A college student running his own nonprofit is hosting his second basketball clinic this year in August.

Justus League Hoop Inc. will tentatively host the Back-to-School Basketball Classic from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 10. The location has yet to be determined.

Justus McNair, 19, founder of the nonprofit, will run the clinic.

McNair is a Joliet West High School alumnus and a soon-to-be sophomore at Valparaiso University in Indiana.

He also plays basketball for Roger Powell, head coach of Valparaiso’s men’s basketball team, who attended Joliet Central High School.

The clinic will include giveaways of school supplies, and mental health professionals will be on-site to talk to parents about student-athlete mental health, said Andrea McNair, Justus’ mother.

Justus said his parents, Wayne and Andrea, came up with the idea for the nonprofit in December.

“They made it happen,” Justus said. “I was always thinking of ways to help kids in my area and didn’t know what to do.”

Justus said his parents suggested the basketball clinic, and he suggested the mental health component.

“There’s pressure to become great and play to the highest level,” Justus said. “I’ve been through it, and it can be very hectic.”

Justus said that after he broke his leg freshman year in high school, he felt depressed about not playing and wondered how well his leg might heal.

He wants athletes to reach out when they get stressed and “go into that deep hole,” he said.

Justus said kids need someone “to be in your corner” in order to play stress-free sports, and he wants to help them with their mental health so they can “achieve their dreams.”

“Being from Joliet, it’s somewhat hard to make it out,” Justus said. “And some do take the long routes – gangs, street violence. I just want to help youth stay on the right path.”

For Justus, that right path was basketball. His previous clinic on April 27 attracted 40 youth and children through middle school. He plans to host several a year.

He said his ultimate goal is to open facilities across the U.S. that are part mental health center and part recreational center.

“Kids could come to my gym for free and have it be like safe space for them – and a mental health center as well,” Justus said.

All three of Andrea’s children have played sports, and she said parents sometimes force their athletic expectations onto their children without considering their mental health.

That’s why a mental health specialist talks to parents at the clinic, she said.

“We want them to be the best. We want them to win. We want them to shine. We don’t want them to make mistakes,” Andrea said. “In doing that, we’re not intentional in making sure our children’s mental health is great.”

The purpose of Justus League Hoop Inc. is to empower student-athletes by developing their basketball skills, nurturing their mental wellness and preparing them for success in higher education.

“I just want the community to know we are here to support families and athletes,” Andrea said.

The deadline to donate book bags, pencils and pens, notebooks, colored pencils, index cards and sticky notes is July 25.

To donate and to register for the clinic, call Andrea McNair at 815-272-3736.

For more information, visit Justus League Hoop Inc. on Facebook.

FLORIDA – On June 25, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills aiming to promote mental health and addiction recovery, and one Jacksonville man is applauding the legislation, saying he’s happy that Florida is realizing how important the issue is.

RELATED: Gov. DeSantis signs bills addressing mental health, substance abuse

Senate Bill 1620, which puts several key recommendations from a state behavioral health commission into action, sets stricter guidelines for treatment plans and increases access to mental health and substance use resources.

For David Sallette, sobriety has been a hard-fought journey.

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” said Sallette, who has been sober for four years. “I’ll never drink again, just because of the health factors and how much better my body feels. I get up in the morning and I’m ready to just kill the day.”

Sallette, a father and recovering alcoholic, founded Sober Dadz, a peer support group built on accountability and open conversation.

He said he hopes the new legislation will make it easier for others to access meaningful support, especially men struggling in silence.

“Honestly, mental health — especially for men — is something that often gets overlooked,” Sallette said. “Men don’t talk as much. They don’t have as many outlets because it can make you look weak. So those issues just build up, and eventually, they explode. That’s just how it happens.”

The new law comes with significant state funding, with more than $123.9 million going toward behavioral health services, including forensic bed capacity and operations at state-run mental health facilities.

