SO FAR, IT'S BEEN A CRIM VIEW FROM THE SIDELINES.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Community Sports

Things haven't worked out as planned for former Canyon High baseball coach Chuck Crim, who resigned after two seasons last year with aspirations to land a major league job as a pitching coach.

Crim traveled out of state to network and get the word out that he wanted a job in the big leagues, and he thought he had some solid connections following an eight-year major league career that included a stint with the Angels.

Nothing has panned out, so Crim is taking a year off.

``In baseball, it's all about who you know, and it seemed like everyone who I thought I had a chance to give me a job ended up switching jobs themselves,'' said Crim, who said he was close to signing on with the Angels and Texas Rangers.

At the height of his career, Crim earned more than $2.8 million as a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1991, and through his career he earned more than $6 million. He turns 45 in July, which means he'll be eligible for a major-league pension, although he doesn't plan to take advantage right away.

-- Valencia High baseball standout Michael Hur is once again off to a fast start, batting .421 with three home runs and 11 RBIs through five games.

However, the UC Riverside-bound senior wishes to remain as humble as possible because the same thing happened last year before Hur went through an 0-for-13 slump. He was on pace to hit .500 last year but instead finished at .368.

``It's always great to start off well but I don't want to get too confident. You never want to be overconfident,'' he said.

-- Several former Valencia softball players besides UCLA's Ashley Herrera and Jaisa Creps are making a name for themselves this season.

Pitcher Christina Ross, a San Diego State sophomore who transferred from Kansas, is developing into one of the top college pitchers on the West Coast. The left-hander is 6-3 with a 0.94 ERA. In 52 innings, Ross has struck out 42 and hasn't allowed a home run.

Right-hander Courtney Baughman, an Hawaii freshman, has also impressed. She's 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 41 innings. Former teammate Breanne Javier, a Central Florida freshman, is batting .228 with one home run and 14 RBIs (second on team).

-- Now in the final semester of his senior year at Valencia High, multisport standout Teddy Goetz has dedicated himself to volleyball - and hung up his high tops for good.

He has signed a UCLA volleyball scholarship, so that's his sport of the future.

``I love both sports, and I'm going to miss basketball a lot because I've been playing it for so long,'' Goetz said. ``It's been a part of my life forever.''

Goetz, a two-time All-Foothill League basketball selection, is dominant once again in volleyball, helping Valencia to a 12-0 start heading into Tuesday's matchup against visiting Saugus.

After 270 kills last year, he'd love to get 300, but Goetz said he is more concerned with winning another section title. He was part of Valencia's 2004 championship team before the Vikings lost in the final last year.

`'It would be really cool to win another title. I want another one,'' he said.

--High school cheerleaders from Hart, Saugus, Canyon and Valencia joined forces for a national showcase last weekend, taking first place at the America West Coast Open tournament in Irvine.

``I'm so proud of these girls. They showed great leadership and maturity by putting their rivalries aside and performing together like champions,'' said coach Shelly Gramatky of GymcheerUSA in Santa Clarita.