Arizona Cardinals radio broadcasters Ron Wolfley and Dave Pasch will be back on the call for the first Cardinals Girls High School Flag Football Game of the Week of 2024.

The debut of the NFL squad’s collaboration with Arizona’s Family Sports to broadcast eight high-profile matchups in 2024 will feature Hamilton High School visiting Xavier College Preparatory at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The Cardinals in August announced their plans to shine the light on eight games this season with a broadcast. Arizona’s Family Sports and State Farm are partnering to promote the sport.

“It’s an Olympic sport in LA in ’28,” said Pasch when he joined Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Monday. “It’s a sport that’s on the rise. Wolf and I are going to have a lot of fun getting a chance to celebrate these young ladies tomorrow.”

Pasch (play-by-play) and Wolfley (analyst) will be joined on the broadcast by Cardinals reporter Dani Sureck, who will report from the sidelines.

Eleven states currently offer girls high school flag football. The 2023 season was the first of the sport being officially sanctioned by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

The AIA had 57 schools participate last year with more than 100 expected to play in 2024.

The debut of the series includes 2023 Cardinals Girls High School Flag Football Offensive Player of the Year Samaya Taylor-Jenkins of Hamilton. She recorded 92 receptions for 1,625 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023.

Xavier is led by Grace Ledoux, who recorded 40 catches for 320 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Seven other games of the week on Arizona’s Family Sports will take place on Tuesday or Thursday nights through Nov. 7.

How to watch the Cardinals’ broadcast of girls high school flag football

Arizona’s Family Sports can be found on COX channel 13, DirecTV channel 32 and Dish channel 44.

Full listings can be found here.

The Cardinals will also stream the game live on their website.

“We think it’s an exciting way really to elevate these athletes and put a spotlight on them,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill told KTAR News 92.3 FM in August. “We think other NFL teams will follow us maybe even this season … certainly next season. This game is continuing to grow at an exponential rate and it’s exploding here in Arizona.”

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Each year, the Roberto Clemente Award recognizes players across Major League Baseball for their philanthropy and positive impacts within their communities.

Sewald and his wife, Molly, partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and Child Crisis Arizona to raise money for children across Arizona and provide them with a safe environment.

The pitcher and his wife pledged to donate $1,000 to Child Crisis Arizona for every strikeout this season and have personally contributed $80,000 so far. The Diamondbacks Foundation agreed to match the Sewald family’s donations.

“I am honored to be named the Diamondbacks nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. A man who put his own safety at risk to help those in crisis and a true humanitarian,” Sewald tweeted to his X account.

He began Sewald’s Strikeouts 4 Kids in 2022 while playing for the Seattle Mariners and continued the initiative after his trade to Arizona.

Former D-backs pitcher Curt Schilling won the award in 2001 for his charitable donations toward combating ALS. No D-backs player has won the award since Schilling.

Fans can vote for which player they want to see win this year’s award. Voting opened on Monday and will stay open until the end of the regular season on Sept. 29.

San Carlos High School will host ALA-Anthem South on Thursday night in the first game of the series as the Fiesta Bowl organization hopes to further engage in the sport at the youth level.

The Fiesta Bowl organization will give fans attending the games special fan experiences. It will also spotlight student athletes and student sections at the game and across social media.

The schedule includes 12 tackle football games and three additional flag football games. The AIA enters its second season with girls flag football as a sanctioned sport and has expanded to 102 schools, twice the size of last year’s number.

“The power of Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown was on display last season, as schools, student-athletes, coaches and fans benefitted from the additional engagement, experiences and exposure,” Fiesta Sports Foundation executive director and CEO Erik Moses said in a release. “We are honored to help bring excitement to grassroots and high school football across the state of Arizona, where the elite level of play is recognized nationally by college football’s top programs for recruiting.

“Visiting San Carlos as that community rebounds from the Watch Fire is a fitting start for our second season to celebrate the game at all levels. Adding girls flag football was important to recognize the talent, dedication and future opportunities as the sport explodes in participation and quality.”

The 12-game schedule on the boys football side includes seven of the eight schools that played in the 2023 AIA Open State Championship bracket, including title winner Liberty High School. It will also feature 6A champion Saguaro and 5A title winner Higley.

On the flag football side, the schedule debuts on Thursday, Sept. 19, in a game featuring Highland High School and defending 5A title winner Campo Verde.

It later includes Mountain View High School, the 2023 6A champion from Mesa, which faces Millennium on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

“The AIA is a proud supporter of the Fiesta Sports Foundation and the continued opportunities that the organization provides to bring additional attention to Arizona high school football,” said AIA associate executive director Jim Dean. “The Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown and Flag Football Showdown will shine a spotlight on the outstanding football student-athletes throughout the state and highlight the exceptional play across Arizona.”

2024 Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown schedule:

Thursday, August 22 – ALA – Anthem South at San Carlos
Friday, August 30 – Brophy at Williams Field
Friday, September 6 – Sandra Day O’Connor at Liberty
Friday, September 13 – Queen Creek at Perry
Friday, September 20 – Desert Edge at Higley
Friday, September 27 – Chandler at Highland
Friday, October 4 – Centennial at Saguaro
Friday, October 11 – Hamilton at Basha
Friday, October 18 – Desert Mountain at Horizon
Friday, October 25 – Buena at Marana
Friday, November 1 – ALA – Gilbert North at Notre Dame Prep
Friday, November 8 – Red Mountain at Mountain View (Mesa)

2024 Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Showdown schedule

Thursday, September 19 – Highland at Campo Verde
Tuesday, October 15 – Mountain View (Mesa) at Millennium
Thursday, November 7 – Hamilton at Chandler

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The Cardinals said they are the first NFL team to help broadcast the sport. The first planned matchup is Sept. 17 when Hamilton High School in Chandler faces Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix.

