KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — The city of Kalamazoo might be the host of a new youth sports facility.

Discover Kalamazoo shared the recommended location with city commissioners Monday night. The site sits between US-131 and Drake Road — right outside of Oshtemo Township.

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Jane Gosch with Discover Kalamazoo said the location is within a 15-minute drive of several hotels around the county and is near a public transit line.

Plan would build youth sports facility in Kalamazoo County

The $40 million facility would be supported by hotel tax revenue and would fill a regional need for hardwood courts for basketball and volleyball games, according to organizers.

The location would still need to be brought to the county commission at meeting later this month for final approval.

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Jeff Francoeur, in his own words, “know[s] baseball backwards and forwards.”

A former first-round pick once dubbed “The Natural,” Francoeur is now an analyst for his former Atlanta Braves while doubling up as a dad to athletes.

An expert of the game, it would be easy for him to take charge of his children’s ball games. But he wants to let his kids be kids.

“Take the parents out of [youth sports] and the kids usually have a great time,” Francoeur told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “I coach a 12U travel softball team for my daughter – all the parents think their kid should be hitting third, playing here, being this. If you took all the parents out and asked those girls to make a batting order, I bet you they can do a pretty good job of making what the batting order should be.”

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Jeff Francoeur (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

Francoeur knows that there are a ton of parents out there who choose to live vicariously through their kids when it comes to athletics (he even admitted he can “get carried away”), and he’s not afraid to put those parents to the test.

“The first question I ask a lot of parents is, ‘What do you want out of sports for your kids?’ My mom and dad wanted me to learn to be a great teammate, how to have [a] work ethic, overcome adversity,” he added. “Parents now, there are still plenty that look at it like that, but so many look at it as a ‘win at all costs’ at such a young age. [Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz] said it best on the podcast. He said, ‘I wish there were more coaches that have the balls to worry about development over winning, especially at the younger ages.’ That gets lost, man. So many people care about the bottom line and winning. Have you ever thought ‘what’s best for my kid?’”

In fact, one of Francoeur’s kids “hates baseball” and plays lacrosse.

“Even though I know baseball backwards and forwards, and I’d love for my son to play, this is his passion, this is his dream. Who am I to sit here? I used to have to drag him to baseball practice. Lacrosse, he can have practice from 6 to 8, he’s got his stuff laid out, he’s pumped, man.”

Among his involvement in youth sports, he started the “Pure Athlete” podcast, which highlights youth sports, its parents and how it all can be pure once again. His brand recently partnered up with D1 Training to help those younger athletes be in sports for the right reasons.

“When we do this podcast stuff with young athletes, you’re trying to kind of navigate that journey. There’s so many avenues, right? There’s so many places that you can go to train, to do this, people that sell you. For me, [D1 founder] Will [Bartholomew] and those guys, though, they do it the right way, man, and they got the right people connected with them,” Francoeur said. “I love how they personalize everything; everything is specific to what you’re trying to do. 

“If you’re looking at trying to get the next step in advance, that’s such a big part now. We talk to all these athletes, man, even for my career, if I look back, if there’s one thing I could have done better, it’s take care of your body, right? Train better, agility, nutrition, all that. I just think D1’s on the cutting edge of a lot of what they do.”

Former Atlanta Braves player Jeff Francoeur is shown with a Boys & Girls Club member prior to Game 3 of the 2021 World Series between the Braves and the Houston Astros. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

‘MIXED FEELINGS’

Pete Rose is now eligible for the Hall of Fame.

If, and likely when, he makes it, he won’t see it. He died last September.

Rose was placed on baseball’s ineligible list in 1989 after it was rumored he bet on baseball while he was with the Cincinnati Reds. Fifteen years after the ban, he finally admitted to doing so as a manager.

It’s since been reported he gambled as a player, but he denied that.

It may be tough for some to give “Charlie Hustle” the benefit of the doubt, but Francoeur said he’s talked to more Hall of Famers that are on the side of letting him in than not letting him in.”

