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Twins' minor

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The risk simply wasn’t worth it for Carlos Correa. Recognizing the soreness developing in the middle of his back after two days of slipping and sliding in a rock-hard batter’s box at Sutter Health Park, the Twins shortstop elected to sit out the final two contests of a four-game series at […]

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1 month ago

June 6, 2025

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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The risk simply wasn’t worth it for Carlos Correa.

Recognizing the soreness developing in the middle of his back after two days of slipping and sliding in a rock-hard batter’s box at Sutter Health Park, the Twins shortstop elected to sit out the final two contests of a four-game series at the temporary home of the Athletics.

In abandoning Oakland to spend three seasons in the California state capital before they move to a new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip, the A’s made a controversial decision by voluntarily relocating to a Triple-A stadium they’re sharing with a minor-league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

While the refurbished facility’s amenities drew rave reviews from every Twins player interviewed by The Athletic, including Correa, several noted multiple “minor-league” issues with its playing surface.

After playing in West Sacramento and at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the temporary home of the Tampa Bay Rays and spring training facility for the New York Yankees, during their recent three-city road trip, the Twins have a fresh perspective on Major League Baseball’s minor-league issues as the weather heats up.

From Tampa’s oppressive heat and humidity to its poor outfield lighting and short foul poles to a batter’s box in Sacramento multiple players described as akin to hitting on cement and a rigid pitcher’s mound that’s drawn the ire of hurlers across the league, the Twins experienced the full range of challenges these parks present in playing seven away games against the Rays and A’s since May 26.

Correa’s experience with the batter’s box represents one of the bigger hardships Twins players faced during their minor-league adventure.

“It’s the worst box I’ve ever stepped in,” Correa said. “I like (the park). The ball travels very well. The facilities are good. They did it right. The plate is the only problem. … I’m not going to sacrifice two months of my season because of a couple of at-bats here.”

How the clubhouses at the temporary stadiums are arranged isn’t an issue. But the playing conditions are a different story.

In Sacramento, the dirt and the disconnected dugouts create difficulties for the home and visiting players. Both teams’ clubhouses are located beyond the left-field fence at the ballpark, which means players and trainers are often commuting across the field between innings.

Athletics pitcher Luis Severino voiced his frustration with his home stadium last month.

During a typical start, Severino reportedly likes to retreat to the clubhouse between innings to watch film and move around, something he can’t do at Sutter Health Park. This season, Severino, who signed a multiyear contract with the A’s in free agency, has a 0.87 road ERA and a 6.99 ERA at home.

Before their four-game series began Monday, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli joked about how awkward it would be to get ejected, as he did in Seattle on Saturday night. Noting fans described the potential scenario as a walk of shame, Baldelli suggested he’d be worried about how his stride would look with such a long walk.

Still, Baldelli determined that if an ejection occurred, he’d make the most of it.

“It’s the march of triumph,” he said.

After games — and during them — players and coaches must walk across the field to get to the visiting clubhouse at Sutter Health Park. (Dan Hayes / The Athletic)

The batter’s box and mound, which the grounds crew pores over daily to handle a combined 156-game schedule for the Athletics and Triple-A River Cats, have also been heavily criticized for their firmness.

When he pitched in Sacramento on May 24, Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler struggled to dig a hole on the mound in front of the rubber with his foot because of the hard clay used. Wheeler said he couldn’t “get into the dirt to drive” through his pitches, which left him throwing “all arm.”

Wheeler’s phrasing stuck with Twins pitcher Joe Ryan, who wondered aloud if a firm mound played a role in the significant injury suffered by teammate Pablo López this week in Sacramento. Coming off a daytime start in which he pitched in 100-degree temperatures in Tampa, López suffered a Grade 2 teres major muscle strain Tuesday and is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks.

Ryan is perplexed by how a teammate as fit and process-oriented as López — “he spends hours a day (warming up) to go play catch” — could suffer such an injury.

