That made no sense, nor did the fact there was little aid to the district and/or tournament. In fact, without financial assistance from Little League, three state champions did not travel to Ontario in 2008.

That will not happen in 2009. The seniors regionals have been moved to Upland Memorial Park and will be co-hosted by Upland National Little League. The field will include teams from a dozen states vying for the right to travel to Bangor, Maine, for the finals.

While District 23 failed in its search for donations, Upland National received a $5,000 boost from the Colonies Partners, developers of a housing project and shopping center just off the 210 Freeway in north Upland.

According to Upland National LL officials, the Colonies donation "will go completely toward assisting teams with travel, dining and hotel expenses."

In 2006, the Colonies Partners contributed $50,000 to the renovation of Upland National Little League's field that included artificial turf. The ballpark was rechristened Colonies Crossroads Stadium.

Perhaps sometime during the tournament, organizers will take time to acknowledge the efforts of that small group from

In previous games against their San Bernardino counterparts, Riverside County seniors have enjoyed success in football and soccer.

The basketball contingent gets its chance Friday night at Cajon High School. The annual games are set for 6 p.m. (girls) and 8 p.m. (boys), with a $5 admission charge.

There is a 3-point shooting contest for the girls at halftime of their game and a slam dunk competition for the boys at their halftime. ...

Colton High School athletic director David Drake isn't working in a vacuum. His work will be recognized April 25 at the California State Athletic Directors Conference in San Diego.

Drake will receive the Norm McKenzie Award, the organization's rookie of the year honor. It's presented to athletic directors who have been in place for more than one year but less than four. ...

While most viewers rooted for either Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson on Sunday at the Masters, Kenny Perry certainly had his share of fans. And with a two-shot lead with two holes to play, it seemed like destiny.

It was not meant to be, though. For lack of a better word, Perry collapsed. It was agonizing to watch, a man letting a dream slip through his fingers.

Perry remained very much in control. No slamming his clubs, no barking at the caddy, no gesturing to the crowd. That's why the ultimate grinder was the favorite of many and why we all felt badly for him but admired his resolve in the toughest of times. ...

Oscar de la Hoya is to hold a press conference this afternoon at the Nokia Plaza in Los Angeles (777 Chick Hearn Court) announcing his future. We can only hope the Golden Boy opts to step out of the ring.

What more glory does he need? He's a 10-time world champion in six weight classes and a gold medalist in the 1992 Olympics. These days, he's also a successful promoter.

If he needs help in making his decision, perhaps someone should pop in the tape of his last bout with Manny Pacquiao, the worst of his six losses in 45 professional fights.

De la Hoya deserves to be remembered as a champ rather than as a boxer who stayed around a bit too long. ...

Citizens Business Bank Arena will host the first Academic All American Classic on May 9, a high school all-star basketball game designed for graduating seniors with at least a 3.0 grade- point average.

Organizers have set activities for Thursday through Sunday, with the main focus on games pitting the East against the West and North vs. South. The In-N-Out late-night snack on Friday, however, probably will be the hit of the weekend. ...

IndyCars return to Southern California, for the first time since leaving Auto Club Speedway in 2004, for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The racing's not bad, but Long Beach is more an event than anything else.

If Paul Tracy was in the field, he would be the favorite just because he could drive the city streets better than anyone not named Unser. Tracy isn't in a car for the race, though.

Look for Dario Franchitti to be in the winner's circle on Sunday. ...

When will the madness end? First, collegiate fans could get their favorite logos or colors on checks. The next step was getting a coffin complete with logos and colors.

Fan's Best Friend now is offering dog houses shaped like authentic sports helmets. Helmutt Houses, manufactured by Fan's Best Friend, come complete with licensed team colors and logos; and in standard size, for dogs up to 25 inches tall, with a larger size for dogs up to 31 inches tall due later.

All for $450 online, plus shipping and handling and taxes.

Initial Helmutt House teams offered include UCLA, Missouri State, Iowa State, Iowa, Arizona State, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. USC (perhaps the Reggie Bush model?) will be available in the coming months, among with Michigan State, Missouri and Tennessee (Ol' Smokey also needs a home). ...

On a personal note: Another great voice has been stilled and another part of our youth is gone.

Living on the West Coast, we didn't get the opportunity to listen to Harry Kalas often. That was reserved for trips back East to listen to him calling games for the Phillies and Eagles. He was their voice, and listening to them will not be the same.

It happened with Mel Allen, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and Ernie Harwell (who's still alive but not working on a regular basis). And, to a lesser degree, Jerry Doggett for Dodger fans.

Great voices - verbal artists, if you will - remain, with Vin Scully out front. They are to be treasured while making memories for younger fans.

The tournament, which will feature up to 12 state champions, is the final event before the Senior Little League World Series in Bangor, Maine. It is the highest level Little League baseball tournament ever held in Upland.

