Cal-Hi Sports Insider Blog

Quick-hitting, behind-the-scenes news and notes from the CalHiSports.com staff, including previews of upcoming content and events.

Boys BB: SoCal Top 20 Seen

By Ronnie Flores | Published August 25, 2020

This list is different than the statewide Top 25s we recently published, as it only includes the greater Los Angeles metro region. Baron Davis, the former NBA All-Star guard and 1997 Mr. Basketball at Santa Monica Crossroads, inspired these lists on social media as he wanted to hear from various media pundits and other players about their Top 20 all-time players from L.A.

We hope you enjoy this free post on CalHiSports.com. All of our state class by class basketball player rankings, final team rankings for more than 40 years and all of our recently updated all-time state records (team & individual) are for Gold Club members only. You can now join for one-month rate of just $3.99. For subscription info, CLICK HERE.
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3 Reasons Sports Leagues Recruit International Players

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published August 20, 2020

The National Hockey League (NHL) is, arguably, the most international sports federation in North America. Despite the word ‘national’ in its name, its players come from different regions all over the globe, ranging from Great Britain to the Czech Republic. THe NBA also has become more dependent on international players, including Luca Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.

With the NHL acquiring different players from various global locations, it paved the way for other sports associations to do the same. Here are three reasons sports leagues recruit international players:

Different Countries With Different Talents

As per Betway, Canadians are, still, the backbone of the NHL despite the influx of international players in over 50 years. Still, sports talents aren’t only in that country.

For instance, 295 players hailed from Canada in the 2019/20 NHL season out of the 690 participants present. Moreover, 24 out of the 31 NHL teams come from the USA and players from there are the second-largest NHL group.

During the opening night of NHL’s 2019/20 season, 472 players or 68.4% of the total participants came from either Canada or the USA. Hence, 31.6% of other NHL players hailed from other regions, especially from cities and towns in Europe.

Other sports organizations took notice of the presence of international players in a sport famous in Canada. Some associations followed suit as sports in other areas, particularly in the USA, gather different talents from other global locations.

For example, many people draw attention to the National Basketball Association (NBA) because of its many American players. But, several teams hire various basketball talents from around the world. Pau Gasol, a player for the Portland Trail Blazers, hailed from Spain. Although NBA superstar Kyrie Irving, who plays for the Brooklyn Nets, was born in Australia, he lived in the USA after he was two years of age. Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Nikola Jokic of Serbia are two other strong examples.

Perhaps, the idea of gathering different talents from around the globe stems from the fact that each individual has unique skills. These distinct abilities may help teams win.

Sports Change Over Time

New guidelines enter rulebooks or innovative ordinances surface to help teams gather new talents from different locations. The NHL is no exception to that, as this sports league changed and grew through generations.

Note that the NHL has a higher proportion of international players than the NBA, National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and other major American sports leagues. You can compare the number of players available by checking out online player statistics or playing popular sports video games.

The NHL has 31.6% international in its player base. Also, the MLB isn’t far behind as 245 of its 882 players, or 27.8%, come from countries outside Canada and the USA.

With these figures, you may see that sports leagues recruit international players to cater to certain changes. For instance, ice hockey, in particular, requires a rink and skates. Some countries don’t have the ideal training conditions to practice the sport.

Thus, sports associations may scout talents to fill in these gaps. A skillful individual might be good at playing roller hockey, and a representative from the NHL saw that person’s talents. But, the hometown of the roller hockey player doesn’t have a skating rink to practice ice hockey.

In that example, the representative may coerce the individual to play for the NHL. The player already may seem to have the skill to play ice hockey, but lacks the backing and training to get into the league. So, the two parties can devise and implement a plan for the player to get into a league-certified team based on certain international guidelines presented by the NHL.

Fill In Missing Roles

People age, and sports players are no different. Many participants retire over time because of various reasons, ranging from achieving satisfaction to old age.

But, if these individuals decide to quit the league, it means teams would lack vital roles in their rosters. As a result, representatives would once again be on the lookout for star players who could fill in these roles.

Looking around the neighborhood might not suffice when searching for rising stars in various sports. So, teams tend to look at other countries instead.

Recruiting international players has been a tradition for many sports associations throughout the years. The NBA, Major League Soccer (MLS), and NFL continue to recruit different players hailing from various countries around the globe to fill in missing spots.

For example, some players throughout the NHL’s history, including Jaromir Jagr (Czech Republic) and Teemu Selanne (Finland), got into the league to help teams grow and win games. In particular, Jagr helped Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup championships back in 1991 and 1992.

