Sarah Nigbor

By Sarah Nigbor

Friday was a bit surreal. My oldest son graduated from high school, a day many parents both anticipate with excitement because their child made it through 13+ years of school and dread because it’s the end of an era.

As he marched across the stage to receive his diploma, it wasn’t my life that flashed before my eyes but moments from his. Singing at the Pierce County Fair talent show. Sledding down the hill by St. John’s Lutheran Church. Attending plays at the Stagehands Theatre. Building Boy Scout derby cars with him. Having a heart attack when he fell out of a tree. Watching him beam with pride when he harvested his first deer. Talking him out of thinking his first vehicle was going to be a Ferrari (dream on).

I met Ethan when he was 8 years old. I’ve been his stepmother now for close to eight years and it has been one of the highlights of my life. He is one of the kindest, most even-keeled, level-headed kids I know. His singing voice, acting ability and piano playing skills are out of this world. I am so excited to see where life takes him next.

Ethan has decided to attend college at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to pursue a double major in music education and business. While I wish it wasn’t so far away, I’m excited for him. It’s weird to think of him being out on his own, away from home, beginning his own life. While I’m happy and sad, my husband is utterly devastated. Ethan is his first-born and they’re very close. They hunt and fish together, watch sports on TV (is the NBA season ever going to end??), scratch lottery tickets, do yard work. He’s having a very hard time accepting the fact that Ethan is going to leave the nest. Our other kids will soon follow, because they’re like stair steps, one after the other. Shane is not taking this transition well.

Don’t get me wrong, I love our children with my entire heart and would do anything for them. But I’m excited for the next phase in life. There are many, many things I will miss and cherish. And I know motherhood doesn’t end just because they turn 18, nor would I want it to. But I must say, it will be nice not having to wake children up for school someday and wrestle them out of their beds. Teens are not nice people in the morning; they’re like different creatures who lack the ability to speak and just grunt. It will be nice to go on a vacation in the summer that doesn’t involve youth sports tournaments. I dream about the day I don’t have to nag kids to pick up their dirty clothes, dishes, wrappers, etc. What will it be like to return home to find a clean house and a full fridge? Bliss, I tell you. All kidding aside, I will miss them dearly when they all go off on their own. But isn’t that the point? To raise respectable, contributing members of society who create lives of their own?

As we figure out how to navigate this next chapter, I’m urging my husband to enjoy all the moments he can but not to clutch his little bird too tightly when he needs to fly. Our little birdie is welcome to come home any time he wants, even with loads of dirty laundry. I just pray he learns to put it in a hamper.

With Jayson Tatum, one of the franchise’s cornerstones expected to miss most, if not all, of next season recovering from a surgically repaired rupture of his right Achilles’ tendon, the Celtics have an increased sense of urgency to retool their roster, replenish their youth through the draft, and make trades to acquire prospects who could flourish in the Boston system.

Brad Stevens spent an exorbitant amount of money to compile a roster built to win a championship and accomplished the mission. But with Tatum’s injury — and the second apron looming over the new ownership group that will result in hundreds of millions in luxury taxes — the Celtics’ president of basketball operations will have to devise a new way to compile a title contender.

The Pacers, who have a 3-1 series lead over the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, were put together through shrewd trades, including one with the Celtics, and a couple of draft picks that scored big.

The Pacers have the 22nd most expensive payroll out of 30 NBA teams. That’s because they acquired Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam through trade and signed both to lucrative extensions.

Both players make the identical amount for the next three seasons and general manager Kevin Pritchard has surrounded his two cornerstones with quality young players who are on value contracts.

Let’s take Aaron Nesmith, who was acquired in the deal for Malcolm Brogdon. In his two years with the Celtics, Nesmith was erratic and at times over his head, but he has developed into a staunch defender and premium 3-point shooter in his three seasons in Indiana. The Pacers signed him to a manageable three-year, $33 million rookie extension that makes him one of the league’s biggest bargains.

The Pacers also drafted crafty scorer Andrew Nembhard in 2022 (No. 31) and signed him to a four-year contract a month later. A few months after revealing himself to be the Pacers’ best player on the floor in last year’s Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics, Indiana signed Nembhard to a three-year, $58.65 million extension.

Again, this is a bargain. As much as $20 million per season appears expensive, it no longer is in today’s NBA. It’s a tradeable contract. Longtime Pacer Myles Turner is in the final year of his contract at $19 million per year and most certainly will ask for a raise in his next negotiation.

