K-ZONE WPKZ FM105.3/AM 1280

Your Hometown Radio

listen nowLISTEN NOW
listen nowLISTEN NOW
K-Zone Studio Line 978.348.1280

soccer

Ashburnham/Westminster claims Junior Babe Ruth title

by

The Ashburnham/Westminster Junior Babe Ruth team claimed the Central Massachusetts championship on Sunday, sneaking out a victory over Narragansett in the deciding game of a best-of-three final.

The team finished third in league play with a record of 14-4 and went 5-4 in the postseason en route to the title. Ashburnham/Westminster closed out the championship series by holding off Narragansett in Gane 3 to take home the title.

Fagundez heading to Hollywood

Former Leominster resident and New England Revolution Homegrown Player Diego Fagundez was dealt to the Los Angeles Galaxy by Austin FC on Monday.

The attacking midfielder was sent to the Galaxy in exchange for midfielder Memo Rodríguez and $300,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). The Galaxy could receive up to $150,000 in conditional GAM if performance metrics are met by Rodríguez, while Austin could receive up to $600,000 in conditional GAM if performance metrics are met by Fagundez.

The 28-year-old Fagundez has tallied 68 goals and 67 assists in 347 career MLS games over 13 season. Fagundez tallied six goals and tied for second in MLS with 15 assists in 34 regular-season appearances for Austin last season and in 19 appearances in 2023, he has two goals and two assists.

Fagundez is one of 11 players in MLS history to record 65 goals and 65 assists in regular-season play and a 2014 graduate of Goodrich Academy in Fitchburg.

Bay State Games heading to Fitchburg

by

When athletes from all across the state come together for the 41st annual Bay State Summer Games, some will do so in Fitchburg.

The Game On complex will host eight sports in the competition starting in the second week of July, according to a press release. The Bay State Games anticipate around 1,500 athletes taking part in the festivities in Fitchburg.

“We are excited to expand the roster of sports being held at Game On this year,” Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games, said in the press release. “This state-of-the-art facility allows us to enhance the athlete and spectator experience and provide a true Olympic-style multi-sport atmosphere for our participants.”

The Games feature baseball, basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball as showcase sports. Athletes currently in grade 8 through 11 and who live or go to school in Massachusetts are eligible to attend regional tryouts during the month of June, with more info available and registration available at baystategames.org.

Other venues being used for the Bay State Games include the Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, Union Point Sports Complex in Weymouth, and New England Sports Center in Marlboro.

Bay State Games participants range in age from 5 to over 75 and represent more than 300 Massachusetts communities as well as surrounding New England States in some sports. In addition to the showcase sports, other competitions include swimming, track and  field, figure skating, pickleball, wrestling, weightlifting, archery, judo and badminton, which are open to a wide range of ages and skill levels from youth participants to masters-aged athletes.

Adaptive sport divisions in archery, swimming, and track & field are offered, as well. Bay State Games also organizes tournaments for pre-existing teams in girls lacrosse, rugby, and 6v6 field hockey.

An additional feature in 2023 is that in over a dozen sports, athletes who win a gold, silver, or bronze medal at the 2023 Bay State Games will qualify to participate in the 2024 State Games of America in San Diego, California. The State Games of America feature more than 8,000 athletes from over 30 different state games programs nationwide. To see the list of qualifying sports, please visit www.stategamesofamerica.com.

 

Boston University brain health researchers recruiting people who played soccer or tackle football

by

Boston University researchers are looking for thousands of people who played soccer or tackle football for a new study that’s examining the impact of contact sports on brain health.

The online study, called the “Head Impact & Trauma Surveillance Study,” will enroll former soccer and football athletes from all levels of play — youth, high school, college, semi-pro or professional.

The BU researchers will examine the risks for developing dementia, cognitive decline and changes in behavior and mood later in life from repetitive head impacts in soccer and tackle football.

“Millions of Americans are exposed to repetitive head impacts through participation in contact and collision sports,” said Robert Stern, director of clinical research for the BU Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center.

“Exposure to repetitive hits to the head have been associated with later life brain disease and disorders,” said Stern, who’s also professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Anatomy & Neurobiology at BU School of Medicine. “However, critical gaps in scientific knowledge remain, and many important questions need to be answered.”

The researchers developed this study to find those answers, he added.

The scientists want to learn whether subconcussive head impacts from ordinary plays — such as heading a soccer ball or routine blocking and tackling in football — increase risk for later life mood and behavioral changes. They’re also looking to determine if these head impacts up the risk for memory and thinking impairments.

The study is a fully online, annual assessment that includes: questions about sports participation, repetitive head impacts exposure and concussion and medical history; computerized memory and cognitive tests; and behavior and mood questionnaires.

To enroll in HITSS or for more information, visit www.HITSS.org. Anyone who is 40-plus who played soccer or tackle football at any level can enroll now.