The individuals at the City of Madera Parks and Community Services Department make sure to stay busy year-round with events encompassing all seasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to have any downtime with the City. We\u2019re always working to provide something as much as our budget allows,\u201d said Parks and Community Services Recreational Coordinator, Adam Romero. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also wants to make sure that everyone that joins a program within the recreation department has the best time possible at the lowest price possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI tell my staff the kids are paying $75 to play, but I want them to think they are paying $300 for the league,\u201d Romero said. \u201cThey are getting the best for what we can afford and we\u2019re there to provide the best service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romero has first-hand knowledge of the recreation departments within the city. He grew up in Madera, and participated in a number of programs, including Little League, where he coached his son with Madera American this past season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe offer something all year round. We may overlap some leagues. We want parents to have an option for their kids,\u201d he said. \u201cOur league is recreation. When you think of Parks and Rec, you are going to play with people you don\u2019t know. There\u2019s not a draft. Coaches don\u2019t get to pick their teams. You join a team, meet some new faces, meet a coach and have a good time. We, at the City, want to make sure we have something to offer that the community is lacking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participation numbers are slowly returning, post-COVID. The City recently added Jr. Giants baseball, pickleball for the adults, open gym volleyball and indoor soccer. The open gym volleyball has exploded in attendance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have 50-60 adults out there at John Wells for volleyball,\u201d Romero said. \u201cIt\u2019s $2 to come in, and they are out there until 10 p.m. They help set things up, and play pick-up games all night. It\u2019s huge. It got so big, one of them set up a court outside so people could also play.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the sports that is starting to grow in both popularity and participation for Madera is flag football. The City\u2019s flag football program started right after COVID, in 2022, and it only had 14 kids sign up the first year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was something to fill the void,\u201d Romero said. \u201cPeople were playing tackle football and kids were getting cut. I thought they still wanted to play football, so what could we (at the City) do? Some parents didn\u2019t want their kids to play tackle because their kids are still getting used to it. I thought about starting flag football.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though the league didn\u2019t have enough players to start, Romero kept the kids and had, basically, an exhibition season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI told the parents that we couldn\u2019t start a league, but if they wanted to, we could work with the kids. On Saturdays, we will have officials out there and have kids playing against each other. They all had a good time,\u201d Romero said. \u201cWe wanted to get the kids experience if they wanted to play tackle football later. This was before the hype of flag football.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, the NFL changed its Pro Bowl format to include flag football games in 2023. Kids started seeing players they idolized playing flag football, and interest in Madera\u2019s flag football started to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the second year, the City had only about 26 kids, so they did the same as the year before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2024, the City had enough for a full league. There were four teams in two leagues (7-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds) with playoffs and a championship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year, the league grew to about 86 kids with five teams in each league and about 8-10 players on each team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe played at Town and Country Park on the fields,\u201d Romero said. \u201cPeople drove by and saw all the flag football. They started asking. They missed the sign ups, but they were ready for the next one. People were calling up to sign up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The teams are coed and play five-on-five. This year\u2019s season is moved from August to start in October to stay away from other leagues. The registration deadline is August 30. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have evaluations with skills assessment, and I build the teams according to their skill level,\u201d Romero said. \u201cI try to balance everything out. The coaches are helping get two picks, but every one else is spread out on skill level. Our evaluation is done by City staff and volunteer coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flag football participation is growing within Madera. All three high schools (Madera, Madera South and Matilda Torres) field a full varsity and junior varsity girls team, and are at maximum. All three middle schools have also begun playing flag football. This year, the Central Section will host a flag football playoff for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the attention towards girls flag football, Romero has added a middle school league, and hopes to expand to have separate boys and girls flag football leagues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have 20 kids signed up, already for middle school,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m aiming for just four teams. The competition level is pretty high for that age.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romero has set a maximum of six teams in each league with four in the middle school league with a maximum of 160 kids. He also thinks by starting in October, he is able to attract players that play in the Madera Youth Soccer League, which begins its season in August. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe had to compete with that,\u201d he said. \u201cKids had to pick and choose. We\u2019re waiting until soccer is over. They could play soccer and play flag football. We\u2019re hoping those kids playing soccer will come play flag football.