Little League® International is pleased to announce six new members joining its Advisory Board following its fall board meeting in October 2025. Joining the board to represent the leagues within their respective regions will be Mike Gentile, Vanessa Hayes, Ben Gordon, Michele Kirk, Tony Salas, and Alberto Ocon.
As part of the election, these new members will replace the current field members whose terms have concluded: Michael Brooker (East), Bobbie Brown (Southwest), Chet Cooper (Central), Bob Sherrill (Southeast), and Roland Slade (West), Urny Floran (Latin America), and Pam Stanley (Southwest).
“As a volunteer-based youth sports organization trusted by millions of families across the world, the Little League International Advisory Board does the hard work of helping our entire team at Little League hear the feedback, new ideas, and concerns of our volunteers from those who experience it firsthand. It is a role that only a limited number of volunteers are given the opportunity to fill during their time in the Little League program,” said Pat Wilson, Little League President and Chief Executive Officer. “Thank you to Michael Booker, Bobbie Brown, Chet Cooper, Bob Sherrill, Roland Shade, Urny Floran, and Pam Stanley for their years on the advisory board and for their commitment to the leagues and communities in their regions. We are excited to welcome the six newest members to the board, who we are confident will represent their regions with Little League’s core values and mission in mind.”
Meet the six newest members appointed to the Little League International Advisory Board:
Mike Gentile (East Region) – New York District 10
After his playing days with North Utica (N.Y.) Little League (now Utica LL) came to an end, Mike Gentile remained active in the Little League program alongside his father, who served as League President. At 14 years old, Gentile ran his first tournament and began his long career of coaching and leadership within the league. After graduating from the State University of New York at Potsdam, Gentile returned to Utica and stepped into the role of League President. Since then, he has also served as Safety Office for New York District 10, was elected District Administrator (a position he has held for five years), and founded the District 10 Little League Challenger Division. A lifelong resident of Utica, Gentile’s career began as a music teacher in the Utica City School District and continues to perform and advocate for arts and music in the community. Today, he is the current Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Utica and represents North Utica as Oneida County Legislator for the 23rd District.
Vanessa Hayes (East Region) – New Hampshire District 1
In her third year as New Hampshire District 1 Administrator, Vanessa Hayes brings a variety of Little League experience to the table. Hayes joined the Little League program first as a volunteer coach when her son signed up for his first year of Tee Ball. Since then, she has served as League Concessions Manager, League Secretary, and as League President. Outside of Little League, Hayes is an active member of her community, serving on the local school board and helping with the high school soccer boosters. Hayes also spent six years as a volunteer and committee chair of the local Cub Scout program. A graduate of South New Hampshire University, Hayes earned her bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in organizational leadership and currently works in the insurance industry.
Ben Gordon (Central Region) – Elgin (Ill.) National Little League
Before stepping into his role as the current League President of Elgin (Ill.) National Little League, Ben Gordon served in multiple roles, including Information Officer and Marketing Director. In his leadership role, Gordon is committed to finding new ways to grow both the baseball and softball programs, including hosting multiple events throughout the season to promote the program in the community. Outside of Little League, Gordon is a Data Analyst for the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Michele Kirk (Southeast Region) – Florida District 5 Administrator
Starting her Little League career as a fan in the stands supporting her four children, Michele Kirk started asking questions about the league and making suggestions about its operations. These conversations led to Kirk joining the local league board, getting more and more involved each year. When the Florida District 5 secretary position opened, she stepped up to the plate, filling the vacancy. In 2015, Kirk was elected District Administrator, where she has remained for 11 years. In her leadership role, Kirk is forward-thinking, focusing on new and different ways to operate and assist leagues in her district, and looks for ways to challenge the standard ways to help grow programs.
Tony Salas (Southwest Region) – Northside National Little League (Houston, Texas)
Currently serving as the League President for Northside National Little League, a program within the Little League Urban Initiative in Houston, Texas, Tony Salas is committed to expanding opportunities and increasing accessibility for the youth athletes in his community. Focused on continuing to provide fun and memorable tournament-style experiences to his Little Leaguers®, Salas and Northside National LL serve as a host for the annual Little League Urban Initiative Jamborees in the Southwest Region. Connecting the youth athletes to professional superstars, Salas has also maintained a strong relationship with the Houston Astros. Outside of Little League, Salas enjoys spending time with his kids and watching his daughter’s college softball games.
Alberto Ocon (West Region) – South Pasadena (Calif.) Little League
A former Little Leaguer and junior umpire, Alberto Ocon returned to the program as a fan and volunteer when his two kids – Olivia and Phillip – signed up to play Tee Ball. In 2014, Ocon took on his first leadership role within the league, serving as League Treasurer, before he was elected League President in 2017. In both roles, his appreciation for the dedication of South Pasadena LL’s volunteers and the life lessons the Little Leaguers take away from the field after every game and practice continues to drive his commitment to the program. Outside of Little League, Ocon works professionally as an insurance broker/agent and is active in his community.