Another $194.8 million from the national opioid settlement will fund training for addiction specialists, support prevention programs, and expand the Florida Office of Opioid Recovery, while an additional $31.8 million is earmarked for expanding the state’s Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network — a program that has already helped thousands of Floridians struggling with addiction.

“I’m just glad that Florida’s starting to realize how important it is,” Sallette said.

Now four years sober, Sallette hopes the new law gives more people the tools and support they need to begin their recovery journey.

WILLISTON, N.D. (KUMV) – Sanford Health is holding walk-in physicals for Williston area athletes later this season.

These physicals are required yearly for all middle and high school athletes.

The first clinic is on Tuesday July 29 at Williston High School from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Female fall athletes are scheduled from 9 a.m.-10:30.

Male fall athletes are scheduled from 10:30 a.m.-noon.

Winter and spring athletes are from noon-2 p.m.

Another clinic is scheduled for August 5 from noon-2 p.m.

Doctor Jolynn Azure says physicals help make sure students are prepared and ready to go for the season.

“We want to know heart, lung, and muscle health and get them optimized so they can succeed through their athletic journey this year,” said Azure.

This is the second time Sanford is conducting this clinic in Williston.

It costs 35 dollars per person.

Copyright 2025 KFYR. All rights reserved.

Two former Cal Poly Humboldt cross country student-athletes have issued complaints about their former head coach, Jamey Harris, accusing Harris of inappropriate behaviors which led to serious mental health issues for his players and eventually the players leaving the program.

The two Humboldt players who spoke with the Times-Standard, Melissa Pinter and Mariska Kessler, both left the program following what they deemed negative experiences with Harris and the Humboldt Athletics department. The complaints include being encouraged to compete while injured, painful massages from a lacrosse ball that was administered by Harris himself, discussing the sex lives of student-athletes, and emotional abuse.

Kessler spent the 2022-2024 seasons with the ‘Jacks while Pinter was a part of the 2021 and 2022 Humboldt cross country teams before transferring to Chico State in 2023. Both were initially thrilled to join the ‘Jacks program, with Kessler thrilled to fulfill her collegiate dream while Pinter received a scholarship that made her athletic and scholastic goals accessible. But after getting to Humboldt, both players realized the experience was not exactly what they had imagined.

“I have first-handedly witnessed Jamey repeatedly emotionally and physically damage the runners of the Humboldt women’s cross country team,” Kessler said. “I regret recruiting girls into this team and have a sense of guilt for bringing them into this environment. I thought if I was a strong enough leader, I could shield them from the issues the team has had in the past, but that was extremely naive.”

The Times-Standard reached out to Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics with questions for Harris and Nick Pettit, executive director of intercollegiate athletics, but was told that the university “cannot comment on personnel matters regarding the cross country program.”

Cal Poly Humboldt did provide the following statement via Drew Gwerder, a spokesperson for Humboldt Athletics:

“These matters are handled confidentially, but the University is working to address concerns expressed by our student-athletes. Their health and well-being are fundamental to the Athletics program, and we’re committed to creating a safe and respectful environment. Our students also have space to provide feedback to administration regarding their experiences during the evaluation process. If we are made aware of situations of concern we engage appropriate university leadership to address potential issues to support our student-athletes.”

Kessler and another student-athlete did meet with Pettit and Amanda Nelson, Humboldt’s associate athletics director and senior woman administrator, to detail their experience with the cross country program. Nothing, Kessler said, to her knowledge, ever came of it. And Pinter and her father wrote a letter to Humboldt Athletics in February. There was no response, they said.

“Melissa tried to cope with the abuse from her coach without letting her family know what was happening to her,” Pinter’s father wrote in the letter. “I was aware that Melissa had been having injuries as well as other medical issues, but I didn’t know the root of most of her problems was Coach Harris. Sometimes she would phone me, crying … as a parent, it was heart-breaking. When I finally heard the details of his abusive physical and verbal treatment of my daughter, my heart fell into my stomach and I felt so guilty for being unaware and unable to help her in her time of need.”