“The first thing I thought of was Wheeler saying, ‘I was all arm when I was here,’” Ryan said. “Does that play into that? Someone was mentioning it. We’re in the big leagues, and we have these amenities for a reason. It’s to get prepared and go inside if you need to for a second. Whatever your routine is, you can’t do that here. You can’t do that in Tampa. As (Lopez’s) teammate, it makes it sting a little bit more. I don’t think Pablo is the kind of guy that’s going to say (the mound was the issue), but I’ll say it.”

During his May 28 start in Tampa, López called a timeout in the first inning for groundskeepers to fix the mound. Ryan also took issue with the mound in Tampa and said it was much different than the one he warmed up on in the bullpen before his start.

“Tampa was a fricking sh– box and they have a massive mound in the bullpen before,” Ryan said. “It’s a huge contrast.”

In Tampa, umpires walk from a portable trailer located outside the ballpark to get into Steinbrenner Field. (Dan Hayes / The Athletic)

According to players, the issues in Tampa, which is scheduled to be used by the Rays for only the 2025 season after Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field last September and caused massive flood damage, include poor outfield lighting, a short porch in right field and short foul poles. The miniature poles likely cost Aaron Judge a home run in an April 20 game, as the ball appeared to be incorrectly ruled foul. Poor lighting seemed to hamper Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach’s ability to track fly balls in a May 26 loss to the Rays.

“I could see better at Tampa at the beginning of the game, and then at night it was really difficult for me,” Larnach said. “(In a regular park), the lights are bright and you see the ball a tad bit better, whether it be in the outfield, at the plate or whatever.”

Lighting doesn’t seem to be an issue at Sutter Health Park, which has a berm beyond the fence in right field with trees that offer fans a unique way to catch a major-league game. But the lack of a third deck in both stadiums allows wind to impact the ball in different ways.

The ball carries extremely well in Sacramento, which Baseball Savant ranks as tops in the majors, tied with the Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards, in Park Factor, meaning it is the most hitter-friendly park in baseball.

Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler hit a three-run homer Monday, a 100.9-mph, 28-degree fly ball, which Ryan and Byron Buxton swore would have been an out at the Twins’ home ballpark, Target Field. However, Buxton also benefited at the plate as the wind turned what likely would have been an out into a two-run double.

Byron Buxton leaps for a ball hit by Lawrence Butler that went over the center-field wall for a home run. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

By comparison, Steinbrenner Field is playing as a neutral venue, according to Baseball Savant’s Park Factor.

“Big-league stadiums, you don’t have the ball dancing like these balls are moving here,” Buxton said of Sacramento. “My double, fly out, wind takes it, almost takes it out, and it’s like, ‘What?’ … (Butler’s) ball, I’m (normally) catching at the warning track.”

Players described the wind in Tampa as swirling and unpredictable. Twins outfielder Willi Castro raced toward the left-field foul line during a May 27 game, only for the wind to spin the ball back into play, well out of his grasp, for a double.

Even the view of left field from the visiting dugout in Tampa is deceiving. From his perch atop the dugout, Baldelli couldn’t see any plays that occurred in left field. The park’s configuration is such that the visiting dugout juts out into the field of play with the left-field foul pole situated about 15 feet behind where Baldelli stands.

“Every ball that’s hit down the left-field line, we think it’s foul by like 100 feet,” Baldelli said. “It looks like it’s foul off the bat, like the hitter’s not even hitting it, and it’s getting blown up, and they’re fair.”

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli’s view from the top step of the visiting dugout at Steinbrenner Field. (Dan Hayes / The Athletic)

Both parks are expected to heat up like a microwave as summer arrives. The heat issues in Tampa are concerning enough that MLB scheduled the Rays away for a 10-game road trip in July and a 12-game road trip to the West Coast in August.

Despite pitching at night in Tampa on May 27, Twins starter Chris Paddack went through four baseball caps and jerseys as well as multiple undershirts. For the teams’ May 28 day game, the temperature was sweltering as Twins players scrambled for minimal shade in the visiting dugout.

“I was sweating a ton right after (batting practice),” Twins infielder Royce Lewis said. “Sweating through batting gloves and stuff. The heat for some guys definitely played a part. To stand out in the sun for hours is depleting.”

Still, it’s not all bad.