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flag football season is eight weeks long with one game each Saturday and a practice during the week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe play six games with playoffs. Then, you get ready for the holidays,\u201d Romero said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With more interest in flag football because of the girls flag football offered at the high schools, Romero is reaching out to the schools to help with the teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey can come out and help coach,\u201d he said. \u201cI do see the popularity coming in. Parents are more inclined to let their kids play flag football than tackle at a young age. Having it at the high school and middle level is huge for the girls because there\u2019s something for them to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have great athletes out there. Just having the opportunity to play at a low cost is great. We do have fee assistance for the players if they need help. That comes from donors around Madera. It\u2019s not a huge commitment. It\u2019s in-and-out. It gives the kids an opportunity to try something new or better their skills for later on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the time being, Romero doesn\u2019t see a big flag football expansion, and enjoys the Town and Country Park location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI like where we\u2019re at with the numbers for flag football because it\u2019s easy to maintain as far as budget goes, and volunteers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt takes a lot for these coaches to come out and give their time. I want to keep it at these numbers for some time. It\u2019s easy to manage with the budget we have. We\u2019re looking at 16 teams at the max. I like having flag football at Town and Country because it\u2019s central, and it\u2019s free marketing for us. We play under the lights and people stop by to see what\u2019s going on. The time of year fits because not a lot is going on for flag football.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a father of a young athlete, and a former player in many of the recreation leagues, Romero knows the benefit of these recreation leagues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI see the benefit of having something for these kids to do. I see the benefit that it\u2019s having on the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The individuals at the City of Madera Parks and Community Services Department make sure to stay busy year-round with events encompassing all seasons. \u201cI don\u2019t want to have any downtime with the City. We\u2019re always working to provide something as much as our budget allows,\u201d said Parks and Community Services Recreational Coordinator, Adam Romero. He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":48867,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,18,19],"tags":[32,46,49],"class_list":["post-48891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above-the-fold","category-lifestyle","category-news","tag-culture","tag-organizations","tag-recreation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48891"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48892,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48891\/revisions\/48892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":48889,"date":"2026-07-25T07:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T14:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maderatribustg.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=48889"},"modified":"2026-07-24T17:22:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T00:22:36","slug":"madera-county-pays-tribute-to-local-war-heroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/madera-county-pays-tribute-to-local-war-heroes\/","title":{"rendered":"Madera County pays tribute to local war heroes"},"content":{"rendered":"
Their service. Our gratitude. Set in stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madera County Department of Social Services will become the new home of the Bricks of Honor Veterans monument to stand as a lasting tribute and reminder, recognizing the sacrifice, courage, and commitment of those who served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each engraved brick helps preserve their legacy and invites our community to Honor a Veteran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This project is dedicated to welcoming and honoring Madera\u2019s war heroes while celebrating the Veterans Service Office as a place of advocacy, respect, and support. Each of the 250 bricks will be personalized with the Veteran\u2019s name, branch of service, rank, and years of service or a meaningful message of honor. The cost is $100, and each contribution helps preserve their legacy and ensures their service is set in stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who are currently on active duty or an honorable discharge are also eligible to receive a brick of honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visit maderacounty.com\/departments\/social-services\/bricks-of-honor to honor the legacy of a local war hero.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Their service. Our gratitude. Set in stone. Madera County Department of Social Services will become the new home of the Bricks of Honor Veterans monument to stand as a lasting tribute and reminder, recognizing the sacrifice, courage, and commitment of those who served. Each engraved brick helps preserve their legacy and invites our community to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":48866,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,19],"tags":[28,29,45,46],"class_list":["post-48889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above-the-fold","category-news","tag-charity","tag-community","tag-military","tag-organizations"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48889"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48890,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48889\/revisions\/48890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":48887,"date":"2026-07-25T07:08:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T14:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maderatribustg.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=48887"},"modified":"2026-07-24T17:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T00:16:51","slug":"movies-in-the-park-brings-madera-families-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/movies-in-the-park-brings-madera-families-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Movies in the Park brings Madera families together"},"content":{"rendered":"