Seven other games of the week on Arizona’s Family Sports will take place on Tuesday or Thursday nights up until Nov. 7.

The future of girls flag football is here. pic.twitter.com/CGsxB1gN0j

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 2, 2024

You’ve got Friday Night Lights, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football, now we bring you Thursday Night Lights.

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 2, 2024

“We think it’s an exciting way really to elevate these athletes and put a spotlight on them,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “Men’s high school football is broadcast here locally, as you know. We think the women athletes deserve that as well. We think other NFL teams will follow us maybe even this season … certainly next season. This game is continuing to grow at an exponential rate and it’s exploding here in Arizona.”

Girls high school flag football in Arizona is relatively new

Eleven states offer girls high school flag football. Arizona’s 2023 season was the first to offer the sport sanctioned by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

The AIA had 57 schools participate last year with more than 100 expected to play in 2024.

“A bunch of years ago, there’s no question that we were supporting flag football but with having a great broadcast partner like Arizona’s Family Sports, the technology today to be able to stream some of these games … the technology helps,” Bidwill said. “But also having a partner that’s super motivated to bring local sports over the air is great.”

In a press release, Arizona’s Family vice president and general manager Debbie Bush echoed that priority, calling local sports a “connective tissue of a community.”

The Cardinals have already had a hand in growing girls flag football by recognizing a game of the week via fan vote and a player of the week over the last two years.

The team recently agreed on a two-year partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance and pledged $70,000 to support the sport in Arizona.

“The AIA is honored to collaborate with the Arizona Cardinals as well as Arizona’s Family and State Farm to recognize and promote girls flag football here in Arizona,” AIA director David Hines said in a press release.

“To have select games of the week broadcast across the state provides a great opportunity to highlight these tremendous female athletes. We can’t thank the Cardinals enough for their support. They have been instrumental in the exponential growth of girls flag football in the state of Arizona.”

KTAR News 92.3’s Colton Krolak contributed to this story.

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UMOM provides safe shelter for nearly 700 individuals each night, including 155 families and 130 single women.

Johnson partnered with Coca-Cola, which donated 10,000 Dasani water bottles that Johnson will distribute. He will be joined by Cardinals cheerleaders and Tillman Scholars from the Pat Tillman Foundation from 10-11:30 a.m. at 3333 E. Van Buren St. on Sunday.

Interactive games will be available at the water drive, providing fun for the whole family.

“What this is about — and I kind of remind myself of this a lot — this opportunity I have to play in the NFL, this is a game I was playing as kid,” Johnson told Arizona Sports’ Cardinals Corner in March. “This is my dream, but it’s also my job. What comes with it is a lot of attention and it comes with a lot of money. I don’t really need all this money. It’s not for me. It’s for me to put other people in position to be able to have success.

“Whenever I go eat and someone’s hungry, I’m going to make sure they get the same food as me. I just think sometimes what you have as an NFL player, sometimes you don’t realize how much more your money or what the opportunity can bring to influence somebody else who doesn’t have it. You understand that when you go down to Brazil, you go down to South America where the gap for who has money and who doesn’t is even larger and you’re seeing a lot of kids.”

What is the Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation?

The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation’s mission is to “empower and serve disabled veterans and disadvantaged student-athletes with dignity and respect.”

“We want individuals to know their past doesn’t define them,” the website reads. “We exist to provide assistance so the veterans and athletes we serve can seek the most out of their lives.”

Among the foundation’s successes include raising more than $20,000 and serving more than 200 veterans and 550 students. Johnson and Co. have hosted 16 events and helped out nine charities, according to the foundation’s website.

Those who want to get involved or know more, can visit the foundation’s website.

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Students participating in the program come from 39 schools, 14 school districts, seven cities and five of the 15 counties across Arizona.

Next stop: The Capitol 🇺🇸

This morning 275 students embarked on our third annual Civics Matters tour!

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) June 11, 2024

The Civics Matters Arizona program was started by the Cardinals in 2022 to serve as a civic engagement initiative for high school students to collaborate with their peers as well as learn about the function of their government.

In partnership with the Close Up Foundation and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, it will provide students the experience to learn about civics in a fun and educational way.

Students will get the opportunity to interact in meetings with some of Arizona’s elected officials including Rep. Juan Ciscomani and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, learn about the issues both locally and nationally, and visit the various attractions throughout the D.C. area.

The Cardinals provided their team plane to fly the group to the nation’s capital from Tuesday through Friday of this week.

ALS attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord and life expectancy is about two to five years from the time of diagnosis, although it can vary.

Teams around the league celebrated by creating awareness and raising money for Lou Gehrig’s disease research, and the Arizona Diamondbacks will host festivities on Monday.

