Appearing on the latest episode of the YSN podcast, Kirlik recounted the thrilling at-bat that capped a classic pitcher’s duel. “I was praying on deck that I would get up and deliver the moment. And God has mysterious ways. And it happened,” Kirlik said, describing his mindset as he came to the plate with two […]
Appearing on the latest episode of the YSN podcast, Kirlik recounted the thrilling at-bat that capped a classic pitcher’s duel. “I was praying on deck that I would get up and deliver the moment. And God has mysterious ways. And it happened,” Kirlik said, describing his mindset as he came to the plate with two runners on.
On the replay, the ball rocketed off his bat and hit the wall, allowing two Spartans to score and sealing the 2-1 victory. “First thoughts, I thought it was gone too. And I just ran hard just in case if it didn’t. And I was just running hard,” he said.
Kirlik credited the close-knit chemistry of the Boardman squad for their success this season. Many of the players have been teammates since they were eight years old, and Kirlik spoke about the deep trust and maturity they’ve developed together. “I think the trust that we have in each other just really goes to show how mature we’ve become as a group,” he shared.
Leadership from seniors like Ivan Rudiak and Kaden Mayhew has also been key. “They have always talked highly about us and worrying about… just playing to the best of our abilities, no matter how the outcome is,” Kirlik said.
Known as “the King” to teammates and the YSN community for his knack for coming through in big moments, Kirlik revealed how his parents instilled the values of teamwork and support. “If you aren’t the one producing, always help your teammates and lift them up,” he recalled advice from his mother and father.
The team, guided by Coach Maine’s “12 a.m. rule,” doesn’t dwell on wins or losses, instead choosing to focus on the next game. “After every game, we go celebrate, have a good time, but as soon as 12 a.m. hits, we forget it and worry about the next game,” Kirlik explained.
With Boardman now making believers out of doubters, the Spartans are keeping their goals focused yet ambitious. “Our end goal is definitely to make it deep in the playoffs, but as of right now, we’re definitely just worrying about winning the AAC and we’re taking it steps at a time,” said Kirlik.
The junior, who hopes to play college baseball, says his ultimate wish is to keep making an impact on any field he steps onto—just as he did in front of the home faithful Tuesday night.
“I just want to make an impact for the team,” Kirlik said, summing up his philosophy that has already delivered some unforgettable moments for the Spartans this season.
Road construction continues across Logan County – Peak of Ohio
Motorists traveling through Logan County should prepare for ongoing road construction projects that will impact several state highways in the coming weeks. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has released an updated schedule, and all work is subject to weather conditions. Drivers are advised to check OHGO.com for real-time updates. Ongoing Construction Projects State Route […]
Motorists traveling through Logan County should prepare for ongoing road construction projects that will impact several state highways in the coming weeks.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has released an updated schedule, and all work is subject to weather conditions.
Drivers are advised to check OHGO.com for real-time updates.
Ongoing Construction Projects
State Route 47 Closure State Route 47 is currently closed between County Road 35 and Township Road 21A for a bridge deck repair project. Detour: North on State Route 235 to West on State Route 274 to Main Street/State Route 65.
State Route 273 Lane Closure Between Oakridge Drive and Shady Lane, State Route 273 is reduced to one lane for bridge replacement work. A temporary traffic signal is in place. This project will continue through Friday, July 18.
U.S. Route 33 Lane Restrictions Resurfacing work on U.S. 33 between State Route 540 and State Route 117 continues, with lane restrictions in place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. At least one lane in each direction will remain open at all times. This project will run through July 2025.
SR 273 Repaving Between U.S. 68 and the Union/Logan County Line, State Route 273 is intermittently reduced to a single lane from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through September. Traffic is maintained with flaggers.
SR 274 Repaving Expect intermittent lane closures along State Route 274 between U.S. 68 and Sandusky Street. Work runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and will continue through September. A flagging operation is in place to maintain traffic.
SR 292 Repaving State Route 292 between Hamilton Street and State Route 47 is also undergoing resurfacing. Single-lane closures are in effect daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through September. Flaggers will direct traffic as needed.
Motorists are encouraged to use extra caution in work zones and plan alternate routes where possible.
