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SPORTS & FITNESS

Mountain View News Saturday, September 28, 2024

WE'RE BACK!

By Russ Meeks

 Bringing everything back that COVID 
shut down seems like a never-ending 
process, but each rekindled tradition is 
a great victory. 

For our athletic leagues, the first 
order of business during COVID was 
getting our kids back out there in the 
fresh air, active and healthy with their 
friends. Sierra Madre Little League led 
the region in this successful mission. 
On March 7, 2020, they were the first 
league to shut down op-erations and 
issue the best advisory information 
available for families. Led by the 
SMLL Safety Director Jon Obrien, Russ 
Meek and Mayor Kelly Kriebs who 
was the SMLL VP at the time, their 
philosophy was to establish credibility 
by shutting down first, and then work 
closely with our City on the plan to get 
our Little Leaguers back on the field 
first. Thanks to careful research, city 
collaboration and about $40K invested 
in safety supplies for each player and 
team, they wrote the safety plan that 
all others followed to restart play.

By Spring of 2022, all three Sierra Madre 
sports leagues (Sierra Madre Girls 
Softball, Sierra Madre Little League, 
and Sierra Madre Pony Baseball) 
were humming again with record 
attendance and success. Familiar faces 
around town had already been asking 
league officials, “When are you starting 
the Adult Softball league again?”

Through Summer of 2019 the Adult 
League was a fantastic tradition, 
attended by 8-10 teams who played at 
Heasley Field during the semi-dormant 
time when the Softball and Baseball 
youth were taking a rest. It was Parents 
and grandparents of those kids, along 
with dozens of local res-idents who just 
wanted to play together in a not-so-
serious atmosphere. This was a CO-
ED league, meaning an equal amount 
of men and ladies had to be out there 
on the field. 

There were teams called Sierra 
Madre Memorial, Uncorked, Runs-
n-Buns, Cheers, and the Gooden 
School parents got together every 
year wearing jerseys that said “Good 
Company.” Even the Buc had a team. 
Playing was real mental and emotional 
therapy, and even physical therapy in 
town was booming to address all of the 
sore joints and pulled muscles! It had 
to come back.

In 2021 SM Little League asked the 
YMCA if they could help get the league 
started again using their safety plan. 
It was the YMCA who originally ran 
Adult Softball. But COVID vaccines 
were just coming out, the Delta Variant 
was sweeping through town, and the 
“Y” was reeling from heavy COVID 
setbacks.

In 2022 Sierra Madre Softball opened 
discussions and business planning 
about how it might work, but they 
were entering a period of exponential 
growth in their board and programs, 
which would extend play deeper into 
the off-season. In 2023 Softball and 
Little League were both fo-cused 
on record All Star runs into the 
summer post season, along with major 
renovation projects that they began to 
partner to improve school and city park 
facilities around town. The Boards had 
approved making contributions to help 
get Adult Softball started, or even run 
it, but the re-sources, manpower and 
bandwidth just wasn’t available. Kurt 
Knop, the new and fantastic director 
at the Y, shared the same sentiment. 
Another summer passed!

Then on a November evening in 2023, 
an Adult Softball Committee came 
together at RT Rogers Brewery to 
update the business plan and delegate 
responsibilities. It was Laura Aguilar 
from the City, Lacey Shaver a parent 
and board member with both Sierra 
Madre Little League and Soft-ball, 
Samantha Krost, Russ Meek, Bob 
Salisian and David Cramer from Sierra 
Madre Softball, and Kurt Knop from 
the Y. Since then Ted Tegart joined 
(also from the City), along with Liz 
Olguin who is a teacher at Sierra Madre 
Elementary.

Outreach went out in May to as many 
of the old contacts who could be found, 
and also to the families in each of 
the sports leagues. Within 2 weeks a 
record 12 teams were registered, mean-
ing there was more demand for field 
space than Heasley Field alone could 
offer, since the youth All Star teams 
continued to need practice space to 
support their Summer campaigns. 
Sierra Madre Pony graciously offered 
Adult Softball use of Dapper Field on 
Sundays, and their board member Nick 
Forillo stepped up to manicure the 
field for the Adult Games every week.

The 2024 comeback season ran 6 
short weeks from late July through 
early September, with no shortage of 
laughs, new memories, and all types 
of therapy mentioned above! A single-
elimination playoff narrowed the field 
of teams down to 4 semi-finalists who 
played at Heasley Field the night of 
September 15. Despite all of the new, 
younger faces who were youth sports 
parents and highly decorated athletes 
in their own “glory days,” the last teams 
standing were all classic groups from 
the pre-COVID years. It was “Good 
Company,” “Sierra Madre Memorial,” 
“Runs-n-Buns,” and “Sons-of-Pitches” 
(formerly named “Uncorked”).

Now, everyone is waiting to hear how 
soon the teams can get together again. 
Plans are being explored for a Holiday 
tournament, or perhaps a season of 
Adult CO-ED “Wiffle-Ball” which 
would require less field space. No 
doubt the 2025 Summer season will be 
well-attended, likely starting around 
July 4 for a longer 10-week season.