The D-backs wore 4 ALS armbands against the New York Mets at Citi Field and No. 4 patches to honor Gehrig on Sunday. Arizona’s No. 4 Ketel Marte hit two home runs in a 5-4 win.

The Diamondbacks return to Chase Field Monday to take on the San Francisco Giants.

#LouGehrigDay accents. #EndALS pic.twitter.com/JmUvhZGWK6

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 2, 2024

The D-backs will be donating $5 from each special event ticket purchased to an organization with a focus on Lou Gehrig’s disease, including ALS Arizona, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Barrow Neurological Institute.

Gabe Tapia, an ALS patient who has been dedicated to helping the cause, from ALS Arizona will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Muscular Dystrophy Association ambassador Doug Clough will read Gehrig’s famous “Luckiest Man” speech.

Sunday was the fourth annual Lou Gehrig Day in MLB.

Let’s continue to stand together in the fight against ALS. #LouGehrigDay

🎙️ @SlangsOnSports pic.twitter.com/myQURdwzI9

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 2, 2024

MLB researcher extraordinaire Sarah Langs, who battles ALS and has been at the forefront of MLB’s fight against the disease, picked a player from each club to sign a baseball card for auction to benefit ALS research. Langs chose D-backs first baseman Christian Walker.

The card is a one-of-one and has Gehrig and Walker on the front.

BEYOND honored to be asked by MLB to select a player per team to sign a @Topps card, each to be auctioned to benefit ALS research at @MGHNeurology

thanks SO MUCH to the players, chosen for personal links to ALS + passion for the game akin to Gehrig’s

➡️ https://t.co/9Hei35bB46 pic.twitter.com/v8KPoOvRYZ

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 2, 2024

Organizations working to end ALS partnered with MLB and each of its clubs are listed online.

How MLB teams spread awareness on Lou Gehrig Day

What a special moment 🫶

The legendary @SteveGleason and the family of the late Calgary Flames Assistant General Manager, Chris Snow, were on hand to deliver today’s first pitch. #LouGehrigDay pic.twitter.com/qDZcS1qONX

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 2, 2024

Today’s stretch conductors: ALS fighters, family members and caretakers!#EndALS | #LouGehrigDay pic.twitter.com/0UHSPJU8pA

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 2, 2024

Lucy Frates with today’s ceremonial first pitch in honor of her father, Pete Frates. ❤️#LouGehrigDay pic.twitter.com/4rqcWLnsBm

— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 2, 2024

As a finalist for the 2023 Lou Gehrig Award, Mike Yastrzemski joined the Live Like Lou Foundation to present a scholarship to Elizabeth Duncan, an incoming college freshman, who has overcome the loss of her dad Jon, uncle Jeff and aunt Jennifer, all to ALS. #LouGehrigDay pic.twitter.com/155i4MOqZm

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 2, 2024

As part of #LouGehrigDay, we join @MLB in supporting those in the fight against ALS and remembering those we’ve lost

Together, we can find a cure: https://t.co/qPsR7IkeUz pic.twitter.com/O76JmH9JHJ

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 2, 2024

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Happy to announce my second annual
💈Cutback Giveback Haircut Event!!💈

~ Free Haircuts for kids
~ June 30th
~ Located at Arizona Barber Academy
~ 1425 W Southern Ave
~ From 10am-4pm

Win prizes, play games, and go home feeling fresh, See y’all there!! pic.twitter.com/Jbh3wKjQPq

— Dlos brooks (@decarlos_brooks) May 21, 2024

The event will take place on June 30 at the Arizona Barber Academy on 1425 W. Southern Ave in Tempe from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will have free haircuts for kids, prize giveaways, food trucks, games and a chance to meet ASU players.

Brooks’ first Cutback Giveback Haircut Event took place last July at Arizona Barber Academy.

I just wanted to thank everyone that helped support and promote my Haircut event! Had a great turnout with over 30+ families. I was truly blessed to talk to and connect with so many young kids and family’s in the community.
See you guys next year!🔱💈 pic.twitter.com/s70zxEZGlz

— Dlos brooks (@decarlos_brooks) July 29, 2023

Brooks, who is from Chandler, will enter his second season with the Sun Devils after transferring from California following the 2022 season.

Brooks will look to bounce back in 2024 after playing in only five games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury and playing through a punctured lung during the season. Brooks rushed for 259 yards on 48 carries and three touchdowns.

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The fundraising surpasses the previous record of $14.5 million, which was set in last year’s open. The total marks the seventh time in history the Thunderbirds and WM Phoenix Open raised more than $10 million.

Proceeds will benefit charities across Arizona helping those in need.

“The WM Phoenix Open is a key philanthropic event that directly impacts organizations who support those in need, reflecting our ongoing commitment to the Arizona community,”  said 2024 tournament chairman George Thimsen.

“The hard work and collaboration with our city and state leaders, PGA TOUR players, sponsors, vendors, volunteers and enthusiastic fans has led to this enormously positive impact on our communities.”

The money flowed in through the event despite the 2024 WM Phoenix Open being interrupted by rain that impacted the viewing experience and at one point led to the gates being closed.

The significance of the money raised in the 2024 WM Phoenix Open

Since Waste Management took over as the title sponsor in 2010, the amount of charitable funds raised has increased$142 million. The overall total over the tournament’s history is now $208 million.

In the past nine tournaments, $105 million has been raised.