“I got so many mixed feelings about that. There’s no right answer to that. It’s kind of like, man, really? You’re going to wait until he died to do that?” Francoeur said. “It’s so funny, because you remember Pete Rose said before he died, ‘When I die, they’ll make me eligible.’ Sure enough, he called it. I mean, they did.”

Rose’s Cooperstown fate will likely be decided in 2027 by the Classic Baseball Era Committee, which considers players whose careers ended more than 15 years ago. He would need 12 of the 16 votes to get in.

Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose, right, in 1987 (Ricky Rogers/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

MLB IN DANGER?

The current collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2026, and the threat of a lockout is certainly real.

Players and owners agreed to a deal after a lockout of a little more than three months, from late 2021 into early 2022.

After the lockout came numerous rule changes that baseball purists may hate, but the numbers don’t lie. Attendance has increased in each of the last two seasons and ratings have been adequate.

Francoeur said “the pitch clock was the greatest thing [MLB Commissioner Rob] Manfred ever did.” But he said the game cannot fumble the momentum it has gained in recent years.

“To be honest with you, the only thing I think can screw this up are two things. The TV deals, we’ve got [to] make it better for fans to watch baseball again. I still have 1,000 people in Atlanta [saying], ‘How do I watch the Braves?’” Francoeur said.

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But it looks like players and owners will be battling for even longer if a deal is not reached in the next year and a half.

“And the second, I hope the union and the owners can figure it out, but it doesn’t sound great after 2026. I know deadlines drive deals, but I wish there would be more dialogue now. Let’s start talking about this now. We have 18 months to figure out what we need to do to make sure there’s not a work stoppage. Attendance is up, stadiums have so much now, but trying to figure that out is important.”

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OVERTON — The Overton High School gym hosted two days of fun-filled and productive basketball camp last Tuesday and Friday.

The camp featured two divisions with 75 kids from grades 4-9. Due to its size, the annual camp is typically held across four days with two divisions but this year’s schedule had to change due to the high school baseball team’s state semifinal playoff game taking place in the middle of the week. Head Coach Kerry McConnell rescheduled the camp for longer sessions on just two days.

“I think it went wonderfully. We were blessed this week with the fact that our boys went to the state tournament. We had to change things up a little bit and go two days instead of four and twice as long. And put all our divisions from fourth to nine together so that was kind of a logistical nightmare. But I think all my help kind of made it work,” said McConnell, referring to his group of assistants for the camp made up of other Overton coaches and current and former players. “I would love for us to have that problem every year, because that meant the baseball team going to state championships. But overall, I’ve got wonderful helpers and wonderful kids.”

Amid all the lessons on basketball fundamentals and fun games on the court, McConnell made sure to impart life lessons about discipline, fairness and good sportsmanship to the little dribblers.

“I think that’s more important than basketball to me. I know we’re trying to coach basketball, but most of these kids are not going to college sports. We want to launch them into the world with some skills and some tools to live,” said McConnell.

Rising eighth grader Isaiah Tilley said he has done this camp about three times.

“Ball handling skills, how to keep the ball protected, how to shoot and free throws,” said Tilley about what he worked on that week.

Rising ninth grader Brooks Davis participated in last year’s camp and enjoyed it so much that it inspired him to want to move to Overton ISD from Henderson ISD.

“Just everybody getting better and how we can improve our game, on and off the court,” said Davis, commenting on what he felt was the most important things they learned. 

The 29th annual Kids Golf Classic, which benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg, was held Monday at Parkersburg Country Club. The event generated a record-breaking $343,000 in proceeds which directly impact kids throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley that the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg serves each year. Pictured in the check presentation are, front row, front left: Lynn Reins (Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg); Rhoni Burt (CAS Cable); Richard Adams (United Bank); Tres Ross (The Ross Foundation); and Chad Mildren (United Bank). Middle row: Chase Minnite (The PM Company); Fred Earley (Highmark West Virginia); Jason Minnite, (The PM Company); Matt Cooke (Astorg Motor Company); Ben Thomas (Bowles Rice); Randy Rogers, (Murray Sheet Metal); John Padden (Reagle & Padden); Preston Herrin (Benchmark Technology Group); and Patrick Bryan (United Bank). Back row: John Fanta (Henry Logan Children’s Home); Tom Lally (Cintas); Charlie Taylor (UCCI); Chris Davis (Matheny Motor Truck Company); and Nick Squires (Tri-State Roofing). (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

VIENNA – Everything’s coming up roses for the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg.