Blankets, folding chairs and families have filled the grassy amphitheater at Lions Town and Country Park as Madera\u2019s Movies in the Park series continues its summer run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since returning July 10, the free Friday-night program has welcomed hundreds of residents for outdoor screenings of \u201cZootopia 2,\u201d and the live-action remake of \u201cLilo & Stitch.\u201d The series continued Friday with the Disney and Pixar family film \u201cHoppers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presented by the City of Madera Parks and Community Services Department, Movies in the Park has become a popular summer tradition, giving families a place to gather, enjoy a movie and spend an evening together without the cost of admission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople begin asking us about Movies in the Park well before summer arrives, and that tells you how much the community enjoys this program,\u201d Parks and Community Services Director Joe Hebert said. \u201cIt is a simple experience, but a meaningful one. Families bring a blanket, find a place on the grass and spend the evening together. Those are the moments children remember, and we are glad the City can help create them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The appeal extends beyond the movie itself. Children have room to enjoy the park before the film, parents can visit with friends and neighbors, and families can share an affordable night out close to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PG&E is serving as a primary sponsor of this year\u2019s series, helping the City continue offering the weekly events to the community at no charge. Representatives with PG&E say they are proud to support Movies in the Park and other local events that create opportunities for families and neighbors to spend time together in the communities the company serves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Movies will continue every Friday evening at the Lions Town and Country Park Amphitheater through Aug. 28. The eight-week series will conclude with a screening of \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Films begin at dusk, with start times generally ranging from approximately 7:30 to 9 p.m. as sunset times change throughout the summer. Admission is free, and snacks are available for purchase from cash-only concessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attendees are encouraged to arrive early and bring lawn chairs, blankets, bug spray and anything else needed to remain comfortable in the amphitheater\u2019s grassy seating area. Smoking and alcoholic beverages are not permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Residents can keep up with Movies in the Park and other City-hosted or sponsored activities by subscribing to the City of Madera\u2019s special events calendar at events.madera.gov. Subscribers can opt-in to receive automatic notifications about upcoming community events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With several screenings still ahead, organizers are preparing for another steady stream of families each Friday. For many residents, the hardest decision may be choosing the best spot on the grass before the opening credits begin.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Blankets, folding chairs and families have filled the grassy amphitheater at Lions Town and Country Park as Madera\u2019s Movies in the Park series continues its summer run. Since returning July 10, the free Friday-night program has welcomed hundreds of residents for outdoor screenings of \u201cZootopia 2,\u201d and the live-action remake of \u201cLilo & Stitch.\u201d The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":48865,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,18,19],"tags":[29,32,46],"class_list":["post-48887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-lifestyle","category-news","tag-community","tag-culture","tag-organizations"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48887"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48888,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48887\/revisions\/48888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":48885,"date":"2026-07-25T07:06:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T14:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maderatribustg.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=48885"},"modified":"2026-07-24T17:15:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T00:15:15","slug":"chamber-readies-for-laa-pom-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/chamber-readies-for-laa-pom-fest\/","title":{"rendered":"Chamber readies for LAA, Pom Fest"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Madera Chamber of Commerce has announced its date for the 15th annual Madera Pomegranate, Fruit and Nut Festival, in addition to planning for the upcoming Lifetime Achievement Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 15th annual Madera Pomegranate, Fruit, and Nut Festival will be on November 7, with new hours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Madera District Fairgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Admission and parking are free for all attendees. Once again, the Chamber is excited to showcase products and services from community members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The festival features a day filled with delicious fruit and nut products, specialty items from local vendors, music, cooking demonstrations, Kids Zone, Comic-Con and so much more. This fun-filled festival is a day the whole family can enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lifetime Achievement Awards will be held August 15 at Hatfield Hall at the Madera Fairgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards are Sally Bomprezzi, Glenn Chu, Bobby Gran and Elizabeth \u201cLiz\u201d Salas. Also honored will be 4 Around 40 recipients Mika Flores, Omair Javaid, Monica Patel and Ariel Rivera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tickets are available for $70 per person, and sponsorships are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more information, contact the Madera Chamber of Commerce at (559) 673.-3563 or email <\/p>\n\n\n\n
tjordan@maderachamber.com.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Madera Chamber of Commerce has announced its date for the 15th annual Madera Pomegranate, Fruit and Nut Festival, in addition to planning for the upcoming Lifetime Achievement Awards. The 15th annual Madera Pomegranate, Fruit, and Nut Festival will be on November 7, with new hours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Madera District Fairgrounds. Admission […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[26,29,46],"class_list":["post-48885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-business","tag-community","tag-organizations"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48886,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48885\/revisions\/48886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":48883,"date":"2026-07-25T07:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T14:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maderatribustg.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=48883"},"modified":"2026-07-24T17:11:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T00:11:03","slug":"liberty-softball-standout-headed-to-the-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/liberty-softball-standout-headed-to-the-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberty softball standout headed to the Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"
