San Lorenzo Valley High School athletes practice during the summer to keep sharp.

There are 384 Little Leagues in Northern California, which is considered a state by the national Little League organization. Of those 384 leagues, 330 fielded 10- and-11-year-old All-Star teams this year. After several dozen divisional and sectional tournaments in which only one team advances to the next bracket, just six teams in Northern California are left in the hunt for a state crown.

There are new screens up on the tennis courts at the Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club, where tennis instructor Chris Bradley hopes to renew excitement about the sport in the San Lorenzo Valley.

Both the San Lorenzo Valley 11-and-12-year-old All-Stars and the Scotts Valley 10-and-11-year-old All-Stars have made it into the finals of their respective tournaments.

The summer season of the IOOF San Lorenzo Valley softball league is well under way, with games at Highlands Park, 8500 Highway 9, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Here are the standings through the first three weeks of the season:

In Scotts Valley, P.A.L. is more than just a good friend who kids like to hang out with. It stands for Police Athletic League, and it’s the tackle football and cheerleading league that many Scotts Valley youngsters participate in during the late summer and fall.

Three of the five Scotts Valley Little League All-Star teams remain undefeated in District 39 play and are heading toward their respective tournament finals. Those three teams have each run up lopsided cumulative victory margins along the way. The 7- and 8-year-olds have outscored their opponents 55-13 during their three wins, the 10-year-olds run differential is 44-2 with a 3-0 record, and the 10- and 11-year-olds have rolled up a 75-8 split en route to their 4-0 mark.