The Times-Standard reached out to Harris directly about the allegations. He did not respond ahead of the Times-Standard publishing deadline.

Melissa Pinter’s story

Pinter was honored to join Cal Poly Humboldt’s program but she felt Harris used the scholarship she received against her, allegedly using it as leverage to coerce her into competing even if she was injured

“I paid too much money to have you here for you to not race,” Pinter claimed Harris told her.

“Coach Harris’s actions drove me to the brink of suicide. The emotional and physical abuse that I endured under his coaching left me feeling isolated, insignificant, and powerless over my own life. My financial dependence on the scholarship he provided left me vulnerable to his manipulation and exploitation,” Pinter said.

Pinter, who had a boyfriend on the team, said she suddenly saw her relationship become a topic of discussion for her coach during practices. As the season prolonged, Pinter struggled with mental health issues and gained weight, both of which didn’t help her in competitions. Pinter eventually had a conversation with Harris about her problems.

“I opened up to him about what I went through the year before mentally, the depression, unhealthy habits, and the weight gain,” Pinter said. “When I told him how much my weight gain affected me, he replied with ‘well it seemed to work for your boyfriend.’ After that, I really did not feel like I could be vulnerable around him and I just felt very uncomfortable.”

Early in her Humboldt career, Pinter developed Achilles tendinitis. Following the diagnosis, Harris allegedly requested Pinter meet him at the track alone, where Pinter claims that Harris accused her of not caring about the sport and then performed a treatment on Pinter’s legs.

“He proceeded to have me lay on the floor while he pressed a lacrosse ball into my calf and dragged it along my legs. The pain was almost unbearable and I left covered in bite marks from trying to stifle my cries,” Pinter said. “When I stood, I found that my legs were bright red with patches turning purple and I could barely walk. I called my boyfriend for help and he ended up carrying me back to my dorm. This would become a regular occurrence.”

Another ‘Jacks cross country student-athlete who wished to remain anonymous said that the same lacrosse ball massage had been done on them. Humboldt athletic trainers allegedly told the student-athlete not to let Harris perform that treatment.

Pinter battled injuries before transferring out of Cal Poly Humboldt, but not before another odd interaction with her coach.

“Coach Harris would check in occasionally, and on one particular occasion, he texted me something that seemed out of place,” Pinter said. “To this day, I am unsure of what his intentions were. He said, ‘Do you want to hang out later?’ At the time, I just hoped he had sent me the wrong message. Unsure of how to respond, I just made something up to push it to the side.”

Mariska Kessler’s story

Kessler began having health issues stemming from her blood pressure after arriving in Humboldt, which led to her first issue with Harris. According to Kessler, Harris viewed her health issue as more mental than physical. After receiving medication to treat her blood pressure, Kessler returned to full health and began training for the upcoming season. She said the training resulted in her immune system crashing, and she then got sick multiple times during the season.

“I think he really thought this was a mental problem, and then it got to the point where there was a lot more evidence showing it wasn’t a medical problem,” Kessler said. “A lot of times, he’ll have very strong opinions on what’s wrong with people and the trainers will say something else, so sometimes athletes will have to play both sides because the trainer is telling them one thing, but then Jamey’s telling them another.”

Kessler continued through the season, but on her way to a race later that season, she had another health issue stemming from her blood pressure issue, which resulted in an emergency room visit. After running tests, Kessler was cleared to compete and did so, beginning a race and immediately dropping out, which wasn’t something out of the ordinary for the program. The Humboldt’s women’s cross country team had limited numbers but needed racers to ensure that the team would have enough racers to qualify for the event. Harris didn’t attend the meet but did send Kessler a text message the night before the event, encouraging her to participate in the race.

“That night Jamey messages me, the first I have heard from him since I left for the meet,” Kessler said. “He tells me he wants me to race the next day. I respond with the other coaches, ‘don’t think it’s safe and are sending me home early in the morning.’ He ignored this text.”

What’s next?