Conclusion

The gathering and development of top international players serve to stimulate growth in different sports organizations. THe NHL, a leader in recruiting foreign players, as seen by various communities, might be a role model for other sports organizations to follow suit in seeking talents from other countries. In turn, sports leagues can break regional barriers, which might be a stepping stone for world peace.

The Purpose And Advantage of Using Record Boards

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published August 12, 2020


Are you thinking of an easy way to present your team’s information every time you have an event? If you are, please read on to find out how we can help you with it. We know how much you struggle with writing and preparing for the games as well as monitoring the duties of your team members. Yes, it is a challenge, but be assured that there is a solution to it.

Here, you will get to know more about using a record board. Colleges or universities use it for their sports events and even in national or international sports competitions. It may come in different sizes and designs. It makes your life easier by providing different layouts for you to use in any event.

You might see it placed in many sports events. Yet, it is good to know what it is specifically used for, in case you plan on using it yourself. Aside from the information that you can input on it, there is still more that you need to discover about this topic. Read below to know more.

What Is The Purpose Of Using A Record Board?

1. To List Important Information
It has many uses, and one of them is to list names, event names, dates, and other essential information. You can write it down on a record board or print it in an open space. It would help you and other people monitor the roles of the team members. You can also record the scores there.

2. To Set Categories
In a competition, different kinds of sports need record boards. Click here to get a list of sports. You can have it personalized by including the sporting event’s name as its heading. Common sports this is used for include basketball, football, track and field, or swimming. By doing this, you will never have difficulty browsing the records from different sports.

3. To Organize Information
Nothing is better than seeing well-organized information in the middle of a sports competition. For all competitors, coaches, and visitors, it is a good thing to have a record board around the place. If you are in the swimming pool area or the gym, you can provide one there for all to see. It gives fresh updates to people.

4. To Inform People
Since you are after gathering essential information for real-time guidance, it becomes easier for everyone to read results. Also, it helps inform people regarding the progress or achievement of teams or individuals. These record boards help in analyzing the data, without the need to ask anyone about it.

5. To Show A Summary Of Current & Past Results
It would not be difficult to review previous sports competitions because of it. There is so much that you can get from it, especially on the groups participating and the different categories they belong to in the competition. It serves as a reminder to people what happened. It can even display records of competitions from long years before.

Advantages Of Using A Record Board

• It can be customized.
There are so many things that you can do to your record board, such as working on the design, layout, colors, and texts. You can include anything that you find helpful for your record board as long as it does not become too wordy. The size also varies depending on your needs. You can communicate all of this to the graphics team you work with.

• It is easier to find information.
If you are in a hurry to read newspapers or school papers to know the latest updates, you can refer to this one. It will guide you about what you missed in the previous competition. You can see the ranking of the competitors, and even their scores, too. It is accessible to anyone who needs it. Visit this link to know its use.

• People find it pleasing to look at in the event’s place.
Another good thing with a record board is that it may come in different colors, images, texts, and layouts. It becomes eye-catchy for people who see it. Most teams use their logos to represent their team. It adds to the creativity and uniqueness of the board.

• It can be updated anytime.
It can permanently be printed or easily replaced. This is why it is convenient to use because you can update the information anytime you like. So, if you have a recent sports competition, you can input data right away.

A record board must be utilized properly to maximize its use. It’s very convenient whether it is to be used for fitness or competitions. Moreover, its goal is to provide detailed and organized information. It serves as a guide and reminder to everybody. Presenting data has never been better indeed.

CIF Participation Still On The Rise

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published August 3, 2020

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – Education-based athletics participation continues to increase in California and is at an all-time high for the eighth consecutive year according to the 2019-20 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sports Participation Survey, which was released on Monday (Aug. 3). Up by 0.16% since the previous 2018-19 survey, 815,313 student-athletes are competing in education-based athletic programs in California.

“We are encouraged to see steady growth in education-based athletics,” states CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti. “The CIF looks forward to continuing this trend and will remain focused on its goals of expanding participation opportunities for girls as well as providing additional opportunities for all students at our member schools.”

Along with the overall participation increase in education-based athletics, there were a few sports that saw noticeable increases across both genders. Of the top 10 sports, volleyball saw the largest percentage increase, a combined 2.68% or 1,830 more participants, followed by track and field with a 2.03% or 2,050 more participants, and swimming and diving with a 1.07% increase or 552 more participants.