‘The backbone of Lake Placid’ | News, Sports, Jobs
Mirror Lake Watershed Association President Marcy Fagan, right, plays a table game with, from left, Chase, Brooke and Summer Ulbrich and Isla Norton at MLWA’s table at the seventh annual Lake Placid Community Day at the North Elba Show Grounds on Sunday. MLWA was one of approximately 50 nonprofit organizations to showcase their work to […]
Mirror Lake Watershed Association President Marcy Fagan, right, plays a table game with, from left, Chase, Brooke and Summer Ulbrich and Isla Norton at MLWA’s table at the seventh annual Lake Placid Community Day at the North Elba Show Grounds on Sunday. MLWA was one of approximately 50 nonprofit organizations to showcase their work to the community at the event.
(Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
LAKE PLACID — Drizzle, a persistent breeze and temperatures stuck in the 40s were not enough to put a damper on the sense of community on full display at the North Elba Show Grounds.
Hundreds showed up and out for the seventh annual Lake Placid Community Day. It’s an event that recognizes volunteerism, community dedication and all those who work to keep the village of Lake Placid and the town North Elba as vibrant of a community as it is. Something that’s only possible through frequent, persistent and, often, selfless devotion by many.
“We’re here to honor and thank our volunteers,” said Val Rogers, one of the Community Day organizers. “They are the heart and soul of this community and we could not do any of the things we do without the incredible volunteer presence that we have.”
Rogers began her remarks by thanking the Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department for a life-saving fire rescue in May. She noted that the LPVFD has their own volunteer of the year and the recipient is Chad Blinn. Rogers shouted out Johnny Fagan and Ciana Cerruti, who entered the building to save the resident and her pets.
“We’re quite certain that if they had not done that, I don’t think she would have survived,” she said.
Molly Shergold smiles as she awaits her balloon animal made by Loon Works’ Scott Eichholz at the seventh annual Lake Placid Community Day.
(Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
Event emcee Stuart Hemsley spoke of the importance of volunteerism.
“Volunteers are one of our most important assets, and volunteering is more than an act of kindness,” he said. “It is a vital service that strengthens our communities … and our society as a whole, with more than 75 million people volunteering once a year.”
There were about 50 local nonprofits and community-focused organizations tabling at the event and allowing community members to learn more about what they do and how they contribute to Lake Placid.
State Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, Lake Placid village Mayor Art Devlin and North Elba town Board Member Emily Kilburn Politi introduced the two Distinguished Volunteers of the Year: David Balestrini, who won the adult award, and Parker Scanio, who won the youth award.
Kilburn Politi introduced Scanio.
Lucca Nappi-Bay body surfs on one of the NRS paddleboards at the seventh annual Lake Placid Community Day at the North Elba Show Grounds on Sunday. This year’s theme was “Surf’s Up.”
(Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
“Our community is full of amazing young people,” she said. “But every so often, one rises above. One who gives just a little bit more, who shows up again and again, who leads not just with action, but with heart. Parker Scanio volunteers.”
She noted that while the Lake Placid Middle/High School has a 40-hour volunteer requirement to graduate, Scanio went above and beyond — by weeks. With graduation approaching, Kilburn Politi said that Scanio had logged 421 hours since sixth grade.
“Even though I most likely received all of my required hours in sixth grade, I thought, ‘let’s just keep going,’” he said.
In accepting his award, Scanio thanked everyone who instilled in him the drive to volunteer in service of his community. He said a reason he gives so much of his time is because it’s enjoyable and the positive work mentality. He added that it’s an opportunity to meet new people from both near and far.
Devlin introduced Balestrini, who served on active duty in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps and was deployed abroad during operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
The 2025 distinguished volunteers of the year, Parker Scanio, left, and Dr. David Balestrini, smile after receiving their awards at the seventh annual Lake Placid Community Day at the North Elba Show Grounds on Sunday.
(Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
Devlin noted that after Balestrini opened his practice in Lake Placid, he offered free dental exams and sealants to children each February, which is National Children’s Dental Health Month.
“David’s contributions to the community go well beyond his practice,” Devlin said. “They are extensive and varied and span a period of almost three decades.”
These included about 17 years with the Boy Scouts of America and work with the Lake Placid Cub Scout troops. He’s been a member of the Lake Placid Lions Club for the last 10 years and American Legion Post 325 for the past 25 years, as well as spending extensive time volunteering with the Ironman race over the years.
In his remarks, Balestrini credited his fellow volunteers as the “rigid backbone” of the community who make it all the better while having fun in the process.
