 3 weeks during the playoffs,” he said, citing the cases of Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard. Chhabra pointed to the year-round nature of sports, saying even kids are playing through fatigue and skeletal development.
During an interview on WINA, Chhabra responded to commentary from UVA alum and former NBA player Olden Polynice, who suggested overtraining is draining players’ longevity. “Your body ain’t got but that many jumps in it,” Polynice said during a national radio appearance. Chhabra echoed the sentiment, urging parents to reconsider the current sports culture. “They should be playing three sports a year. They should have plenty of time to rest, particularly during adolescence when they’re skeletally mature and they’re still developing. But that’s not the culture in this country,” he noted.
As youth athletes face increasing pressure from scholarships and NIL deals, Chhabra warned that both physical and mental health risks are growing. “There’s too much pressure on these kids now,” he said. He advised that early specialization can lead to devastating injuries and long recovery periods, which are becoming more common at younger ages.
Steelers Player Had Classy Move After George Pickens Bailed on Youth Football Camp
George Pickens’s rocky tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t end on the worst of terms, but his latest scrutinized actions may have further soured the Steelers fanbase’s opinions of him. Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in May and has since revealed he “forced” his way out of Pittsburgh following his up-and-down 2024–25 campaign […]
George Pickens’s rocky tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t end on the worst of terms, but his latest scrutinized actions may have further soured the Steelers fanbase’s opinions of him.
Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in May and has since revealed he “forced” his way out of Pittsburgh following his up-and-down 2024–25 campaign with the Steelers. The 24-year-old wideout now gets a fresh start in the NFC East, where he’ll be catching balls from quarterback Dak Prescott as well as trying to win Cowboys fans over.
A recent account about Pickens’s inconsiderate behavior won’t help with the latter: the ex-Steelers star apparently bailed on his summer football camp at Highmark Stadium at the last minute, according to TruEdge Sports, a company that specializes in youth sports camps.
It’s important to note that the company checked with Pickens after the Cowboys trade to see if he was still committed and would still show up to the event, scheduled for June 28. Pickens said he would, but allegedly backed out last week.
“Unfortunately, as of last week, TruEdge was notified by George’s team that he has decided to walk back on his word and is no longer interested in attending the camp,” the company wrote.
Thankfully, Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth volunteered his services and offered to help run the camp in Pickens’s absence. A few other Steelers players may be joining as well.
George Pickens backed out of his Pittsburgh football camp last minute. Pat Freiermuth stepping in as one guest. Possibly other Steelers players as well. #Steelers#NFLpic.twitter.com/zTnaDzNhuW
The Steelers will no doubt be happy to put the drama-filled days of the George Pickens era behind them and are now jumping into a boat with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the upcoming season. What could possibly go wrong?
Families, businesses concerned about effect of tariffs on youth sports
By JAY COHEN, AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Youth sports are a big part of Karli Casamento’s life. Her son, Jax, 15, golfs and plays on three baseball teams. Her youngest son, Colt, 7, plays baseball and basketball. The costs, especially for Jax, add up in a hurry. That’s why Casamento, 48, and her husband, […]
CHICAGO (AP) — Youth sports are a big part of Karli Casamento’s life. Her son, Jax, 15, golfs and plays on three baseball teams. Her youngest son, Colt, 7, plays baseball and basketball.
Many of the US’s most popular sports rely on imported equipment
The U.S. has been the largest importer of sporting goods since 2010, accounting for 31% of the world’s imports in 2022, according to a 2024 World Trade Organization report. Boosted by racket sports, China is the most significant exporter of sporting goods at 43% in 2022.
Fueled by golf, badminton and tennis equipment, Vietnam and Taiwan experienced rapid expansion in exporting outdoor sports equipment to the U.S. from 2018 to 2024, according to data from the consulting firm, AlixPartners. Vietnam increased 340% to $705 million, and Taiwan was up 16% to $946 million.
Tariffs of 46% for Vietnam and 32% for Taiwan could go into effect next month after a 90-day pause.
Hockey skates, sticks and protective gear are often imported. Same for baseball gloves and composite and aluminum bats, which are often imported or use materials that are imported, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. Soccer goals, lacrosse nets and cones are often sourced from low-cost labor markets.
“You can’t get around the fact that a lot the stuff that we use in youth sports is coming from abroad,” said Travis Dorsch, the founding director of the Families in Sport Lab at Utah State University. “So surely if the tariffs go into effect and in any long-term or meaningful way, it’s going to affect youth sports.”
The Casamento family cheers for the Philadelphia Phillies, and that’s how Jax and Colt got into baseball. Karli Casamento called sports “a safe way to socialize, and it gets them active.”
But equipment has become a major expense for the family. Jax has a $400 bat and a $300 glove, Karli Casamento said, and his catching equipment is $700. There is an additional cost for registration for his travel team, in addition to what it costs to travel to tournaments.