The tournament first took place in 1932 but was discontinued after 1935 due to lack of local support.

However, with the help of avid golfer Bob Goldwater, the tournament was revived.

A member of the Thunderbirds, Goldwater thought it was in the best interest of having a sponsor for the event. In 1939 it marked the official rebirth of the tournament and from there, a tradition was born.

WM Phoenix Open 

“The People’s Open” will be making its return to TPC Scottsdale Feb. 3-9. It will mark the 90th time the tournament will be in action and the 16th time Waste Management will be the title sponsor.

PHOENIX — For every strikeout this season, Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald and his wife, Molly, will donate $1,000 to Child Crisis Arizona.

The Sewald’s Strikeouts 4 Kids initiative is in its third year, which the Sewalds started in Seattle when Paul pitched for the Mariners. The D-backs say they will match the donations at the end of the season.

“I reached a point in my career where it’s time to really start to give back,” Sewald said pregame Friday. “We loved everything that Seattle gave us, we wanted to give back. We started this thing where I give money for every strikeout I have during the season to an organization that helps kids because kids have been the center of our lives the last few years.

“When I got traded, there was a lot going on last year. We didn’t move it to an Arizona organization until this year. … I’m disappointed my season got started a little bit slow, but we’re hoping we’re going to rack them up throughout the year.”

Sewald entered Friday with six strikeouts this season. He missed the first month-plus with an oblique strain but is back in the closer’s role.

Diamondbacks help Paul Sewald pick Child Crisis Arizona

Child Crisis Arizona works with Arizona families and children to provide emergency shelter, foster care, adoption, counseling, early education and parenting support services. The 501(c)(3) charity has operated since 1977.

Sewald asked the Diamondbacks to give him three charities to look at for the initiative. The team came back with five options within 24 hours.

Sewald said they were sold within 10 minutes of his Child Crisis Arizona tour. The Sewalds, who have two young daughters, worked with Eastside Baby Corner while in Seattle.

“Kids are the center focus of our lives. I think that’s why it’s most important,” Sewald said. “I think about everything that Molly and I do for our girls, it kills me to see that some of these families that don’t have all the resources they could possibly have. If I can do anything to help them, I feel like that’s necessary.”

Hey Fans! Molly and I have teamed up with @dbacksgiveback to bring Sewald’s Strikeouts 4 Kids to Arizona by supporting the amazing organization @ChildCrisisAriz Please join us in this cause by making a pledge for every strikeout this season at https://t.co/RGj9DZYC8C pic.twitter.com/r3crP29UQE

— Paul Sewald (@ItsPaulSewald) May 23, 2024

The organization plans to open a new campus in the fall. A garden at the center will be named after Sewald.

“If we stay here, or if I come back to Phoenix in 20 years, I can show my girls this is what Molly and I decided was most important in our lives. I think that’s going to be a really special moment,” Sewald said.

Sewald explained he was not the closer yet in Seattle when this idea came about, so tying the donations to saves did not make sense.

He joked that strikeouts were more exciting to drive donations than groundouts.

Fans can pledge online.

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But on Tuesday, the head coach took time away from the Xs and Os to sit down with those impacting the next generation.

He along with running back James Conner, RBs coach Autry Denson and team clinician Dr. Sophia Murphy spoke with numerous high school football coaches and administrators in a leadership and mental health awareness discussion with the Positive Coaching Alliance.

Gannon kicked off the inaugural event by peeling back the curtain on his definition of leadership.

In Tempe where head coach Jonathan Gannon and the Arizona Cardinals are hosting numerous Arizona high school football coaches for a leadership and mental awareness discussion. #AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/tdOAiaDYt5

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 21, 2024

The head coach touched on a number of areas from what his mentors passed down to him, the impacts of positive and negative leadership and what works best for him when it comes to leading his team.

He also spoke on what he asks of those within the walls of the Tempe training facility.

To sum it up (which should be no surprise to Cardinals fans):

1. Team
2. You

From there, the Positive Coaching Alliance’s director of community impact Daycia McClam jumped into a panel discussion alongside Conner, Denson and Murphy. They hit home the impact coaches can have throughout a player’s life and the balance they must strike.

Arizona Cardinals leader James Conner speaks on the coaches that have impacted him across his football career:#AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/30Te5d5BGt

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 21, 2024

“They need us. Be unapologetic about setting extremely, extremely high standards,” Denson said. “We live in a society that wants you to water it down. We are not their friends. That’s the worst thing we can do. We know what we’re talking about only because we’ve been there. They need us to lead them. They cannot lead themselves.”

“Every single athlete that you work with is going pro in something,” McClam added. “Some of them are going to go pro (in football), but all of them are going to go pro in something. You are preparing professionals in some space and you want to get them ready for the next level.”

It wasn’t just reserved for high school coaches or administrators, either, with Arizona State manager of player development and former Cardinal D.J. Foster taking in what was said.

“It was an incredible presentation and panel,” Foster said. “Hearing James Conner and coach JG, just a lot of stories about their personal journeys and what it took to get to the level they’re at and also the people along the way that helped them reach these heights of professional football and being elite at what they do, it was great for a lot of the Arizona community.”

“It was incredible to hear a lot of the testimonies.”

