A fifth grader from San Francisco is representing the Bay Area on a global stage on Friday. 

Amy Colindres is competing in the annual 2026 MLB Players STEM League Global Championship in Miami, which is taking place at the same time as the World Baseball Classic.

At Junipero Serra Elementary, Colindres trained every Tuesday after school, playing in the MLB Players STEM League. The baseball-inspired game combines Colindres’ two favorite things: math and the San Francisco Giants. The game teaches fourth to eighth graders math skills, using real MLB player statistics. 

Colindres is an All-Star student, competing against students from around the nation and the world. The program initially launched in 2021, and this year features the largest number of countries represented in the competition to date, with students from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea.

“I feel, like, surprised, and I thought it was a dream, because I was, like, I hope I win, but I wasn’t that sure,” said Colindres.

Dorene Fontanilla, her after-school program leader with Bay Area Community Resources, was certainly sure about Amy, who wasn’t originally in her after-school program but really wanted to be a part of it. She became a standout student with her positive attitude, passion to learn, and dedication to teamwork, and Fontanilla quickly saw how Amy and her bright smile were an inspiring addition.

“I was telling my students that whoever shows good sportsmanship, teamwork, and overall enjoys the game, I will choose them in the championship in Miami,” said Fontanilla. “So she heard me, and she said, ‘I wanna do that, and I’m gonna ask.’ The next day, she comes to me and says, ‘I can do it. When can I play?’ I’m very proud of her. I love her excitement. I love her determination.”

“And then when I got picked, I was, like, I’m very happy that I could cry!” said Colindres.

Colindres says the program makes her feel smart and brave to try new things. Now what once felt like a dream is taking her all the way to the championship in Miami.

The nonprofit Learn Fresh created the MLB Players STEM League in partnership with the MLB Players Trust. Students receive an all-expenses-paid trip to participate in the tournament, and they also get to watch the World Baseball Classic in Miami.

The winner will be crowned on Saturday. 

Adventurous offers lessons for new and experienced ski and snowboarders alike, with an emphasis on perfecting the technique of carving: the smooth arc of the ski or snowboard that’s accomplished by slowly rolling the ankles and knees onto one edge, then the other.

Owner Sarah Cooper said training indoors is not meant to fully replace learning and progressing on a real ski hill, but rather to accelerate muscle memory and confidence once a person hits the actual slopes.

The setup of the facility — where teachers are positioned below the incline of the treadmill, eye to eye with their students’ hips and legs — allows them to watch and critique students’ every move, said Cooper, even at high speeds.

“We can see everything on every single person’s body,” she said. “Every movement, their timing, their confidence, their comfort.”

Joad Stein, an instructor at Adventurous who is also an expert outdoor skier, had just returned from a ski trip to Tahoe. Getting on the deck to demonstrate, he said he found skiing on the simulator to be the much more demanding option.

“I have to remind myself to be more patient with my movements, which makes it harder,” he said. “If I want to have nice, graceful turns, I really have to take my sweet time.”

Movement matters

But does all this indoor work on carving actually produce results on the slopes?

There has been very little scientific research on these types of ski decks. A 2013 study found the benefits of training on ski simulators to be minimal, but it only tested two types of ski simulators — neither of which was particularly similar to the type of deck used at Adventurous.

Cooper said many Adventurous clients have reported positive impacts of their indoor training, and that Olympic athletes, including Mikaela Shiffrin, have spoken about their experiences of using indoor decks as part of their training.

And on-hill ski instructors say any type of dry land training, especially the kind that works the same core and leg muscles as skiing and snowboarding, is going to help performance on the mountain.

“That fitness will translate,” said Jon Tekulve, director of ski services at Diamond Peak Ski Resort in Tahoe. “The movements are still there, and learning those can be helpful.”

Around 80% of the adults taught at Diamond Peak have never been on snow before. But Tekulve warned that beginners who start indoors may be taken aback by the role that being outside plays in skiing, because the carpet and indoor environment are so consistent.

“Being out in the elements is different,” he said. “Sun and shade spots on the mountain can be the difference between going really fast and really slow.”

Plus, he said, who would want to miss out on the mountain views?

Cooper acknowledges there is one major factor about skiing for real that she cannot prepare her students for on the Adventurous simulator: “The snow is just gonna ‘feel slippery’ — that’s what everyone says,” she said.

Hirschler said she’s proud of the progress she’s made so far with her indoor lessons. She’s even able to ride on the indoor carpet without keeping her hands on the safety bar, and is working on visualizing being on a mountain instead of inside.

“But is it gonna transition well to the mountain? I don’t know,” she mused.

“I’ll be starting with the bunny hill for sure.”

Where to learn how to ski indoors in the Bay Area

Adventurous Sports, San Francisco

Located in Hayes Valley, this indoor ski school emphasizes carving and requires all first-timers to complete an hourlong intro class to get familiar with skiing on their carpeted treadmill.

Cost: The intro lesson costs $185 in the winter and $145 in the summer. You can then purchase packages of multiple lessons, and more experienced skiers and riders can also book cheaper conditioning sessions.

San Francisco is receiving nearly $100 million in state Proposition 1 funding to address addiction and mental health issues for people living on the streets, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Thursday.

The state funding will extend treatment and recovery services at three sites, including a sobering center and two in-patient treatment facilities.

“The expansion at UCSF will give our front line workers another critical tool to help those who need it and keep people and our neighborhood safer with funding for new treatment and the recovery center on Treasure Island,” Lurie said. “San Francisco will continue expanding our capacity to help people get on a long term path to stability.”

A portion of the funds will also add dozens of addiction treatment beds to a facility on Treasure Island. Construction on that project is set to start this next winter.