Although the layout of the visitors’ locker room, weight room and cafeteria at Steinbrenner Field is unlike almost any other ballpark in the majors, having two batting cages for visiting teams — instead of one, as is usually the case — was lauded by nearly every Twins hitter.

“We’re finding our bearings,” Baldelli said. “We’re finding meeting rooms and weight rooms. It’s not set up where it’s all in one space, like guys are typically used to, but it’s nothing that we can’t get familiar with and figure out.”

Similarly, players raved about the behind-the-scenes setup at Sutter Health Park.

Multimillion-dollar offseason upgrades at the stadium included a renovated visiting clubhouse, a revamped scoreboard and a new playing surface. Though MLB originally wanted the Athletics and River Cats to play on synthetic turf, a decision was made to use real grass. Buxton described the outfield grass as playing faster than the grass at most parks, while Baldelli described the turf as squishy.

Stadium officials plan to re-sod the playing surface in mid-July to help combat dead spots during a stretch where temperatures are expected to soar above 100 degrees.

“It’s the worst box I’ve ever stepped in,” Carlos Correa said of Sutter Health Park. (Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)

As much as each stadium has its drawbacks, nothing compares to Sacramento’s hard dirt, several Twins hitters said. Throughout their four-game series, Twins hitters could be seen slipping in the batter’s box when swinging at pitches.

Correa slipped during his first at-bat Monday (a double) and tried to improve his footing by changing into catcher Ryan Jeffers’ metal spikes. After dealing with plantar fasciitis in each foot over the past two seasons, Correa ditched metal spikes in favor of moldings, comfortable shoes that don’t grip the ground as well. But he quickly rid himself of Jeffers’ spikes because they began to hurt his feet.

Over the next two days, Correa’s back began to hurt. He experienced back issues earlier in his career and could tell the new soreness was in a different location. He believed it was related to slipping in the batter’s box and overcompensating with his back.

To test and confirm his hypothesis, Correa hit on flat ground in the indoor batting cages and felt fine each time. At that point, Correa determined he would sit out the final two games of the series rather than risk a severe back injury.

“The plate here is killing me right now,” Correa said. “It’s very slippery. … For us that play with moldings, it’s a tough time getting grip on the plate, but it’s better than your feet hurting.”

(Top photo of Twins reliever Jonah Bride pitching at Sutter Health Park: Scott Marshall / Associated Press)

Sports

Greece’s men crush Italy 17-11 to advance into water polo semis

Greece’s men’s water polo team has cruised their way into the semi-finals with a dominant 17-11 victory over Italy at the World Water Polo Championship in Singapore. The men’s team dominated in their match with the 2024 runner-up, taking advantage of Matteo Iocchi Gratta’s send-off in the first period to win the quarter-final and book […]

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1 hour ago

July 21, 2025

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Greece’s men’s water polo team has cruised their way into the semi-finals with a dominant 17-11 victory over Italy at the World Water Polo Championship in Singapore.

The men’s team dominated in their match with the 2024 runner-up, taking advantage of Matteo Iocchi Gratta’s send-off in the first period to win the quarter-final and book a ticket against Spain in the semi-finals on Tuesday 22 July.

The win marked an historic moment as both Greece’s men’s and women’s teams reached the semi-finals of the same competition for the first time in the history of the World Aquatic Championships (of which the water polo events are part of).

The men’s team started well, with Kakaris and Nikolaidis winning two penalties in the first few minutes (one of which was converted, and the other seeing Argyropoulos send the ball against the post) and Panagiotis Tzortzatos making consecutive saves.

The Greek team led 3-1 and, at 1.50 minutes before the end of the first quarter, Iocchi Gratta hit Argyropoulos in the head out of phase and the referees, after consulting the video, sent him off.

Playing for four minutes with a numerical advantage, the Greeks had a great opportunity and did not let it go to waste, surging into a 7-1 lead.

The numerical balance was restored, but the Italians seemed helpless to react.

The Greek defence was strong, with Tzortzatos especially standing out with a remarkable 16 saves, and the difference increased even more, with Nikolaidis putting them 9-1 ahead with an impressive 2-meter rebound.

