Rec Sports

Annapolis can be a lousy place to play. The next mayor needs to fix it.

No one schools you like a seventh grader. Three spoke to the Annapolis City Council on Monday, testifying to an uncomfortable truth: The affluent capital of Maryland can be a horrible place to play. “The fields in Annapolis are either a dust field, mud pit or uneven ground instead of well-kept Bermuda fields,” said Nola […]

Published

1 month ago

May 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

No one schools you like a seventh grader.

Three spoke to the Annapolis City Council on Monday, testifying to an uncomfortable truth: The affluent capital of Maryland can be a horrible place to play.

“The fields in Annapolis are either a dust field, mud pit or uneven ground instead of well-kept Bermuda fields,” said Nola McCamley, a student at Bates Middle School. “I am worried I will get injured twisting an ankle or tear my ACL because of the fields.”

It‘s been like this since my kids started playing team sports 20 years ago. There are nice parks in Annapolis, and if you can access the water, the Chesapeake Bay is your playground.

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But the sorry state of the large rectangular fields needed for soccer, lacrosse and other sports is driving kids away, and the relationship between the city and its 17 nonprofit rec leagues is, to put it mildly, adversarial.

Annapolis will select a new mayor and at least three new City Council members in November. Over the next six months, I’ll explore problems they’ll face, both leftovers from Mayor Gavin Buckley’s eight years in office and new challenges.

Two Democrats want to be mayor: Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles and former Alderman Jared Littmann. The filing deadline is in July, but no Republican or independent has announced a run yet.

Voters should ask candidates about their vision for recreation. It’s not just about play time.

Volunteers who run these programs believe youth athletics have the power to address some of the inequality and violence that mar Annapolis as a place to live.

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“Most of us speaking tonight have kids on our teams who have been touched in the last six months by gun violence in our city, at the Boys and Girls Club turf field, at the bus stop on Clay Street and most recently, the murder in Robinwood,” said Emily Tomasini, a coach and board member at the nonprofit advocacy group PlayAnnapolis.

“I’ve been touched by it.”

The fields at Germantown Elementary are an expanse of weeds and dirt. (Neilye Garrity/PlayAnnapolis)

The next mayor and council will inherit a department with a $1.7 million budget and roughly 250 full- and part-time employees. Roslyn Johnson leads it. Hired two years ago, she sees the criticism organized by PlayAnnapolis on Monday as misinformed.

“They told their own narrative last night,” she said, “not a truthful narrative.”

PlayAnnapolis surveyed 300 families and found that many consider field quality and services inferior in the city. They blame Johnson.

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“The Annapolis Parks and Recreation Department clearly doesn’t know how to do it,” said Neilye Garrity, the group’s executive director. “And they blame overuse.“

This is a hyperlocal issue, the kind that seldom makes news.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools owns the big multipurpose fields in the city and considers them educational assets. It partners with others for their use where it can.

Annapolis manages the ones at Bates Middle, the Phoenix Academy and Germantown Elementary schools. The county maintains one at Annapolis Middle — inches across the city line — and smaller ones at elementary schools.

Truxtun Park, the city’s largest park, has two lighted baseball-softball diamonds and basketball courts. None of the city’s rectangular fields are lighted, and just one is all-weather turf, the Boys & Girls Club.

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The county is renovating PAL Park, also outside the city. It has lighted diamonds and a small, rectangular grass field. Quiet Waters Park nearby has no ballfields.

Thousands of kids in the city and county vie for field space in the Annapolis area. It is allocated through the county reservation system, joined by the city last year.

It gives teams first dibs on fields closest to players’ homes. But demand is so great that games and practices spread to Crownsville, Broadneck and farther afield. Teams outside the city, facing similar pressure, and adult leagues land in Annapolis, too.

This year, a new middle school sports program complicated the formula, with rec teams losing an hour of afternoon practice.

Field conditions at Bates Middle School, used by thousands of youth rec league players, are poor. City officials cite overuse as the cause, but PlayAnnapolis says it's poor management. — Field conditions at Bates Middle School, used by thousands of youth rec league players, are poor. City officials cite overuse as the cause, but PlayAnnapolis says it’s poor management. (Neilye Garrity/PlayAnnapolis)

In 2023, PlayAnnapolis asked the county for help. The city offers fewer rec programs in fewer places than the county, a comparison Johnson says is unfair because of the relative size of each government.

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“Meanwhile, we don’t even have [school] aftercare,” said Garrity, who’s also Littmann’s campaign manager. “We have dormant community centers. At the core, we’re missing fundamental operational things.”

Some of the details are maddening.

The state paid for upgrades at Bates, but the school system installed a grass field instead of more durable turf, citing cost and environmental concerns. The worn dirt space is closed for reseeding.

