LOCAL SPORTS ROUNDUP

The Bruce McNorton Youth Football Clinic returns to Daytona Beach on Friday, June 13 at Derbyshire Sports Complex, 849 Derbyshire Road.

The annual free event takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is open to boys and girls ages 6 to 19 years old.

Participants will learn skills and drills from former pro players and local youth and high school football coaches. There will also be 7-on-7 play.

The clinic is put on by Daytona native Bruce McNorton, who is a former NFL player and former NFL scout.

Registration can be done online at www.DaytonaBeach.gov/Activities.

For more information, contact Terry Johnson at 386-671-or JohnsonTerry@DaytonaBeach.gov. 

May 10—FORT TOTTEN, N.D. — A young nonprofit organization focused on youth sports in a tribal community is doing more than just supporting athletics.

A consultant for the organization said it’s acting much like a parks and recreation department, which larger communities may take for granted.

Dean Duphinais Jr., who also is a founder of Spirit Lake Youth Sports, said the group is not a tribal entity, but is partnering with the tribe on a number of future projects.

“Typical municipalities and cities, you’ve got your parks and rec department, they do everything,” he said. “They do the baseball diamonds, they do whatever recreational facilities a community might have. We’re stepping in to act as that development arm of the tribe, developing the community with some of these amenities.”

Spirit Lake Youth Sports (SLYS) is seeing the fruition of a project that will create a base of operations. Work has broken ground on a fieldhouse at the Four Winds High School baseball fields in Fort Totten. The tribe has leased 7.1 acres of land for SLYS to use.

The fieldhouse’s first floor will have a concession stand, bathrooms and storage space, while the second floor is an open concept where the board will have meetings, conduct training and be a spot for staff and a full-time executive director to work. SLYS has also launched a “Build the Spirit” fundraising campaign to outfit the fieldhouse with needed materials, such as computers and furnishings. Duphinais said the goal is about $40,000 to $50,000.

The organization started when Duphinais returned to Fort Totten from California. He had two children around tee-ball age and asked a friend, Justin Yankton, if there was a youth baseball program. It was around the time COVID quarantine restrictions were being lifted, and Yankton said there wasn’t anything being prepared or planned for. The two teamed up to put on a summer baseball program, attracting more than 100 kids.

It was an eye opener, Duphinais said, and with his background in nonprofits, he thought it would be a good idea to create one, build a board of directors and make the group sustainable. Following SLYS filing as a nonprofit, it added the Sunka Wakan Program, which teaches kids how to approach, groom and be comfortable around horses before teaching them how to ride. Sunka Wakan means “Sacred Dog,” which is what the Dakota people called horses when the Spanish brought them over, Duphinais said. The Sunka Wakan Program is run by Duphinais’ father, who also is on the board of directors.

“We’re making some really great strides,” Duphinais said. “We have big plans for the future.”

SLYS has been working with the tribe on other ideas, such as an indoor pool, skate park, splash pad, indoor bubble-style facility, RV park for the tribe’s powwow facility and an indoor riding arena for the horse program. Getting the fieldhouse done on time and on target is the main goal at the moment, Duphinais said.

“The name of the game in the nonprofit world is make good on the things that on our plate. Then, you’re in the good graces and you’re eligible to apply for other things,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking to do.”

Duphinais said he hopes people see SLYS as a development arm of the tribe, more than a sports program. It can do construction and development and get land leases. It is in the process of getting another parcel of 27 acres adjacent to the current 7.1 acres, which is close to the powwow grounds. It could be a recreation corridor, he said, and the 27 acres are planned to be used for a park with walking trails and a possible amphitheater.

Duphinais expressed his thanks to the tribe, community and board members, the majority of the latter being veterans, for supporting SLYS.

“We’ve got solid people, and that’s how we’re able to make things like this happen — by having really good people that care about this community as much as each other does, and are willing to roll up their sleeves and make things happen for the community,” he said.