“We’ve tried to say to Jax, ‘Well, you’re in ninth grade now, do you really need to play tournament ball? You’re not going to grow up and be, you know, the next Mike Schmidt,’ things like that,” Karli Casamento said, “because it’s just, it’s $5,000 a year and now we have two kids in sports.”
Tariffs may not impact all sports families equally
That effect most likely will be felt by middle- and low-income families, threatening recent gains in participation rates for youth sports.
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association, which tracks youth participation by sport, found in 2023 there was a 6% increase in young people who regularly participated in a team sport, which it said was the highest rate (39.8%) since 2015. An Aspen Institute study released in October showed participation for girls was at its highest levels since at least 2012.
“I’m really concerned that we’re going to spike this great momentum because families, who are already saying that sports is getting increasingly more expensive, equipment’s getting more expensive and they’re continuing to stretch to make that work, like this might be the one that just kind of puts them over the sidelines,” said Todd Smith, the president and CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
Smith was in China in April for a World Federation of Sporting Good Industries board meeting. He visited some manufacturing facilities while he was in the country.
“The ones that I went to are really, really impressive,” Smith said. “First class, high tech, like highly skilled. And the thought that tariffs are all of a sudden just going to allow a 10-plus million dollar facility to just pop up the next day in the U.S. is just, it’s not feasible.”
Low-income families were already feeling a financial strain with youth sports before Trump was elected to a second term. According to the Aspen Institute study, 25.1% of children ages 6-17 from households earning under $25,000 played a sport on a regular basis in 2023, down slightly from 25.8% in 2022. That’s compared to 43.5% of children from households earning at least $100,000, up slightly from 42.7% in 2022.
Youth sports participation has a wide range of ramifications for public health, said Tom Farrey, the founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program.
“This incredibly virtuous cycle can be engaged if you can simply get kids off their phones and off their couches and into the game and they have a sustained experience into adolescence,” Farrey said. “And if you don’t, then you’re at risk for a range of health consequences, including obesity.”
Going along with playing on three baseball teams, Jax Casamento has workouts for his travel squad and also takes hitting lessons. The Casamentos turned a baseball trip to South Carolina into a family vacation last year.
Michael Casamento is a physical education teacher in an elementary school, so the family’s concerns about the effect of tariffs on the cost of youth sports go beyond their two boys.
“I work with a lot of kids that are a lower socio-economic status,” Karli Casamento said. “It really makes it harder for those types of families to be able to afford to play sports.”
VIDEO: Central Lady Cats Volleyball hosts youth summer camp
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Click the video above for sights and sounds from Central’s summer volleyball camp. Youth sports summer camps are alive and well in the Concho Valley. This week, the Central Lady Cats host their annual volleyball camp, lasting between Monday, June 23 and Thursday, June 26. Advertisement Lady cats […]
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Click the video above for sights and sounds from Central’s summer volleyball camp.
Youth sports summer camps are alive and well in the Concho Valley. This week, the Central Lady Cats host their annual volleyball camp, lasting between Monday, June 23 and Thursday, June 26.
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Lady cats head coach Julie Williams, along with her assistant coaches, teach the fundamentals and basics of volleyball to kids between grades four and nine. The camp is divided into three sessions, starting with fourth and fifth grade in the morning, followed by sixth and seventh and later concluding with eighth and ninth grade in the afternoon.
“[The Camp] is unique because a lot of [Central’s] middle school coaches help along with our high school coaches. [The coaches] are what make the camp go,” Williams said. “Volleyball is just becoming big. It’s big in this town, everybody likes to play volleyball, so we’re just here to provide a service to [the town] to help them continue to grow and develop in the fundamentals and just to really love the game of volleyball.”
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
McMinnville man accused of sexually assaulting family babysitter; More victims feared
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (KATU) — A McMinnville man was arrested for a reported “historical” sexual assault that allegedly happened between 2011 and 2012, according to Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office investigators. The sheriff’s office Special Investigations Unit began investigating the case on June 18. During the investigations, detectives said they determined that the suspect, Jeremy Roy Nettrouer, […]
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (KATU) — A McMinnville man was arrested for a reported “historical” sexual assault that allegedly happened between 2011 and 2012, according to Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office investigators.
The sheriff’s office Special Investigations Unit began investigating the case on June 18.
During the investigations, detectives said they determined that the suspect, Jeremy Roy Nettrouer, had allegedly abused a minor who was working as a babysitter for his family at the time.
READ ALSO | Salem man charged in connection with two sexual assaults appears in court
Nettrouer was arrested on Wednesday on one count of first-degree sex abuse. He was booked into the Yamhill County Correctional Facility.
Investigators say Nettrouer has been involved in local youth sports, both as a coach and a referee. Because of the allegations made against him, investigators say they are concerned there may be additional victims.
Anyone with information about this case, or about other potential incidents involving Nettrouer, is asked to call the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit at 503-434-7470.
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