Weems Whalen Field, built by the city atop an ash heap, has been closed for 12 years because of contamination concerns.

Orioles great Cal Ripken donated the city’s only all-weather field to the Boys & Girls Club. When the club halted its sports program, it became the middleman for reservations.

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Problems created over decades will take time to fix, but some upgrades are in the works.

County schools and rec and parks will add lights to the Annapolis Middle field this fall, a $1 million project. Opening Weems Whalen will cost more and take years to remedy.

George Garrett, commissioner of PAL Football, talks about his program at the PlayAnnapolis sports fair in April at the Boys & Girls Club all-weather turf field. (Maurice Taylor & Deonte Ward/Moements Media)

Buckley hasn’t ignored recreation and parks.

He’s laid the groundwork for new bike trails, expanded pickleball, upgraded the skatepark at Truxtun and improved trails at Waterworks Park. Two waterfront parks are being developed, neither with playing fields.

This year, he proposed a basketball court and e-gaming center at Stanton Center, serving neighborhoods plagued by drugs and gun violence.

“This will be a game changer for that community,” Johnson said.

PlayAnnapolis offers scholarships for kids whose families can’t afford team sports or get to the fields. Families who can are leaving for greener fields — taking their money with them.

It’s the kind of small-town blues the next mayor could easily ignore. But no matter who wins in November, he or she will face hard feelings on both sides.

“I don‘t understand,” said Tim DeWitt, who manages field access for the Annapolis Soccer Club. “I am fighting with them over everything.”

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Rec Sports

Youth reigning supreme at 2025 ZDGA Amateur

High school stars chasing first crown but Hartford lurks ZANESVILLE — A final round for the ages is brewing at the Zanesville District Golf Association Amateur. Eight players are within six shots of the lead entering the final round at Zanesville Country Club on June 22, three of them 18 or younger. John Glenn 2025 […]

Published

28 minutes ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

High school stars chasing first crown but Hartford lurks

ZANESVILLE — A final round for the ages is brewing at the Zanesville District Golf Association Amateur.

Eight players are within six shots of the lead entering the final round at Zanesville Country Club on June 22, three of them 18 or younger.

John Glenn 2025 grad Noah Dever, who will play at Division II Charleston, roared back with a second-round 67 — 5-under-par — which was a five-shot turnaround from his opening round 72 at River Greens.

He made four birdies on the front nine and two more on the back at Cambridge as he played the first 10 holes at 4-under. He holds two-shot leads over River View High School phenoms Gavin Gress and younger brother Colton Gress, who are at 3-under after shooting 71 and 69, respectively, at Cambridge.

Dever and Gavin Gress were Division II All-Ohio players in 2025 at Akron Firestone. Gavin Gress was a first-teamer as a freshman. Both brothers are seeking to become the youngest Amateur champions in the event’s 48-year existence.

A collection of former champion Blake Hartford (1-under 143), Jay Smith (143), David Link (143), Collin Linnabary (144) and Cameron Henry (145) are also firmly in the mix as they chase the kids.

Henry, who plays for Hartford at Muskingum, shot 3-under 69 at River Greens to assume a one-shot lead entering CCC, where he posted 35 on the front. A double bogey on the par-5 10th and four bogeys that followed led to a 76 on Saturday to stunt his chances.

John Glenn grad C.J. Dolan (74-75 — 149) and Chatum Courson (75-74 — 149), a Fort Frye alum, rounded out the top 10.

Others to make the cut included Zanesville grad Corey Hull (75-78 — 153), John Glenn and West Liberty (West Virginia) University product Derek Graham (76-77 — 153), West Muskingum grad and Maryville (Tennessee) product Jack Porter (79-74 — 153), Maysville grad Owen Lutz (78-76 — 154), Crooksville and Malone grad Brock White (81-73 — 154), Kelson McCurdy (78-77 — 155), Michael Fulk (79-77 — 156), Brock Hurley (79-78 — 157), Nick Luniewksi (81-77 — 158), Maysville and Muskingum product Jason Baughman (75-84 — 159) and Mike Shook (77-85 — 162).

Tee times are set for 11 a.m. as the top 21 players made the cut from the June 21 round at Cambridge Country Club.

sblackbu@gannett.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR

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Rec Sports

Orange County high schooler hosts “Bake a Wish” summer baking camps for underserved youth

Orange County high schooler hosts “Bake a Wish” summer baking camps for underserved youth – CBS Los Angeles Watch CBS News Suzie Suh speaks with the 17-year-old Orange County high schooler who was able to host a series of summer baking camps through her charity Bake a Wish, thanks to help from another local nonprofit. […]

Published

42 minutes ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Orange County high schooler hosts “Bake a Wish” summer baking camps for underserved youth – CBS Los Angeles

Watch CBS News

Suzie Suh speaks with the 17-year-old Orange County high schooler who was able to host a series of summer baking camps through her charity Bake a Wish, thanks to help from another local nonprofit.

