One of the most rewarding parts of this job is telling inspiring stories that, while centered around sports, have an incredible impact on their respective communities. Please free free to take a look at some of the features I've done and the amazing stories I've been privileged to be able to tell.
Tristin Castro recorded one hit for this season, a 2-RBI double in the opening game against American Canyon. That hit was Tristin's first varsity hit, a memorable moment as he fought to solidify a spot on the varsity squad. That fight pales in comparison to the fight that he had to tackle in the coming weeks. Tristin was diagnosed with ARMS, a rare form of cancer. In his darkest days, Tristin and his family didn't give up, and neither did the Solano baseball community. In a league game against Fairfield, Vanden honored Tristin with a ceremony and an honorary first pitch before Tristin began his journey to San Diego for an intense 6-week treatment plan. Tristin’s season may be over but his one “Hit for Hope” inspired an entire community to stay #TCasStrong.
Coach Ryan Adams said it best:
"Tristin will finish the season batting 1.000, a slugging % of 2.000 and an OPS of 3.000. Those sound like numbers of someone who's going to beat cancer."
Coach Ryan Adams said it best:
"Tristin will finish the season batting 1.000, a slugging % of 2.000 and an OPS of 3.000. Those sound like numbers of someone who's going to beat cancer."
I like those odds too.
I got the privilege of meeting the Dominant Domenici twins and the battery that has a connection unlike many others! Ava and Gianna Domenici worked hard over COVID to find a home for both of them to continue their education AND play softball, together. They found that with Embry Riddle and will continue that pitcher-catcher connection in college next year! I might've even snuck my identical twin brother on TV for a creative-standup! Take a look!
Central Catholic basketball star Malachi Miller
always looked up to his brother Cedrick Miller II, growing up playing alongside of him and learning from him. That all changed when Cedrick was shot and killed last year. Cedrick fell in with the wrong people but he kept Malachi away from the bad, which in turn, saved his little brother’s life. Cedrick Miller II was shot on November 13th and bled out inside of his own car.
Malachi worked tirelessly to not fall into the same habits and become the person he is today. Now Malachi looking up to his big brother takes on a whole new meaning as he continues to show out on the basketball court.
always looked up to his brother Cedrick Miller II, growing up playing alongside of him and learning from him. That all changed when Cedrick was shot and killed last year. Cedrick fell in with the wrong people but he kept Malachi away from the bad, which in turn, saved his little brother’s life. Cedrick Miller II was shot on November 13th and bled out inside of his own car.
Malachi worked tirelessly to not fall into the same habits and become the person he is today. Now Malachi looking up to his big brother takes on a whole new meaning as he continues to show out on the basketball court.
It's a simple message that's resonated with the Lodi community. At first, I stumbled across many profile pictures with the hashtag and it almost had a superhero feel to it. When I met the Moreno family and talked to A.J. Moreno, a 5-year old kid recently diagnosed with kidney cancer, I learned that that simple hashtag was "like a superhero name." It's a superhero name that the entire community has rallied behind. Doing these types of stories is always rewarding because it shows how even in times of adversity, when the mountain you're facing looks just too high, you can always overcome the obstacles. That's what superheroes do... that's what AJ does.
It's not every day that at 15 1/2 years old, someone packs up and leaves their family a half a world away to pursue their dream. That's what makes my latest feature, St. Mary's senior basketball player Roy Itcovichi's journey that much more inspirational.
Roy dreams of playing basketball professionally and decided to embark on the journey from Israel to California to live with a host family, without his family beside him. Now, in his senior season, Roy is leading the Rams as one of their highest scorers. It takes a lot for a kid to have that much strength. However, he's different than most, and for Roy...that's a good thing.
Roy dreams of playing basketball professionally and decided to embark on the journey from Israel to California to live with a host family, without his family beside him. Now, in his senior season, Roy is leading the Rams as one of their highest scorers. It takes a lot for a kid to have that much strength. However, he's different than most, and for Roy...that's a good thing.
Antoine Thaxton is a name you probably haven't heard much off on the storied Vanden boys basketball program, but just the name he carries bears all the weight in the world. Antoine lost his mom at the age of 10, around the same time he began picking up an interest in basketball. The loss was immense, but his grandfather assumed the role of his #1 supporter. Sadly, in 2021, his grandfather passed away from a heart attack. Now, in his senior season, Antoine plays to honor the memory of both of them, with the Vanden team helping to shoulder the weight of the heavy heart that he carries.
Introducing a young woman that needs no introduction.. Leah Nelson. Leah quickly burst onto the scene, making the Christian Brothers basketball team as a freshman and leading the team in scoring. She's a game change on the court but it's her impact off of it that's made headlines. Leah's program "BeCuzICare11" began with an idea from a 11-year old girl pushing positivity and kindness over violence amid a world thrust into civil unrest. She had no idea how much her idea would take off.