That means he’s likely to leave the Pacers because they’ll have to absorb the $16 million bump in salary for Nembhard. Indiana also was able to draft Ben Sheppard as a late first-rounder, plus acquire prospects Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy as development projects for the long term.

In order for the Celtics to stay under the second apron of the salary cap and avoid considerable luxury taxes, they’re going to have to add cheaper young talent on rookie contracts and less-than-max rookie extensions. The perfect example is Payton Pritchard, who signed a four-year, $30 million extension after the 2022-23 season and is one of the league’s biggest bargains coming off a Sixth Man of the Year.

With a late first-round pick and early second-rounder, the Celtics have a great opportunity to bring in two prospects on a lower-rookie contract. There are two players to watch with those two picks — Stanford center Maxime Raynaud, a 7-foot-1-inch floor-stretching center and rim protector from Paris, who is rising on the draft boards, and Cedric Coward, a former Washington State standout who was originally set to transfer to Duke but decided to remain in the draft.

Coward, a 6-6 wing who shot 38.8 percent from the 3-point line as a sophomore at Eastern Washington, has worked himself into the first round after missing most of last season with a torn labrum in his shoulder. The Celtics have been working out draft prospects for weeks and there’s a possibility they could use their two picks to move up in the first round for a desired target.

That 32nd pick, acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis deal with the Wizards, could be a valuable chip because the Celtics could sign that pick to a four-year deal that won’t count against the salary cap until after the pick’s rookie season. The Celtics will also rely on players such as Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh to become contributors.

NBA teams don’t need to shatter the salary cap in order to compete, but the new collective bargaining agreement restrictions make it more difficult to sustain winning teams without some good fortune and foresight.

The Pacers and Thunder have built teams with resourceful management, landing on draft picks and strong chemistry. The Celtics are capable of constructing their roster the very same way.

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.

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Have we hit our breaking point with travel sports admission prices or shall they go higher? 

A year after parents complained about $45 weekend passes to a travel basketball tournament in Lexington, Kentucky, prices have officially gone up to watch youth basketball across the United States. 

Two weeks ago at the New Balance P32 tournament in Dallas, parents were charged $40 PER DAY to see their kids play in one of seven P32 tournaments on the spring circuit. Based on the $90 per person weekend price tag, parents would invest $630 each to attend all seven legs of the circuit. 

To be fair, it’s unclear if admission prices are the same at each league stop. 

HOW MUCH IS IT TO GET INTO TRAVEL SPORTS TOURNAMENTS YOU ATTEND?

EMAIL: JOE.KINSEY@OUTKICK.COM

What’s clear is that a growing number of parents are worn out by skyrocketing prices that are feeling more and more like money grabs. 

“What’s worse is almost every team played a singular Friday game to ensure that families would pay $90 for the weekend as opposed to paying $80 for 2 days. The hustle was strong,” one basketball dad reported. 

That also means another night in a hotel, which, the same basketball dad said is also a racket around these tournaments. 

“[W]ent to a tourney on Rockford Ill and paid $200 a night for a 3rd tier hotel that generally rents rooms for $95-$100 a night. Price gouging at its finest,” the basketball dad added. 

But, at least the kids have a great time, get exposure to college coaches and win a dumb ring, right?

Not at all of these tournaments. 

“Won a Made Hoops Tournament in St. Louis a couple weeks ago. Fees were similar. Kids didn’t get a ring, medal, shirt, backpack. Not a Damn Thing!” another dad chimed in. 

Shall we keep going?

“Ohio Basketball in Louisville this weekend charged $11 per ticket for paying by card at the door. PER,” the dad wrote. “Unadvertised,” he added. 

What about parking?

Yep, these tournaments are also hosing parents to park the Suburban. “Paid the same for the Adidas circuit this weekend in CA. Insult to injury I also paid $20 to park at the facility,” a dad replied in response to the P32 prices. 

Per day parking prices? It’s unclear, but you have to figure they’re hitting up parents for $20 per day. Why not? It’s not like they’re going to say no. 

What was the big draw at the New Balance P32 circuit stop?

Besides parents watching their kids who will be playing NAIA basketball? 

Tennessee’s Gatorade Player of the Year, Jonathan Sanderson, was at the Dallas event. Based on what the experts are saying, he’s already a big-time recruit, but is it worth $40 to see him play pickup basketball against a bunch of other guys who are just there to impress college scouts? 

