A Seal Beach lifeguard sustained a severe injury while surfing as a junior lifeguard instructor on Friday, June 27, and fundraising efforts are underway.

The lifeguard, identified as Isaiah Osorio, has been with the Marine Safety Department since 2023, and was planning on attending UCLA in the fall,  the city of Seal Beah said in a news release.  The 20-year-old is a graduate of Los Alamitos High School.

“Lifeguards responded immediately, and he was transported by ambulance to a local hospital,” the release said.  “The city of Seal Beach and Marine Safety Department commend the quick actions of the lifeguards and we extend our full support to Isaiah and his family during his recovery.”

A GoFundMe launched to help the family with medical and other costs called the accident a “life-altering spinal cord injury that changed his world in an instant.”

Osorio is described as a “vibrant scholar-athlete, son, brother, and friend,” an avid water polo player who enjoys hiking, pickleball, and “morning walks reflects his unstoppable spirit,” the GoFundMe reads. “Now facing overwhelming medical and rehabilitation costs, your support will give him the chance to heal, adapt, and continue chasing his dreams. Every contribution truly makes a difference.”

At Los Alamitos High School, he earned varsity letters in water polo and swimming, alongside four Academic All-American honors, before continuing his athletic and academic journey at Cypress College and earning an acceptance to UCLA.

During his time at Cypress College, he was a scholar-athlete on the men’s water polo team while studying business.

Nearly $50,000 was raised as of Sunday at 10 a.m.

(Northern Marianas Sports Association) — Team Marianas will begin its quest for medals in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games today, Monday, as swimming, fast-pitch softball, indoor volleyball, wrestling, va’a and baseball competitions kick off in Palau.

Members of the NMI indoor volleyball and wrestling had several days to get ready for their respective tournaments as they were the first Team Marianas delegation to arrive in Palau, making it to Koror last Tuesday morning. NMI swimmers and beach volleyball players landed Palau last Wednesday, while va’a, baseball, and softball teams made it to the host island nations just last Saturday. Basketball and weightlifting teams left Saipan for Palau Sunday morning, while the NMI athletics team are scheduled to leave Monday morning, and the triathlon squad will be the last batch to travel with their flight to Koror scheduled for July 4.

Helping Team Marianas settle in is Chef De Mission Nick Gross, who encouraged the athletes to give their all in the competition.

“Trust your training and preparations, the time to shine has finally arrived. The physical prep is complete. Focus on the mental aspect of your competitions and know that the entire Northern Marianas is cheering you on! The medals will justify the struggle! Let’s go NMI! BIBA!” Gross said.

NMI vs Palau in baseball

Defending champion NMI Baseball Team will have the toughest assignment in the opening day of competitions as it takes on host Palau in the 5 p.m. match (6 p.m. Saipan time) at the Nippon Baseball Stadium in Koror. Three other teams are entered in the baseball competition with Guam, Fiji, and the Federated States of Micronesia joining the NMI and Palau on the list. The Joshua Jones-led NMI topped the baseball tournament in the 2022 Pacific Mini Games that Saipan hosted after beating fierce rival Guam in the finals, 12-9.

“There is definitely a big pressure to defend the title in this year’s Pacific Mini Games in Palau. We’ve been training hard for the past months and working as one solid unit so these also give us the confidence that we will be able to deliver the past possible results for NMI amid the pressure given to us,” team manager James Kintol said.

The baseball competition will have a round-robin format in the preliminary and page system in the medal round with the Top 4 teams after the elimination round advancing. The No. 1 and 2 squads will square off for the first finals berth, with the loser challenging the winner between the No. 3 and 4 ranked teams for the second and last finals ticket.

10 medals at stake in swimming

The medal-rich swimming competition will take place at the Palau Swimming Pool in Meyuns today with preliminary races scheduled in the morning and the finals of the 10 events slated in the evening.

Isaiah Aleksenko, the NMI’s flag bearer in last night’s opening ceremonies at the Palau National Track, will lead Team Marianas’ medal run in the pool, as he competes in the 100m individual medley prelims and the 4x100m freestyle relay.

Maria Batallones, a multiple gold medalist in the 2024 Micronesian Games, will also have her debut in the Mini Games tonight when she competes in the 400m freestyle event. Other races scheduled for today are the men’s 400m freestyle, men’s and women’s 50m backstroke, 100m IM, and 200m breaststroke, and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

NMI vs PNG in fastpitch

The NMI Women’s Fastpitch Softball Team will face an unfamiliar opponent in its opening game as it takes on Papua New Guinea at the Meyuns Softball Field at 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. Saipan time).

Both the NMI and PNG are making a return in women’s fastpitch with the former last competed in 2005 (in Palau) and the latter in 2015 where in defeated American Samoa in the finals. Joining PNG and NMI in women’s fastpitch are host Palau, FSM, the Marshall Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

Tough opening games for indoor

The NMI’s return to indoor volleyball is marked by tough opening games today at the Palau National Gym.