ASU manager of player development and former Cardinal D.J. Foster (@ASTATE_8) reflects on Arizona’s leadership and mental health awareness discussion held Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/7viGPS4bmp

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 22, 2024

The event is the latest in a recent partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance after Arizona and PCA pledged a $70,000 in support of girls flag football in the state.

And it certainly won’t be the last, said McClam.

“One month ago was when we established (our partnership), specifically focused on expanding the girls flag football program in the area,” she said. “We know the importance of having those competitive options for girls. … The Cardinals said, ‘We really want to kick this off this month because we start on that preface of positive leadership and mental health awareness so our coaches are aware of what we’re focusing on moving forward.’

“Trust me there’s going to be more coming,” she added. “(The Cardinals and PCA) have been working in an informal fashion. This is the first time we’ve been able to establish that formal one. … We’re going to go hard really quickly.”

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Fitzgerald will be competing in his third BlitzChamps tournament while Murray will be competing in his second. Both of them are seeking their first championship in the event.

The first prize winner will win $30,000 and donate it to the charity of their choice. Up to $100,000 will be donated in this year’s BlitzChamps tournament.

NFL Films will be documenting this year’s tournament and its players, past and present, as part of their NFL Films Presents series airing this season on NFL Network and FS1, according to a press release. 

Which NFL players are competing in BlitzChamps III?

Along with Murray and Fitzgerald, six other former and current NFL players will be competing in the tournament.

Quarterback Michael Vick, who played in the NFL for 13 seasons, will be making his debut in the tournament.

Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins will also be new competitors.

Kansas City Chiefs’ Drue Tranquill and Justin Reid will be competing in this year’s edition of BlitzChamps. Tranquill will be defending his title as he won last year’s tournament.

Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie will look to win his second BlitzChamps championship as he won the first edition of the tournament in 2022.

What charities are the players playing for?

• Murray: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale
• Fitzgerald: The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation
• Awuzie: Awuzie Kickstep Foundation
• Tranquill: Kids Alive International
• Reid: JReid InDeed
• Hollins: Thumbs Up Mission
• Vick: Achieving Vicktory Foundation
• Nelson: Shelice’s Angels

When and where to watch BlitzChamps III?

BlitzChamps III will be played on May 22 at 12 p.m. Arizona time.

The competition can be watched on Chess.com/TV, Twitch and YouTube.

More information on BlitzChamps III is online.

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo had a specific, personal reason to select Cincinnati Reds skipper David Bell to join his All-Star Game staff this summer, and that was to honor the late Mike Bell.

Mike Bell, David’s younger brother, was in charge of Diamondbacks player development for nine years (2011-19) and spent 13 years in the organization. He died in 2021 at 46 years old after a battle with kidney cancer, and his stamp remains on Ariozna’s roster.

Lovullo had plenty of ties to the Bell family that played into the decision, which fell on him as the National League-winning manager in 2023.

He and David played together on the 1995 Triple-A Buffalo Bisons (Cleveland) before Bell embarked on a 12-year MLB career.

Bell’s father, Buddy, was a coach and mentor to Lovullo in Cleveland’s system when Lovullo was rising as a minor league manager during the early 2000s.

“That is that is a very strong reason, but the strongest reason is because of his brother,” Lovullo said in a joint media session with David on Wednesday, before the D-backs faced the Reds.

“Mike ran our player development for a number of years. He has relationships with just about all the young players you’re watching on the baseball field perform at a high level. I just wanted to honor Mike the best way I could. It just makes so much sense for me personally and professionally to ask David to join us. And it’s an honor to have him.”

Torey Lovullo selects Reds manager David Bell for his All-Star Game staff to honor David’s late brother, former Diamondbacks farm director Mike Bell. pic.twitter.com/JooFU0hl2Y

— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) May 15, 2024

“Mike and I spoke a lot,” Bell said. “I feel like I know people throughout (Arizona’s) organization probably a lot better than I do. Torey and Mike had a close relationship, I know. … To be able to do this with Torey, it just means very much to me and my family.”

Torey Lovullo wanted to ask David Bell about MLB All-Star Game role in person

Lovullo offered Bell a spot on his All-Star game staff before a spring training game. He walked up to Bell outside a dugout at Salt Rivers Fields.

Bell texted back and forth with family during the game and thought about chasing Lovullo down the line to accept. He settled for a phone call on the drive home.

Lovullo said he was allowed to bring one guest manager, so he thought about the pick over the winter.

This was his first opportunity to do something like this. Lovullo was a bench coach for the 2014 All-Star Game after the Boston Red Sox won the World Series under manager John Farrell.

Picking Bell was a no-brainer.

“I admire the way he runs his team, I admire his love for the game and that’s deep-rooted,” Lovullo said. “That is a Bell family quality. I’m honored to tap into it. This is a good baseball story.”

Mike Bell and Lovullo overlapped for three seasons in Arizona before Bell took a job as the Minnesota Twins’ bench coach. David Bell said the thumbprints left behind by his brother in Arizona connect him to the club.

“Mike, it’s unbelievable. I mean, it still seems like he’s here,” David said. “Mainly because there’s so many people on Torey’s staff right now who were close with Mike, so many staff members throughout the Diamondbacks’ organization, current D-backs players or former D-backs players I see around the league.”

When is the MLB All-Star Game?

The All-Star Game is in Arlington, where Lovullo and the D-backs faced the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic.

