mond whose team at Benedictine plays in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association and will not be subjected to the federation rules. He noted that a young pitch

BARCELONA, Spain -- Tito Vilanova is stepping down as Barcelonas coach following a recurrence of throat cancer, just a month before Lionel Messi and his teammates begin the defence of their Spanish league title. Club president Sandro Rosell told a hurriedly called news conference at Barcelonas training facility on Friday that Vilanova will "follow a treatment" that will be "incompatible" with staying on as coach. Rosell said that a new head coach would be named next week and that Barcelona was cancelling its first friendly of the preseason, scheduled to be played in Poland on Saturday against Lechia Gdansk. Spanish media was rife with speculation that little-known Joan "Rubi" Ferrer would replace Vilanova. Ferrer was hired on June 28 as Barcelonas new assistant coach after his strong season with Catalan club Girona in the second division. The 44-year-old Vilanova had twice previously had to take a medical break from his duties at Barcelona, once as Pep Guardiolas assistant in the 2011-12 season and again as its manager last season. In his single season in charge he led Barcelona to the Spanish league title with a record-tying point 100 points. "This is a piece of news I would have never in my life wanted to give," Rosell told a packed media room including Barcelonas first team with Messi and captain Carles Puyol. "After evaluating the results of the routine tests and checkups for Tito Vilanova, the option arose of following a treatment that will be incompatible with the development of the responsibilities as the coach of the first team," Rosell said. Vilanova was not in attendance. Vilanova had battled the recurrent tumour in a saliva gland for the past two years, coming back to coach each time. He first fell ill in Nov. 2011 and had to have surgery. He then had a second tumour removed last December and travelled to New York several times to receive further treatment. In his absence last season, assistant Jordi Roura took over. First as Guardiolas assistant, Vilanova provided the tactical know-how that helped his boss forge one of the best teams in the history of the sport -- winning 14 of a possible 19 titles from 2008-2012, including two Champions League trophies. As a young player, Vilanova spent six years at Barcelonas training academy -- from 1984-90 -- but never made it to the topflight team, going on to play for clubs such as Celta Vigo and Mallorca before his playing career was cut short by a serious knee injury. That injury led Vilanova into coaching and to Barcelonas cadets, tutoring current first-team players Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique. Vilanova moved on from Barcelona to work as sport director at third division club Terrassa before answering Guardiolas call to help him take Barca B up from the third division in 2007-08. Authentic Custom Packers Jersey . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. Wholesale Custom Packers Shirts . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. http://www.custompackersjersey.com/ . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Custom Packers Jerseys .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. Rashan Gary Jersey Large . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. RICHMOND, Va. -- The National Federation of State High School Associations has directed its members to regulate the number of pitches a high school player can throw in a game amid growing concerns about overworking young arms.The federation did not proscribe a specific number , but a limit must be established by next season, said Elliot Hopkins, the NFHS director of sports and student services. The limits will go into effect in the spring of 2017.Every state plus the District of Columbia are federation members, Hopkins said Tuesday. Each state except Michigan has its own sports medicine advisory committee that will likely be involved in settling on a specific number.I think theyre better suited to determine what the number is, Hopkins said, noting the number in warmer climates, where baseball season starts earlier, might be higher.States like Texas have already established their limit at 125 pitches, and Alabama, Colorado and Kentucky have said that will be their number, too, Hopkins said. Minnesota will use 105 during the season and 115 or 120 in playoffs.Anecdotal evidence suggested it was time to make the change. As a member of the USA Baseball sports medicine advisory committee, Hopkins said he sits between well-known sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews and former major league pitcher Tommy John at meetings. Andrews in 1974 pioneered a surgery, first performed on and then named for Tommy John, that reconstructs the ulnar collateral ligament in a pitchers elbow, allowing them to resume their careers after rehabilitation.During those meetings, Dr. Andrews always expressed how more and more of his service, and his surgeries, revolved around younger kids, Hopkins said.USA Baseball, the national governing body for amateur baseball, in 2014 launched the program Pitch Smart, which sets age-appropriate guidelines for the number of pitches a pitcher as young as 7 can throw and the amount of rest they should get between pitching appearances. Most amateur baseballl leagues have adopted the guidelines, which set 120 pitches as the maximum recommended for pitchers ages 19-22.dddddddddddd It then also requires they receives four days of rest.One impact Hopkins hopes will come from the rule change will be the involvement of more players.You have maybe three or four pitchers in your bullpen typically, he said. Now, well get some kids who really cant throw five innings, cant give you five innings, but they can give you a solid two, and now youve got a bullpen and you get more kids involved.The federation will no longer require its member associations to require a certain amount of rest between appearances by a pitcher.Virginia coach Brian OConnor, whose team won the national championship in 2015, called the changes a step in the right direction but was not sure a single pitch count number will have the desired effect.Somebody could throw 75 pitches three different times in a week, he said.Its not a be all, end all, said Sean Ryan, a high school coach in Richmond whose team at Benedictine plays in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association and will not be subjected to the federation rules. He noted that a young pitcher often moves to another position during a game, or in the teams next game, where he continues throwing in between innings and in the game.Like other sports, youth baseball has a cottage industry offering year-round, specialized instruction. OConnor said he is a big believer in athletes playing several sports, not just baseball.It has everything to do with, I think, other sports creating better athleticism in players and I think its important that they stay competitive year round, he said. I would rather see them on a basketball court working together as a team and staying physically active and competing to win.---Follow Hank on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/hankkurzjr ' ' '