“Volunteers are priceless,” he said. “We do it because we hope to help out in some small way, to make a small difference in the lives of others, to make our schools, youth sports, service organizations, youth organizations, the (Lake Placid Center for the Arts), the numerous large iconic events that show up every year … a little bit better, a little more perfect, a little more representative of the world class community that we are.”
Nathaniel Kerr tucks it down a ski jumping simulator as standout NYSEF ski jumpers Jack Kroll, left, and Eli Larkin, right, supervise the station at the seventh annual Lake Placid Community Day at the North Elba Show Grounds on Sunday. Kerr’s twin brother, Gabriel, watches in the background before taking his turn.
(Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
TUPPER LAKE — A multi-hour standoff ended on Saturday in Tupper Lake’s Junction area. The standoff was met …
SARANAC LAKE — The Dorsey Street parking lot will be closed overnight from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning …
LAKE PLACID — The Lake Placid Department of Public Works will be doing a second round of hydrant flushing for …
The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation Quarterly Giving Series: Q1 2025
Published 2 hours ago Submitted by DICK’S Sporting Goods Originally published on DICK’S Sporting Goods Sideline Report TOGETHER, WE CHANGE LIVES Today we’re bringing you the latest quarterly giving series from The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation to highlight the great work being done in support of our mission to help inspire and enable youth sports […]
Originally published on DICK’S Sporting Goods Sideline Report
TOGETHER, WE CHANGE LIVES
Today we’re bringing you the latest quarterly giving series from The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation to highlight the great work being done in support of our mission to help inspire and enable youth sports participation.
In our first quarter of 2025, we:
Supported victims of the Los Angeles wildfires and historic flooding in Asheville, North Carolina through donations and community outreach events.
Hosted our 7th annual Sports Matter Night with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Teamed up with Brooks for the 2025 Empower Her Collection to donate up to $500,000 to youth running programs across the country.
Read on to learn more.
Disaster Relief Fundraiser Update
In February, DICK’S Sporting Goods and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation pledged more than $10 million to support communities impacted by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and the historic flooding in Asheville, North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
Through a four-week disaster relief campaign at point-of-sale (POS), store teammates raised $977,000. The DICK’S Foundation matched those donations – and brought the total giving from the campaign to $2 million. All proceeds are being directed to schools and non-profit organizations in the Los Angeles and Asheville areas affected by the recent disasters.
CA Strong receives a $25,000 Sports Matter grant.
Read more about DICK’S and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation’s $10 million natural disaster relief and recovery pledge here.
Scoring Big for Sports Matter
We clinched a win on and off the ice at this year’s 7th annual Sports Matter Night with the Pittsburgh Penguins! More than $19,000 was raised for our Sports Matter Program through our Sports Matter Auction, sale of warm up and mystery pucks and our special ticket offer. We were joined by local corporate and field teammates.
Scoring Big for Sports Matter!
During the game’s first intermission, The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation surprised Pittsburgh I.C.E. with a $25,000 Sports Matter Grant! The organization offers kids of all socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to lace up and learn to play hockey.
The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation surprised Pittsburgh I.C.E. with a $25,000 Sports Matter Grant!
Run It Back: DICK’S & Brooks Team Up for the 2025 Empower Her Collection
For the sixth year in a row, DICK’S Sporting Goods and Brooks are teaming up to give every girl a chance to run with the Empower Her Collection.
Run It Back: DICK’S & Brooks Team Up for the 2025 Empower Her Collection.
DICK’S and Brooks together will donate $1 for every pair of socks, $5 for every apparel item and $10 for every pair of shoes with The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation logo on it sold through Dec. 31, 2025, up to a combined total of $500,000, to Marathon Kids via The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation.
Check out the 2025 Empower Her Collection here.
Celebrating Those Protecting Public Lands
Guides at Public Lands nominated three outstanding organizations for a Public Lands Fund grant. My Team Triumph, The Hiking Buddies and Allegheny Cleanways will each receive a $5,000 grant to continue work to conserve public lands and create a more accessible and equitable outdoors.
Celebrating Those Protecting Public Lands
Learn more about the Public Lands Fund here.
THESE MOMENTS ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SPORTS MATTER FUND. IF YOU’D LIKE TO DONATE, VISIT WWW.SPORTSMATTER.ORG.