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Rec Sports

North Surry hosts Youth Football Camp | Sports

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1 hour ago

June 22, 2025

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UTEP legends Aaron Jones, Will Hernandez team up for big, free camps

Will Hernandez, Aaron Jones excited to collaborate on camp Will Hernandez, Aaron Jones excited to collaborate on camp This was always going to be a huge weekend for youth sports in El Paso. Aaron Jones, the star running back for the Minnesota Vikings and a UTEP and Burges alumnus, has made an annual event of […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

This was always going to be a huge weekend for youth sports in El Paso.

Aaron Jones, the star running back for the Minnesota Vikings and a UTEP and Burges alumnus, has made an annual event of returning to his hometown to conduct a free clinic with his A&A All the Way Foundation and by last year encompassed both football and basketball and more than 1,000 campers.

The A&A All the Way Foundation picked Saturday, June 21 for its big event.

Also, last year, Jones’ former Miner teammate, who paved the way for him, NFL veteran guard Will Hernandez, brought his own free Mijo Things football clinic to El Paso, which debuted with 500 campers. He couldn’t wait to come back and do it again.

But when?

“We were planning it out this year again, and it turns out we were going to do it on the same day” as the A&A camp, said Hernandez, who had a standout season with the Arizona Cardinals last year and is a free agent at the moment. “‘Why don’t we get together and make this thing happen?’ Do it big. We got around 500 last year; he got more than 1,000. We might as well bring them all together.

“Two heads are better than one. We can cause a greater story, we can affect a lot more kids when we work together. The power of collaboration is crazy. It’s something, not only do I not take it for granted, it’s something I try to do in every aspect of my life.”

The result will be on display Saturday, June 21, when the re-dubbed A&A The Mijo Way Football Camp, which now includes a soccer clinic to accompany the football and basketball, will draw 1,300 campers to the SAC2 (football and soccer) and Coach Wally Hartley PK-8 School (basketball).

With 1,300 campers expected to attend all three camps (registration is now closed), Jones and Hernandez called it the biggest youth camp in El Paso history at the promotional press conference.

“I feel like it was long overdue for us teaming up, the same way we teamed up in college,” said Jones, who left as UTEP’s all-time leading rusher behind many holes made by the second-round draft pick Hernandez. “We made a name for ourselves, now we felt like it was time to do it together. Put bigger eyes on what we’re doing, a bigger scope on what we’re doing.

“I’m excited to be doing it with a guy I went to battle with and now playing at the highest level.”

As always, they’ve brought some of their NFL friends with them, including former Miner star and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrise Knight. Among the notable helpers at the soccer camp are former El Paso Locomotive and FC Juárez stars Leandro Carrijó and Eder Borelli.

Both Jones and Hernandez say putting on this camp is a highlight.

“It means everything, these full-circle moments,” Jones said. “This is why I do this, this is why I put my jersey on and go out and play, so I can use my platform, so I can give back. At a young age, I found out giving back was my joy. That fills my heart.

“El Paso means the world to me. Not too many people knew about me (when he was at Burges in 2012), not many people talked about me, but now we leave them with no choice but to talk about us and El Paso.”

Hernandez said the best part for him is being with the campers.

“It’s the chance where they don’t just see me through a video screen or a phone screen, they see me live, in person, in front of them, eye-to-eye,” he said. “To me, that’s where we make the biggest impact. There’s a psychological thing that happens when they see you and you’re in the same room as them.

“Unconsciously, they think the goal is a lot closer than they thought. We bring to life the dreams they have. That’s the coolest part of it, we know we have that effect on them. We’re there wholeheartedly.”

They will be there wholeheartedly with 1,300 campers Saturday, June 21.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

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Taco Dowler, Adam Jones bring youth camp to Bozeman

BOZEMAN — Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler and running back Adam Jones have been working for six months to bring their youth camp to Bozeman. On Saturday, hundreds of kids showed up to participate and hang out with their favorite Bobcats at Van Winkle Stadium. Grace Lawrence / MTN Sports Montana State football players […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BOZEMAN — Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler and running back Adam Jones have been working for six months to bring their youth camp to Bozeman.

On Saturday, hundreds of kids showed up to participate and hang out with their favorite Bobcats at Van Winkle Stadium.

adam jones and taco camp — Montana State football players and youth campers pose for group photo at the Taco Dowler and Adam Jones football camp at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman on June 21, 2025.

