Clay Kallam, Author at SportStars Magazine

The Fear Of Football: CTE and Brain Damage In High School Players

LEVELUP INSIDERS June 15, 2018 2

CTE and Brain Damage From Football I’m all ready to play football but my mom read something in the paper about CTE and brain damage from football, and now she says she won’t let me play. I can’t believe it — I’ve looked forward to playing high school football... Read more

All-NorCal Girls Basketball ’17-’18

High School Basketball April 6, 2018 0

Beginning With Player Of The Year, Archbishop Mitty’s Haley Jones, It Was A Banner Year For NorCal Girls Talent • CLICK HERE For All-NorCal Boys Selections NORCAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR Haley Jones, Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Junior There’s not much Haley Jones can’t do on a basketball court. At 6-1,... Read more

Coach Brian Dietschy’s Journey To State Finals Started In Elementary School

High School Basketball North Coast Section April 5, 2018 0

Thirty Years After After Losing A NorCal Basketball Final As A Las Lomas Player, Brian Dietschy Coached A Serendipitous Knights Team Into The State Finals • Brian Dietschy story by CLAY KALLAM | Photos by JAMES K. LEASH The story starts on San Juan Avenue, a quiet Walnut Creek... Read more

Why is Baseball Striking Out On TV Air Time?

High School Baseball/Softball LEVELUP INSIDERS April 5, 2018 0

The state championship basketball games are on TV, even the Division V ones. Kids get excited about basketball and football, even when the teams aren’t that good. But when our baseball team is good, no one seems to care. It just doesn’t seem right. We’re just as good as... Read more

Las Lomas Basketball To Its First State Finals Appearance

High School Basketball North Coast Section March 19, 2018 0

A Nine-Point Flurry From Senior Devin Payne Helped Lift Las Lomas To Its First State Finals Appearance • For almost three full quarters, Palo Alto High and Las Lomas Basketball teams played the equivalent of a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust football game, grinding out possessions and hoping to score. Then Devin Payne... Read more

Pinewood High Won The NorCal Open Division Title

Central Coast Section High School Basketball March 19, 2018 0

With A Triple-OT Triumph Over Archbishop Mitty, Pinewood Won The NorCal Open Division Title After Topping The Nation’s No. 5 And No. 1 Teams In The Same Week • A 16-point second-half deficit against the undefeated No. 1 high school girls team in the country — especially against a... Read more

Why Do Refs Make Bad Calls In High School Sports?

LEVELUP INSIDERS January 26, 2018 0

Why do refs make bad calls? They’re wrong more than they’re right. It’s awful. — G. H., Milpitas So let’s start with the obvious on why do refs make bad calls? 1) The players are in high school 2) The coaches are working at a high school 3) The parents go to high... Read more

Jump’s Big Leap

Central Coast Section High School Basketball January 18, 2018 0

A Deadly Outside Shot Is Only One Element To Pinewood Basketball Star Hannah Jump’s Continually Rising Game • Story by CLAY KALLAM | Photos by ED OSWALT Haley Jones has seen Hannah Jump launch 3-pointers as an opponent (since middle school) and as a teammate (CalStars in the summer).... Read more

Rising Forces

High School Basketball January 12, 2018 0

Here Are Five Teams Emerging From Under The Radar Just as Captain Renault suggested in the classic movie “Casablanca,” preseason rankings usually begin with this directive: “Round up the usual suspects.” But in the black-and-white world of basketball — there’s a winner and a loser every time out —... Read more

Behind the Clipboard: Priority Varsity?

LEVELUP INSIDERS December 14, 2017 0

I wrestle, and when we practice, we have to get out the mats, lay them down and then pick them up again so the cheerleaders can practice. Sometimes we don’t even get in the gym at all because the girls basketball JV is using it. That doesn’t seem fair... Read more

Collision Course: 2 National Powers, 1 State Title

Central Coast Section High School Basketball Sac-Joaquin Section November 22, 2017 0

Archbishop Mitty And St. Mary’s-Stockton Are On An Inevitable Path • Story By CLAY KALLAM | Photos By BERRY EVANS III Since Valentine’s Day of 2006, Archbishop Mitty and St. Mary’s of Stockton have played six times – and though there’s plenty of respect, no candy grams have been... Read more

Campolindo’s March Motivation

High School Basketball North Coast Section November 22, 2017 0

With Five Returning Starters, All Seniors, There’s No Mistaking The Goals Of The State Runners-Up • Story by CLAY KALLAM | Photos by DENNIS LEE Campolindo girls basketball coach Art Thoms III reflects candidly on the 2016-17 season of his Moraga program. “Last year, our goal was to make... Read more