The Midsummer Classic is on July 16.

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Scott took Jackson to his first baseball game when his son was five years old in 2007. As Red Sox fans living in San Francisco at the time, they had to see Boston take on the Oakland Athletics.

Eventually, Scott and his son Jackson made it a goal to visit all 30 MLB ballparks together. They bonded as fans, and Jackson kept that love of baseball going by playing club ball at Elon College.

En route to T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Scott Yelle challenged 100 Mariners fans to donate $10 each to the Jackson Yelle Foundation. He promised to match the $1k raised.

Mariners fans donated $1,235, making the total $2,235 for the team this year ❤️#HonoringJackson #NIKERBI pic.twitter.com/8D1uDeVS8O

— MLBRBI (@MLBRBI) May 14, 2024

But the Yelle family underwent unthinkable tragedy on April 30, 2023, when 21-year-old Jackson was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while on a trip with his team.

Through grief, the Yelles started the Jackson Yelle Family Foundation, and Scott embarked on a country-wide mission to visit all 30 ballparks and donate $1,000 to each team’s Nike Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.

“Jackson and I had started the journey, we just realized we’ve been to four or five ballparks and thought, ‘Hey, we should try and go to all 30.’ And once he passed away a year ago, we had only been to 12,” Yelle told Arizona Sports.

“I was like, ‘I should really figure out a way to finish the journey and see how we can raise some funds and give back at the same time.’ Just had the idea. I floated it out to the baseball community I knew. A good friend of the family is Trey Wingo. And he said, ‘Hey, you should go check out Major League Baseball’s Nike RBI program. So I did and then I reached out to MLB and the rest is history.”

 

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A post shared by For Jackson🩵 (@honoring.jacksonyelle)

Scott Yelle visits Diamondbacks

Yelle — wearing a customized D-backs jersey and Elon baseball cap — met with Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll and manager Torey Lovullo before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to reliever Ryan Thompson. He clearly had some practice, delivering a strike.

Watching the Diamondbacks take on the Reds was his first experience seeing a game at Chase Field, his 22nd ballpark on the trek. Yelle visited Seattle on Monday and will head west to Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. He plans on completing the tour June 9 at the Detroit Tigers.

“One of (Jackson’s) old high school basketball teammates joined me in Tampa because he’s going to the University of Tampa,” Yelle said. “Another basketball, baseball teammate joined us in (Philadelphia). It’s a mix. His roommate and his mom are gonna join me for the last three stadiums together. It’s been fun to have people join me.”

Yelle challenged 100 Seattle fans to donate $10 to the foundation and promised to match it on top of the $1,000 donation on Monday. Fans donated $1,235 for the cause. 

Jackson Yelle Family Foundation impacts

The original goal of Yelle’s tour was to raise $25,000 with $18,000 going to the Nike RBI Program. He wrote after the Mariners game the foundation had raised just shy of $23,000.

MLB’s Nike RBI initiative is a youth outreach program that gives resources and support for baseball and softball organizations serving underserved kids and communities. The missions of the program are to increase participation in baseball and softball in underserved communities, provide academic support and teach life skills.

The D-backs’ Nike RBI program launched in 2020 and offers free clinics in partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs around the Valley.

En route to T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Scott Yelle challenged 100 Mariners fans to donate $10 each to the Jackson Yelle Foundation. He promised to match the $1k raised.

Mariners fans donated $1,235, making the total $2,235 for the team this year ❤️#HonoringJackson #NIKERBI pic.twitter.com/8D1uDeVS8O

— MLBRBI (@MLBRBI) May 14, 2024

The foundation has also established a scholarship in Jackson’s name for a senior at Nauset Regional High School, his alma mater, worth $1,000 annually. It has also upgraded the Elon Club baseball and softball fields, matched donations to the Nauset Booster Club and is working to finalize an Elon scholarship.

Scott acts as secretary and treasurer. Jackson’s mother Andrea Yelle is the vice president and his sister Lexi is the president.

The Elon Club baseball program raised $40,000 at the time of Jackson’s death to help start the foundation.

“It’s a perfect fit”.

In honor of his late son Jackson, Scott Yelle is completing their goal of visiting all 30 MLB ballparks. Scott shares why including donations to MLB NIKE RBI programs are an important part of this mission.❤️ pic.twitter.com/USdUI0Wsex

— MLBRBI (@MLBRBI) April 8, 2024

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Shelby Scheer and Jason Scheer, the latter of whom is editor and publisher of 247 Sports’ Arizona recruiting news site WildcatAuthority.com, have been put through the wringer since May 4, when a rattlesnake bit their pet dog, Cora.

The Scheers have kept their large social media following up to date on the progress Cora had made over the past week-plus.

Last update of the night: Second vial seems to have worked. Barely missed her actual eye. Venom almost all gone. White blood cell count not great. Keeping her overnight. She wagged her tail when we visited her and she’s a beast! pic.twitter.com/cCQ8nIomyc

— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) May 5, 2024

Update: Cora did well on her last blood test and is coming home. Have to keep a close eye on her for the next 48 hours but she’s pumped to see mommy and go home pic.twitter.com/GJZ0I8fQL4

— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) May 5, 2024

We think she can see fine. Little concerned about the eyelid. Going to the vet Wednesday for an update. Still in pain but she’s being awesome so far today.

— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) May 12, 2024

While Cora required a series of anti-venoms to survive in the initial hours, she has required more medical attention to help recover from the bite near her eye.

A fundraiser was set up to help the couple reach a $10,000 goal to pay for the treatment, and an eye-popping name showed up on the list of public contributors on Sunday night: Arizona State’s Dillingham.

We are still blown away by love everyone has shown to Cora. We received a gift from the head coach of ASU football tonight. We have had gifts from AZ athletics staff/coaches too. All amounts are incredible and we are grateful we can provide Cora the best care b/c of you all. ❤️🐶 https://t.co/KlbcJX0c2q

— Shelby K. (@MizShelbyK) May 13, 2024

The gesture was of course appreciated by the Scheers and other Arizona fans.

Dillingham received reviews on the spectrum from “hard to dislike” to a wish of good luck from Wildcat fans. How’s that for overlooking a rivalry to help out a family in need?

Really nice gesture by @KennyDillingham

Sports is what it is, but the fact we can go beyond is what is important. He is far harder to dislike than any of the coaches they have had the past few decades.

— NobodyYouKnow (@JustAFanofAZ) May 13, 2024

Coach Kenny is all class. What a great Dude. I think his sister is a UA grad. Great perspective – he understands there are things more important than the rivalry. I know Coach Brennan does too. Both Schools have class act Head Coaches. This is going to be good.

— THL (@beardown290) May 13, 2024

@KennyDillingham mad respect best of luck this year 🐻⬇️

— BearDownBeatMM (@GopherTheW) May 13, 2024

Of course coach dilly is a good guy. Dang it! Thanks coach.

— Mountain (@themountain54) May 13, 2024

Classy move from Coach Dilly. I’ll like ASU today only in his honor. 😉😏

— Julie Miller (@BearCatsGoDown) May 13, 2024

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Kaplan took to X and detailed the story of Johnson doing two good deeds that were full-circle between Kaplan’s bar mitzvah and the death of his father.

When Kaplan was turning 13 years old, his father surprised him with a video featuring Johnson, Kenny Smith and former co-hosts Peter Vecsey and George Karl.

And here’s the second half. I still to this day have no idea how @PeterVecsey1 did this with a straight face. He knows he’s talking about a 13-yr-old on the biggest day of that kid’s life, with friends and family watching!

Incredible, incredible performance.

(7/X) pic.twitter.com/OduQqlz5gw

— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024

Kaplan’s father was able to get the segment for Kaplan by calling TNT and got a call back from Johnson as the TNT crew produced the segment during the 2000 NBA Playoffs.

Ben Kaplan and Johnson reconnected in 2022 when Kaplan’s father was battling cancer. Ben got in touch via email and Johnson sent his father a personalized video for his 72nd birthday. Johnson shared his number with Kaplan’s father and they kept in touch during his cancer treatments.

A few months later, Kaplan and Johnson appeared on Meredith Shiner’s podcast to discuss the story.

So Meredith ended up having Ernie and I both on her pod to discuss the full circle moment together. We talked about faith and fathers and sports, how those three things weaved together in our lives. It turned out wonderfully. Here’s the link:https://t.co/MHq2jvY3TF

— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024

Shortly after the episode’s release, Kaplan’s father passed away.

Kaplan dedicated his upcoming book, ‘Pipeline to the Pros: How D3, Small-College Nobodies Rose to Rule the NBA’ to his father and thanks Johnson for the gift.

I think about my dad a lot, especially when I’m with my own boys, and ESPECIALLY especially when we’re watching hoops.

Every time I see Ernie on that TNT desk, I think of his generosity, about how he allowed me to repay the best gift I ever received.

(18/x)

— Ben Kaplan (@bkaplan4) May 7, 2024

Johnson responded on X to Kaplan’s story, thanking Kaplan for sharing it and sending well wishes to him and his family.

Ben, my friend. You think you do, but you have no idea what this series of events meant to me. My only explanation for the opportunity and the timing is, as @petermayermusic writes in his song “Loose in the World” is that this was all “the hand of the Divine.” Blessings on you… https://t.co/kyoUxM6S7T

— Ernie Johnson (@TurnerSportsEJ) May 8, 2024

Read more about Juarez, known to his players as Coach Kuko, from the nomination letter:

If Coach Kuko does not deserve this award, I do not know who does. He coaches the 2013 boys soccer team for La Academia in Mesa. The club practices three nights a week from 6-8 p.m. Coach Kuko is there at every practice despite working a landscaping job all day in the heat. He is always in a great mood and is so welcoming to all of the kids; he treats them like they are his kids. He has so much patience with the children and the players get better every practice due to his guidance. This includes discipline when it is required.

The team has been very successful this past season. They went undefeated and won the 2023 Arizona Soccer Club Heritage Cup and the 2024 East Valley Spring Invitational. In these tournaments despite having some close games, Coach Kuko played his whole roster, which included two girls (my daughter being one of them) on an all-boys team and tournament. Every player got their regular playing time. Coach Kuko’s main goal is to play as a team and improve as a team. The winning or losing does not factor into playing time. But he has prepared the team so well with a mild-mannered, encouraging demeanor, that the team went on to win all of those close games.