“It’s important in the NIL world to get out and do something with your platform, and I think Adam and I kind of do that,” Dowler said. “I think this is a really good way of getting into the community, bringing the football community together. And also making more Cats fans in the state.”

Dowler mentioned being in the name, image and likeness era, and that’s exactly what makes this camp unique. Dowler and Jones are still in college playing for the Cats and have the ability to put on an event like this one.

“You know, we’re still playing,” Jones said. “So, when the season rolls around, and these kids come find us after the games, that’s going to be pretty fun and pretty special to look back on these memories. And I know if I was a kid I would think this would be the coolest thing ever, so that’s kind of what we were thinking with this.”

taco signing autographs — Taco Dowler signs autographs at his youth football camp at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman on June 21, 2025.

Dowler also put on camps in Billings earlier this week, and now he and Jones get to host the final sessions in Bozeman — a community that has taken both of them in and supported them.

“It’s meant everything, I can’t explain how much Bozeman embraced a Missoula kid like me and a Billings kid like Taco,” Jones said. “This is my home. This is where I want to be for a large portion of my life, maybe raise my family here. So I’m just trying to figure out ways to give back and to use our platform at Montana State and just how strong the football community is, to do this, it’s been pretty special.”

“This town has meant everything,” Dowler said. “I get goosebumps when you’re talking about that. This town is special, it’s our home. (Adam and I) hated each other in high school because he kept beating me in state championships, him and Zac Crews and JJ Dolan, so having all three of those guys out here now making an impact in Bozeman is really special.”

Adam Jones autographs — Adam Jones signing autographs at his youth football camp at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman on June 21, 2025.

As Dowler mentioned, one of the best parts of the camps they are putting on is that a handful of current players joined in to help run and organize them.

“Yeah, the coaches are great,” Dowler said. “I wouldn’t have picked coaches I didn’t trust, and they’re running the whole thing. I mean, (Adam and I) are just behind the scenes, kind of bossing them around a little bit. They probably don’t like that too much, but they’re the ones putting this thing on. All the credit goes to them.”

Adam jones and taco camp race winner — Montana State football players celebrate with the winner of a race at the Taco Dowler and Adam Jones football camp at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman on June 21, 2025.

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The Bay enters a new chapter with expanded youth programming in Omaha

While there are no plans to bring a similar program to Bay High to public schools in Omaha anytime soon, Norman said The Bay does plan to bring its Gap Year program to Omaha within the next year. He said organizers are speaking with more potential partners. This comes as the nonprofit acquires OGR and […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

This comes as the nonprofit acquires OGR and explores additional ways the nonprofit can make an impact for local youth in the city.

The future of Omaha Girls Rock

OGR is an Omaha-based nonprofit with the mission of empowering youth through music education. Starting in 2011 as part of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance, the organization went on to provide after-school programming, instrument lessons and loans and a summer camp for youth ages 4 through 18. During the camp, kids would learn an instrument, form a band, co-write an original song and then perform it live.

Sara Bertuldo was the operations manager for OGR before the nonprofit joined The Bay. She now works for The Bay as workforce education and OGR program manager.

Bertuldo said OGR reached a point where it was growing too fast, and it became a challenge to sustain. That forced organizers to turn kids away from programs, which were at capacity. She said The Bay is now able to step in and provide the foundational support OGR needed.

“I feel like I can really focus on making our program as strong as it can get and really provide a positive experience for campers, as well as staff and volunteers,” Bertuldo said.

Norman said The Bay plans to relaunch the OGR summer camps in 2026. Still in the planning stages, he said they anticipate bringing OGR programming to Lincoln and integrating Bertuldo’s expertise into other programs provided by The Bay.

“OGR is just another opportunity for us to provide community, build confidence and skills, increase the happiness and decrease the loneliness of this generation,” Norman said.

Moving into the Benson Community Center

Norman said the organization has always wanted to expand into Omaha and in 2021 started with after-school programming centered on skateboarding and beatmaking at local schools. He said The Bay eventually landed a physical space at the Benson Community Center, largely through collaboration and support from Omaha Parks and Recreation, the Lozier Foundation and the Omaha Parks Foundation.

Norman said conversations about The Bay’s residence at the Benson Community Center began around 2023, with a vision to help repair and revitalize the space at the heart of the Benson neighborhood. Since the location opened in 2024, the nonprofit has helped facilitate renovations and has tapped into Benson’s art and entrepreneurial scene, including helping kids participate in the 2025 Youth Artist Market during Benson First Fridays.

Norman said The Bay doesn’t see the community center as its “forever home.”

“Our job is to bring a lot of energy and activity into it, as well as help draw other partners who want to use that space,” Norman said. “Our goal with the Benson Community Center is to leave it better than we found it.”

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