The Italians made a desperate effort to get back into the game, reducing the deficit on various occasions (9-3 and 11-5), but despite the consecutive expulsions and the loss of players with three penalties, the Greek team managed the match well enough without ever being at risk of loss.

The eight minutes (with the typical home team Italy first): 1-6, 1-3, 4-4, 5-4

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Golden State Valkyries, WNBA fans cheer on for all

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2 hours ago

July 21, 2025

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Golden State Valkyries, WNBA fans cheer on for all

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U.S. President Donald Trump has called on the NFL’s Commanders and MLB’s Guardians to revive their former nicknames. “The Washington “Whatever’s” should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social account Sunday. “There is a big clamoring for this. Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 21, 2025

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U.S. President Donald Trump has called on the NFL’s Commanders and MLB’s Guardians to revive their former nicknames.

“The Washington “Whatever’s” should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social account Sunday. “There is a big clamoring for this. Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past. Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!”

Washington and Cleveland have both used their respective nicknames since 2022. From 2020–21, the NFL franchise was known as the Washington Football Team.

Trump has previously spoken publicly about his preference for both the Commanders and Guardians to use their former names.

D.C. Stadium Deal in Trouble?

Roughly five hours after Trump’s first post Sunday, he weighed back in on Truth Social to insinuate that the Commanders’ deal to build a $3.8 billion domed stadium in Washington, D.C., could hinge on a name change.

“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump wrote. “I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone.”

There have already been some political tensions over the Commanders’ plans to build on the grounds of their former home, RFK Stadium. The franchise is seeking more than $1 billion in public funding from the D.C. Council.

Commanders owner Josh Harris had previously thanked Trump for his support in the Commanders striking a deal to build a new $3.8 billion stadium in D.C. In May, Trump hosted the Commanders and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at the White House to announce that the 2027 NFL Draft would be held in Washington, D.C.

Harris has previously said a change back to Washington’s former name wasn’t on the table. However, the franchise is leaning into its past, particularly around the reveal of new retro uniforms that will be used this season, which harken back to the team’s glory days of the 1980s and early 1990s. Washington used the Redskins nickname from 1937 to 2019, and they won Super Bowls in 1982, 1987, and 1991.

Guardians in Trump’s Crosshairs

Trump also added more thoughts about the Guardians in his second post Sunday.

“Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians,” he wrote. “The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn’t understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!”

Matt Dolan is the brother of Guardians chairman and CEO Paul J. Dolan, who has been the franchise’s controlling owner since January 2013. Larry Dolan, Matt and Paul’s father, died in February. Matt Dolan was a Republican member of the Ohio Senate from 2017 to 2024; he made unsuccessful bids for the U.S. Senate in 2022 and 2024.

Guardians president Chris Antonetti released a statement after Trump’s comments. “I understand there are very different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago,” he said. “But it’s a decision we’ve made and we’ve gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and we’re excited about the future that’s in front of us.”

Sports

‘Bagyong Baldo’ ravages PVL On Tour Passi

ILOILO, Philippines — Bagyong Baldo is in the City of Passi Arena. Alyssa Valdez proved once more on why she’s called “The Phenom,” as she made it rain and stuffed the statistical sheet, recording a triple-double performance in the Iloilo leg of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour last Sunday, July 20. Valdez […]

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2 hours ago

July 21, 2025

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ILOILO, Philippines — Bagyong Baldo is in the City of Passi Arena.

Alyssa Valdez proved once more on why she’s called “The Phenom,” as she made it rain and stuffed the statistical sheet, recording a triple-double performance in the Iloilo leg of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour last Sunday, July 20.

Valdez fired 19 points (16 attacks, and three aces), along with 11 excellent digs and 15 excellent receptions to lift the Cool Smashers past Chery Tiggo in four sets.

The 32-year-old volleyball icon expressed her gratitude to the unwavering support of the Ilonggos, especially when Creamline absorbed a shocking loss against ZUS on the first day of the Iloilo leg.

“It’s my first time here in Passi. It’s great that we have our seventh man here also in Iloilo. It’s just so nice that we have lost the last game but the support is still solid on our second game,” she said.