Written by Hilary Totin
DICK’S Sporting Goods
DICK’S Sporting Goods
Founded in 1948, DICK’S Sporting Goods is a leading omni-channel sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. As of October 30, 2021, the Company operated 734 DICK’S Sporting Goods locations across the United States, serving and inspiring athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their personal best through a combination of its dedicated teammates, in-store services and unique specialty shop-in-shops dedicated to Team Sports, Athletic Apparel, Golf, Outdoor, Fitness and Footwear.
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, DICK’S also owns and operates Golf Galaxy, Field & Stream and Public Lands specialty stores, as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile app for scheduling, communications, live scorekeeping and video streaming. DICK’S offers its products through a dynamic eCommerce platform that is integrated with its store network and provides athletes with the convenience and expertise of a 24-hour storefront.
For more information, visit the Investor Relations page at dicks.com.
Lakers’ LeBron James reveals major problem with kids ‘burning out’
The post Lakers’ LeBron James reveals major problem with kids ‘burning out’ appeared first on ClutchPoints. With the Los Angeles Lakers’ season recently coming to an end, LeBron James has had more time to devote to some of the other aspects of his life, including his recently re-launched “Mind The Game” podcast with co-host Steve […]
The post Lakers’ LeBron James reveals major problem with kids ‘burning out’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.
With the Los Angeles Lakers’ season recently coming to an end, LeBron James has had more time to devote to some of the other aspects of his life, including his recently re-launched “Mind The Game” podcast with co-host Steve Nash.
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Recently, James and Nash were joined by James’ Lakers teammate Luka Doncic for an episode of the podcast, and one of the topics discussed was the current influx of youth basketball players who participate in the sport on a year-round schedule.
James apparently isn’t a huge fan of this model.
“I think a lot of kids burn the hell out,” said James, per Mind The Game on X, formerly Twitter. “You’re just telling them to do this one thing all year round, just play basketball, just play volleyball, just play soccer all year round. You burn out at 22, 23, 24, or younger.”
Indeed, athlete burnout has long been a criticism leveled at the current AAU-dominated landscape of youth basketball, out of which several stars of today’s game have emerged.
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The fact that athletes are often playing basketball year-round beginning as early as elementary school has in some cases been attributed to the rise of injuries in the current NBA, as players have much more basketball mileage on their bodies by the time they get to the league than in previous generations.
AAU was just starting to emerge when James played high school basketball in the early 2000s, but as he noted in his podcast, even the best players were encouraged to diversify their sports palate back then. James himself was a star football player during his time at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.
Others have pointed to the current American system of youth sports as a reason for the perceived lack of superstars born in the USA in the modern NBA.
Whatever the truth is, when James speaks, people tend to listen.
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 […]
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 kills 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.
Despite Online Outrage, The California State Track Meet Was Mostly Just A Track Meet
Jurupa Valley High School’s AB Hernandez won first place in girls high jump and triple jump on Saturday night at the California Interscholastic Federation’s State Track & Field Championships. She also took second place in girls long jump, making it, overall, a great performance for the high school junior. After each win, Hernandez took the […]
Jurupa Valley High School’s AB Hernandez won first place in girls high jump and triple jump on Saturday night at the California Interscholastic Federation’s State Track & Field Championships. She also took second place in girls long jump, making it, overall, a great performance for the high school junior. After each win, Hernandez took the podium, received her medal, and smiled for photos along with her fellow competitors. She looked happy, because most people do after they win. As the sun sunk lower in the sky and the late afternoon turned into night, it would look to a casual observer watching on a livestream, which I did, like a typical high school track meet: the national anthem was played, there was a reminder about good sportsmanship, high school athletes competed in various disciplines, upcoming events were called out on the loudspeaker, and parents and friends cheered in the stands.
Zoom outward, however, and there were signs that this meet was not typical. Hernandez had to share the podium and the spotlight. There was much more national coverage of the meet that would be expected, and online, discourse around Hernandez’s win would swiftly turn hateful. This is all because Hernandez is trans.
