Rec Sports
Burbank Boys & Girls Club Of Burbank Offers Basketball For Members And Non-Members
By Rick Assad
Better together is a motto for the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley and it also applies to the sport of basketball.
It’s always fun and special when playing with people you know, and it is for youngsters ages six through 18.
“We try to create an environment per Boys and Girls Club values, where we promote and encourage belonging, integrity, respect, inclusion, empowerment in an environment where they feel less pressure and a place to naturally grow without pressure,” said Mike Graceffo, a longtime coach of numerous sports in Burbank.
The youngsters don’t have to be members of the Boys & Girls Club or live in Burbank to play the game of basketball because it’s open to anyone and everyone.
There are three levels of play offered by the Boys & Girls Club and the first is the Most Valuable Player Youth Basketball which meets every Tuesday. There is a $10 fee that can be paid at the door.
The time for this session is 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. and is available for first graders through the 12th grade.
Graceffo will oversee this level and if parents are interested, they can contact him at mikegraceffo@bgcburbank.org.
The next level is Her Hoops which is for girls exquisitely and is offered every Wednesday.
It runs from 4:30 p.m. through 6 p.m. and is for young ladies that are in the sixth grade through 12th grade.
For those interested in having their child play hoops they can contact Justin Waters at justin.waters@bgcburbank.org.
And lastly, the Next Level Academy is available every Friday and the time is 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is for sixth graders through 12th grade. Waters is also in charge of this level.
There are numerous coaches, staff and volunteers that will make the players’ time fun playing basketball and include Rashawn Morris, Brandon Baker, Sayahn Mudd, Keonte Terrell, Levi Johnson, Fred Orr and Jeffrey Dumas.
“The one thing all these guys have in common is their passion, commitment, love of kids and basketball, and wanting to instill life lessons and core values,” Graceffo said.
Knowing how to shoot, pass, dribble, rebound and play defense are key elements in playing basketball.
But it takes time to perfect these skills. Plus, it’s vital to enjoy what you’re doing.
“I don’t want to speak for the other coaches but I would think we all have the same goals in mind,” said Graceffo, “and that is to make it fun for the kids, teach them the proper way to play the game, introduce them to the proper fundamentals, get them ready for higher levels of basketball if they choose that route, and also incorporate life lessons.”
Graceffo then added: “And we all emphasize the importance of being a great student-athlete and being a good person,” he continued.
Playing the game well and enjoying yourself makes basketball even more fun.
“I feel the best and most fun part is seeing the enthusiasm when the players see that they are improving,” Graceffo noted. “Also, the interaction between the players when they get to bond and become somewhat of a team. And the most rewarding part is when a player comes up to us and tells us that they made a particular team or did something well in a game.”
When Graceffo is in charge of a bunch of eager athletes, he knows what he wants to accomplish.
“Again, every coach is different, but my philosophy has always been to make it a fun and enjoyable experience, encourage them to participate and play, teach them the proper fundamentals, encourage good sportsmanship, and that they can achieve any dream or goal in life if they work hard,” he stressed.
Factoring in skills and the player’s age is important for Graceffo.
“Obviously if I’m coaching highly skilled, older, or highly advanced players, I am going to be more intense, work them harder, teach them more advanced drills, techniques, whereas, if the kids are younger and or just beginning, then I would be more inclined to tailor the practice, drills, to their level,” he acknowledged.
Getting better isn’t easy, and it takes time and patience but with hard work and determination, playing basketball well is possible.
“The biggest thing I try to do is get the kids to understand that if they want to succeed and be a top-tier player, they have to work harder than the next person,” Graceffo said. “And that they cannot just rely on their practices. They need to apply what they are learning and work on their game on their own. I also give them and show them what I call self-help drills that they can do on their own to get better.”
Most importantly, the player has to want to get better. It’s not going to just happen because they like basketball.
“It’s all about motivation and getting these young athletes to understand that the hard work that they are putting in now will pay off later,” Graceffo said.
Rec Sports
Super Bowl 60: Santa Clara youth soccer league displaced as NFL plans to take over park for operations center
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) — Starting Jan. 5, the NFL will be setting up its Super Bowl media center, halftime show production and other operations at the Youth Soccer Park right next to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
This means hundreds of youth soccer players will have to find somewhere else to play.
The Santa Clara Youth Soccer League has 1,500 players. We spoke with Board Member Steve Robertson.
“There’s a great deal of anxiety. Do we have alternative field space? Because even though there are grass fields in the city of Santa Clara, there a very few with lights,” Robertson said.
The Santa Clara Youth Soccer League is hustling to figure out solutions. On Wednesday night, a parent rented out a tower light to see how well it does.
MORE: Countdown begins for Super Bowl as big economic, cultural boost expected in Bay Area
“We’re scrambling right now, to be honest, without a concrete plan in place as to how the city or other constituents can help us,” Robertson said.
The Youth Soccer Park has two grass fields and one turf field. The NFL plans to use this space from Jan. 5 to Feb. 22, but those in the soccer community are concerned it will take more time than that.
The soccer league says issues arose with the last Super Bowl at Levi’s in 2016.
“It takes a number of weeks to figure out the best way to return the field to normal condition. So in the last go around, the field was trashed candidly,” Robertson said.
In a statement to ABC7, Parks and Recreation Director Damon Sparacino said the agreement requires the NFL to repair any damaged fields.
MORE: South Bay leaders say they will protect against ICE during Super Bowl as immigrant fears persist
The NFL has also pledged financial contributions and help with finding alternate soccer fields.
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor just hopes there’s no damage to the turf field.
