It is currently under (re)construction, and can be found at its temporary home, http://fciacfootballblog.net

The Fairfield County Sports Commission and the Forever Young Foundation, the charitable giving entity of Greenwich native and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young, today announced that Forever Young will be the presenting sponsor of the Chelsea Cohen Courage Award at the Commission’s Sports Night awards dinner on October 20.

Forever Young, which has agreed to a multi-year commitment, is donating $10,000 this year to the Commission to support its fundraising efforts in promoting fitness and an active, healthy lifestyle and personal development through sports in the county.

Mike Myers-Keitt, a Fairfield Prep graduate and basketball standout who is set to attend Monmouth University, is this year’s award recipient.

Myers-Keitt, a Norwalk native now living in Waterbury, suffered traumatic injuries in a fall on the court in 2006. A cracked right side of his skull, broken bones in his inner ear and considerable nerve damage to the right side of his face left him unresponsive and doctors not sure if he would walk again. The 6-foot-7 Myers-Keitt recovered over a two-year period and has earned a scholarship to Division I Monmouth.

The Commission created the Chelsea Cohen Courage Award in 2006, named after the late Chelsea Cohen, a former Norwalk High soccer star who was the Commission’s first Courage Award recipient. She passed away in 2006 after a courageous bout with a rare form of cancer of the nervous system. The award recognizes the person in the sports community who has shown inspirational strength in battling life-altering obstacles.

As part of the sponsorship, Forever Young and the FCSC will make a donation of $2,000 to the Chelsea Cohen Memorial Foundation, which was started by Cohen’s parents Barbara Rittner and Larry Cohen. The Cohen Foundation’s goal is to fund HOPE (Helping Open Possibilities for Excellence), which will support young athletes who need financial assistance to reach their athletic goals. The fund also is raising money for research to help find a cure for CNS Sarcoma, the rare cancer that took Chelsea’s life.

By Tim Parry

Team USA softball had just completed its 9-0 win over the Stratford Brakettes on Sunday, and pitcher Rachele Fico was all smiles when she went to hug her high school teammates.

And on top of that, the 17-year-old Masuk prodigy graciously signed a few autographs for some young admirers.

Hard to believe that just a few minutes earlier, Fico had give up five earned runs on four hits and a walk in just one inning of work.

For those who have followed Fico’s near flawless high school career, the performance may have come as a shock. But there’s a big difference between your average CIAC player - or a regular opponent of the Brakettes - than Olympians like Caitlin Mendoza.

And for that matter, the batters Fico faced in the Canada Cup earlier this month as a member of the Florida-based Gold Coast Hurricanes - like Japan, Venezuela, and Chinese Taipei - were not too shabby.

“It’s been so much fun, I’ve had some awesome learning experience facing some of the best teams in the world,” Fico said about her Canada Cup experience. “I’m taking what I do in the game and learning from it and hopefully I’ll grow from it.”

And Fico fortunately has not let her softball growth and advancement go to her head. According to her friends and members of the Brakettes, she’s still the same Rachele Fico who would rather see her team win a game than get personal accolades.

In fact, her father, Ralph Fico, told reporters Sunday that his daughter’s reaction to being named a high school All-American this season was, “Oh, cool.”

So it’s no wonder Fico, who has already given a verbal agreement to Louisiana State University, wasn’t intimidated during her one inning against the USA Olympic team.

“I was just so excited to play against the number one team in the country, and I just went out there and had fun,” Fico said.

Are you a trained medical professional with a big heart and passion for sports? The Nutmeg State Games needs qualified health care providers to volunteer their time and services.

The sports medicine team includes dedicated professionals from the following fields: athletic training, chiropractic, medicine, osteopathy, naturopathy, podiatry, physical therapy, nursing, massage therapy, emergency medicine, and occupational therapy. You’ll watch the competition from the sidelines and courtside; observe the small and big hits, twists, and bangs; and be on your toes to care for the athlete in need. You’ll help insure the health and safety of the athletes to be able to compete at their full potential.

The games will be taking place July 26 to August 3 in the Danbury area. Please review the schedule and indicate your dates and times of availability. It can be found at: http://www.nutmegstategames.org/08sportsmedinfo.pdf.

First aid and sports medicine supplies and medi-bags will be provided. If you have your own bags, then supplies will be provided where needed and available.