Jamey Harris remains as Cal Poly Humboldt’s head cross country coach and recruiting coordinator. He was hired by Humboldt in 2017 after serving as the head track and cross country coach UC Santa Cruz from 2014-2017.

Humboldt’s women’s cross country team finished ninth of 11 teams in the CCAA in 2024.

Dylan McNeill can be reached at 707-441-0526.

To the outside world, 6-foot-1 Ella Connor was on a great path to a bright future.

After graduating from Seabury Hall in 2021, she left Maui to attend California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and play NCAA beach volleyball. She adapted quickly to the college game, becoming the first Mustang to win Big West Conference Freshman of the Year, going 27-12 with partner Tia Miric at the No. 1 spot — the second most wins in a single season by a Mustang pair.

But in the midst of it all, Connor suffered from severe panic attacks and other mental health issues.

Her struggles became so severe during her sophomore year that she ended up in the hospital twice — each time after a suicide attempt.

“Some of it was volleyball related,” said Connor, now 22. “Some of it was people related. Some of it was just regular mental health struggles of being in college and being an athlete at the same time. But it was just a lot of everything.”

She and her family knew something needed to change, and fast. Enter Herc, a 4 1/2-year-old golden retriever and Irish setter mix.

The service dog’s constant love and companionship turned out to be the best prescription for her.

“I’m doing absolutely amazing now,” she said. “I’m off all of my medications for all my mental health stuff.”

Connor said she has 40% fewer panic attacks because of Herc, short for Hercules, who underwent a six-month training regimen at Doggie Do Good in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Herc senses when a panic attack is coming on. The dog judges by smell and her breathing patterns, forcing her to lay down and slow her breathing to overcome the attacks, she said. He also lays on her as a calming affect.

With Herc by her side, Connor made a quick comeback after the mental health issues forced her to redshirt as a sophomore to maintain a year of eligibility. She played so well the next season that she was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-American. She also was half of the Big West Conference Pair of the Year with partner Izzy Martinez, who also was named First Team All-Big West Conference. 

The cute, furry dog, known at Cal Poly as “Mr. Herc,” also has become a rock-star in the world of college beach volleyball.

“People will recognize Herc, but they don’t always recognize me,” Connor said. “Most of them will be like, ‘Oh, that’s the volleyball dog, right?’ “

Herc has his own biography on the Cal Poly beach volleyball team page which says: “He enjoys watching beach volleyball, supporting the Mustangs, playing in the sand, making friends and eating peanut butter.”

Herc also has more than 300 followers on his Instagram account @Mr_Herc.

The NCAA beach volleyball format is team vs. team in five matches of pairs from each school. Coaches make out their lineups by sending out pairs ranked 1 through 5 and the team that wins at least three of the five matches is the overall winner.

During Connor’s comeback 2024 season, she and Martinez rang up a 26-10 record for Cal Poly, which advanced to the NCAA Final Four. The duo were 24-10 playing at the No. 1 spot and 2-0 at No. 2.

Martinez, who is from Winnetka, Calif., met Connor for the first time when both were playing in a youth tournament in Hermosa Beach, Calif., when both were in high school. Rain was pouring down and Martinez invited Connor under their canopy tent.

Martinez’s father told his daughter “Oh my God, that was Ella Connor and she’s committed to Cal Poly where you want to go,” Martinez said. “And then once we came to Cal Poly, we’ve been really close.”

So it came as a shock to Martinez when she received a team-wide text in January 2023.

“I just remember the night that our team captains texted the whole team and said, ‘Hey, we need to talk as a team,’ ” Martinez said. “All of us were, ‘Oh, this never happens, what’s going on?’ And then one of our teammates noticed that Ella wasn’t on the text thread.”

“Ella’s on hold right now in a medical facility to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself,” a teammate told them.

The next time Martinez saw Connor, Herc had come into her life.

“The difference was night and day with Ella and how much happier she is with Herc around,” Martinez said. “I can’t describe it unless you see it. She’s just standing more happy, more active. She just seems herself again.”

