Monterey County Sports Digest

When and if California legalizes sports gambling, the policy should honor the laws established in partnership with tribes decades ago, says Assemblyman James Ramos.

The “pop, pop, pop” that’s become synonymous with Pickleball may soon be a racket of the past. That’s the goal promised by a new generation of equipment developed to lessen the overall acoustic burden of the sport.

Proposed California legislation that would ban tackle football for kids under 12 had gained momentum until Gov. Gavin Newsom made it clear he’d veto the bill.

The Assembly has until the end of January to decide the fate of the youth tackle football bill, which would prevent kids under 12 from playing the sport to protect them from brain trauma.

A recent investigation by Voice of San Diego revealed that nonprofits that provide staff at local stadiums could be raising money without doing charity work, while also paying labor below minimum wage and under the table. Now, multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating.

Three years after the NFL's Raiders abandoned Oakland for Las Vegas, MLB's Oakland A's announced they're moving there too. The owners of the teams unanimously approved the MLB team’s move.

The $700 million price tag sets a $7 billion mark that would make the Warriors one of the world’s most valuable sports teams.

A proposal to set up degree completion funds for California student athletes has met with stiff opposition from universities and the NCAA. College athletes could earn a share of the revenue they generate under the bill — as much as $25,000 for each year that they played their sport. But the bill’s author has delayed it until 2024 after opponents charged the fund would draw money away from less lucrative sports like gymnastics and swimming.

Salinas native Joe Kapp is the only quarterback to appear in the Rose Bowl, Super Bowl and Canada’s Grey Cup.

The newly launched app by a Costa Mesa surf gym is designed around movements of being in the water.

“We can’t control the legal system and we have to abide by it,” said PK Diffenbaugh, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District's superintendent. “It’s just unfortunate.”

“In what world would you imagine this many students sitting at a board meeting to voice their support for something that most of them will not reap the benefits of? Yet here they are to show you that this matters,” Carmel High School’s principal Jonathon Lyons said.

When Craig Bell was hired as Pacific Grove Unified School District’s varsity baseball coach, he turned to locals for help renovating the baseball facilities. They came through, donating most of the services and equipment.

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District unveiled a design for Marina High School’s new multi-use sports field. District Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh called it “the final piece of the puzzle” in providing “amenities that any other school in the county has.”

Seaside is seeking a qualified consultant to develop a plan for city parks. “A lot has changed since 2005, when the city last did a Parks and Recreation Master Plan,” said Seaside Recreation Director Dan Meewis. Creating the plan would involve city staff, advisory bodies, and members of the community.

Northern California’s Cyril Derreumaux has become the second person to solo kayak from the American coast to Hawaii.

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved an additional $5.6 million for a pair of projects at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca after bids came in over budget. Supervisor Wendy Root Askew was the lone no vote, urging a study session on plans for the raceway.

Since the Ryan Ranch Disc Golf Course closed in 2018, members of the Monterey Stinging Jellies Disc Golf Club have made do with makeshift courses and meet-ups at alternative Monterey Bay disc golf spots.

Three years ago, Rigo Avila started his Monterey County nonprofit organization to keep Greenfield youth out of trouble. Avila hopes to attract new funding and community support to grow A.V.I.L.A Victory Boxing.

Looking ahead two decades, the United States Golf Association has scheduled six additional national championships at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course, including four U.S. Open events.

Everything’s teed up for the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament. The six days of play will be spread out over Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course and The Hay.

In the tiny burg of Pajaro, a team of workers and engineers is hand-building a new line of cross-country racing bicycles. The Exie is not the first of its kind, says sales manager Josh Tonnissen, but it’s the best among a field of worthy contenders.

The Central Coast YMCA is offering free membership for 12- to 18-year-olds who can show proof of vaccination. The offer runs through Oct. 31 at YMCA locations in Salinas, San Benito County and Watsonville.

Many cheered when board members of Monterey Peninsula Unified School District voted unanimously to approve upgrades to the Dan Albert Stadium at Monterey High School. But neighbors are not pleased. Two groups have filed a lawsuit in Monterey County Superior Court, seeking to overturn the project approvals.

Hundreds of bike enthusiasts will compete Sept. 25 in the first-ever Heart of Gold, a 55-mile gravel course race through the Gold Country aimed at raising awareness and funds for mental wellness programs for youth in Nevada County. The race, which begins in Nevada City, should draw as many as 400 racers from around the state.

The Sea Otter Classic, a globally prominent cycling festival that attracts thousands of pro and amateur cyclists, will team up with a new partner before this year's event, Oct. 7-10 at Laguna Seca.

After the final vote, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District board President Bettye Lusk said, “This is what education is all about. This process, this passion, this public involvement in moving the district forward.”

On Aug. 22, the city of Soledad will experience its first Ciclovía—an “open-street, car-free event where the community can participate in health-related activities.” Cycling enthusiasts are planning for the event, which will be just the third Ciclovía in South Monterey County.

Even before skateboarding and surfing were added to the Olympic Games, California was a robust presence at the Olympics, reports The New York Times. Bill Mallon, an authority on Olympic history, attributes the state’s weather, its large population, and its athlete-rich universities.

Morgan Hill Times reporter Emanuel Lee profiles Miguel Gutierrez, Hartnell College’s new women’s soccer coach. The 26-year-old Gutierrez will also serve as coach of both the Sobrato High School and Orchard Valley’s youth soccer league.

At 10 years old, Salinas resident Casey Bittner is already a winner. Last weekend in Las Vegas, Bittner triumphed in the Rocky Mountain Nationals.

The King City Recreation Department celebrated the return of the city’s skate park, despite recent vandalism of the new ramps. The grand reopening coincided with International Skateboard Day.