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LeBron James breaks down the real issue with modern youth sports

LeBron James has been the ‘Chosen One’ since he was in high school. The Los Angeles Lakers man has carried immense expectations on his shoulders for well over two decades. He has lived up to and far surpassed them, but that only goes to show truly generational, an athlete he is. Not every young player […]

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LeBron James has been the ‘Chosen One’ since he was in high school. The Los Angeles Lakers man has carried immense expectations on his shoulders for well over two decades. He has lived up to and far surpassed them, but that only goes to show truly generational, an athlete he is.

Not every young player is LeBron. However, there has been a trend in modern youth sports where kids are training too seriously from too young an age. Speaking on his Mind The Game podcast with Steve Nash and teammates Luka Doncic, James broke down the problem.

RELATED: Bill Simmons predicts ESPN will mess up Inside the NBA

“Me and my guys, we ran track and field as well when we were like super young. We played football all the way through high school. We didn’t just cap it through one thing all year round. And I think a lot of kids burn, they burn out…

“At 22, 23, 24, they say, ‘f*** the hell with it, I’m done, I don’t even want to play no more.’So I don’t think we should be putting a cap on those kids. They should be able to just explore, man.”

There is truth to what the King says. Sports have become incredibly lucrative, and information is available on a larger scale, which means that kids are being made to train hard while very young. A love for the game is essential for anyone trying to make it to the top.

While this opinion from LeBron won’t mean the trend gets reversed anytime soon, it’s still an important thing for everyone to keep in mind.

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Heart Ball campaign delivers hundreds of sports balls to Eastern Kentucky kids

Donation made possible by the American Heart Association’s “Bring a Ball to the Ball” campaign sponsored by Kentucky Children’s Hospital PIKEVILLE, Ky., August 5, 2025 — The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, recently donated more than 100 sports balls to Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education), which will distribute them to […]

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Donation made possible by the American Heart Association’s “Bring a Ball to the Ball” campaign sponsored by Kentucky Children’s Hospital

PIKEVILLE, Ky., August 5, 2025 — The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, recently donated more than 100 sports balls to Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education), which will distribute them to children throughout Eastern Kentucky. The donation was presented during Camp UNITE — a free program that aims to instill healthy social and physical habits in middle-school youth, recently held at the University of Pikeville.

The American Heart Association in Central and Eastern Kentucky collected sports balls from attendees at the Central Kentucky Heart Ball in February as part of the event’s “Bring a Ball to the Ball” campaign. The campaign, sponsored by Kentucky Children’s Hospital, encourages children to get physically active to help them lead longer, healthier lives.

“At Kentucky Children’s Hospital, we believe every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy and strong. By encouraging kids to stay active and develop heart-healthy habits early, we’re not just promoting fun — we’re helping prevent chronic disease and building a foundation for lifelong well-being. We’re proud to partner with organizations like Operation UNITE and the American Heart Association to make these opportunities accessible for children across Kentucky,” said Dr. Scottie B. Day, physician-in-chief at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

President and CEO of Operation UNITE Tom Vicini stated “the American Heart Association’s long-time partnership through the sports ball donation has made it possible for hundreds of youth from throughout our service region to experience fun alternatives to substance use. At Operation UNITE, we are expanding our prevention efforts, reaching more and more young people, and working tirelessly to ensure that future generations don’t have to experience the pain that so many before them have.”

Operation UNITE is currently in its 23rd year working to address the devastating crisis of substance misuse through prevention, treatment, law enforcement, and education initiatives. In the past fiscal year alone, Operation UNITE has impacted more than 122,000 youth across 92 of Kentucky’s 120 counties through partnerships and programs. “Prevention is not just a strategy — it is the only way to truly break the cycle of substance misuse,” said Vicini. “The American Heart Association has found a way to become involved in these efforts, and we applaud their continued support.”

The American Heart Association is building healthier futures for America’s youth by encouraging regular physical activity and instilling healthy eating habits. The Association is also creating healthier generations by improving nutrition security, advocating for ending tobacco use and vaping, supporting resiliency and more. For more information, visit www.heart.org/kids.

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.      