In the women’s division, the NMI will meet host Palau at 9 a.m. (10 a.m. Saipan time), while in the men’s contest, the NMI will battle Tahiti at 5 p.m.  Besides Palau, the NMI women’s team will also be competing against Tahiti, Nauru, Fiji, American Samoa, and Wallis & Futuna.  In the men’s division, the NMI’s other foe in pool play Group  D is Kiribati and the match is set for July 1.

Prelims for va’a and wrestling teams

Also having their preliminary events for the morning sessions today are the NMI wrestlers and paddlers.

The qualification rounds and repechages for all weight categories in wrestling will start at 10:30 a.m., while the finals are set for 4 p.m. NMI’s bets in wrestling are Lincoln Manibusan (65kg freestyle and Greco ), Miles Borja (86kg freestyle and Greco), and Seth Sablan (71kg freestyle and Greco).

In va’a, heats for the mixed V12 500m will start at 8:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m. Saipan time) at Meyuns ramp, while other preliminary races include the V1 male and female 500m. The finals for the Day 1 events are set to kick off at 11a.m.

Team Marianas’ participation to the 2025 Pacific Mini Games is supported by the Office of the Governor, Saipan & Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, Joeten Daidai Foundation, Northern Marianas Sports Association, ASC Trust, Triple J, Tan Holdings, Altanx, E-Land, Quality Distributors, IT&E, Mobil, McDonald’s, Chinese Association on Saipan,  GPPC, Marianas Press, Matson, Laolao Bay Golf & Resort, Dial-Rent-To-Own, NMI Local Peace Corps Reunion Committee, Y.K. Corporation, Shell/AFE Marianas, LLC, Wushin, I Love Saipan, Bank of Hawaii, BC Corporation, Zoom Chicken, and Artman.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Official Details For City Of Delray Beach Extravaganza.

DELRAY BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — July 4th will feature a full day of activities and celebrations in the City of Delray Beach. We are publishing the official list of events and guide to parking provided to us by the City of Delray Beach:

>> The City of Delray Beach is excited to be hosting the 4th of July Celebration again in 2025! It’s been a family-friendly event for over 50 years and draws over 20,000 people to our Village by the Sea. The event starts at 6 pm with the 60’ flag raising ceremony and the singing of the National Anthem. We invite the public to join us for this ceremony.

Our celebration has something for everyone –food trucks and vendors, children’s activities and games, non-stop entertainment with DJ SoNyce, live music from Absolute Queen, and so much more! The spectacular Zambelli Fireworks will start promptly at 9:00 pm. The City of Delray Beach 4th of July Celebration will take place on East Atlantic Avenue from the Intracoastal Bridge to A1A.

Where: East Atlantic Avenue and A1A, Delray Beach, FL 33483

When: Friday, July 4, 2025

Food/Beverages: Food offerings include pizza, seafood, conch, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, coconut bar, tacos, French fries, empanadas, arepas, pastries, cookies, acai bowls, ice creams, Italian ices, kettle corn, mini donuts, smoothies, milkshakes, soft drinks, and water. *Subject to change

Activities: Live Entertainment featuring Absolute Queen, DJ SoNyce, Digital Vibez, NeNe Gemini, Arts and Crafts, Photo Booth, Glitter Tattoos, Face Painting, Giant Games, Sunglass bar, Coloring wall, Roaming Photos, Toddler Soft Play, Free Cotton Candy, 4s on the 4th Volleyball Tournament, Stilt Walkers, Beer garden, snorkel tour and much more! *Subject to change

Morning Schedule of Events: 8 am – 12 pm 4s on the 4th – Beach Volleyball Tournament. 9 am Snorkel Tour. S.S. Inchulva.

Evening Schedule of Events: 6 pm – 6:30 pm 60’ Flag Raising Ceremony at E. Atlantic and Gleason St

6:30 pm – 8:45 pm Non-stop Music with Digital Vibez (E. Atlantic near East Rd). 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Absolute Queen (Main Stage). 7:30 pm – 7:45 pm DJ SoNyce with NeNe Gemini (Main Stage). 7:45 pm – 8:45 pm Absolute Queen (Main Stage). 8:45 pm – 9 pm DJ SoNyce with NeNe Gemini (Main Stage).

9 pm Fireworks show by Zambelli

*Subject to change

Partners: City of Delray Beach, Opal Grand Resort, Beachside Golf Cars and Spa, and Zambelli Fireworks.

Street Closure:

July 4th from noon – 11 pm – East Atlantic from the Intracoastal Bridge east to A1A, A1A from Thomas to Miramar.

Getting Around:

Park – The public is urged to park west of the Intracoastal Bridge.

Tri-Rail – Runs a Holiday schedule. Call 1-800-TRI-RAIL (874-7245) for more info.

Freebee – Take the Freebee to the Intracoastal Bridge.

Bike – Ride your bike.