About Little League® International Advisory Board
The Little League® International Advisory Board provides counsel and recommendations to the Little League Baseball and Softball staff and senior management. Each board member serves a four-year term. The 12-member board provides input, perspective, and opinion on current aspects of the Little League program and proposed new initiatives, all for the purpose of maintaining Little League Baseball and Softball as the world’s leader in the youth sports arena.
Little League considers the input of the Advisory Board as vital in providing an effective program to ensure that all participants, parents, and volunteers have a rewarding and enriching Little League experience. Board members are current and former District Administrators (D.A.s), Assistant District Administrators (A.D.A.s), and other volunteers whose many years of experience at the local level of Little League operations are highly valued by Little League International.
About Little League®
Founded in 1939, Little League® is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with approximately two million players (ages 4-16) playing baseball and softball in communities across every U.S. state and more than 80 other countries. Operated by more than one million volunteers, Little League believes in the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger individuals and communities. From professional athletes and award-winning celebrities, to public officials and other influential members of society, Little League graduates have taken the lessons they learned, both on and off the field, to create the next chapter of the Little League story. Each year, millions of people follow the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that Little Leaguers® display at our seven baseball and softball World Series events, the premier tournaments in youth sports. For more information, visit LittleLeague.org, and follow Little League (@LittleLeague) on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. When we all come together, we are truly One Team.One Little League.
It’s been more than six and a half years since Madrid signed a player over 25 years old as an established star for a significant transfer fee. Players like AntonioRüdiger (2022), DavidAlaba (2021), KylianMbappé (2024), and Trent Alexander-Arnold (2025) arrived either on free transfers or, in Trent’s case, for a fee paid to Liverpool to secure his early participation in the Club World Cup. Joselu also joined in 2023 for €2 million in a low-cost deal, but it wasn’t considered a major market move.
Season after season since 2019, Real Madrid has focused on youth. The idea is simple: invest in young talent and give the club a decade to mold the squad, while amortizing transfer costs over time. Signing fully developed stars has become rare. In the 2019-2020 season, Hazard, Mendy, and Jovic arrived. Jovic, though young, failed to live up to the early promise.
The player profile Real Madrid are chasing
Players like Camavinga, Tchouaméni, Bellingham, Güler, Endrick, Huijsen, and Carreras all fit the club’s ideal profile, and Dutch midfielder Kees Smit is no exception. He turns 20 on January 20, with his entire career ahead of him. Madrid’s potential move for the AZ Alkmaar starlet would fall far short of the triple-digit fees seen for players like Vitinha or Alexis McAllister, yet he offers the creativity the club believes is crucial for the future.
The strategy at Valdebebas hasn’t changed: stability on and off the field comes from signing young players who can wear the Real Madrid jersey for a decade. Three La Liga titles since 2019, two Champions League trophies, a Copa del Rey, multiple Spanish and European Super Cups, and Club World Cups all reinforce the wisdom of this approach.
LaLiga giants favor youth over experience
Still, Real Madrid faces a challenge heading into next season: reclaiming the midfield spark that has been fading over time. The plan remains to bring in young talent, though there is ongoing debate about whether experience and proven quality should play a role. For now, youth wins, and Kees Smit is at the top of the list.
Former Real Madrid academy player Chema Andrés has excelled with Stuttgart in Germany and has been tipped to return.DeFodi Images
Madrid look to the academy
The same philosophy applies to the center-back position. Recent signings have either come from the academy or arrived on free transfers. Homegrown players like Jacobo Ramón at Como, Joan Martínez in Castilla training with the first team, and others such as Victor Valdepeñas – who has already debuted as a left-back – Diego Aguado, and Mario Rivas are being closely monitored.
Chema Andrésis another example, excelling in an accelerated development program in Stuttgart. Gonzalo García’s progress also suggests a path for non-defender academy players to join the first team exists. The door is open for the next generation.
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Cypress players and coaches after winning the tournament championship Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Cypress basketball).
Cypress High School’s boys basketball team won the Governor’s Division at the Torrey Pines Tournament defeating Poway 83-73 Tuesday night.
The Centurions’ Ryan Gov earned MVP honors scoring 32 points and hitting three 3-pointers in the final. Gavin Kroll had 17 points and three 3-pointers. Ethan Mai played tough defense and finished with 10 points, according to Coach Derek Mitchell.
“I’m proud of the way our team competed on the defensive end all tournament,” Mitchell said. “We had a lot of guys step up and make positive contributions throughout.”
The Centurions begin league play on Friday at Crean Lutheran.
An underdog team that won 10 games for the first time. A quarterback who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Unforgettable victories over a top-10 team and a bitter rival. A lifetime of memories from a season for the ages.
To celebrate Vanderbilt football’s epic season, The Tennessean will craft a hardcover collector’s book about the 2025 Commodores. It’s titled “ANCHOR DOWN: How Heisman Finalist Diego Pavia Led Vanderbilt to its Historic 2025 Season.”
Buy our commemorative Vanderbilt book now!
“ANCHOR DOWN” will chronicle how Vanderbilt, led by Clark Lea on the sidelines and Diego Pavia in the huddle, helped transform a program that hadn’t reached double digits in victories in its history. But the book isn’t just their story. It’s the story of a team that bought in, a staff that never stopped believing and a fan base that finally got to see what Vanderbilt football could become.