My daughter could not even pass a soccer ball in August. And I did not think she would make it on this select team, but Coach Kuko saw potential in her as she tried out/practiced with the team. She now is very competitive on the field and has improved beyond what I thought was imaginable. This same transformation goes beyond my daughter and extends to all of the other players. He has worked his magic to assure all of the players are excelling and each is the best version of themselves, which sounds cliche, but it is the truth.

He is an absolute great coach, and an even better person. He truly deserves this award.

Nominate the next deserving coach for the Arizona Sports Coach of the Month award.

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While Robinson could be a key addition to the Cardinals’ pass rush, the impact he wants to make goes far beyond the field.

“Going into my fifth year at Mizzou turned out to be the best year of my life for many reasons,” Robinson told Arizona Sports’  Burns & Gambo on Friday. “But one of the main reasons was I was able to benefit from NIL but instead of that I started my own nonprofit foundation.”

The Michigan native started The Darius Robinson Helpings Hands Foundation to help those in need of resources, regardless of age.

Robinson bought 100 bookbags for the kids at Second Missionary Baptist Church and for other youth in the Columbia, Missouri community. During the following holiday season, Robinson also raised $3,000 for three families in need.

“For now, my goal is to have three events each year and just giving back and really being appreciative of my blessings and giving to others,” Robinson said.

Robinson also holds multiple degrees. He earned a bachelor’s in hospitality management with a minor in business and a master’s in positive culture with an emphasis in athletic leadership.

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Major League Baseball published a short-form documentary centered around the friendship between Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo, and MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince captured their connection through tragedy. 

Nicole Hazen, Mike’s wife, died in August 2022 due to complications related to her fight with glioblastoma, a rare type of brain cancer.

Mike Hazen announced a leave of absence in June 2021 as Nicole had been fighting the glioblastoma since May 2020. As the Hazen family faced tribulations surrounding Nicole’s cancer, the Hazen and Lovullo family created an inseparable bond.

“Really, that’s what (the documentary) was centered around,” Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday. “It was bringing light to this situation of glioblastoma and its effects on the human life and there’s no cure for it and it’s very destructive. I think Mike’s main message through the whole thing was A. we want to help others and B. I don’t ever want my wife to be forgotten and I want her story to be told. So that’s really what it came down to.”

Lovullo said the story was told “about as accurately as we possibly can,” and he has watched it “about four or five times.”

“Once (Mike) gave the OK and became as vulnerable as he was during those conversations, it was easy for me to follow, it was easy for my wife to follow, his kids did as well,” Lovullo said.

The feature takes viewers behind the scenes as Nicole fought for her life and family while the Diamondbacks spiraled to 110 losses in 2021. It continued through Arizona’s run to the World Series in 2023 and what that would have meant to Nicole. 

Nicole’s favorite number was four because she had four boys, Charlie (age 18), John (16), Teddy (15) and Sam (13) and her birthday was on the fourth. When the D-backs hit four home runs in the third inning of Game 3 of the NLDS, the Lovullo and Hazen family did not believe it was a coincidence.

“We were being gutted from the inside out as an organization,” Lovullo said. “Our leader was walking through something as tragic as you could possibly imagine. But we just pounded on. We just kept moving forward and Mike was an inspiration to us all and certainly, Nicole was driving us as well, even though she wasn’t able to talk or wasn’t able to do things like we knew that she could. She was soldiering on and it was an inspiration to us all.”

The Nicole Hazen Fund for Hope was set up to help patients access treatment and support. Contributions can be made to the Nicole Hazen Fund For Hope via credit card or via check.

My family is among the many that have been impacted by aggressive brain tumors. If the story moves you and the spirit moves you, the Nicole Hazen Fund for Hope was established by the Hazen family and the @Dbacks to fund therapies and assist patients. ⬇️https://t.co/kFLj2Nptih

— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) April 4, 2024

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They’re also two of four teams that were greeted in a very Phoenix way when Suns guard Devin Booker swung by to give out some words of wisdom and new pairs of his Nike Book 1s.

The players’ reaction said it all.

𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 📕 pic.twitter.com/uURVJdDANE

— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) April 5, 2024

“Understand that you’ve got to do it together,” he said in a post by Alabama on X. “Communication is key in big games. Get to it early. There’s no reason to wait.

“I wasn’t going to leave you guys empty-handed. I got some new sneakers, the Book 1s.”

The Boilermakers were also grateful for the All-Star guard’s gifts.

Appreciate you stopping by @DevinBook! Appreciate the kicks!

🙌 @nikebasketball pic.twitter.com/ZxdHmakGYB

— Purdue Men’s Basketball (@BoilerBall) April 5, 2024

What about the other Final Four teams?

Alabama and Purdue weren’t the only teams that got hooked up by an NBA player ahead of the Final Four.

While it wasn’t Booker, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards sent over an Adidas care package to the NC State Wolfpack.

.@theantedwards_ & @adidasHoops getting the squad right for the Final Four 🙌#AdidasBasketball #BelieveThat pic.twitter.com/ENAbYMMmm4

— NC State Men’s Basketball (@PackMensBball) April 5, 2024

No word yet on what kind of kicks might be coming the UConn Huskies’ way, thought they seem to be doing just fine.

Had a great time checking out Fan Fest last night! pic.twitter.com/rNN7IZ1TEu

— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 5, 2024

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