The president of Central Connecticut State University is stepping down at the end of the day on Wednesday, according to a written letter. wtnh.com/news/connecticut/ha…

‘Travel sports,’ a term that has come to encompass all sorts of private teams, leagues, and clubs, used to be for the truly exceptional young athlete. Now, they’re for anyone willing to pay — an expensive, exhausting commitment that has become popular not necessarily because millions of parents want them for their children but because it can feel like there’s no other choice. Rec programs are underfunded and struggle to compete with for-profit leagues for prime field, rink, and court times. And the level of play is diluted, often very early, as travel teams are incentivized to enroll children at young ages. Around 5 million children in the U.S. now compete on travel teams. Parents find themselves trapped. They know the benefits of sports and want that for their children, yet giving it to them often means buying into a sports ecosystem that’s inherently flawed. As the pay-to-play model increasingly takes hold, so does the idea that kids should start competing at younger and younger ages, risking their sense of self along with their shoulders and ACLs. “I never want my kids to look back and say I didn’t do everything I could to help them live their dreams,” a mother of three soccer players said. She’s hired professional photographers to take action shots for her 12- and 13-year-olds’ Instagram accounts — the platform has become a recruiting tool — and they’ve both asked her to pay for personal trainers. “I think the word isn’t ‘specialize’; you are ‘professionalizing’ your kid early. You are exposing them to everything professionals have to deal with — I’m talking injury, time, schedule, everything,” said John Van Benschoten, a former MLB player and travel-baseball coach. It makes one ask: All this for what? And for whom? Read Caitlin Moscatello’s cover story on how travel leagues have made youth sports more expensive, hypercompetitive, and all-consuming — and the investors who are making a killing: nymag.visitlink.me/1-gbZQ

That's a wrap on summer ball. Really thankful for my teammates and coaches and all the opportunities to compete against some great teams and older guys. Pitching: 37 IP, 2.68 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 31 K, 3 BB Hitting: .375/.500/.450 Looking forward to getting back to work this fall!

Had the opportunity to pitch in an 18U bracket game last weekend at the @sne_tournaments Homegrown Classic against a really good lineup. We came up short, but I was grateful for the chance to compete against older players. 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 K, 0 BB

We made it to the champ game of @sne_tournaments Constitution Clash and finished 2nd this weekend. Happy I could help our team get a 1-0 quarterfinal win with a CG shutout. 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 89 pitches (63 strikes) I also threw 2 scoreless on Friday.

Had an awesome weekend at the @firecrackerbsb All American Lighthouse Classic in Maine with my CT Bearcats teammates! We went 2-1 and I got the ball against a talented lineup from VT. 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 89 pitches (70 strikes) Hitting: 3-for-8, 2B, 3 RBI Video⬇️

What does it take to run the @CCSUBlueDevils athletic department in this era of college sports? AD @tompince joins us to break it all down. From rev share to NIL and the transfer portal, we talk about it all. Watch: youtube.com/watch?v=S1K5XWST… Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/5TS…

🏀 @ccsu_mbb has ✍️ two transfers for 2026-27! 🏀 Victor Payne: Career at SFU-55 GP, 42.4% FG%; 37.6% 3fg in '25-26 🏀 Jhace Johnson: Career at Cochise College-62 GP, 10.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.5 spg 📰 🔗 tinyurl.com/4vkyftsm #GoBlueDevils | #NECMBB

We are on quite a few list of guys I have never heard of before. Am I missing some meetings? #SomeoneIsLying