Football (11-player) continues to lead the top 10 boys’ sports with 89,756 participants which decreased by 1.69% or 1,549 participants. Track and field (57,302) is the second most popular sport, which increased by 3.55%, followed by soccer (55,036), basketball (47,675), and baseball (45,132) which increased by 1.77%. Additionally, boys’ volleyball participation increased by 5.99%, as well as boys’ lacrosse, which increased by 4.71%.

For girls, soccer captured the top spot for the fifth consecutive year with 48,647 participants. Volleyball came in second (46,495), which increased participation by 1.08%, followed by track and field with 45,318 participants. Basketball (34,368) and softball (32,502) rounded out the top five girls’ sports. Girls’ lacrosse saw a notable 9.11% increase (10,737), taking over the 10th most popular sport for girls, while girls’ wrestling continues to grow with 6,446 participants for a 7.18% increase.

The CIF’s 1,606-member schools were asked to participate in the survey as part of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) nationwide survey that measures the number of students competing in sports in the country.

CA schools & Indian/Redskin nicknames

By Mark Tennis | Published July 13, 2020

With the Washington Redskins of the NFL announcing this week they are no longer going to be called by that name and no longer will display Native American imagery as part of their uniforms or logo, here’s a list of California high schools (beginning more than 30 years ago) that have changed from Indian/Native American nicknames for its sports teams (listed in alphabetical order):


Armijo (Fairfield) – Just last year, the local school board voted to abandon Indians. This school year the new name voted in: Royals.
Birmingham (Lake Balboa) – Three L.A. City schools had to drop nicknames in 1998, including Birmingham, which was the Braves and became the Patriots.
Calaveras (San Andreas) – This was one of four schools that had to drop its Redskins nickname in 2016 due to a state law that prohibited that nickname. This was the only one that voted to go with no new nickname, choosing instead to simply be known by school name.
Chowchilla – Also one of the 2016 schools impacted by new law, the Redskins of Chowchilla became the Tribe.
Colusa – In 2012, this CIF Northern Section school dropped Redskins and became RedHawks.
Encina (Sacramento) – Apaches became the Bulldogs in 1991.
Gardena – L.A. City school was known last season as Panthers when they played in CIF D7-AA state football final. They were the Mohicans until 1998.
Gustine – Another of the 2016 schools that had to switch, the Redskins simply became the Reds.
Jefferson (Daly City) – Alma mater of John Madden and former NFL/USC coach John Robinson went from Indians to Grizzlies in 2015.
John Swett (Crockett) – Switched from Indians to Warriors in 2015, partly as reported at the time due to the success of the nearby Golden State Warriors.
Lowell (San Francisco) – In 1989, Lowell matched a similar move by Stanford University from a few years earlier by changing from Indians to Cardinal.
Mountain Empire (Pine Valley) – CIF San Diego Section school switched from Redskins to Redhawks in 1997.
Napa – Students voted for Grizzlies to replace Indians in 2018 after a school board decision from previous school year.
Salesian (Richmond) – School known mostly for boys & girls hoops went from Chieftains to Pride in 2016.
Sequoia (Redwood City) – This school has always had colors similar to the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL and just two years ago changed from Cherokees to Ravens.
Tamalpais (Mill Valley) – Another Bay Area school that switched more than 30 years ago (1989), Tam went from being the Indians to the Red-tailed Hawks.
Tulare – In the first season for the Tribe in 2017, running back Kazmeir Allen set a national record with 72 TDs. They were the Redskins before that.
University (Los Angeles) – Switched from Warriors to Wildcats as one of three L.A. Unified schools that had to do that in 1996.
Vallejo – Home of legendary 1954 football team was known as Apaches at the time and stayed that way until 2014. They became the RedHawks.

Schools that still use Indians as a nickname include Ripon, Hart of Newhall and Palm Springs. California schools also continue to use Apaches, Braves, Aztecs, Chiefs and Chieftains. Plus, there are many schools known as the Warriors that use Native American images to go with it.

Team to Pick For Short MLB Season?

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published July 11, 2020

The MLB is back in July of 2020 following the delay of the season, but with it comes several changes that may change the strategy of the league at this time. But with these changes comes the question on everyone’s lips. Will this year be the year of the New York Yankees? In this article, we will be looking into the latest news from the MLB and what this could mean for the resumption of the sport.

The Season That Never Began

With the 2019 season ending in heartbreak for the Yankees, all eyes were on the team and how they would fare in the 2020 season.