From the offensive line that gave Pavia time to work his magic to the defense that held Tennessee to its worst performance of the season, the Commodores proved that when everyone rows in the same direction, historic things happen.
It’s all there: The Heisman pose after stunning 10th-ranked LSU. The 484-yard passing explosion against Kentucky that shattered a record from 1981. The 45-24 demolition of Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, where Vanderbilt rushed for 314 yards and left orange-clad fans heading for the exits by the fourth quarter.
“ANCHOR DOWN” will be packed with exclusive photography, behind-the-scenes access and game-by-game coverage from the award-winning journalists at The Tennessean.
“ANCHOR DOWN” retails for $39.95 but order now for a 10% discount. (That’s $35.95, plus tax and shipping.)
Whether you’ve been a Vanderbilt fan for decades or just arrived for the greatest season in program history, this book belongs on your coffee table, your memories preserved in hardcover. Or give “ANCHOR DOWN” as the perfect gift — for a birthday, graduation, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and a belated holiday gift. Order at Vanderbilt.PictorialBook.com.
Buy our Vanderbilt book as a gift!
Exclusive page print: Hang 10 Vandy-style
After Vanderbilt routed Tennessee in the final game of the regular season, The Tennessean turned the front page of its Sports section into a commemorative page print. It features VANDY AT 10 as its big headline and a stunning photo of the celebration after the 45-24 victory.
Copies of this page are available for $27 (plus tax and shipping) and come in a variety of sizes and formats through the USA TODAY Store. Go to usatodaystore.com and search “Vanderbilt.”
Don’t miss your chance to own this piece of Vandy history!
Buy our Vanderbilt commemorative page print!
Contact Gene Myers at gmyers@usatodayco.com. Check out books and page prints from theUSA TODAY Network— including books on 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, a kid’s guide to the Winter Olympics, Dale Earnhardt’s legacy and Coach Steve’s guide to surviving youth sports.
In response to the article “Youth tennis players ask for first call for courts” (CVN, Vol. 32 No. 14).
I strongly support court time for our youth. The importance of “sports” (and the arts) for our youth in our community is very important for a healthy community.
Ron Mousouris is an asset to our community. We are fortunate he has been instructing tennis to our kids in our community for years. Several kids I know have gotten college scholarships through high school tennis. It keeps our kids engaged in a healthy sport… the more positive opportunities our youth has the better!
We obviously need more pickleball courts. I would be happy to be on a committee working with the city of Carpinteria to locate an open space to locate more courts and possibly more tennis courts?
A new year, the same routine for our Youth teams, who will be back in action in around ten days’ time, once the festive period is fully behind them, to resume their competitive activity. January brings a number of interesting and demanding fixtures, providing further opportunities to continue their consistent development.
The Women’s Primavera, who closed out 2025 with a run of excellent results, will begin the new year with the second derby of the season, following the Coppa Italia meeting, on Sunday 11 January at the PUMA House of Football. It will be the only home fixture of the month for Zago’s team, who will then face away trips to Parma, on the same weekend as the First Team, and Roma.
The new year also begins on the road for the Under-18s, who will be in action away to Sassuolo around the Epiphany. Their first home fixture will be against Frosinone, in a month that also includes two all-Lombardy fixtures: an away match against Monza and a home game with Cremonese, which will also mark the opening round of the second half of the season.
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Cremonese, away, will also be the first opponents of 2026 for our Under-17s, whose first home fixture will come on the weekend of 17–18 January against Atalanta. One date to circle towards the end of the month is the derby away to Inter, on the same weekend that, with venues reversed, will see AC Milan v Inter for the Primavera. Shared paths, with the same fixture calendar, await the men’s Under-16s and Under-15s: they begin at home against Padova, in a month that will also feature a double away trip to face Cremonese.
Match Kits, clothing, accessories, gift ideas and much more: visit the AC Milan online Store!
The second Tennessee Young Sportsman Deer Hunt will be held Jan. 10–11, officially wrapping up the 2025–26 deer season. The regular statewide season ends the weekend before, on Sunday, Jan. 4.
Youth ages 6-16 may participate in the Young Sportsman Deer Hunt using a gun, muzzleloader, or archery equipment. Young sportsmen must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, 21 or older, who must remain in position to take immediate control of the hunting device. The adult must also comply with the fluorescent orange/pink regulations as specified for legal hunters. A single qualifying adult may accompany multiple youth.
Youth ages 6-9 are not required to have a license or hunter’s education certification. Youth ages 10-12 must meet hunter education requirements or have an apprentice license. In addition to the requirements for youth 10-12, youth 13-15 must have a junior hunting license, and 16-year-olds must have the appropriate adult licenses.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency recommends that all hunters obtain a 2025-26 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide lists license requirements, seasons, and bag limits for each of the six deer management units. The guide is available on the TWRA website, the TWRA App, and at locations where hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is responsible for protecting, managing, and conserving fish and wildlife species for the benefit of Tennesseans and visitors. The Agency also maintains public safety through law enforcement and safety education on waterways.