From the celebration of 60 years as a facility earlier this year to the addition of two club sites in Mineral Wells and Athens County to the record-breaking check received from Monday’s 29th annual Kids Golf Classic.

Contributions from the event, which hit a grand total of $343,000, are on the brink of reaching $5 million since the event began in 1997.

“The golf classic – every year I am amazed and overwhelmed with the support of (Chief Consumer Banking Office at United Bank Chad Mildren) and the entire team and everything they do,” said Lynn Reins, who is the Chief Executive Officer for the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg. “(Executive Chairman of United Bankshares, Inc. Richard Adams) is right there making sure that it is a little bit better than it was the year before.

“What we receive today is about 20% of what we need to run the club for the entire year. In one fell swoop and one event, the community always shows up and shows out for the kids. I could not be more grateful.”

Lynn Reins, who is the Chief Executive Officer for the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg, monitors the putting contest during Monday’s 29th annual Kids Golf Classic at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Monday’s golfers played under more-than-ideal conditions with temperatures remaining in low 70s with little humidity. Reins chuckled when she ordered these exact conditions for the first week of June.

“Last year was our 60 years of serving kiddos and we opened two new clubhouses – opened a site at Mineral Wells at Elementary,” Reins said. “We have a set classroom that is the clubhouse. They have complete access to the gym and the playground. Also opened a site in Athens County in the village of Glouster, so we are serving about 25 kids a day out there as well.

“We saw this huge increase in the number of kids we serve. We service 169 kids per day in 2024 with all three sites. So far in 2025 we are seeing 190 kids a day at those three sites. It’s been crazy. We’ve increased staff. We now have nine full-time staff members, and increasing part-time staff with those who are working directly with our kiddos.”

Reins stated the main facility at the Mary Street location, and renovations are in the works for the campus outside the building. A new playground and basketball courts are part of the project.

“Our kids deserve it – they deserve a clubhouse to be proud of,” Reins said. “We want them to know we value them and their entire community values them, and what they are going to be to this community in the future – because they are the future to the community of Parkersburg.”

Katrina Stephens from United Bank, right, takes a group photo of golfers competing at Monday’s 29th annual Kids Golf Classic at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

On that note, Reins also wants the community to realize their facility is open to all social levels. There’s a stigma she wants to erase.

“There’s sometimes a stigma associated with Boys and Girls Club and what type of kids are club kids,” Reins said. “We have really worked hard the last few years to let our community know it doesn’t matter how many money your family makes, it doesn’t matter what your parent’s job titles are or what you look like.

“The club is for you and for every kid and I think we have really broke that barrier and people see the value in the club. It’s not just for kids who are struggling in the community. It’s for every kid.”

Monday marked Reins’ fifth Kids Golf Classic as representing the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg. In 4 ½ years on the job, her energy has created numerous opportunities. Whether it’s increasing the number of schools they transport youth from, which started at two when she arrived and now involves 20.

The club served 42 kids on average when she took the job. Currently the numbers are climbing toward 200.

Jacob Wade from Mineral Wells lines up a putt as part of the putting contest at Monday’s 29th annual Kids Golf Classic at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“It’s been this growth opportunity to serve more kids more often and that’s always our goal,” Reins said. “I’m a dreamer. Don’t know if it would happen this quick but I always knew I wanted to bring club to more kids.

Adams stated something special is in the works for next year’s event which will celebrate 30 years in their partnership and supporting local youth at the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg. The goal is to push career proceeds over the $5 million mark.

“When you talk about raising the bar year after year, it comes down to our people and the efforts they make,” Adams said. “All these people you see out there on the golf carts and the contacts they make raising money. And it’s the cause. The Boys and Girls Club does a great job and every year they continue to grow. We are just happy to be a part of that.