In 2025, Connor was 22-8 playing in the No. 4 spot, primarily with senior Madison Nichols, and again Connor gained all-conference honors while the Mustangs made another run to the NCAA Final Four.

“It’s remarkable,” Cal Poly Coach Todd Rogers said of Connor’s recovery. “It was difficult when she was going through it. I’ve encouraged her … maybe even pushed her to be open about it.”

Rogers, who won an Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball in 2008 and has been the Mustangs’ coach since 2016, said: “I was pretty open about it when people asked me, and basically told Ella, ‘Look, you’re a platform.’ ”

But it took an eye-opening experience for Connor to become more comfortable talking about her mental health challenges. She and Herc were at dinner with the Cal Poly team during the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Gulf Shores, Ala., when a mother came up to talk to Connor.

Herc is listed on the Cal Poly beach volleyball website as the “Director of Player Morale” and he was featured by ESPN during the 2024 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship broadcast and on the NCAA Volleyball social media.

“The mom came up to me and said, ‘Hey, are you Ella? Are you the one with the dog?’ ” Connor said. “She said, ‘I just wanted to say your story was so inspirational. My daughter has really bad panic attacks and she struggles to leave the house and your story gave her the courage to get up and leave the house.’ So it was just something that was super cool.”

Connor said after that interaction, she decided to reach out to the NCAA and do an interview with the organization that runs college athletics. 

“I was like, ‘Well, I guess I’ve got to share all about it now,’ ” Connor said.

Connor told Susanna Weir for the NCAA story that was published in May 2024: “There were a lot of times where I felt like I was alone, and I was dealing with it on my own. I hope that (my story) inspires others to reach out for help.”

A year later, Connor says she does not feel alone with Herc in the picture “because he’s always with me.”

Rogers pointed to the interaction Connor had with the mother who approached her at the team dinner in 2024 as the turning point for Connor to become more open about her mental health struggles.

“So it’s been fun to watch Ella just embrace, ‘You know what? This happened to me,’ ” Rogers said. “It’s real. ‘I can either shun it and hide from it or I can share my experiences.’ And if it helps one person, great. So she’s embraced that.”

Connor said her openness about her mental health and other challenges reach the adolescent girls she coaches for both indoor and sand play.

“I love the girls,” Connor said. “The relationships that you can make with girls at this age is so impactful to them. … It’s just truly inspirational what you can do off the court. On the court, volleyball, whatever, but being a role model for them is so important.”

When she tells people she is from Maui, they think it is “a super cool thing. … I love representing.”

While she hopes to continue to inspire people, she doesn’t delve too far into the personal specifics of her mental health challenges because she is ready to move on and live her life. And she has.

Connor has been able to adapt to almost any partner — she is a stalwart on the summer circuit, teaming with partners from several different schools — but last weekend she was back with Martinez as they finished second in the Association of Volleyball Professionals Waupaca Open in Wisconsin.

“This is absolutely the best result for any Maui female volleyball player ever,” said Scott Zucco, Connor’s beach volleyball youth coach. Zucco has coached numerous other Maui volleyball standouts who have gone on to college and professional careers both indoor and on the beach, including Amy Ozee, Shayla Hoeft and Colton Cowell.

The result qualified the familiar pair for the main draw of the Manhattan Beach Open, which takes place Aug. 15-17 in California and is considered the most prestigious tournament on the AVP Tour.

As always, Herc will be at Connor’s side in Manhattan Beach. He rides beneath her seat on airplanes.

When Rogers saw Connor and Martinez qualify for the Manhattan Beach Open, he smiled to himself.

“It’s kind of a ‘reunited and it feels so good’ moment. A little Peaches and Herb,” Rogers said. ”I actually sent them a little gift.”

As Herc helps Connor overcome her anxiety that still can become extreme, she is able to do more things, including coaching a high school team at Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Zucco is not surprised that Connor has adapted well after Herc came to help her. He often points to Connor as an example of what is possible to accomplish for his young players coming up now, but it is her personality that comes to his mind first.