When Carly Jimenez completed her Liberty Hawks softball career, her name was littered all over the program\u2019s record book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She broke the school record for triples in a career and is ranked top five in a number of other offensive categories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, it was no question Jimenez was going to college to play softball. But, the real question was where.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the end, Jimenez picked CSU Monterey Bay over St. Mary\u2019s, Fresno State and San Jose State. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI went to a camp in January, 2025,\u201d Jimenez said. \u201cThey (Monterey Bay)told me after the camp they would continue looking at me. In June, when I was leaving for Colorado, the coach wanted to talk to me. We talked in Colorado, and she gave me a week to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She did have serious thoughts about going to Fresno State to join former Liberty teammates Rylee Bocchini and Ari Aguayo, but a coaching change hindered those plans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI felt like I was getting more love from Monterey Bay,\u201d Jimenez said. \u201cI also loved the campus. It was in a really nice area. They talked about the atmosphere and the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jimenez graduated from Liberty with a 3.3 grade point average. She will major in psychology to become a sports psychologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jimenez, a rare left-handed catcher, says she will have an opportunity to play from the start, especially behind the plate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She caught her freshman year, then played first her sophomore year. She started the last two years behind the plate. She was also stuck behind Bocchini, whose name is also littered in the record books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI enjoyed playing with Rylee a lot,\u201d Jimenez said. \u201cShe helped push myself a lot more. Seeing her, I wanted to be just like her, or greater.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the benefits for Jimenez was catching Macie Webster, who was the team\u2019s ace the past two season. The two developed a bond that carried them to a Central Section title in 2025 and multiple league titles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was nice to play with her,\u201d Jimenez said. \u201cI created a bond with her. I was able to trust her. If she had any trouble, she would talk to me. She had a lot of trust in me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of Jimenez\u2019s \u201cquirks\u201d is a glove clap she does before every pitch while she\u2019s catching. That came from when she was younger that she carries today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I was younger, I went to a catching camp down in UCLA in Orange County,\u201d she said. \u201cWe would copy what the coach was going, and she clapped her glove each time. I copied her. It just stuck with me. Pitchers like it, too. They focus more when they hear my clap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Jimenez is an accomplished hitter with numerous marks in Liberty history, she said her favorite part of her game is catching. She also is most proud of her RBI numbers because it helps the team the most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jimenez is a four-time All-Northwest Sequoia Conference first team selection, and a four-time All-Madera Tribune selection. She was The Madera Tribune\u2019s Co-Most Valuable Player, and was also The Madera Tribune\u2019s Sportsmanship Award winner for Liberty this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By playing at Liberty and with her travel team, playing in college was the goal. She went to plenty of camps with her travel softball team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jimenez officially signed her National letter of Intent on September 1 last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a really good feeling. I felt like I accomplished something really well,\u201d she said. \u201cMy mom reminded me that it was just a start. You have to prove yourself again in college. Just because you made it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re done. You have to keep pushing yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was good and bad from signing before the season started. The good was she was more relaxed into her senior year, but the bad was she had to live up to those expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI felt more pressure at the beginning of the year. I was stressed because I wasn\u2019t performing as well as I wanted to,\u201d she said. \u201cI put in more work on what I needed to focus on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said a lot of stress lifted off her shoulders after a home run in a game against Buchanan early in the season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was worried I hadn\u2019t hit any before that. Once I hit that, I relaxed a lot more,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that she is signed, all she has to worry about is to enjoy her travel ball season, enjoy a vacation with her friends and get ready for the next year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don’t have to stress,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m still playing travel with Unity. We have a lot of younger girls, so we\u2019re going to a lot of showcases. The older girls are tuning up and seeing competition heading into college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With all of her high school behind her, Jimenez is gearing up to her season at Monterey Bay, but still has some \u201cflaws\u201d in her game she wants to improve on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to make more outs with catching,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m working on my pick-offs. I want to hit the ball on the ground more in the gaps. They didn\u2019t challenge me behind the plate in high school.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Carly Jimenez completed her Liberty Hawks softball career, her name was littered all over the program\u2019s record book. She broke the school record for triples in a career and is ranked top five in a number of other offensive categories. So, it was no question Jimenez was going to college to play softball. But, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":48868,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,23],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-48883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above-the-fold","category-sports","tag-schools"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48883"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48884,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48883\/revisions\/48884"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":48881,"date":"2026-07-25T07:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T14:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maderatribustg.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=48881"},"modified":"2026-07-24T17:06:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T00:06:59","slug":"torres-track-athlete-headed-to-indiana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/torres-track-athlete-headed-to-indiana\/","title":{"rendered":"Torres track athlete headed to Indiana"},"content":{"rendered":"