Parking:

There are plenty of parking lots around the city. To find the closest one, visit DelrayBeachFL.gov/Parking

Contact Information:

For more information, please call (561) 243-7250 option 3 or visit us at http://www.delraybeachfl.gov/July4th. <<

By: Waylon Galvez

Returning Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno-Domagoso has appointed former national team player Dale Evangelista as the new head of the Manila Sports Council (MASCO), aiming to revitalize the city’s sports programs and reestablish the capital as a hub for athletics.

Moreno’s appointment of the 46-year-old Evangelista comes just days before his official return to City Hall, alongside seven other key appointments to various departments and offices.

The mayor is set to officially assume office by noontime on Monday, June 30.

Before the midterm elections last month, Moreno had emphasized the importance of strengthening Manila’s sports initiatives—from grassroots development to identifying potential athletes for the national team who could represent the country in future international events such as the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, and the Summer Olympics.

Evangelista expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in him.

“I’m very much thankful to be given an opportunity by Mayor Isko to serve our beloved City of Manila, for his trust and confidence. It’s such a huge honor,” said Evangelista, who will step down as chairman of Barangay 56 in Tondo to assume his new role.

“The instruction of Mayor Isko is very clear—he wants to see programs that will help our grassroots development, he wants to see athletes from the city capital make the national team, and he wants these things to be standardized to ensure continuity within the Manila Sports Council (MASCO) program,” he added.

A longtime member of the national water polo team—both as an athlete and coach—Evangelista said one of his top priorities is to form a strong Team Manila for the upcoming Batang Pinoy games in General Santos City later this year.

He noted that open tryouts for various sports will be held with the support of experienced coaches to scout and develop young athletes.

“Of course, we want to send a strong team. The goal is for Team Manila to win the overall championship,” Evangelista said.

As part of MASCO’s grassroots initiatives, Evangelista is also targeting the revival of the Manila Youth Games (MYG), which has historically served as a key platform for discovering athletic talent in the city.

In addition to the MYG, there are plans to bring back the Manila Marathon and introduce local E-sports tournaments, in line with the growing popularity of digital sports among the youth.

Evangelista emphasized the importance of establishing a strong organizational framework within MASCO and assembling a competent team to effectively execute the programs.

“Our time with the national team, both as an athlete and as a coach, taught me valuable lessons. It also allowed me to create good relationships with sports people who we believe can help us improve MASCO,” he said.

Evangelista represented the Philippines in numerous international water polo tournaments. As an athlete, he helped secure silver medals in the 2005 SEA Games in Manila, the 2007 edition in Bangkok, and the 2009 games in Laos. He also earned a bronze medal in the 2003 SEA Games in Vietnam.

In 2019, when the country last hosted the SEA Games, Evangelista served as chief deputy to then-head coach Rey Galang as the national team clinched another silver medal in front of the home crowd.

The Orange County Convention Center has been hosting the AAU volleyball tournament in Orlando.

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has been holding the annual AAU Junior Volleyball National Championships since June 13th and the tournament goes through July 7, 2025 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). The 24-day event is expected to bring approximately $825.5 million in economic impact to Central Florida this year based on 325,500 estimated attendees.

The girls’ tournament was held ?rst, from June 13th-June 28th, with divisions from 10U to 18U. The boys’ tournament begins shortly after the completion of the girls’ divisions, from June 30th-July 7th with divisions from 12U to 18U.

The 2024 event was the largest sporting event ever held at the OCCC and has held the Guiness Book of World Records mark for the largest volleyball event in the world since 2012 – 2025’s event is set to break these records yet again. A total of 6,515 teams (5,063 girls and 1,452 boys), including more than 390 Central Florida teams will travel to Orlando to compete.

“We are so thankful for our community partners when it comes to arranging this event, without Orange County Convention Center, Greater Orlando Sports Commission, and Visit Orlando, we wouldn’t be able to host the premier event for AAU’s largest sport,” said Jo Mirza, AAU President.

Over the course of 24 days, the world’s largest volleyball tournament showcases more than athletes and coaches traveling from every corner of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to represent their team at the 52nd AAU Girls’ and Boys’ Junior National Volleyball Championships.

According to Visit Orlando, in 2024, the 51st AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships brought over $760 million in economic impact to Central Florida. With 2025 bringing in hundreds of new teams, the event is expected to bring in even more in economic impact. Since 2017, this preeminent AAU event has been recognized as an eight-time consecutive Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Magazine and has been inducted into their “Hall of Fame” category. The event has also been awarded as one of 2025’s Most Anticipated Sporting Events to Watch by SportsEvents Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

“Our continued partnership with AAU is testament to the success and record-breaking growth of this international youth sporting event,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As the largest annual event at the Center, we are honored to host this dynamic tournament and look forward to welcoming athletes and guests from around the world. AAU’s ongoing trust and con?dence in our facility allows us to showcase our world-class venue and best-in-class service.”

Beyond the court, the AAU partnered with Side-Out Foundation as a part of the AAU Cares initiative to raise money for breast cancer research through “Dig Pink” campaigns. All participants are encouraged to wear pink during the event to show support.