“Ella, wherever she went, she made friends with girls, guys, young, old, volleyball players, non-volleyball players,” Zucco said. “People energize her.”

One story that Zucco shares with his youngsters now is how Connor would bump the ball over the net instead of rise to spike it down when she was in eighth grade, out of respect for her opponents.

Connor, now a senior at Cal Poly, is majoring in experience industry management with a concentration in sport management. She wants to work in the National Football League doing scheduling.

First, Connor will enjoy her final season as a Mustang and then possibly give the AVP Tour a shot, quite likely with Martinez as her partner. It is not an easy road — the pair made just $2,400 apiece for their second-place finish in Wisconsin.

Connor is on a full scholarship, but does not receive any Name, Image and Likeness money that is now allowed to NCAA student-athletes.

”I’ll give it a shot, but I need to see because beach volleyball is a poor sport,” Connor said. “So it’s hard to want to keep training and playing. You’re just losing money constantly. If it works out, I’m totally down to try it.”

But for now, Ella and Herc are gearing up for one more season at Cal Poly. Martinez said they both are so important to the team.

“I cannot tell you how many people just get to practice early and sit with Herc on the ground, in the sand with him before practice,” Martinez said. “I do it all the time. All of my teammates would agree. He’s amazing.”

Angel Reese Opens Up About Cyberbullying, Mental Health, And Sisterhood In The WNBA originally appeared on Fadeaway World.

Angel Reese has been one of the most polarizing names in basketball since winning the NCAA title with LSU. But behind the headlines and viral moments is a 23-year-old adjusting to sudden fame, harsh criticism, and the mental toll that comes with it. Speaking candidly this week, Reese opened up about the hate she’s endured online, how it changed her life, and the emotional growth she’s experienced during her tenure with the Chicago Sky.

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“After I won the National Championship, my whole life changed. And that was the first time I had seen negativity like that on social media,” said Reese on SportsCenter. “I thought I had a huge following before, but I had to change my whole lifestyle. It doesn’t bother me as much anymore, just because I feel like I’ve built a thicker skin. But not everybody has a thick skin, and that’s why I think a lot of players always come up and ask me, ‘Are you okay, how are you doing?’ and they do a check-in with me. I don’t know what’s genuine, but I’m starting to open up and branch out a little bit. This is like the closest I’ve been to these players this year. Last year, I wasn’t that close. When I was in Phoenix, I was very quiet; I didn’t talk to anybody. And that’s what I really love about this league—having sisters who care about me and knowing I can take that support and pour it back into the community. There’s a lot of cyberbullying going on, and not everybody’s as strong as I am, so I thought, why not flip a negative into a positive and give back?”

Reese is just 21 games into her sophomore season, but she’s already become one of the WNBA’s most polarizing players. On the court, she plays with an admirable level of passion and tenacity that elevates her impact. In 55 games so far, she’s averaging 13.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on 41.1% shooting. She’s already a 2x All-Star and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

Reese has been preparing for this stage her entire life, but the transition hasn’t been easy. During her championship run with LSU in 2023, she experienced the dark side of social media for the first time, and it gave her a new perspective on life under the spotlight. As she went viral for her bold statements, aggressive play, and never-ending trash talk, the critics came together to bash and discredit her character.

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As the basketball star joined the WNBA and rose to prominence in the pros, the hate only got worse as critics continued to pile on, attacking her game and questioning her competitive fire. Through it all, she remained focused on the mission thanks to her colleagues and a community of women dedicated to protecting each other. Even during the times when she loses control, it never becomes a bigger problem in the locker room.

In truth, Angel Reese is still just getting started, but she’s already using her platform to speak up for those who can’t. Her journey—from college sensation to WNBA star—hasn’t been without turbulence, but it’s made her stronger, more connected, and more committed to leading with purpose. In a league built on unity and empowerment, she’s finding her voice—and helping others find theirs too.

Related: Shaquille O’Neal Defends Angel Reese, Threatens To Punch RGIII Over ‘Monkey Post’

This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.