However, this was of course derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic that halted the beginning of the 2020 MLB season this year.

However, with the 60-game season just being announced in 2020, there is plenty for them to get excited about in 2020. With several new changes to come when the league returns, this is the return to sport that baseball fans have been waiting for. Though these games are likely to be played behind closed doors, people are still able to make the most out of these games from the comfort of their own home.

Teams That Are Favorites To Win

With the announcement of the league starting in this new format, many fans are causing a stir as they set to support their favorite team from their own home. But with so many looking to the Yankees to see if they can win in 2020, they are certainly the bookies’ main choice to win according to different sites. With the odds currently set at 7/2 for the Yankees to win the World Series, fans are thinking that this could be their year. However, with close rivals Red Sox at 35/1 for a World Series title this year, it is all to play for with this brand-new format.

Changes To MLB Season

Of course, with a 60-game season crammed into such a short amount of time, there has to be changes made to the league. Besides the obvious social distancing changes, there are other changes such as the ones listed below that will alter the league slightly. We have seen changes such as this in the Premier League, FA Cup and other major sporting events but how has the MLB changed? We will be providing you with the info below:

The Regional Schedule Has Been Finalized

One of the biggest changes that have been made so far is the regional schedule. This will mean that each team will play 40 games against their divisional foes with 20 interleague games played against the team that is their geographical equal. This will all be done in the traditional group stages same as the traditional league and is sure to make for some amazing matchups.

The new format for the MLB

In addition to the regional schedule that is yet to be completely finalized, it is important to note that there was also the need for each team to submit a 60-player roster by Sunday 28th June. It is important to note that while teams are not required to bring all 40 of their players to training camp, they are in fact required to pay them regardless of whether they are playing or not.

A 60-Player Roster Will Open With A 30-Player Roster

When the season begins, each team will be able to carry a total of 30 active players on their rosters. However, after two weeks this number will be dropped down to 28 players with it dropping down again to 26 players after four weeks. This was announced by MLB’s Mark Feinsand in a tweet.

The Universal DH Rule

Another change that is to come in this 2020 season is the change to the universal DH rule. This means that pitchers will not be able to hit in the National League anymore. This is a rumor that has been circling around the MLB for several years, but in 2020 it is becoming a reality. This is set to be put in place in order to keep players healthy and give players the chance to have more consistent at-bats throughout the course of the game.

Changes To The Base Runner

Since experimenting with this in the minor league baseball, yet another change to the rules that is going to be implemented into the MLB in the 2020 season is putting a runner on second base to start extra innings. This rule will mean that there is prevention in place to make the games much faster pace. The rule change also is likely to be welcomed by the players who are playing several different games in quick succession. It will, of course, prevent marathon contests while ensuring that teams have a changed strategy that will benefit them when they play.

New Trade Deadline Will Fall In August

In addition to this, the deadline for trades has landed at the end of August this year. With the trade deadline normally falling on July 31st, this has been pushed back to August 31st this year allowing for trades to be made after all. This is crucial to the league as many thought this would not be possible this year.

Unsigned Players To Play In Nashville

The final major change that has been rumored for the MLB this year is the games being played by unsigned players. In an attempt to keep the unsigned players healthy, it has been proposed that they will be playing their own mini set of games in Nashville. They will still be paid while playing and will be kept to one side as potential replacement players for any injuries within the league.
However, this is yet to be confirmed by the MLB itself.

Whether you excited for the return of the sport or you are new to the MLB, the return of the sport in the latter half of July is set to be huge for the world of sport, not only in the U.S but across the globe.

CIF Names Academic State Champs

By Special To CalHiSports.com | Published June 17, 2020

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has announced 16 State Academic Team Champions for the 2019-2020 school year. Due to the impact of COVID-19 during the Spring, only Fall and Winter sports were recognized. The CIF State Academic Team Champions program was initiated in 1996 to reward teams with the highest collective grade-point-averages, based on an unweighted 4.0 scale, in their respective sport.

CIF State Academic Team Champions will receive a banner, suitable for display in their school gym, to recognize this accomplishment. All nominees were their respective CIF Section Academic Team Champions. Section offices forwarded their winners in all sports to the state office for consideration.

The Southern Section had eight teams represented, followed by three teams from the Central Coast Section. The North Coast and San Diego Sections had two teams each, followed by the Central Section with one team. Poly of Pasadena (SS) was the only school with two teams (Girls Golf and Girls Water Polo) to accomplish a state-high team GPA. The girls’ volleyball team from Joshua Springs Christian (SS) was the only team to achieve a 4.00 GPA.