When Matilda Torres\u2019 Simar Thiara was going through her athletic career, she always through she was going to be a basketball player, and head to college for the sport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, that kind of changed a couple of years ago when she suffered an injury that kept her out of basketball. Then, she discovered track, and became quite the athlete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She turned that athletic prowess into a National Letter of Intent to the University if Indianapolis where she thinks she\u2019ll become a heptathlete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy coach even told me that if I stuck to basketball, I would have been great at that,\u201d Thiara said. \u201cI was never the type of athlete that never did one thing. I loved exploring. I believe I\u2019m limitless. I\u2019m testing my boundaries in college, which I\u2019m excited for. They haven\u2019t gotten the opportunity to feel me out of what I can do. They were excited for me to be a multi-event athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thiara started her high school career starting on the varsity basketball team as a freshman and sophomore, but injuries kept her from playing the past two years. She then went to track, and even did gymnastics last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGymnastics reconnected me to my body,\u201d she said. \u201cI did gymnastics when I was younger, and I got to reconnect with my inner child. It was something I loved to do. It rewired my brain to do something I enjoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also didn\u2019t hurt that Thiara has a 4.3 grade point average. She plans to major in chemistry, and wants to get into the pre-dental program to become an orthodontist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was also looking at UC San Diego and High Point University in North Carolina. However, she decided to change her major at the last minute, and that caused problems with some of the schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndianapolis was the school that offered me the most scholarship money,\u201d she said. \u201cIndianapolis has always felt like home. I have family out there, so I\u2019ve visited a lot throughout the years. I always felt like I belonged there. It was the little things that made me feel like this is where I belonged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Indianapolis was the first school she applied to, she didn\u2019t really notice them until the day before decision day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI changed my major from nursing, originally,\u201d Thiara said. \u201cI had to be realistic with the lifestyle I wanted, and dentistry is where I wanted to go. I had braces, myself. I went into that, and called the school. Not a lot of schools offered me the opportunity to switch majors. Indianapolis was one that immediately said they will do this for me. They just said to promise my attendance. I looked at their track and field team, and looked at their standards. I realized I hit a lot of those marks in different events. It was then that I realized this is where I wanted to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause I changed my major at the last minute, it was so chaotic. I had to take a day off of school to talk about it. I am very spontaneous, and things seem to work out for me. We all sat down and said Indianapolis was the only school taking me, or it was High Point in North Carolina. My parents said Indiana was good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her goal heading into Torres was to become a college athlete, but questioned that goal with the obstacles she faced during her high school career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeeing myself at a Div. II school, I would have never imagined I would have overcome everything that I was faced with,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to do sports for as long as I could in my life. I thought it was going to be basketball, and I wanted it to be. Life had different plans. I didn\u2019t expect to be in college for track and field. Now, I couldn\u2019t imagine another sport that\u2019s suited for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thiara actually signed a National Letter of Intent during a signing day with four other Torres athletes, and will sign her official letter when she gets to Indianapolis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though Thiara will be halfway across the country, she has family in the area. Her parents had some misgivings, but came around at the end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomething changed when I told them I was going to Indiana. They told me to go out there, have fun, live your life and accomplish your dreams. They were all for it,\u201d she said.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Matilda Torres\u2019 Simar Thiara was going through her athletic career, she always through she was going to be a basketball player, and head to college for the sport. However, that kind of changed a couple of years ago when she suffered an injury that kept her out of basketball. Then, she discovered track, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":48870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,23],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-48881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above-the-fold","category-sports","tag-schools"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48881"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48882,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48881\/revisions\/48882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":48875,"date":"2026-07-25T07:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T14:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maderatribustg.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=48875"},"modified":"2026-07-24T17:04:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T00:04:41","slug":"opinion-propositions-november-ballot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maderatribune.com\/es\/opinion-propositions-november-ballot\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: Propositions \u2014 November ballot"},"content":{"rendered":"