"This is just another example of the generosity and community involvement of the Colonies Partners and their investors," said Ralph Cavallo, president of Upland National Little League, which is co-hosting the tournament with Little League Baseball's California District 23.

In 2006, Colonies Partners and their investors contributed $50,000 toward Upland National Little League's field renovation project at Olivedale Park in Upland. The ballpark is now known as Colonies Crossroads Stadium.

The tournament will include teams with players ages 14-16 from Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern California, Oregon, Southern California, Utah, Washington and Wyoming to compete for a berth at the Senior Little League World Series.

The donation from the Colonies will go completely toward assisting teams with travel, dining and hotel expenses. Last year, three of the state champion teams did not travel to Southern California to participate in the Western Tournament, because expenses are not covered.

Additional contributions can be sent to Little League Baseball, District 23, P.O. Box 92, Upland, 91785.

Information: (951) 990-4595.

While kids run to the fields to get away from the distractions of a bad economy, some Little Leagues and other baseball and softball programs in the area have realized they may not be recessionproof.

At Ontario Western Little League, sponsorships have dropped by 90 percent, said Joey Serrano, president of the league.

"This year had been really hard for us because sponsorship is down," Serrano said. "Our sponsorship is what really helps us operate."

The league, which has 18 teams, has to pay for things such as baseballs, fees for umpires and jerseys for kids who make the all-star team, Serrano said.

"It's been a tough year to balance it all out," Serrano said.

At their opening ceremonies last weekend, only four banners hung along the fence at Homer Briggs Park where games are played. A banner sponsorship is valued at $350, he said.

The problem is many of their previous sponsors, local businesses, are either no longer in business or just can't afford it.

Upland National, celebrating 55 years of existence, prides itself as the only Little League in the country in 55 years never to charge a sign-up fee so that every eligible child wishing to play baseball can, regardless of his or her family's economic situation, said Ralph Cavallo, president of the league.

Still, the league has been impacted by the lack of sponsorships with an estimated loss of $8,000 to $10,000 this year, Cavallo said.

Just like Ontario, Cavallo said several of its sponsors have had to cut back. But Cavallo said they would assist all of them because he knows it is tough, and those sponsors helped the league out when they needed. Now he'll return the favor, he said.

But if the downturn continues next year, the impact will not hurt them in the long run, he said.

Entering their 56th season and with a senior board, the league is financially stable, Cavallo said.

In the 30 years that he has been with the Upland league, Cavallo said he has never seen the economic woes impact leagues.

"I have never seen the effects that this has had before," he said. "Not even close."

The downturn this year will mean that Cavallo and the board will hold off on their annual project. Past projects have included putting in a set of new bleachers and fencing, he said.

Rancho Little League has not been affected by the poor economy, said its president, Karen Willemsz.

The league has not seen a drop in enrollment and has not seen an uptick in requests for scholarships either, she said.

Willemsz said she is not sure how the league is doing in terms of sponsorships since they are still seeking sponsors.

The city of La Verne's softball program - which is surviving the recent arrest of its treasurer on embezzlement charges - reports that its enrollment is down about 20 to 30 kids compared to the past, according to league officials.

"Everybody is down. All the local leagues are down," said the softball league's president, Steve Carrillo.

Randy Robbins, district administrator for Little League in San Bernardino, said he thinks long-term societal changes present a challenge to Little League.

"I think over the last five years, it's as much societal change as it is due to the current economy," Robbins said.

He said year-round school, the rise of soccer, changing demographics and other changes, like two-parent working families, provide competition to baseball and make it more difficult to find volunteers.

However, Bill Haaker of Haaker Equipment Co. in La Verne said he thinks it is the recession that is having an "unprecedented" impact on youth sports this year.

"The family with a stressed budget will have to make decisions to make cuts when necessary, and certain recreational activities such as Little League, AYSO ... are eliminated," said Haaker, who has served on various boards in the late 1980s and 1990s as his children played youth sports.

"Unfortunately, once the redirection away from a sports like baseball, soccer, dance, or music for that matter, occurs, it is very hard for a youngster to get motivated to get back into the activity," Haaker added.

While sponsorship may be down, Ontario Western's Serrano said they have worked with families who need financial assistance.

"It kind of caught us off guard this year," he said. "But we don't turn anyone away."

The situation ranged from a parent who had lost a job or a family that couldn't afford the fees this year, he said.

To help offsets the costs, Serrano has asked those parents to volunteer at the snack bar or in other areas such as mowing the fields.

"Even with the economy, there are still people willing to help people out," Serrano said. "It's not about the parents. Ultimately, it affects the kids because the kid can't play."

A lot of parents didn't come upfront with their situations because a lot don't like to say they don't have the money, he said.