Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Texas spring sports seasons suspended because of swine flu outbreak
Here’s a headline you’ll never want to read in the DDN: Area spring sports suspended because of swine flu outbreak.
No such luck in Texas. Mexico’s border state has canceled all athletic events until May 11 because of the spreading disease. Affected are the baseball, softball and track & field seasons.
An estimated 53,000 Texas students are out of school because of symptom concerns. Also, dozens of Texas high schools will be sanitized.
The Texas state T&F meet is among the nation’s biggest and best. It’s scheduled for May 12-14.
There have been 16 confirmed cases of swine flu in Texas. A disaster declaration was announced by Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday.
Considering Texas’ plight, that makes our annual spring rainy season a bit more bearable.
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Bengals, NFL award $200,000 grant to Clinton-Massie schools for stadium renovation
‘I CAN’T THINK OF A MORE DESERVING
AREA TO BENEFIT FROM THIS GRANT,’
SAYS BENGALS EXEC KATIE BLACKBURN
After spending 29 summers at Wilmington College for training camp — 1968 through 1996 — the Cincinnati Bengals are giving back to Clinton County.
The Bengals and NFL Charities have announced a $200,000 grant to Clinton-Massie schools for a field renovation project.
A community football field will be renovated to include a synthetic playing surface at Clinton-Massie High School in Clinton County thanks in part to the grant from the NFL’s Grassroots program.
The grants — awarded this year by the Cincinnati Bengals, NFL, NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) — are part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated to community groups in 17 cities nationwide.
“We are excited about the opportunity to give back to a community that played a central role in our past and has been so supportive of our organization,” said Katie Blackburn, Bengals executive vice president and daughter of team owner Mike Brown. “My father and I both have very fond memories of training camps in Wilmington and I can’t think of a more deserving area to benefit from this grant.”
Said Ron Rudduck, Superintendent of Clinton-Massie Local School District: “We are obviously elated that the Bengals and the NFL have chosen Clinton-Massie as a recipient of the NFL Grassroots grant. The school facilities are in constant use by our athletic and community teams and with this grant we will be able to expand and enhance the overall quality and safety of our playing fields.
“We are also very appreciative of the CM Boosters who have committed to funding the local share of the project,” Rudduck added. “Brian Zurface, John Curtsinger, Jamie Evans and Jackie Phipps of the Boosters organization have spearheaded the fund raising efforts which are making this possible.”
The NFL Grassroots Program — a partnership between the NFL Youth Football Fund and LISC, the nation’s leading community development support corporation — has resulted in the construction or renovation of 170 football fields nationwide in the past decade.
Fields are newly built or significantly renovated, with improvements such as irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards, goal posts and turf. Grassroots grants are issued once established funding thresholds are reached for each project.
CLINTON-MASSIE PROJECT
The Clinton-Massie complex serves as the community center for almost all of the District’s youth athletic activities.
The current stadium is 44 years old and consists of a natural turf field, a six lane track, lighting on old wooden electric poles, and concrete home bleachers for 750 people.
The new field will allow expanded usage for all school and community youth football teams, for all school soccer teams and also allow the high school band more practice time on the competition field. It will also allow the school to use the field as part of its PE curriculum especially on inclement weather days when going outside is otherwise impossible.
The cost of the project will be paid for by private funds. The Clinton Massie Athletic Boosters have secured financing of up to $400,000 for this project. The Boosters are partnering with Pee Wee football, local businesses, community members and other local contractors that are donating labor and equipment to provide the financing needed to complete the project.
NFL YOUTH FOOTBALL FUND
Established in 1998 by the NFL in collaboration with the NFL Players Association, the NFL Youth Football Fund promotes positive youth development, while ensuring the health and future of football at the grassroots level.
Through funding by the YFF, many NFL youth programs such as NFLHS.com and Coach of the Week have been developed, providing youngsters with opportunities to learn the game of football, get physically fit and stay involved in productive after-school activities with adult mentors.
WHAT IS THE LISC?
LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help nonprofit community development corporations revitalize underserved neighborhoods. Since 1980, LISC has raised more than $6 billion to build or rehab nearly 160,000 affordable homes and develop 25 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
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Final week of baseball on deck at Fifth Third Field
Eight more baseball games will be played through Sunday at Fifth Third Field to wrap up another great run at the Dragons’ home base.
• Thursday’s twinbill features Bellbrook vs. Milton-Union (4:30 p.m.), followed by Centerville vs. Springboro (7:30 p.m.).
• On Friday, it’s Urbana vs. Greenon (4:15 p.m.) and Vandalia Butler vs. Troy (7:15 p.m.).
• Saturday it’s New Bremen vs. Upper Scioto Valley (1 p.m.), and Troy Christian vs. Dayton Christian (7 p.m.).
• A triple helping of smallball wraps up the prep presence at Patterson and First Street on Sunday: Celina vs. Coldwater (1 p.m.), Covington vs. St. Henry (4 p.m.), Franklin-Monroe vs. Arcanum (7 p.m.).
If all those games are played, it’ll mark 24 prep baseball games in 21 days at Fifth Third Field, featuring 46 teams.
All games are free and open to the public.
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