The leagues have important 
improvement projects to engage, and 
with this large new population of 
players and spectators filling out the 
calendar, exposure for sponsors is 
significantly more val-uable as well. 
Please reach out if you or anyone close 
would like to discuss.

For more information, contact Russ 
Meek 

SMGSAPLAYERS@GMAIL.COM 
626.827.5011 M


Pictured are the two final teams, Runs-n-Buns and Sons-of-Pitches, who each battled to take the lead against the other in every 
inning. The final score saw Runs-n-Buns hold on for the win by only 2 runs, 13-11. So another tradition is back, and better than 
ever. A primary good that came out of it was deeper collaboration between the youth sports leagues and the city, and the result was 
a first-class experience despite very casual expectations from the players.

WHAT’S UP WITH PROTEIN

Protein plays a major role in weight loss by boosting metabolism, keeping you feeling full, and preserving muscle. But what happens when you don’t get 
enough — or eat too much?

How Protein Helps With Weight Loss

When you eat protein, your body burns more calories digesting it compared to fats and carbs. It boosts metabolism. This is called the thermic effect of 
food, and it helps increase your metabolism. In short, your body uses more energy to process protein, which means you burn more calories after eating it.

It also reduces appetite and cravings. Protein makes you feel fuller for longer by regulating hunger hormones like ghrelin and peptide YY. When you eat 
enough protein, you're less likely to snack or overeat. People who add more protein to their diet often end up naturally eating fewer calories.

Protein can help you preserve muscle mass too. When losing weight, you don’t want to lose muscle — you want to burn fat. Protein is essential because it 
helps preserve muscle mass while you're in a calorie deficit, keeping your metabolism running strong.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The amount of protein you need depends on your body, activity level, and goals. For the average adult, the basic recommendation is about 0.36 grams of 
protein per pound of body weight. That’s about 56 grams a day for men and 46 grams for women.

However, if you're trying to lose weight or you're very active, you'll need more — typically around 0.5 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. 
This helps support muscle maintenance and fat loss. So someone who weighs 150 pounds might aim for 75 to 150 grams of protein daily (150 lbs. x 0.5 
= 75g; 150 lbs. x 1.0 = 150g). Only those doing intense training or in the process of building muscle need more. Most of us don’t fall into that category.

Plant-Based Protein Sources

Of course meat, fish and other animal products contain protein but eating a healthier plant based diet can still get you more than adequate amounts of 
daily protein. These foods make it easy to hit your protein targets even without eating meat. Here are a few of the great protein sources to choose from:

• Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans.

• Soy Products: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk.

• Grains: Quinoa, farro, amaranth, bulgur, whole wheat products.

• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds.

• Vegetables: Broccoli, spinach, peas (though these are lower in protein than other sources).

• Plant-Based Protein Powders: Pea protein, hemp protein, brown rice protein.

What if you don’t get enough protein?

1. Muscle Loss: Not eating enough protein can cause your body to break down muscle, especially if you're trying to lose weight or are inactive.

2. Fatigue and Weakness: Without enough protein, you might feel tired and weak, and physical tasks may become harder.

3. Weakened Immune System: Protein is vital for building antibodies and immune cells, so too little can weaken your immune system.

4. Slower Metabolism: Losing muscle from a lack of protein can slow down your metabolism, making it harder to lose or maintain weight.

What if you eat too much protein?

1. Weight Gain: If you overdo it on protein and your body doesn’t need the extra for muscle repair or energy, it can be stored as fat.

2. Kidney Stress: High protein intake over a long period might strain the kidneys, particularly if you already have kidney issues. This is important if you go on any kind of high protein diet. Paleo, 
Atkins, Dukan, Whole30 and Keto are all examples of diets that will put stress on the kidneys because they rely on a heavy protein intake.

3. Dehydration: Eating a lot of protein increases your body’s need for water because your kidneys have to work harder to process and eliminate nitrogen, a byproduct of protein breakdown.

4. Digestive Issues: Without enough fiber, a high-protein diet can cause constipation and digestive discomfort.

Almost all foods contain some amount of protein in them. Most people are not protein deficient. Contrary to popular belief, vegans can still hit their protein intake easily. Athletes like Novak Djokovic, 
Venus Williams, Chris Paul, Scott Jurek, Tia Blanco, Alex Morgan and others have no problem staying strong and performing at their best eating plant based. 

Just remember, incorporating the right amount of protein in your diet is crucial for maintaining muscle, supporting metabolism, and keeping you full, especially when trying to lose weight. Balance is 
key — too little or too much can cause problems. Focus on meeting your daily needs and adjusting based on your personal goals to stay on track with your health.


Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness 

professional who offers semi-private/virtual fitness 
classes. Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit.com. 
Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness Visit 
her Facebook page at: michelesfitness.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com