She made an all-around performance and flaunted her defensive side to fill up the absence of Bernadeth Pons, who is with the national beach volleyball team, and Tots Carlos, who has a minor injury.

With “Vintage Valdez” all over in social media, as she showed why she’s referred as the Philippine volleyball icon, the former Ateneo de Manila University stalwart remained humble and credited her teammates.

“With the help of my teammates, and my coaches, hopefully, I’ll be more consistent and prepare more for the upcoming games,” she said while smiling and with satisfaction.

Coming off from back-to-back losses, an unfamiliar territory for Creamline, Valdez shared that the key to win against Chery Tiggo is to re-learn to enjoy volleyball again.

“Honestly, I think one thing that we realized, and we learned is that to enjoy the game and respect the game,” she said.

“We had a lot of lapses, and very specific lapses during our game (against ZUS) so we adjusted,” she added.

Creamline capped the first round with a 3-2 win-loss card.

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Stingers One-Point Loss in Quarter-Final Thriller

In the quarter finals of the World Aquatics Championships, the Australian Women’s Water Polo went down to World Cup champions Greece by one goal in the dying seconds of the game, 8-7. The scores were locked 7-7 with eight seconds left on clock, but the Aussie Stingers inexplicably turned over the ball and Greece managed […]

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2 hours ago

July 21, 2025

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In the quarter finals of the World Aquatics Championships, the Australian Women’s Water Polo went down to World Cup champions Greece by one goal in the dying seconds of the game, 8-7.

The scores were locked 7-7 with eight seconds left on clock, but the Aussie Stingers inexplicably turned over the ball and Greece managed to swim toward the Aussie goal, shooting from outside to beat the buzzer, scoring with two seconds left on the clock.

There were never more than two goals separating the teams throughout the game, and while Greece were able to take narrow leads at the end of the second and third quarters, the momentum had certainly shifted the Aussies’ way in the final quarter.

It was always going to be an emotion-charged game for the two sides, having faced off in the quarter finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics where Australia were able to take the win and go on to win the silver medal. But like Australia, the Greeks have a new look team and have already achieved strong results in this Olympic cycle.

Newly named Aussie Stingers captain, dual Olympian and NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Bronte Halligan, said naturally the team is devastated that they won’t have the opportunity to play for a World Championship medal.

“That’s a really tough result. As Bec [Rippon, Aussie Stingers Head Coach] put it ‘that quarter final water polo you’ve got to take stick in it right to the end’ and we did. The Greeks also did that but we showed real heart out there and I couldn’t be more proud of our girls for water polo we put together out there tonight.”

“We put together four quarters of tough, hard on the line water polo and that’s all you can ask for as a Captain. It’s a tough loss and it’s going to sting for a little bit, but the girls will hold their heads high knowing we did everything we could have.

“Four of the girls in our team, it was their first quarter final, and quarter finals water polo at a World Championships is always tough, it’s do or die. The result didn’t go our way, but I think we can take a lot away from that game.

“This is a stepping stone and we really want to build this squad, we have a lot more goals. I think it’s exciting to see where we are going to go over the next few years during this Olympic cycle,” she said.

Rippon echoed Halligan’s sentiment, saying despite the disappointment of the loss, there is a lot they can build on from here as they set their sights on LA 2028.

“We spoke about it before the game, that this is what we do all the hard work for, these big moments, and we go out there and leave everything we’ve got in the pool and I think we did that tonight.

“It is a heartbreaking way to lose, but we did leave everything out there and I’m proud of the team.”

“We played them [Greece] in Paris, but they had a different group and a different style. They’ve really changed since then and we saw that at the World Cup earlier this year and they have shown they are definitely a team to be reckoned with. This is not a surprise that they’re up here competing for the medals.

“We came here with big ambitions so to not reach those is disappointing, but if I can just look at the games we’ve played and the things that we’ve learnt and the performances we’ve put forward, I’m proud.

“We now need to go home and analyse this campaign as we continue to build towards LA 2028,” she said.

