Matt Mauro

I used to write words about NEC hoops, now I just tweet about it. CCSU alum, Yankees fan. Twice stormed the court at Detrick Gym. Usually on a ballfield.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

Patrick Sellers, man.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@BradTice33 Neither league is interested.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

Just another example of a school using the NEC as a small step onto better things. Stonehill is likely to do the same.

If CCSU can't get out, and there's no reason to believe they can, they may as well pack it in and drop down.

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

Sources: Le Moyne College is on the cusp of joining The Metro Conference in all sports starting in 2027-28. The sides are deep in discussions with The Metro (formerly the MAAC), and a deal is expected to come together in the near future. Le Moyne is leaving the NEC.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@NelCastNY Yup. Makes sense. I don't blame these schools for handling it the way they have.

The NEC is a disaster.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@CCSU_Fanatics @CCSUBlueDevils @CCSU @GovNedLamont @CSCUnews imo it's too late. The D1 world has passed us by. There's zero reason to believe anyone outside of the Athletic Department gives a shit. Is Ned Lamont suddenly going to change course and start supporting CCSU? No chance.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

It really is just wild to see how much UConn athletics have changed since I graduated High School in 2001, and how little CCSU athletics have changed.

25 years ago, I wouldn't have imagined the school would eventually be in the situation it is today.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

Can we bring someone in who will be a bigger supporter of CCSU athletics, please?

[WTNH News 8 @WTNH]

The president of Central Connecticut State University is stepping down at the end of the day on Wednesday, according to a written letter. https://t.co/mZXYt8ugzU

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@CCSU_Fanatics @NelCastNY It's probably not much different than other programs at this level. This is what it is at this point.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

College hoops practice is starting up, and I've never been less interested in the sport. Anyone else?

I dunno, man. I'm really glad players can make $$ and can transfer freely. But a big part of what I loved was watching freshmen become seniors and watching them grow.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@CfbhoopsA @NelCastNY @CCSUBlueDevils Probably more of a project than someone who is going to step in and be a difference maker on day 1. But you can't teach that combo of length and athleticism.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@Le0Spaceman @KyleTuckerCBB I agree with you. There's a middle ground somewhere (i.e. do 10 year olds really need to be playing in 6 tournaments/year?!). But yeah, in most places town sports are a disaster.

Many parents are crazy, though. Especially when their kids are 8-13.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

There are a lot of problems with 'travel sports', as described here. There are also a lot of problems with in-town sports.

If you find the right 'travel' program, you can get the best of both worlds. But that's not an easy thing to find.

[New York Magazine @NYMag]

‘Travel sports,’ a term that has come to encompass all sorts of private teams, leagues, and clubs, used to be for the truly exceptional young athlete. Now, they’re for anyone willing to pay — an expensive, exhausting commitment that has become popular not necessarily because millions of parents want them for their children but because it can feel like there’s no other choice. Rec programs are underfunded and struggle to compete with for-profit leagues for prime field, rink, and court times. And the level of play is diluted, often very early, as travel teams are incentivized to enroll children at young ages.

Around 5 million children in the U.S. now compete on travel teams. Parents find themselves trapped. They know the benefits of sports and want that for their children, yet giving it to them often means buying into a sports ecosystem that’s inherently flawed. As the pay-to-play model increasingly takes hold, so does the idea that kids should start competing at younger and younger ages, risking their sense of self along with their shoulders and ACLs.

“I never want my kids to look back and say I didn’t do everything I could to help them live their dreams,” a mother of three soccer players said. She’s hired professional photographers to take action shots for her 12- and 13-year-olds’ Instagram accounts — the platform has become a recruiting tool — and they’ve both asked her to pay for personal trainers.

“I think the word isn’t ‘specialize’; you are ‘professionalizing’ your kid early. You are exposing them to everything professionals have to deal with — I’m talking injury, time, schedule, everything,” said John Van Benschoten, a former MLB player and travel-baseball coach.

It makes one ask: All this for what? And for whom? Read Caitlin Moscatello’s cover story on how travel leagues have made youth sports more expensive, hypercompetitive, and all-consuming — and the investors who are making a killing: https://t.co/zHcKsPYfeC

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@NelCastNY Apparently.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@sportsmatters After 8 years of coaching travel baseball, this show feels like a nightmare.

[Joe Budzelek @JBudzelek]

“We have to finish the deal.”

After another strong regular season, Central Connecticut returns a deep core while adding plenty of versatility as the Blue Devils look to finally break through in the NEC Tournament.

🔗 to full deep dive: https://t.co/6NnhVBKQe2

#NECMBB

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

31 Ks and 3 BBs while facing some of the best teams in New England (including an 18u game, as a 14 yo).

What a summer this dude had.

[Jameson Mauro @JamesonMauro9]

That's a wrap on summer ball.

Really thankful for my teammates and coaches and all the opportunities to compete against some great teams and older guys.

Pitching: 37 IP, 2.68 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 31 K, 3 BB

Hitting: .375/.500/.450

Looking forward to getting back to work this fall!

[Joe Budzelek @JBudzelek]

This was off my radar until I talked with @CCSU_MBB HC Patrick Sellers today, but former Buffalo/St. Bonaventure forward🇨🇦Brayden Jackson joined the Blue Devils and will be a counted on front court piece alongside returners Mott/James/Tibby for a more skill-forward group.

More:

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

Really great experience for this 14 yo last weekend pitching against a lineup full of HS grads, many of whom are headed to D3 programs in a few weeks.

College coaches behind the backstop, mature hitters in the box, bracket game. Nothing fazes him, kid competes.

[Jameson Mauro @JamesonMauro9]

Had the opportunity to pitch in an 18U bracket game last weekend at the @sne_tournaments Homegrown Classic against a really good lineup. We came up short, but I was grateful for the chance to compete against older players.

5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 K, 0 BB

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

Another great weekend on the mound for my guy.

[Jameson Mauro @JamesonMauro9]

We made it to the champ game of @sne_tournaments Constitution Clash and finished 2nd this weekend.

Happy I could help our team get a 1-0 quarterfinal win with a CG shutout.

7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 89 pitches (63 strikes)

I also threw 2 scoreless on Friday.

[Matt Mauro @TheMidRangeJump]

@CCSU_Fanatics @CfbhoopsA @NelCastNY I mean, is there really that big of a difference between Yale and CCSU?