Below is a list of the top team GPAs in each CIF approved sport for Fall and Winter (listed by GPA with CIF section in parentheses):

Girls Volleyball – Joshua Springs Christian, Yucca Valley (Southern) 4.00
Girls Basketball – Calvary Chapel, Santa Ana (Southern) 3.98
Boys Cross Country – Providence, Santa Barbara (Southern) 3.98
Girls Cross Country – Webb, Claremont (Southern) 3.96
Girls Golf – Poly, Pasadena (Southern) 3.96
Girls Tennis – Whitney, Cerritos (Southern) 3.95
Girls Water Polo – Poly, Pasadena (Southern) 3.94
Boys Basketball – Lynbrook, San Jose (Central Coast) 3.91
Girls Soccer – Eastlake, Chula Vista (San Diego) 3.90
Girls Wrestling – Head Royce, Oakland (North Coast) 3.90
Boys Soccer – Nueva, San Mateo (Central Coast) 3.86
Boys Water Polo – Hanford (Central) 3.86
Girls Field Hockey – La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad (San Diego) 3.82
Trad. Competitive Cheer – Salinas (Central Coast) 3.67
Boys Wrestling – Mission San Jose, Fremont (North Coast) 3.67
Football – Sage Hill, Newport Beach (Southern 3.66

More Mascots Fun (Closed Schools)

By CalHiSports.com Staff | Published June 9, 2020

Everyone loves unique mascot names with some of the most popular in California being the Lincoln Zebras of Lincoln, Mayfair Monsoons of Lakewood, Vintage Crushers of Napa, Poly Parrots of Los Angeles, Chester Volcanoes of Chester and Venice Gondoliers of Venice. Here’s some more with the added twist that these are schools that are closed (many for a very long time).

Some of these closed schools don’t have extremely unique nicknames, but the schools having existed at all in California seemed very unique and interesting.

Black-Foxe Military Academy Bulldogs (Los Angeles)
Clarksburg Comets
Cogswell Dragons (San Francisco)
Dewey Admirals (Long Beach)
Excelsior Pilots (Norwalk)
Jackson Ramblers (Los Angeles)
Junipero Cardinals (Monterey)
La Sierra Longhorns (Carmichael)
McKinley Boys Vols (Van Nuys)
McKinley Home Atomites (Los Angeles)
Metropolitan Workers (Los Angeles)
Montezuma Aztecs (Los Gatos)
Nelles Nitehawks (Whittier)
Nevada City Yellowjackets
Oakland Vocational Vokes (Oakland)
O’Connell Boilermakers (San Francisco)
Pine Grove Woodchoppers (Amador County)
Preston Prisoners (Waterford)
Rambam Torah Macabees (Los Angeles)
Raymond Granite Rocks (Madera)
Robert E. Lee Military Academy Rebs (Torrance)
Roosevelt Roughriders (Oakland)
Schneider Stags (Stockton)
St. Francis Terrors (Bakersfield)
St. Joseph Military Academy Shamrocks (Los Angeles)
Stockton Tarzans
Torrance Millitary Academy Donkeys
Vandemonte (San Bernardino) Ranchers
Verdant Vales Daystars (Middletown)
Closed girls schools:
Argyl Academy Socks (Los Angeles)
St. Rose Rascals (San Francisco)
Notes:
There also was a separate Courtland High School before Clarksburg and Courtland merged to form Delta. Cogswell of San Francisco later became Poly of San Francisco (that school closed many years ago as well). Nevada City and Grass Valley (GV was the Miners) became Nevada Union in early 1950s. One of school’s first grads was Cal-Hi Sports founder Nelson Tennis. La Sierra (Carmichael), which closed in 1982, is where Mark Tennis of Cal-Hi Sports is from. Oakland Vocational only existed a few years before becoming more familiar school name we all know — McClymonds.

Lions All-Star Football Rosters

By Mark Tennis | Published June 5, 2020

The 47th annual Central California Lions All-Star Football Game was supposed to have been played on Saturday, June 14 at Lincoln High School’s Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
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Honorable Mention Schools of Year

By Mark Tennis | Published May 28, 2020

To go with our annual State Schools of the Year tribute, here are some additional schools that were on our board in the various CIF state divisions and in our own five-division format that we would consider to be honorable mention.
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