“This is the big rub, because if they have to replace that synthetic turf field, that will take six to nine months if we’re lucky,” Gillmor said.
She said soccer is the most popular sport in the city.
“I want to make sure if there’s damage, it’s repaired, the fields are returned expeditiously, because I also want to have events at the Youth Soccer Park leading up to World Cup in June,” Gillmor said.
MORE: NFL, Bay Area Host Committee announce venues for Super Bowl 60 events
Before Super Bowl 50, the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League sued the NFL over use of the fields on short notice.
This year, the city said talks with the youth soccer groups and the NFL started back in August.
Robertson said with large scale events, things happen in the 11th hour. He hopes they can take this opportunity to build lasting partnerships.
“We just want to make sure that the kids are not forgotten in the process, that’s all,” Robertson said.
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Dec. 22, 2025, 4:10 a.m. CT
- A Louisiana Senator’s office is now involved to help navigate the bureaucratic delays stalling the demolition of Bayou Towers.
- The demolition is caught between four entities: FEMA, HUD, the local parish government, and the housing authority.
- While HUD approved the demolition, FEMA has not yet completed its assessment to determine if the building’s damage exceeds 50% of its value.
- Recent incidents of falling debris have raised community concerns about the building being a potential health hazard.
Officials say a Louisiana Senator has stepped in to help navigate delays in the demolition of Bayou Towers.
Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority Director Nikita Gilton updated the commissioners Dec. 17 on the status of Bayou Towers at the first meeting since pieces of the structure began falling Dec. 5. According to Gilton, workers had to secure floors 8 through 11 and remove the awnings. With that work complete, the building once again remains in limbo, but Gilton said elected officials are stepping in to help them out.
“State Rep. Jessica Domangue reached out to us and put us in touch with Sen. Bill Cassidy’s Office,” Gilton said. “After I spoke with the chair and our attorney, I signed a waiver to let Mr. Cassidy’s office speak to FEMA on our behalf.”
Asked about the discussions, Cassidy’s office declined to comment on the matter.
The fate of the building rests between four entities: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Housing and Urban Development, Terrebonne Parish Government and the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority. The money for the building came from HUD for the Housing Authority to purchase the structure. The Housing Authority must get approval from HUD before taking any action.
The Terrebonne Parish Government placed 911 emergency equipment on the roof of Bayou Towers in December 2006. Sulzer Group Senior Project Manager James McDaniel told the Terrebonne Parish Council, Jan 28, that removal of the equipment was important and a plan from the parish to move along with the FEMA process. Sulzer Group is contracted to be the go-between for the housing authority and FEMA.
Demolition of Bayou Towers was approved in February 2024 by Housing and Urban Development, but FEMA has not completed its assessment of the building. FEMA decides whether to repair or demolish a building on a 50% analysis. If the damage exceeds 50% of the building’s value, FEMA it is demolished and rebuilt to current building standards.
The Housing Authority received a pay out from its insurance company for Bayou Towers, but will not disclose the exact amount. Officials with the Housing Authority say they signed non-disclosure agreements in the settlement process. The Housing authority is hoping to receive the remainder from FEMA, who determines the total value it will provide victims and subtracts from that amount the difference paid out by insurance companies.
Speaking with The Houma Courier on Dec. 6 following the panel shattering across Scott Lane, the community surrounding Bayou Towers said they were concerned that the building has become a health hazard. Other members showed up to the Terrebonne Parish Council Meeting asking that the Council take action to see the building get taken down.
Stephanie Yowell is an environmental scientist with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. She said if the building has asbestos in it there’s the potential that it could go airborne. She said the threat is low, but without conducting an air quality test there’s no way to know.
“Unless the building itself is crumbling actively and pieces are falling all the time, the concern is low,” she said.
If the surrounding community is concerned, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Environmental Project Coordinator Cindy LaFosse said residents could call (225) 219- 3640 and DEQ could look into it.
According to Attorney Brandon DeCuir, who represents the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority, the building poses no threat to the surrounding community, unless they go inside.
“It is not a health hazard right now. It is not a health hazard as it stands, especially with it being walled off to anybody and any occupants… but if somebody went in there they could have an issue,” DeCuir said. “The reason it’s walled off, and the reason why people are not let in is because, not the caustic material that you are looking for, but because of the structure’s issues… You can’t go through that building safely.”
Updated Dec. 22, 2025, 6:45 a.m. ET
The high school sports winter season on the Cape and Islands, not only brings a change in the weather, but also to the teams. The roster changes with new players, but also to the coaching staff.
Coaching a team of high school athletes for the first time is not an easy task to take on. It could be a match made in heaven, or it could have growing pains the first year.
Rec Sports
Effects of learning, exercise, and game curriculum model on the physical fitness of preschool children aged 3–6: a cluster-randomized controlled trial
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On December 13, 2025 the DTR Youth Cheerleading Teams and their Coaches Lavender Barrois, Barbara Gomillion and Shelby Barthelemy hosted the 1st Annual Youth Sports Banquet. This event was held for all the football teams from 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and their families. These groups of kids have worked hard on and off the field all season and are well deserving of this achievement. During the event, ea…
LOS ANGELES — In Leimert Park, coffee is not just fueling a community, but helping prepare young people for life as entrepreneurs.
Tony Jolly, owner of Ora Café in Leimert Park, wanted to pay it forward and give someone else the same opportunity to own a business.
So around the corner from his shop, Jolly started something called the Crenshaw Coffee Cart.
The cart gives underserved youth, between 16 and 20 years old, and some who were previously incarcerated, the training and experience needed to not just be employable, but one day a business owner themselves.
Click the arrow above to watch the video.
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