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Santa Clara City Council Approves New Fees for Youth Sports Fields – Santa Clara News Online

By Robert Haugh In a bid to recover operational costs, the Santa Clara City Council voted 6-1 to approve new fees for youth sports field use. The move comes as demand for sports facilities grows, stretching the City’s budget. City Councilmember Kevin Park was the lone no vote. For years, the City offered free field […]

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By Robert Haugh

In a bid to recover operational costs, the Santa Clara City Council voted 6-1 to approve new fees for youth sports field use. The move comes as demand for sports facilities grows, stretching the City’s budget.

City Councilmember Kevin Park was the lone no vote.

For years, the City offered free field access to youth sports groups. But as maintenance and staffing costs increased, that model became unsustainable according to City staff. 

The City’s solution: start charging fees for field use permits, a policy first rolled out in Fall 2022.

The Council’s decision follows months of meetings with local sports groups. Discussions centered on safety, facility conditions, and funding options like the Wade Brummal Scholarship Program. 

In response, the City waived fees for nonprofit youth groups in Fall 2024, but now, the new fees will take effect starting July 1, 2025.

The new system prioritizes resident youth organizations, ensuring they get first dibs on fields. 

Commercial groups and non-residents will face higher fees. 

The goal: keep fields accessible for local youth while covering the costs of maintenance and upgrades.

The City’s process is a lot different than the Santa Clara Unified School District’s (SCUSD) roll out of their facility master plan earlier this year.  

SCUSD caused a community uproar when they threatened to pave over some Westside Little League fields.  



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Long Beach Poly vs. Warren, CIF Softball Championship – The562.org

Boys’ Soccer: Millikan Three-Peats As Moore League Champions The562’s coverage of high school soccer is sponsored by Long Beach FC. The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial. There was something very business like about Millikan boys’ soccer on Friday night when the Rams hosted Long Beach Poly. It makes sense that […]

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AB Hernandez wins 2 events at California track and field finals

A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championship to take home gold in the girls high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention.AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that may be the first of its kind […]

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A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championship to take home gold in the girls high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention.AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. California’s governing body changed the rules ahead of the meet to allow more girls to compete and medal in events in which Hernandez competed.Hernandez finished the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches (1.7 meters), with no failed attempts. Co-winners Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle also cleared that height after each logged a failed attempt. The three shared the first-place win, smiling as they stepped together onto the podium.Hernandez wrapped up the night with a first place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher who trailed by just over a half-meter. Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez placed second in the long jump with Brooke White of River City in West Sacramento.“Sharing the podium was nothing but an honor,” White said. “As a part of the queer community I want AB Hernandez to know we all have her back.”Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters). This year’s winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet (6.40 meters), with Hernandez trailing by a few inches.The California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez’s success heading into the championships. Under the policy, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified.The two-day championship kicked off Friday in sweltering heat at a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached the triple digits during Saturday’s finals.The atmosphere was relatively quiet despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Some critics wore pink bracelets and T-shirts that read, “Save Girls’ Sports.”During Friday’s qualifying events, an aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: “No Boys in Girls’ Sports!” Two groups that oppose transgender athletes participating in women’s sports — the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and Women Are Real — took credit for flying the banner.California at center of national debateThe federation’s rule change reflected efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls’ participation in youth sports.“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change.A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The federation said it decided on the change before then.The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the federation and the district that includes Hernandez’s high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law.California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.The federation said the rule opens the field to more “biological female” athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for “biological female” athletes but not for other trans athletes.The federation did not specify how it defines “biological female” or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.Sophia Lorey, outreach director with California Family Council, was among those at the stadium Saturday. She said the federation’s policy is not a fix for the issue and only ends up causing more confusion.“At the end of the day,” Lorey said, “it shows the girls that we know this is wrong and we’re still letting it happen to you.”Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main this month that she cannot worry about critics.“I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,” she said.Other students break recordsCalifornia’s championship stands out from that of other states because of the sheer number of competitors. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.The boys 100-meter heats also were a highlight, with junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finishing in 10.01 seconds Friday, 0.19 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. But he fell just shy of making it count as a meet record with a final time of 10.27 seconds in Saturday’s final.Athletes set new meet records in several events, including boys and girls relay races, hurdle competitions and the boys pole vault.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel–KCRA 3’s Sarah McGrew contributed to this report.