For Media Inquiries:

Meredith Adkins: Meredith.Adkins@heart.org

heart.org and stroke.org



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This Week In Spartan Athletics – August 12

This Week In Spartan Athletics – August 12   Women’s Soccer The women’s soccer program is the first Spartan squad to officially begin its 2025-26 slate. MSU opens the year Thursday at Colorado (9 p.m. ET). Sunday marks the home opener for the Spartans as they host Dayton Sunday at 7 p.m. It will be […]

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This Week In Spartan Athletics – August 12
 
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer program is the first Spartan squad to officially begin its 2025-26 slate. MSU opens the year Thursday at Colorado (9 p.m. ET). Sunday marks the home opener for the Spartans as they host Dayton Sunday at 7 p.m. It will be Youth Soccer Day at DeMartin Stadium, where youth soccer players get in free by wearing their team jersey. Michigan State opens the season ranked in the Top 12 of both national polls.
 
 


 
Men’s Soccer
Michigan State will travel to Chicago to face UIC in the second exhibition contest of the season. It’s the final tune-up for the Spartans before beginning their regular season next week. MSU defeated Butler last Sunday in the first exhibition contest.
 
 


 
Field Hockey
Spartan field hockey opens its exhibition schedule with a Sunday afternoon contest against Central Michigan at Ralph Young Field at 1 p.m. MSU will play two exhibitions before opening the season on Aug. 29.
 


 
 





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BSE to add Shoot 360 AI basketball training tech to youth sports facility

Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, parent company of the Nets, Liberty and Barclays Center, has partnered with artificial intelligence-powered basketball training system Shoot 360 to deploy its technology in the youth basketball facility BSE is opening in downtown Brooklyn this fall. The facility, called the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, will be located across the street from […]

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Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, parent company of the Nets, Liberty and Barclays Center, has partnered with artificial intelligence-powered basketball training system Shoot 360 to deploy its technology in the youth basketball facility BSE is opening in downtown Brooklyn this fall.

The facility, called the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, will be located across the street from Barclays Center and host after-school/weekend programming, 1-on-1 training sessions, and venue rentals for parties or corporate events.

Shoot 360 will augment it by installing five shooting cages, which measure/track analytics like arc, alignment and percentage, and three skill cages, which gamify training through ball-handling and passing challenges.

“Our goal has been to bring [basketball training] into the 21st century,” Shoot 360 Founder and President Craig Moody told SBJ. “There’s a really deep tradition in U.S. basketball of coaching, but it’s all been subjective. The only real objective information we give is the stat line. We see [Shoot 360’s] technology being the objective part of it, to inform what [players] should be training and where they’re progressing to, benchmarking where they are against their peers or other people.”

Shoot360 Brooklyn
Shoot 360’s AI-powered basketball training systems will be installed in BSE’s Brooklyn Basketball Training Center. BSE

Shoot 360 has 55 operational facilities in the U.S. and 60 more currently being developed, according to Moody. The Warriors own one of the franchises, while two others are co-branded with the Clippers and Jazz, respectively. Shoot 360 also has a fan experience booth installed at Intuit Dome.

The company is backed by a slew of athlete investors, including Liberty F Breanna Stewart, Hawks G Trae Young, 17-year NBA veteran Thaddeus Young and retired NBA-er Jamal Crawford.





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DICK’S Sporting Goods Announces Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, Solidifying Its Position in Original Sports Filmmaking

Published 7 hours ago Submitted by DICK’S Sporting Goods Originally published on DICK’S Sporting Goods Newsroom PITTSBURGH, August 12, 2025 /CSRwire/ — DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) announced the official launch of Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, a new in-house content and production studio dedicated to telling powerful, human-centered stories through the lens of sport. […]

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Published 7 hours ago

Submitted by DICK’S Sporting Goods

Cookie Jar & a Dream Studios logo

Originally published on DICK’S Sporting Goods Newsroom

PITTSBURGH, August 12, 2025 /CSRwire/ — DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) announced the official launch of Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, a new in-house content and production studio dedicated to telling powerful, human-centered stories through the lens of sport.

