Boston sports roundup, Sept. 21 to Sept. 27

BOSTON -- The City Council's Committee on Human Services held a Sept. 24 hearing on docket 1335 to discuss the status of the Blackstone Pool and call for an independent engineering study on repairs.

TOWN -- Councilor Ed Flynn, the hearing's lead sponsor, said the Blackstone Community Center pool has been closed indefinitely due to structural issues, including a deteriorated pool shell, a drain line failure and groundwater intrusion. Of the 18 pools operated by the Boston Centers for Youth and Families, nine closed in the summer of 2025; by the summer of 2026, 16 of the 18 had reopened, with the Blackstone and Mirabella pools the exceptions, Flynn said. The city's FY27-FY31 capital plan includes $500,000 for a study to determine the scope of major renovations at the Blackstone school and pool, according to Flynn, though he said a full renovation would take years and a new pool may depend on a new school being built. Flynn said the closure limits access to swim lessons and recreational water activities that he called important for youth development, public safety and health. No representatives from Boston Public Schools, the Boston Centers for Youth and Families or the mayor's administration attended the hearing. Flynn said BPS and the administration had separately scheduled a Boston Red Sox visit to the Blackstone school for infrastructure work and a celebration at the same time as the council hearing.

Compiled from team and league reports, reader submissions, and local coverage.