At the root of the equation, the purpose of sports is to have fun. Throughout the years, however, the purpose for many has become to chase money and fame, not the love of the game. As a result, parents see the money that comes from professional sports and are eager to push their children. Hall-of-Fame forward Charles Barkley has a problem with overbearing parents in youth sports.

Everyone is trying to get a head start in achieving their dreams. In many instances, the parents are dictating the future for their children. Instead of letting their child organically fall in love with a sport, they are pushing it down their throat.

Back in the day, if a child admitted they aspired to become a professional basketball player, their journey began with a basic peewee team. Nowadays, parents are investing in private training with children as young as five years old. Barkley doesn’t believe that is conducive to leading their children to their desired goal.

In a recent episode of The Steam Room podcast, Barkley slammed parents who are overbearing to their kids. The Phoenix Suns legend didn’t hold back in his opinionated take.

“You can’t scream your kid into the NBA or NFL,” Barkley proclaimed.

Before Barkley made this declaration, he brought up an inspiring video he watched on social media not too long ago. In the video, a father consoled his son, who was crying because his team lost. But his father reassured him that the only thing that matters is that he did his best.

That is the energy that more parents need to have. Instead, the common behavior has become parents yelling at referees from the stands. Referees will make mistakes just like everyone else.

These types of parents are ruining sports for children, leading to a toxic environment. Barkley sends a public message to these types of parents, urging them to change the way they act.

“Stop trying to live your life through your kids’ sports,” Barkley said. “Be positive.”

Since high school sports feature plenty of parents yelling at coaches and referees, Barkley doesn’t indulge in going to watch any high school games. He is not a fan of the environment that many parents are normalizing within sport, and taking the joy away from playing the game.

Hopefully, Barkley’s words reach the hearts of those who need them the most. Until that day happens, he won’t become a fan of youth or high school-level sports.

Kristan Fischer – Hanlock

OBITUARY

Kristan Fischer-Hanlock, age 59, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep at her home on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

Kristan was born in Garden Grove, California, as the sixth child of Lois Harmsen Fischer and the late Kenneth Fischer. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Busines Administration and Management Science from Cal Poly in 1985. She was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. At Cal Poly, Kristan met Larry Hanlock. They married on September 1, 1990 and settled in Silicon Valley, where Kristan worked at Apple Computer, Inc.

Kristan paused her professional career to build and raise her family and had daughters Chelsea, Gigi, and Laurel. In 1998, Kristan and her family moved to Santa Cruz, where she and Larry settled. In Santa Cruz, she grew her family and had her son Jack and daughter Olivia. She was dedicated to fostering her children’s academic, athletic, and artistic interests, and she became a familiar face at school programs, youth sports, theater, dance, and events at Holy Cross Church.

In 2006, she returned to the professional work-force and expertly balanced her roles as a manager at both work and home. After two years at Santa Cruz Nutritionals, she rejoined Apple. Kristan was proud of what she accomplished at Apple–and rightfully so. She travelled to China on business, and she managed teams that built hardware like the iPad and software like Face ID. At the time of her passing, Kristan worked as a senior Engineering Program Manager for Apple News and had received awards for her substantial contributions to the company over her 24 years of employment.

Kristan was known for her easy and infectious laugh. She was quick to recognize the need for a celebration and enjoyed planning and hosting both elaborate parties and everyday surprises. She loved board games and competition of all sorts (likely because she always won). She was an amateur sleuth who undertook expansive research projects to answer any questions posed to her. Kristan was endlessly curious and had an eye for design. She took interior design courses at West Valley College and earned certifications in graphic design from Cabrillo College, skills which she put to work making her world beautiful. Kristan was also a dedicated fan of the Golden State Warriors and travelled to Cleveland to witness her team win the NBA finals against the Cavaliers in 2018. While she always enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood or on West Cliff, she recently developed a new passion for high intensity exercise. Kristan and Larry could often be found attending a SPENGA or Club Pilates class.