Founded on the belief that sports have the power to change lives and build community, Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios aims to deliver transformative storytelling that positions sports at the heart of culture. The studio’s work will spotlight the grit, triumphs and heartbreak behind every athlete’s journey, with a mission to create emotionally resonant content that inspires long after the final whistle blows. At its core, the studio believes sports are more than just competition; they are universal stories of hope, resilience and connection.

Although Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios was just recently established, DICK’S began shaping its legacy in sports storytelling over a decade ago. In 2014, the company debuted its first feature documentary, We Could Be King, through its Foundation, which won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Documentary, an extraordinary achievement for a consumer brand. This past spring, DICK’S added a second Sports Emmy – the first award for Cookie Jar & A Dream Studiosto their resume with The Turnaround, a documentary that tells the story of Philadelphia Phillies’ superfan Jon McCann, who helped inspire an unlikely 2023 standing ovation for Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, which helped turn the team around after hitting a major roadblock. With two Sports Emmys, DICK’S has cemented its reputation as a serious producer of documentary films. In the last 10 years, the company has built an impressive catalog of five feature-length films and ten short-form or episodic documentaries, with additional projects forthcoming.

“DICK’S believes that sports have the power to change lives,” said Mark Rooks, VP of Creative, Entertainment & Sponsorships at DICK’S Sporting Goods. “And we’ve seen through our work how true that is for so many who have excelled, triumphed against the odds, and been defeated in sport. There are so many incredible and inspiring human stories that deserve to be told, and we could not be more excited to showcase how individuals, teams and communities are shaping sport, bringing people together and unifying and building communities for thousands.”

The official announcement of Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios coincides with the premiere of Big Dreams: The Little League World Series 2024, a new documentary that explores the magic and meaning behind one of America’s most iconic youth sporting events. It takes viewers to Williamsport, the unassuming town in rural Pennsylvania that’s hosted the tournament for nearly 80 years, to follow the unforgettable wins and losses, sweat and tears, and camaraderie and teamwork that await Little League athletes from around the world as they compete in this longstanding tradition. Produced in partnership with Imagine Entertainment and MLB Studios, the film will premiere on August 12 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Big Dreams is a great example of the kind of projects Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios aims to produce,” said Rebecca Covington, Sr. Director, Creative Production at DICK’S Sporting Goods. “Being able to share big sports moments with fans is something that drives our team, and we look at the upcoming years with great excitement as we know there will be so many unforgettable stories deserving of the spotlight.”

The name of the studio, Cookie Jar & A Dream, honors the founding story of DICK’S Sporting Goods: In 1948, an 18-year-old Dick Stack borrowed $300 from his grandmother—her savings, kept in a cookie jar—to open a small bait-and-tackle shop in Binghamton, New York. By the late 1970’s, Dick expanded his product line to include much of what you’ll find at DICK’S Sporting Goods today. That humble beginning continues to shape the studio’s mission to elevate the voices and stories at the core of sport.

About DICK’S Sporting Goods
DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) creates confidence and excitement by inspiring, supporting and personally equipping all athletes to achieve their dreams. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, the leading omni-channel retailer serves athletes and outdoor enthusiasts in more than 850 DICK’S Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Public Lands and Going Going Gone! stores, online, and through the DICK’S mobile app. DICK’S also owns and operates DICK’S House of Sport and Golf Galaxy Performance Center, as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile platform for live streaming, scheduling, communications and scorekeeping.

Driven by its belief that sports have the power to change lives, DICK’S has been a longtime champion for youth sports and, together with its Foundation, has donated millions of dollars to support under-resourced teams and athletes through the Sports Matter program and other community-based initiatives. Additional information about DICK’S business, corporate giving and employment opportunities can be found on dicks.com, investors.dicks.com, sportsmatter.org, dickssportinggoods.jobs and on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X.

Media Contact
DICK’S Sporting Goods – press@dcsg.com

Category: Company

SOURCE DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc.

