Last year, I went to a fundraiser fo r the San Francisco Nighthawks of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL). It was a poker event and most of the soccer players fleeced me. These women can play soccer at a high level, and some of them are quite adept at Texas Hold ’Em as well! Many of them played soccer at major colleges and now pursue their aspirations of playing at the professional level.

The WPSL is an independent national amateur league with more than 50 teams. Soccer stars like Brandi Chastain and Sissi (Sisleide do Amor Lima) play for the California Storm, the Nighthawks’ number one rival. Right now, the Nighthawks have a very talented player named Erica Wheeler-Dubin, a Lowell High grad who is being carefully scouted by the European pro teams. Erica is one of the youngest players in the WPSL, but she’s the team’s captain and a team leader says Nighthawks’ general manager Jill Lounsbury. I went to a game recently and it was a fun evening. The skill level in this league is impressive, and it’s a great way to see tomorrow’s stars in action. The Nighthawks’ season runs throughout the summer – to find out more about the team, visit their website at www.sfnighthawks.com.

MLB’s Best and Brightest at the Halfway Point
It’s been an exciting first half of the baseball season with a ton of surprises. Here are my picks for the best players and teams from the first half:

American League:
1B – Miguel Cabrera, DET
2B – Robinson Cano, NYY
3B – Evan Longoria, TB
SS – Derek Jeter, NYY
C – Joe Mauer, MIN
OF – Josh Hamilton, TEX
OF – Carl Crawford, TB
OF – Alex Rios, TOR
SP – David Price, TB
RP – Netali Feliz, TEX
DH – Vlad Guerreo, TEX
MVP – Robinson Cano, NYY
Biggest surprise – Josh Hamilton, TEX
Biggest flop – Grady Sizemore, CLE
Biggest surprise team – Rangers
Biggest flop team – Mariners

National League:
1B – Albert Puljos, STL
2B – Martin Prado, ATL
3B – David Wright, NYM
SS –  Hanley Ramirez, FLA
C – Miguel Olivo, FLA
OF – Corey Hart, MIL
OF – Andre Ethier, LAD
OF – Matt Holliday, STL
DH – Joey Votto, CIN
SP – Ubaldo Jimenez, COL
RP – Heath Bell, SD
MVP – Ubaldo Jimenez, COL
Biggest Surprise – Corey Hart, MIL
Biggest Flop – Carlos Lee, HOU
Biggest Surprise Team – Reds
Biggest Flop Team –Astros

Random Thoughts
I was listening to a guy from England chiming in my ears about how boring American baseball is. And then we watched yet another 0-0 World Cup soccer game. Yawn.

Why can’t the Giants get a big bat, and what are they waiting for? If the Brewers don’t want an arm and a leg for Corey Hart, pull the trigger!

Larry Ellison would have brought the Warriors into a new golden age, but the team went to Joseph Lacob for $450 million. I hope Lacob will step up and at least try to put together a winning team. Chris Cohan was a terrible owner, so anyone else will be an improvement.

S.F. Skate Club: Helping Kids through Skateboarding
I recently saw the premiere of a great film, Skate Dreams, about children who have embraced skateboarding while learning many valuable life lessons in the process. The mission of the San Francisco Skate Club is to provide a safe, positive and fun environment for youth of diverse backgrounds to pursue their passion or desire to skateboard, form friendships with other youth, and learn from experienced skateboarders who are role models.

“We believe in children’s creativity, their individuality, and their openness to learn new things,” Skate Club director Shawn Connolly said. “We nurture the ability to set goals and take risks in a safe environment. Above all else, we strive to ensure that everyone in our community feels accepted, respected and appreciated.”

San Francisco Skate Club was created when longtime sponsored skateboarder Shawn Connolly and educator Thuy Nguyen realized the need for a positive skateboarding program for youth. The two skateboard enthusiasts combined their skills, experiences and ideas to create a program where budding skaters can pursue their love of skateboarding in a safe, guided and supervised environment. As a part of a campaign in connection with At the Crossroads (ATC), S.F. Skate Club embarked on a challenge to create its first full-length video featuring youth from its program.

“All the proceeds raised from Skate Dreams went directly to ATC,” said Connolly. “So far, we have been able to raise over $2,300, and the kids were able to see their skate dreams come true on the big screen at the Roxie Theater in June.”

The video, filmed and edited by S.F. Skate, features six passionate and devoted young skateboarders ranging from ages 7 to 13. I saw the film and it is amazing.

“Each part was created to showcase how special and different each kid was and at the same time show that youth need a positive and creative outlet such as skateboarding, which is one of the few ‘sports’ that teaches real patience and determination, allows for limitless growth, and nurtures individuality at the same time,” Connolly said.

To find out more about the San Francisco Skate Club, visit their website at www.sfskateclub.com.

Ed Attanasio is an author who loves his wife, two dogs, and just about any sport that’s on TV – except competitive sudoku. He would have been the Segovia of Scrabble, but he couldn’t handle Qs. E-mail: [email protected]