Throughout her life, Kristan enthusiastically and skillfully took on the role of caregiver and team-leader for her husband and children, her grandchildren, her siblings, her colleagues, her pets, and all those in need of acceptance and support in the communities she helped nurture. Her singular goal was to make those she loved happy. In her last years, Kristan became a grandmother and relished the opportunity to raise a new generation. Though her children had spread across the country, Kristan kept her family close with frequent visits and by sharing constant updates in the family group chat. Her favorite days were spent with her husband, children, grandchildren, and pets all together.

Kristan is survived by loving husband Larry; daughter Chelsea and her partner Benjamin Webb; daughter Gigi and her fiancé Alex Baloff; daughter Laurel and her partner Dylan Limanek; son Jack; daughter Olivia; grandchildren Luna and Lily Limanek; mother Lois; and siblings Mike, Pat, Nancy, and Julie. Her family invites all who knew Kristan to honor her memory by living each day with a joyful spirit and boundless love.

The Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday May 17, 2025 at Holy Cross Catholic Church (126 High Street) in Santa Cruz beginning at 11 a.m.

A vigil ceremony will be on Friday evening May 16, at Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel beginning at 6 p.m. The committal service will follow the funeral mass and conclude at Santa Cruz Memorial Park.

In celebration of Kristan’s life, the family kindly requests guests wear blue attire, a color she cherished.

By WILL GRAVES, AP National Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen hasn’t had the conversation with 7-year-old son Steel yet, but the Pittsburgh Pirates star knows it’s probably coming at some point.

Steel, already playing in a youth baseball league, will probably come home at one point and ask his five-time All-Star father if he can have whatever hot item his teammates might be wearing during a given spring.

McCutchen plans to accommodate Steel up to a point. The oldest of McCutchen’s four children is already rocking an arm sleeve, just the way dad does.

Yet if Steel is hoping his father will spring for a sliding mitt — a padded glove a player can slip over one of their hands to protect it should the hand get stepped on while diving headfirst for a base — he probably shouldn’t get his hopes up.

McCutchen, who has stolen 220 bases at the major league level, has never worn one. And he’s quick to point out the next time the cleat of a fielder mashes his hand will also be the first.

Still, the 38-year-old understands. Once upon a time, he was a 20-something who epitomized baseball cool, from his dreadlocks (long since shorn) to his goatee to his rope chain to the occasional skull cap he wore underneath his batting helmet, all of it designed to accentuate McCutchen’s innate blend of talent and charisma.

“It’s all about the drip,” McCutchen said with a smile.

Even if the “drip” (Gen Z slang for stylish clothes and their accessories) emphasizes fashion over function, particularly when it comes to the gloves — which look a bit like oven mitts — that are becoming just as ubiquitous in the Little Leagues as they are in the major leagues.

Safety and self-expression

Former major leaguer Scott Podsednik (career stolen base total: 309) is credited with “inventing” the sliding mitt during the late stages of his 11-year career.

Tired of having his hand stepped on, Podsednik worked with a hand therapist for a solution. The initial mitts were relatively simple. A 2009 picture of Podsednik sliding into second base shows his left hand covered in what looks like a padded modified batting glove, all wrapped in black to match the trim on his Chicago White Sox uniform.

Things have gotten considerably more intricate over the years. Google “sliding mitt designs” and you’ll find themes ranging from the American flag to an ice cream cone to aliens to a poop emoji ( yes, really ).

Scott McMillen, a lawyer in the Chicago area, had no plans to get into the baseball accessory business. He first took notice of sliding mitts when his son Braydon, then 10, pointed out one of his teammates had one and said basically, “Oh hey dad, wouldn’t it be nice if I had one, too.”

They headed to a local sporting goods store, where McMillen was surprised at the variety available.

That was around 2021. By early 2024, McMillen had launched “ Goat’d,” a specialty baseball accessory company with everything from sliding mitts to batting gloves to arm sleeves to headbands and more, many of them religiously inspired.

Sales during their first full year? Over 1 million units.

“We were surprised at how large the marketplace is,” McMillen said.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been.