Dick's Sporting Goods logo

DICK’S Sporting Goods

DICK’S Sporting Goods

Founded in 1948, DICK’S Sporting Goods is a leading omni-channel sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. As of October 30, 2021, the Company operated 734 DICK’S Sporting Goods locations across the United States, serving and inspiring athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their personal best through a combination of its dedicated teammates, in-store services and unique specialty shop-in-shops dedicated to Team Sports, Athletic Apparel, Golf, Outdoor, Fitness and Footwear.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, DICK’S also owns and operates Golf Galaxy, Field & Stream and Public Lands specialty stores, as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile app for scheduling, communications, live scorekeeping and video streaming. DICK’S offers its products through a dynamic eCommerce platform that is integrated with its store network and provides athletes with the convenience and expertise of a 24-hour storefront.

For more information, visit the Investor Relations page at dicks.com.

More from DICK’S Sporting Goods





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Ryan outlines what is, is not permissible as NIL comes into play for youth athletes across West Virginia

Over the last few years, change is seemingly the only constant for high school athletics across West Virginia . More of it is here. Starting last Friday, high school and middle school athletes are permitted to receive compensation for their name, image and likeness (NIL). The policy was approved by the state school board last […]

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Over the last few years, change is seemingly the only constant for high school athletics across West Virginia .

More of it is here.

Starting last Friday, high school and middle school athletes are permitted to receive compensation for their name, image and likeness (NIL).

The policy was approved by the state school board last month and went into effect Friday, though there are specific guidelines permitting and prohibiting what is allowed.

Wayne Ryan, Executive Director of the West Virginia School Activities Commission, was a guest Tuesday on MetroNews Talkline and helped clarify the recently-adopted policy.

“We have to get ahead of the fact that NIL is now pretty much common throughout the country, even at the high school level,” Ryan said. “The policy is somewhat basic that we have to work off of right now and it’s also going to be somewhat fluid. This is uncharted territory to some degree. Basically, the athlete can benefit by their name, image and likeness. They cannot benefit by their association to their school. They can’t do things that promote the school, school logo or school mascot, even their sport or skill. They can only receive benefits through who they are. Although their fame may have come from athletics, it cannot be represented as athletic fame. It’s simply their image and likeness they can benefit from.”

 

West Virginia became the 44th state allowing youth athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness to some degree. West Virginia’s policy was largely put in place off what other states previously adopted.

“We reviewed several states and wrote a very basic policy and we stole from them in putting this together for the first draft,” Ryan said. “I’m sure at some point as we move forward, the NIL policy will get adjusted, but it’s where we stand right now. We thought we needed to get it in. We did look at other states and other states report it has not been a big problem for them.”

Yet because transfers are much more common all across West Virginia at present and few, if any, restrictions are in place to prevent them, Ryan feels there could be confusion regarding the NIL policy to start, but it’s one that must be closely monitored.

“The primary concerns are not that an individual can benefit. We have a transfer rule now in West Virginia that is pretty lenient, and the decision of our transfer rules from the legislation has provided some leverage for this NIL,” Ryan said. “It’s provided a place for NIL have a position in secondary sports and activities, because if they couldn’t transfer for athletic reasons as freely as they can now, this would not be as big an issue.”

That’s where assistance from school administrators, coaches and adults carries greater importance to help ensure a firm understanding of the rule.

“If there is a NIL deal that follows a transfer, it could become a result of undue influence and jeopardize their eligibility,” Ryan said. “The NIL policy is in place to serve our athletes at schools and keep them from violating rules. That’s why we felt we needed to put the policy in — not to try to get ahead of anything. We’re trying to prevent student-athletes or schools from being a position that would jeopardize eligibility or put their school or program at risk. We needed to pass some guidelines.”

Ryan believes the impact at the high school level won’t be near what it is in today’s climate of college athletics, but the 2025-26 athletics season will help bring a better discovery as to policy specifics that may or may not work as intended.

“We can really only take one path,” Ryan said. “Our rules are written by our principals organization, our Board of Control. We meet in late March or early April each year. Throughout the year, we’ll obviously have situations that will come up, intrigue us, question us and confuse us at times. We will have to work best to see what we can do moving forward to improve our policy. 