Not to me. 

The ER at Damonte Ranch, an extension of Northern Nevada Medical Center, is offering two free sports physical clinics for children and Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) athletes for the 2025–2026 school year.

The clinics are intended to fulfill the required pre-participation sports physicals.

The events will take place on Saturday, May 31, and Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the ER at Damonte Ranch, located at 1041 Steamboat Parkway in Reno, next to the south Reno Safeway and RC Willey.

The clinics will provide NIAA sports physical forms.

Attendees are asked to bring any additional forms required by their specific school or community teams.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The governing board for California high school sports is changing its competition rules at this weekend’s state track-and-field championships to allow more girls to take part amid controversy over the participation of a trans student-athlete.

The California Interscholastic Federation said it was extending access for more “biological female” athletes to participate in the championship meet. The group announced the change Tuesday after President Donald Trump posted on his social media site about the participation of a trans athlete in the competition.

“Under this pilot entry process, any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section’s automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships,” the federation said in a statement. “The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes.”

The move comes amid a nationwide battle over the rights of transgender youth in which states have limited transgender girls from participating on girls sports teams, barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors and required parents to be notified if a child changes their pronouns at school. At least 24 states have laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some of the policies have been blocked in court.

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 didn’t specify whether the change applies to all events or only events where a trans athlete has qualified for the final. The change only applies to this weekend’s competition. The organization didn’t say how many students will be affected by the change.

The rule change may be the first attempt nationally by a high school sports governing body to expand competition when trans athletes are participating.

Trump threat to withdraw federal funding

Trump threatened Tuesday to pull federal funding in California if the state did not bar trans students from participating in girls sports. The post referenced AB Hernandez, a trans athlete who is scheduled to compete in the girls varsity triple jump, high jump and long jump in the state finals. She won the Division 3 girls long jump and girls triple jump and placed seventh in the high jump at the Southern Section Division Finals on May 19, according to CIF results.

“THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also criticized Maine’s Democratic governor after she said the state would take the president to court over his effort to keep trans girls from competing in girls sports.

The Trump administration launched an investigation earlier this year over a California law that says districts can’t force teachers and staff to notify parents if a student changes their gender identity at school.

Newsom praises change

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently said on his podcast that it’s “deeply unfair” for transgender girls to participate in girls sports. Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator and podcast guest, referenced Hernandez when asking Newsom about the issue.

Trump said he planned to talk to Newsom about it Tuesday. The governor’s office did not confirm the call but said the California Interscholastic Federation rule change was a “thoughtful approach.”

“CIF’s proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,” Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon said.

Sophia Lorey with the conservative California Family Council, which has protested Hernandez competing in girls sports, said the rule change was “damage control.”

“Girls who were unfairly eliminated are suddenly back in for State this weekend,” Lorey said. “This is a step in the right direction, but let’s be real: this never should’ve happened. Boys don’t belong in girls sports.”

Democratic state lawmakers blocked bills last month that would have barred transgender girls from participating in girls sports.

Equality California, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, said the Trump administration was “bullying a child” and called on CIF to uphold its “inclusive, evidence-based policies.”

“Our community is watching, and we are counting on the CIF to uphold its policies, adhere to California law, protect its athletes, and reaffirm that everyone deserves to compete safely and authentically,” the group said in a joint statement with several other organizations.

Athletes’ and district’s responses

Parents and conservative advocates opposed to transgender girls competing in girls sports have criticized Hernandez’s participation and heckled her during postseason meets.

After losing to Hernandez in long jump at the sectional final, student Katie McGuinness urged the CIF to change its policy during an interview on Fox News.

“I have nothing against this athlete as a person and I have nothing against the trans community,” McGuinness said. “My message today is really specifically to CIF and for them to act quickly and in a timely manner, because this is a really time-sensitive issue.”

Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month in response to verbal attacks from adults that “there’s nothing I can do about people’s actions,” so she is focused on what she can control.

“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.

In an email, Hernandez’s mother declined to comment on Tuesday’s rule change.

The Jurupa Unified School District, which includes Hernandez’s high school in Southern California, said it would continue to follow state law allowing trans student-athletes to compete on sports teams that align with their gender identity.

Associated Press journalists Janie Har in San Francisco and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed.

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