To volunteer or for any question, call 860-528-4588 or visit www.nutmegstategames.org.

The Bridgeport Bluefish have placed seven players on the Liberty Division 2008 All-Star team, including three starters.

First baseman Jesse Hoorelbeke, outfielder Branden Florence and infielder Luis Lopez will all be in the starting lineup. Infielder Henry Mateo and outfielder Ryan Bear are reserves for the team while starting pitchers Eric DuBose and Barry Hertzler will both represent the Bluefish.

Hoorelbeke (.254, 15 HRs, 56 RBIs), the 2007 A.L. Co-Player of the Year, made the post-season All-Star team last year and now will be playing in his first mid-season contest. He currently shares the league lead in home runs with Ray Navarrete of Long Island and his RBI total ranks second in the league.

Florence (.328, 4 HRs, 30 RBIs) finished out the first half ranked ninth in the league in hitting. He suffered through some injuries the first couple of weeks of the season but became a staple in the Bluefish outfield once he returned to health with a consistently high level of play. His 12-game hit-streak in May currently stands as the second-longest Bluefish streak of the year.

Lopez (.361, 4 HRs, 48 RBIs) was one of the best hitters throughout the entire first half of the season. He currently ranks fourth in the league in batting (second among active players) with many stints in the top spot. His 91 hits lead the league and his 19 doubles and .454 on-base percentage both rank second. On the defensive side of things his .978 fielding percentage is best amongst everyday third basemen.

Mateo (.315, 2 HRs, 26 RBIs) has solidified the top of the lineup to give hitters behind him like Lopez and Hoorelbeke plenty of RBI opportunities. His 20 doubles and 59 runs scored are both league highs. He also has 27-multi hit performances on the year and a 13-game hitting streak, both team highs.

Bear (.320, 6 HRs, 34 RBIs) has been one of the more versatile yet consistent hitters on the Bluefish in the first half. He has made starts at six different spots in the batting order and played all outfield and corner infield positions defensively. His 77 hits are third highest on the team and his 45 runs rank second.

DuBose (4-2, 3.38 ERA, 77.1 IP) has given nothing but consistency to the Bluefish starting rotation. The southpaw has made ten quality starts in his 13 trips to the hill (12 starts). His ERA ranks third in the league (second among active pitchers) and his .242 opponent batting average is best among Tommy John’s starters.

Hertzler (3-5, 4.63 ERA, 81.2 IP) has made things easy on the Bluefish bullpen all year. The Central Connecticut State alum has pitched at least into the eighth inning in six of his 13 starts. He ranked among the league leaders in ERA for the majority of the first half.

The Atlantic League All-Star Game will be played at Commerce Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ on Wednesday, July 16.

Got Facebook? Like LocalSportsFeed (or the FCIAC Football Blog)? Then come on over and meet other fans of Fairfield County sports.

The LocalSportsPage Facebook page will be a community of athletic supporters… Maybe I should rephrase that! It’s a place where you can receive additional alerts about postings, find out where LocalSportsFeeders will be, what’s coming up in LocalSportsFeed coverage, and more.

Click the Facebook logo above to enter, or go to the Facebook page, to join.

LocalSportsFeed was featured in today’s edition of The Stamford Times, a weekly newspaper owned by The Hour.

The article, written by corespondent Joe Ryan, focuses on the evolution of the FCIAC Football Blog into a Website with a focus on sports in Fairfield County.

LocalSportsFeed is owned by Tim Parry, a Bridgeport-based sportswriter.

Follow a sport or a specific school’s athletic program? Want to spread the word about it? Here’s your chance. LocalSportsFeed.com is looking for people with a passion for Fairfield County sports and a desire to write about them.

We’re not looking for the run-of-the-mill game stories, but the stories within the game. We’re not just looking for football, basketball, and baseball, but the underexposed sports like field hockey, swimming, and tennis.

But most important, we’re looking for people who have a story to tell. Oh, yeah, and we’re looking for anyone who wants to provide photos and video, too.

We do not pay those who submit, but on the bright side, we also don’t provide medical, dental, or a 401k. But we do give you a byline or a photo/video credit, and excellent exposure for potential paying gigs. And we give you the chance to be the authority of your passion.

Still interested? Drop a line to Tim Parry, LocalSportsFeed.com’s founder, at tim@localsportsfeed.com