Adelyn Van is a senior at Granite Bay and her water polo team made it all the way to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D1 championship this season. One of the things that I thought was funny when I was interviewing Adelyn was she said "We always say what happens under the water stays in the water because what you see on the surface is kind of a little bit of what happens in the action." Not only does this apply to water polo, but I found it applies to the fight against cancer the more I began to tell this story. Adelyn's friend, Zeena, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, stage 4A, shortly after Adelyn began water polo. Right away, Adelyn began searching for ways she could help. It just so happened that she had the perfect "Recipe for Recovery"... Macarons! She founded "Adelyn's Macarons" and used her love of baking to raise money toward fighting cancer with all the proceeds that she made going to the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Six months after Zeena was diagnosed, she was given the all clear signal and has been cancer free for over 3 years now! Adelyn continued her fight and has raised $15,000 toward cancer research.
Rico. Flores. Jr. If there's one thing I learned watching the Folsom Bulldogs in their historic 2021-22 season, it's that there's some serious studs on this team. What I didn't know going into this story is that one of their best players, 4-star wide-receiver Rico Flores Jr., had an incredible road just to get here. Growing up in Northern Sacramento, Rico had a front seat to gun violence, family members being addicted to drugs... he had many distractions. However, Rico says his mom told him to not be a statistic, and he's committed himself to that. By staying out of trouble and surrounding himself with the right people, he's well on his way towards ensuring his mother and sister don't have to work another day in their lives. This kid's got a bright future ahead of him, and I can't wait to follow along.
"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."
Jason Lindahl from Casa Roble High School has had a rough path to get to where he is now. A life filled with distractions seemed like they would never end. In eighth grade, Jason was diagnosed with pectus excavatum, a condition where the breast bone caves in which sometimes can restrict the lungs from getting enough oxygen. Doctors opened up Jason's chest and put a metal bar in to pop the bone out, effectively sidelining him for his first year of high school football. Once doctors cleared him heading into his sophomore season, a phone call rocked the Lindahl household. On May 7th, 2019, Ellen Lindahl received the call that she had breast cancer, a disease that took the life of her mom. Ellen said she sat in the parking lot at her work crying by herself, her husband telling her that their family will get through this together and that she would beat it. The Casa Roble community also was ready to fight alongside them. Both football teams during Jason's sophomore season wore patches on their helmets and signed a banner to honor Ellen and her fight against cancer. Ellen's only wish was that she would be able to see all of her kids sporting events and she didn't miss a single one, coordinating her treatment schedule with her son's football schedule. Finding that hope in the huddle helped the Lindahl family fight back.
Jason Lindahl from Casa Roble High School has had a rough path to get to where he is now. A life filled with distractions seemed like they would never end. In eighth grade, Jason was diagnosed with pectus excavatum, a condition where the breast bone caves in which sometimes can restrict the lungs from getting enough oxygen. Doctors opened up Jason's chest and put a metal bar in to pop the bone out, effectively sidelining him for his first year of high school football. Once doctors cleared him heading into his sophomore season, a phone call rocked the Lindahl household. On May 7th, 2019, Ellen Lindahl received the call that she had breast cancer, a disease that took the life of her mom. Ellen said she sat in the parking lot at her work crying by herself, her husband telling her that their family will get through this together and that she would beat it. The Casa Roble community also was ready to fight alongside them. Both football teams during Jason's sophomore season wore patches on their helmets and signed a banner to honor Ellen and her fight against cancer. Ellen's only wish was that she would be able to see all of her kids sporting events and she didn't miss a single one, coordinating her treatment schedule with her son's football schedule. Finding that hope in the huddle helped the Lindahl family fight back.
Toe Tatafu is a Senior at Inderkum High School in Sacramento, CA. In 2020, the pandemic affected him a little bit differently than most. He had to miss time from school and football to help his mom who struggled to even walk around the house because she continues to deal with gout. Not only this, but Toe also helped his dad's concrete pouring business at 6 a.m. and would come back, shower, and attend virtual school, all while helping his mom go about her life. This year, Toe was voted captain of the Tiger football team and everyone I spoke to said that no matter what he was going through, he would never show up without a smile on his face.
If we can all take away one lesson from Toe's story, it’s that we all have ways in which the pandemic affected us. But the way in which we overcome those adversities and make an impact on others is how we make those trying times even more worthwhile.
If we can all take away one lesson from Toe's story, it’s that we all have ways in which the pandemic affected us. But the way in which we overcome those adversities and make an impact on others is how we make those trying times even more worthwhile.