A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championship to take home gold in the girls high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention.

AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. California’s governing body changed the rules ahead of the meet to allow more girls to compete and medal in events in which Hernandez competed.

Hernandez finished the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches (1.7 meters), with no failed attempts. Co-winners Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle also cleared that height after each logged a failed attempt. The three shared the first-place win, smiling as they stepped together onto the podium.

Hernandez wrapped up the night with a first place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher who trailed by just over a half-meter. Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez placed second in the long jump with Brooke White of River City in West Sacramento.

“Sharing the podium was nothing but an honor,” White said. “As a part of the queer community I want AB Hernandez to know we all have her back.”

Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters). This year’s winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet (6.40 meters), with Hernandez trailing by a few inches.

The California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez’s success heading into the championships. Under the policy, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified.

The two-day championship kicked off Friday in sweltering heat at a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached the triple digits during Saturday’s finals.

The atmosphere was relatively quiet despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Some critics wore pink bracelets and T-shirts that read, “Save Girls’ Sports.”

During Friday’s qualifying events, an aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: “No Boys in Girls’ Sports!” Two groups that oppose transgender athletes participating in women’s sports — the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and Women Are Real — took credit for flying the banner.

California at center of national debate

The federation’s rule change reflected efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls’ participation in youth sports.

“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change.

A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.

The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The federation said it decided on the change before then.

The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the federation and the district that includes Hernandez’s high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law.

California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

The federation said the rule opens the field to more “biological female” athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for “biological female” athletes but not for other trans athletes.

The federation did not specify how it defines “biological female” or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.

Sophia Lorey, outreach director with California Family Council, was among those at the stadium Saturday. She said the federation’s policy is not a fix for the issue and only ends up causing more confusion.

“At the end of the day,” Lorey said, “it shows the girls that we know this is wrong and we’re still letting it happen to you.”

Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main this month that she cannot worry about critics.

“I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,” she said.

Other students break records

California’s championship stands out from that of other states because of the sheer number of competitors. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The boys 100-meter heats also were a highlight, with junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finishing in 10.01 seconds Friday, 0.19 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. But he fell just shy of making it count as a meet record with a final time of 10.27 seconds in Saturday’s final.

Athletes set new meet records in several events, including boys and girls relay races, hurdle competitions and the boys pole vault.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

–KCRA 3’s Sarah McGrew contributed to this report.



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Trans athlete AB Hernandez wins 2 Calif. H.S. jumping events

CLOVIS, Calif. — A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championships to take home gold in the girls’ high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention. AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that might be the […]

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CLOVIS, Calif. — A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championships to take home gold in the girls’ high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention.

AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that might be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body.

Hernandez finished the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches, with no failed attempts. Co-winners Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle also cleared that height after each logged a failed attempt. The three shared the first-place win, smiling as they stepped together onto the podium.

Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School, wrapped up the night with a first-place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher, who trailed by just over a half-meter.

Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez placed second in the long jump.

Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet. This year’s winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet, with Hernandez trailing by a few inches.

Webster, a senior from Wilson High School, told the Los Angeles Times that she focused only on her performance and didn’t give Hernandez much thought.

“It wasn’t any other person I was worried about,” Webster said. “I knew what I was capable of. I can’t control the uncontrollable.”

The California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez’s success heading into the championships. Under the policy, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified.

The two-day championship kicked off Friday in sweltering heat at a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached the triple digits during Saturday’s finals.

The atmosphere was relatively quiet despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Some critics wore pink bracelets and T-shirts that read, “Save Girls’ Sports.”

During Friday’s qualifying events, an aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: “No Boys in Girls’ Sports!” Two groups that oppose transgender athletes participating in women’s sports — the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and Women Are Real — took credit for flying the banner.

The federation’s rule change reflected efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls’ participation in youth sports.

“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change.

The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans girls from competing on girls’ teams. The federation said it decided on the change before then.

The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the federation and the district that includes Hernandez’s high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law.

California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.