“We will have a special celebration for 30 years, that’s for sure.”

The support staff for Monday’s 29th annual Kids Golf Classic take a moment to pose for a group photo at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo Provided)

Marietta’s Jason Shuler, left, watches as Parkersburg’s Steve Matthews participates in the putting contest during Monday’s 29th annual Kids Golf Classic at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Dave Fleming, far right, attempts a putt from the edge of the green during Monday’s 29th annual Kids Golf Classic at Parkersburg Country Club. Watching in the background are Wyn Bowden, far left, and Kyle Bowles. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

(Photo by Amber Phipps)
Marietta Masonic Temple Board President John Goins showcases the history within the Masonic Temple Monday, pointing to a sword that belonged to C.R. Stevens, the first Masonic commander of Marietta.

The Marietta Masonic Temple donated $1,000 to The Right Path for Washington County on Monday night during a dinner and ceremony at the facility.

The temple at 308 Front St. is made up of nine bodies including Harmar Lodge No. 390 which constructed the building in 1907.

“We’re part of Marietta Front Street,” said Temple Board President John Goins. “Helping the community and being part of the community is our main purpose.”

Goins said that the temple presents scholarships and donations every year as a way of giving back to the community.

The $1,000 donation can be used by The Right Path, an organization dedicated to promoting healthy youth development by reducing and preventing substance abuse, however the organization sees necessary for efforts like educational programs or engaging activities.

(Photo by Amber Phipps)
The Marietta Masonic Temple at 308 Front St. is home to nine temple bodies, or lodges, and was constructed in 1907.

“We’ve been working closely with the youth for years and we want to find ways to support them so they can lead healthy lives,” said Goins. “(Right Path Director) Cathy Harper has been such a big part of this process. It’s been really great getting to work with her.”

Goins said many of the 1,000 members at the temple spend their time volunteering in the community. Masons have been helping the community for many years and most people don’t even realize it or know who has been a member, he said.

“Six of Marietta’s founders were masons,” said Goins. “Most people don’t know this but we have items from (Marietta founder) Rufus Putnam and George Washington.”

Washington and Putnam were both members of the American Union Lodge No. 1 which was founded in 1776.

Putnam was the first elected Grand Master for the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the temple was given his aprons and a sword presented to him by Washington. The aprons are currently held in the library at the Temple.

(Photo by Amber Phipps)
The Marietta Masonic Temple held a dinner banquet Monday evening for the donation of $1,000 to The Right Path for Washington County.

The history of the Masons in Marietta runs deep and Goins said there are members involved in many aspects of the community.

At some point in our lives, we each are given an opportunity to step into the role of a leader. Whether through a family function, a school activity, a work project, or organizing a community event, we quickly learn what leadership entails and the important role real leaders can play in getting things accomplished.

The 11 graduates of the 2025 class of Leadership Ohio Valley have picked up similar experience over the last few months as they planned and attended their various sessions, volunteered their time toward a variety of causes, and organized a project in service to the community. Through it all, they learned more about the Ohio Valley, and themselves, while building relationships that will last a lifetime.

We take this time to congratulate the graduating members of the Class of 2025: Jennifer O’Neill, Dawn Smith, Heather Southern, Elizabeth Smith, Lettie Muynila, Lavonnia Montgomery, Danielle Stroud, Ira Aracich, Nathaniel Kurty, Kevan Brown, and Clark Miller.

We hope your experiences showed you some of the opportunities available to take on leadership roles within your community, whether it be membership in a civic organization, the potential to seek elected office, volunteering with your local non-profit or a youth sports organization, or the inspiration to contribute toward the beautification of your neighborhood.

We also hope your employers take note and realize these experiences have prepared you to take on greater roles in the future.

The Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce has organized this program for more three decades, offering these opportunities to hundreds of men and women in the area business community. The Class of 2025 is the latest group, and we can’t wait to see where the journey of leadership and community involvement takes each of you as you take your next step forward.