“Our process would then be that would go to our Constitution and Bylaws and they would look at any edits or changes that can help us improve the situation, take it to our Board of Control for approval. So we can’t do anything recklessly, can’t do anything on a whim. We have to follow our procedures and protocols and all of our rules have to go through our principals organization. So we’ll be evaluating, taking notes and looking for any ways or things we might need to do to improve the policy moving forward.“



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Nevada athletics to break ground on its $28 million Fieldhouse facility next week

The Nevada athletics department will break ground next Tuesday on the long awaited indoor Fieldhouse project. The ceremonial groundbreaking will take place at 5 p.m. at the parking lot located adjacent to Wolf Pack Park and the John Sala Intramural Field. The Fieldhouse, which Nevada has sought since the early 2000s, will give Nevada football […]

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The Nevada athletics department will break ground next Tuesday on the long awaited indoor Fieldhouse project.

The ceremonial groundbreaking will take place at 5 p.m. at the parking lot located adjacent to Wolf Pack Park and the John Sala Intramural Field.

The Fieldhouse, which Nevada has sought since the early 2000s, will give Nevada football an indoor practice space and also provide the remainder of the Wolf Pack’s teams a place to train during high-heat summer or cold-winter days. The space also will serve as the home to the school’s intramural and club sports teams. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2026.

“Having an indoor facility at the University of Nevada is long overdue,” Nevada football coach Jeff Choate said after the project was passed. “It is a total gamechanger for all of our athletic programs and also for our student body. The ability for our student body to recreate and have intramural sports and for our program to have the ability to prepare when the weather is inclement is something that’s needed. It is especially critical given that we’re the only Division I program in a cold-weather climate that doesn’t yet have such a facility.”

The roughly $32 million project also includes new playing surfaces at Wolf Pack Park, where Nevada football currently practices, and the John Sala Intramural Field. Those are estimated at a combined $4 million. The project is being funded by a $3.50 per-credit student fee that was passed by the Nevada Board of Regents in December that will raise $76.9 million through 2056, per information presented to the Nevada Board of Regents. The facility will be paid via a sublease that is projected to cost $64.1 million through the final payment in 2056.

The 72,000-square foot facility was officially approved by the Regents on June 13. Before that passage, Nevada athletic director Stephanie Rempe said the construction of a Fieldhouse and its impact on Wolf Pack athletics couldn’t be overstated.

“We were out there with the field guys several months ago and stood on Wolf Pack Park and you look around and you see this totally beat up parking lot,” Rempe said. “You see everything on the west side of Wolf Pack Park and the old tower. And then you imagine this indoor facility, and they’re massive. Knowing that we’re going to be able to stand in that same place and look to your left and see two beautiful new fields and then this beautiful building on the right where you can walk in this massive facility, you just think about the statement it makes about the university, the commitment to athletics, the student involvement with athletics. The enormity of this thing, it’s just going to be breathtaking for so many people.”

The Fieldhouse will not be a full-sized football field but will include 110 yards of indoor turf and recreation space and is expected to accommodate opportunities for community events, concerts, youth sports activities and pregame tailgating. A backlit Nevada sports wolf logo will adorn the south side of the building, which is expected to have a capacity to hold 1,500 people. The location of the Fieldhouse, the school’s former tennis courts which are now a parking lot, will be raised four feet so it’s level with Wolf Pack Park.

“The new indoor facility is an absolute gamechanger for our student athletes, our program, future recruits and for the university,” Nevada women’s soccer coach Vanessa Valentine said when the projected was passed. “It shows growth and investment. We are grateful to have the support of President (Brian) Sandoval and the Nevada student body, as this facility is going to help bridge the gap to the student athlete experience. We will now have the advantage of having this safe space to train year-round in a climate-controlled environment. We’re excited for this facility furthering the future of our athletic department and women’s soccer, allowing us to continue to grow and compete at a higher level.”

Added Wolf Pack softball coach Victoria Hayward: “This Fieldhouse will put Nevada softball on a completely new level. As we continue to aim even higher after winning our first Mountain West championship, this Fieldhouse will be pivotal towards our offseason training and elevate our level of preparation for spring. I am excited for the opportunities this facility will provide our current and future student athletes in our continued pursuit of championships.”



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