Though Hernandez has competed for years with the support of her local community, when two women began making noise online complaining about her being allowed to compete, they got a lot of attention and eventually caught Donald Trump’s eye. He issued a statement Tuesday about Hernandez filled with inaccuracies, saying she was unbeatable (she has lost before) and had won everything (again, she has lost before). That same day, CIF issued its own statement saying it would launch a pilot program to allow any cisgender female athlete who missed out on qualifying due to a transgender female athlete to compete anyway. Those new rules were also why, on Saturday, every time Hernandez won a medal, she had to share the podium with someone else as a co-medalist.
The new rules also did nothing to assuage the people dead-set on stopping Hernandez. A day after CIF announced its new rules, Trump’s U.S. Department of Justice sent it a letter, saying the federal government’s Title IX Special Investigations Team—the one created to weaponize the once-landmark anti-gender discrimination law—would investigate if CIF was discriminating against female athletes, 12 years after California approved statewide legislation guaranteeing transgender students access to sports based on their gender identity. Even though Hernandez had followed all the CIF rules in place, that did little to stop the anti-trans sentiments. On Friday, during qualifications, an airplane flew over the stadium carrying a banner that read “no boys in girls sports!”
The same reporter who got the video of the banner, Haley Sawyer, estimated the number of protestors there Friday at “roughly 10.”
You read that right—10. California is the largest state by population in the entire country with nearly 40 million people. Sure, some people have to work, some people are busy with childcare, or too frail to travel, or they’re students who have to study. But the math is the math. Out of a state with nearly 40 million people, just about 10 were so angry about Hernandez competing that they showed up at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, Fresno County. That’s the same Fresno County that has an estimated population of more than 1 million, is nearly equidistant to the state’s two biggest metro areas, and is easily accessible by car.
More people did show up on Saturday, but not a deluge. The Associated Press described the Saturday meet as “relatively quiet despite critics.” The Los Angeles Times put the number of Saturday protestors at “dozens,” which is more than 10 but still nothing more than a speck in a state of nearly 40 million people. That seems less than the number of people who lined up outside of local Trader Joe’s stores recently to buy mini canvas tote bags with the grocery store’s logo on them.
This is not meant to downplay the real vitriol brought by those who did show up. Reporting for Capital & Main, Cerise Castle said that at least one person protesting AB’s participation was escorted out. Video online showed a woman yelling in the face of AB’s mother, saying AB should not be allowed to compete. But even in that video, presented online as damning evidence, the framing is so tight that it’s difficult to know if more than few people were even paying attention to it while it was happening. Per the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Norah Furtado, the closest anything came to conflict was when a few people started jeering during Hernandez’s initial long jump attempt, but nobody in the crowd reacted and a voice on the intercom made it clear the behavior would not be tolerated.
Anyone can click a button online. It’s a lot harder to show up.That’s why, as rudimentary as it sounds, whether people actually showed up was, for a long time, a deciding factor on if an event was considered news. This is not meant to downplay or ignore the many, many problems with the old ways of news-gathering, which all too often used its power to downplay or outright ignore a lot of stories, especially those in minority communities. But we can give it a little credit for ignoring the many people who would often call newsrooms demanding front-page stories about what was little more than something that bothered them.
What those railing against Hernandez know is that in today’s decentralized information ecosystem, anger online wins and so their yelling must be covered even though few protestors came. Meanwhile, the single biggest source of complaints about discrimination to the U.S. Department of Education are from disabled students who said they had been denied help they needed or felt mistreated, not people complaining about trans athletes. Data also shows the biggest danger posed to all high school athletes, regardless of gender, is dying of sudden cardiac arrest, not competing against trans athletes. Having emergency action plans and installing AEDs in high schools would save more lives, but little is said about this online compared to the trans athlete furor.
Despite it all, the actual athletes seemed pretty chill and normal on Saturday as I monitored from the live stream and watched the press coverage roll in. They are athletes, after all, and they know how to block out noise. It’s all smiles in the Associated Press photos. Wilson High School senior Loren Webster, who came in first in the long jump, told the Timesas much, saying “It wasn’t any other person I was worried about. I knew what I was capable of. I can’t control the uncontrollable.” Long Beach Poly High School senior Jillene Wetteland, who also took first in the high jump, told the Chronicle, “I love both of the people I tied with.” And River City High School senior Brooke White, who came in second on the long jump, said to the same reporter it was an honor to share her podium with Hernandez.
“Although the publicity she’s been receiving has been pretty negative, I believe she deserves publicity because she’s a superstar,” White said, “she’s a rockstar, she’s representing who she is.”