The team includes multiple NSWIS scholarship holders such as Hayley Ballesty, Sienna Green, Bronte Halligan, Sienna Hearn, Dani Jackovich, Tilly Kearns, Alexie Lambert, Gen Longman, and Olivia Mitchell, as well as NSWIS staff – Senior Sports Physiotherapist Bernie Petzel and Sport Performance Analyst Joshua Dipple.

Australia will now meet Japan on Monday 21 July at 6:00pm AEST in the classification matches.

Water Polo Australia

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Pelham’s volleyball program serves up fun, fitness and future growth for local youth – Shelby County Reporter

Pelham’s volleyball program serves up fun, fitness and future growth for local youth Published 11:53 pm Sunday, July 20, 2025 1 of 75 Pelham’s Parks and Rec department held a volleyball clinic on Tuesday, July 8, celebrating the sport while also planning for the fall youth volleyball season. (Reporter photos/Dave Domescik) Pelham’s Parks and Rec […]

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July 21, 2025

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Pelham’s volleyball program serves up fun, fitness and future growth for local youth

Published 11:53 pm Sunday, July 20, 2025

1 of 75

Pelham’s Parks and Rec department held a volleyball clinic on Tuesday, July 8, celebrating the sport while also planning for the fall youth volleyball season. (Reporter photos/Dave Domescik)

By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Whether it’s indoors on the hardwood or outdoors in the sand, Pelham’s young athletes are getting a full taste of volleyball this summer through Pelham Parks and Recreation’s expanding programs.

On Tuesday, July 8, kids ages 8–12 took the court at the Pelham Recreation Center for a one-day volleyball clinic led by Birmingham Beach Volleyball. From 9 a.m. to noon, participants rotated between the gym and the sand court to learn the fundamentals of both indoor and beach volleyball.

“This clinic offers kids a chance to either try volleyball for the first time or build on their skills in a supportive, low-pressure environment,” said Will Mayhall, recreation program supervisor with Pelham Parks & Rec. “It’s about learning the basics, connecting with others and having fun while doing it.”

The clinic emphasizes more than just skills—it’s a gateway into the sport itself. While indoor volleyball typically involves six-player teams and controlled gym environments, beach volleyball presents a whole new challenge with two-player teams, shifting sand and outdoor elements.

“Each environment offers something unique,” Mayhall said. “Learning both helps players become more well-rounded and adaptable.”

The July clinic is part of a larger effort by Pelham Parks and Rec to grow youth volleyball opportunities in the area. Registration is now open for the department’s fall youth volleyball season, open to players entering grades 3–6. The league focuses on teaching fundamentals, sportsmanship and team-building in a fun and competitive setting, with games beginning in August and running through October. Registration costs $90 and includes a jersey and shorts, with early-bird registration available through Monday, July 28 and late registration running from Tuesday, July 29 to Monday, August 4.

Now entering its fifth season since the pandemic, Pelham’s volleyball league is one of just a few in the region to offer a full fall recreational program, joining Chelsea in helping to lead the sport’s development locally.

“We’re proud of how this program has grown,” Mayhall said. “We’re working with other communities to expand volleyball opportunities and eventually establish a more structured youth league, similar to our other sports.”

The program’s impact extends beyond just the court. According to Charlie Sanders, recreation coordinator with Pelham Parks and Rec, youth volleyball is designed to support players of all skill levels and connect them with broader opportunities.

“We work closely with local middle and high school coaches to align our training,” Sanders said. “School volleyball teams often volunteer to officiate our games, and our kids get invited to Youth Night at school matches—it helps them envision their own future in the sport.”

The season includes a dedicated practice period, at least four regular-season games and an end-of-season tournament.

But at its core, Pelham’s volleyball program is about more than just winning and losing.

“Youth sports offer more than fun—they promote health, confidence and connection,” Sanders said. “Through volleyball, kids learn life lessons and build relationships that go far beyond the game.”

For parents looking to keep their children active and engaged this summer and fall, Pelham’s volleyball offerings provide an accessible and welcoming place to start.

“Our goal is to help every child—whether they’re new to the sport or dreaming of playing on a school team—feel supported and excited to grow,” Sanders said. “Now’s a great time to get involved.”

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