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Homeschool athletes await governor decision on access to school sports | State News

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Country United States of […]

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Service organizations join today for fundraiser for concessions stand at Bullard

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 May 2025 at 3:00 pm Photo by Tom Rivers ALBION – Several service organizations have joined forces today in fundraiser for a new concessions stand at Bullard Park. There will be a beef on weck dinner today from 2 to 8 p.m. at Albion Elks Lodge with tickets at […]

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By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 31 May 2025 at 3:00 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Several service organizations have joined forces today in fundraiser for a new concessions stand at Bullard Park.

There will be a beef on weck dinner today from 2 to 8 p.m. at Albion Elks Lodge with tickets at $15.

Pictured form left include Brett Boring from the Elks Lodge; Dan Conrad from the Exempts Club; Richard Robb, the Elks leading knight and president of the Elks Riders; Ron Albertson of the Lions Club; Geno Allport, president of Albion Youth Sports Athletic Program; Jeff Holler of the Masonic Lodge; and D.J. Moore of AYSAP.

The American Legion, Albion Merchants Association and  Royal Body Shop Ministries also contributed to today’s dinner and fundraising event, which also includes a basket raffle.

Confection Connection and Pretty Sweet Bakery each made 150 chocolate chip cookies as the desserts for the dinner.

Dan Conrad, one of the coordinators for the event, said it was nice to see so many organizations come together for the new concessions stand.

The Albion Youth Sports Athletic Program (AYSAP) is pushing for a two-story building with concessions and storage in the first floor and a second-floor for a press box.

Geno Allport, AYSAP president, said the building is likely $20,000 to $30,000. The concessions stand would be available to be used by other organizations doing events at Bullard, he said.



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California track-and-field championships draw limited protest over trans student’s participation | National News

CLOVIS, Calif. (AP) — California’s high school track-and-field state finals will award one extra medal Saturday in events where a transgender athlete places in the top three, a rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. The new California Interscholastic Federation policy was written in […]

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CLOVIS, Calif. (AP) — California’s high school track-and-field state finals will award one extra medal Saturday in events where a transgender athlete places in the top three, a rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body.

The new California Interscholastic Federation policy was written in response to the success of high school junior AB Hernandez, a trans student who competes in the girls high jump, long jump and triple jump. She led in all three events after preliminaries Friday. The CIF said earlier this week it would let an additional student compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified.

The two-day championship kicked off in the sweltering heat at high school near Fresno. The atmosphere was relatively quiet Friday despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from girls competition leading up to the meet.

There was some pushback Friday. A group of fewer than 10 people gathered outside the stadium ahead of the meet to protest Hernandez’s participation. Some of them wore “Save Girls’ Sports” T-shirts. At one point as Hernandez was attempting a high jump, someone in the stands yelled an insult. An aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour during the events, carrying a banner that read, “No Boys in Girls’ Sports!”

The rest of the night ran smoothly for Hernandez, who finished the triple jump with a mark close to 41 feet (13 meters), nearly 10 inches (25 centimeters) ahead of her closest competitor, San Francisco Bay Area junior Kira Gant Hatcher.

Hernandez also led in the long jump with a mark close to 20 feet (6 meters) to advance to the final. She advanced in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 5 inches (1.7 meters) with ease.

She did not address the press.

California at center of national debate

The CIF rule change reflects efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls’ participation in youth sports.

“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change.

A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.

The federation announced the rule change after Trump threatened this week to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The CIF said it decided on the change before then.

The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the state federation and the district that includes Hernandez’s high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law by allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports.

Some California Republicans also weighed in, with several state lawmakers attending a news conference to criticize the federation for keeping Hernandez in the competition and a Republican gubernatorial candidate planning to attend Saturday’s finals.

California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

The federation said the rule would open the field to more “biological female” athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for “biological female” athletes but not for other trans athletes.

The federation did not specify how they define “biological female” or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.

Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn’t worry about critics.

“I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,” she said.

Another student breaks a record

California’s state championship stands out from that of other states because of the number of competitors athletes are up against to qualify. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters).

The boys 100-meter dash heats were also a highlight Friday. Junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finished in 10.01 seconds, about .2 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. Jefferson’s time won’t count as a record unless he can replicate his results in the final.


Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.





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